NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Entice A 13-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Reagan Morales Roblero (37, Guatemala), has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Roblero faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted enticement offense and a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the attempted transfer of obscene material. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to the plea agreement, from July 22 through September 5, 2024, Roblero communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. In actuality, the child was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations special agent (UC). Throughout their conversations, Roblero repeatedly described the sexual activity he wanted to engage in with the child, sending explicit videos to clarify the specific sex acts he desired. On September 5, 2024, after Roblero told the UC that he “want[ed] to make love tonight,” the UC discussed meeting at a motel in in Marion County. Roblero told the UC that the “most private” motel without “cameras” was better for their “protection.” Roblero further stated that he would drive to the motel to see if they could safely meet “because u underage [and] I’m old.” Ultimately, Roblero was arrested by law enforcement in the lobby of the motel. The motel clerk advised law enforcement that Roblero had asked about obtaining a room at the back of the building. 

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Joins Sen. Cory Booker to Introduce Bill Protecting Farmers from USDA Funding Freezes

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in introducing the Honor Farmer Contracts Act of 2025, legislation aimed at ensuring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) fulfills its commitments to farmers by releasing frozen funds and preventing the agency from canceling legally binding contracts. Farmers must be able to rely on USDA funding to plan their planting season and prevent them from having to shut down their operations.

    “Under Elon Musk’s DOGE, the USDA has failed to honor its agreements, leaving farmers and rural communities in financial limbo,” said Vasquez. “This bill will hold the agency accountable, ensuring our farmers receive the support they were promised to continue feeding our communities and driving our rural economies.”

    The Honor Farmer Contracts Act of 2025 requires the USDA to immediately unfreeze funding for all signed, existing agreements and contracts, ensuring the rapid payment of any past due amounts. Additionally, the legislation prohibits canceling signed contracts with farmers and agricultural organizations unless there is a failure to comply with the agreed-upon terms. 

    Under the new Administration, the USDA has paused reimbursements for previously contracted projects across multiple programs and terminated some agreements based on their inclusion of diversity and equity language, disproportionately harming small farmers and historically underserved communities. Several projects in New Mexico are still awaiting confirmation on whether the USDA will unfreeze their funding—many of which have already been actively collaborating with local producers. This includes the Community Food Project grant for Frontier Food Hub in Silver City and the Quivira Coalition’s Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities funding. Additionally, the cancellation of the Local Food Purchase Agreement program has left food banks and the farmers who supply them without a critical funding source.

    “New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers work hard every day to provide for our communities, and they deserve to be treated with fairness and respect,” Vasquez continued. “We are sending a clear message: the federal government must honor its commitments and stop playing politics with farmers’ livelihoods.”

    “Farmers across the country have been in limbo ever since the USDA froze previously signed agreements and contracts, with many facing catastrophic consequences if these freezes continue,” said Senator Booker. “USDA’s refusal to pay what is owed to farmers and the organizations that support them is theft, plain and simple. It’s a critical time of year for farmers and ranchers. They should be doing what they love – feeding our communities, not worrying about unpaid contracts. This legislation will fix that by forcing USDA and the Trump Administration to hold up their end of the deal.”

    “The USDA should not have free rein to leave America’s farmers—the people who feed our country—out to dry. Honoring contractual obligations and disbursing funding that was approved by Congress isn’t about red states or blue states. It’s about right and wrong. It’s about the American people being able to trust their government to follow through on their promises and commitments,” said Rep. Pingree. “The Honor Farmer Contracts Act will ensure our farmers get the support and resources they were promised—and, in many cases, are counting on to keep their operations going.”

    “Whether through deliberate sabotage or sheer incompetence, Donald Trump’s USDA has already created crisis after crisis for American farmers,” said Rep. Jim McGovern. “This is especially true for our small and medium-sized farmers, who stepped up during the pandemic to feed the country and are now facing a USDA that is abandoning its commitments and purging expert professional staff. USDA programs are investments that the American people make in the farmers who sustain our communities. They are not Trump’s playthings. I’m proud to partner with Representatives Vasquez, Pingree, Riley, and Senator Booker to defend against Trump’s attack on independent farmers and local food systems.”

    “Our farms are already struggling to make ends meet under crippling tariff threats, a labor shortage, and an economy that props up Big Ag while small producers get screwed,” said Rep. Josh Riley. “And now, to add insult to injury, this Administration is breaking its promises to them. Enough is enough. It’s time for the USDA to unfreeze these funds and pay what they owe our farmers.”

    The bill has gained support from key members of the House Agriculture Committee and is now moving forward in both chambers as lawmakers push for swift action. Representatives Pingree, McGovern, Riley, Leger Fernandez, Tokuda, McClain Delaney, and Budzinski joined Representative Vasquez in introducing this bill.

    To see the list of organizations endorsing the Honor Farmer Contacts Act, click here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kamlager-Dove Holds First Hearing as Top Democrat on House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, Calls out Republican Hypocrisy on Free Speech

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, delivered opening remarks at the inaugural Subcommittee on South and Central Asia hearing, which ignored pressing bipartisan national security issues to instead repeat Republicans’ false claims of right-wing censorship.

    Watch the full video here.

     

    Below are Ranking Member Kamlager-Dove’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at today’s subcommittee hearing:

    Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to our witnesses for being here for our first South and Central Asia Subcommittee hearing. I look forward to working with the Chair in a bipartisan way on the critical issues we are charged with overseeing.

    Unfortunately, we’re not having a hearing about any of those. Instead, this Subcommittee is wasting taxpayer time and resources on the fifth such hearing Republicans have held across multiple committees on the so-called “censorship-industrial complex.”

    The majority is relitigating a made-up conspiracy theory about a part of the State Department that no longer exists to distract from the dumpster fire foreign policy this Administration is pursuing—and elevating a serial sexual harasser as their star witness in the process.

    Mr. Chair, I request unanimous consent to enter into the record two articles about the Republican witness Matt Taibbi: A Chicago Reader article titled, “Twenty years ago, in Moscow, Matt Taibbi was a misogynist a–hole—and possibly worse,” and a Washington Post article titled, “The two expat bros who terrorized women correspondents in Moscow.”

    This hearing could not be more out of touch with the concerns of everyday Americans.

    People’s retirement savings are being decimated as Trump’s arbitrary tariffs tank the stock market.

    They are staring down the barrel of cuts to their Social Security and Medicare because the Republican majority wants to give a tax break to billionaires like Elon Musk who have deep financial ties to our adversaries.

    Meanwhile, Trump is siding with Putin against American national security interests and risking the lives of American troops in a Signal group chat.

    I’ve been to the State Department, and I do have concerns about censorship—censorship of the employees who are terrified to say the wrong thing or have the wrong word in their job title and be terminated by an Administration that publicly relishes punishing people for their speech.

    If we want to talk about censorship, we should begin with Trump’s unprecedented assault on the First Amendment and rule of law.

    Here a few examples that should send shivers down all our spines:

    Trump banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One because they kept using the name “Gulf of Mexico”, something that none of us would have hesitated to do until a few months ago.

    Trump signed executive orders targeting law firms for representing clients that opposed or investigated him—upending the fundamental principle that lawyers should not fear to represent their clients.

    And most terrifying, Trump ordered ICE agents to arrest and detain Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, and snatch off the street a Tufts University student and visa holder, Rumeysa Ozturk, for protesting and writing an op-ed—for exercising their right to free speech.

    As you can see, Trump is brazenly weaponizing the government to intimidate and silence any part of American society that disagrees with him.

    Countering disinformation from hostile foreign powers should not be a partisan issue. Yet this Administration has crippled our capacity to respond to these threats while aiding, abetting—even amplifying—our adversaries’ influence operations.

    The PRC has invested billions in pumping out propaganda, weaponizing the world’s largest known online disinformation operation to silence critics, discredit lawmakers, and harass U.S. companies who are at odds with China’s interests.

    Russia maintains a sophisticated and sprawling disinformation apparatus to manipulate American public sentiment to Putin’s advantage–even paying conservative influencers to create and amplify pro-Kremlin content.

    How has Trump confronted these threats?

    He shut down independent media broadcasters like USAGM and Radio Free Asia, a move that was actually celebrated in Chinese state media.

    He dismantled the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which his own Administration first created in 2017 to uncover foreign disinformation and propaganda targeting Americans.

    He even appointed a white nationalist named Darren Beattie, who has parroted Kremlin and CCP talking points and denied the PRC’s ongoing Uyghur genocide, to the State Department’s top public diplomacy job.

    Mr. Chair, I request unanimous consent to enter into the record my letter urging Secretary Rubio to fire Darren Beattie for his dangerous anti-American, pro-CCP, white nationalist ideology.

    Countering foreign propaganda has become politicized not because of censorship concerns, but because of conspiracy theories, in some cases spread by the majority witnesses at this very hearing. And now the most egregious disinformation spreader is sitting in the White House.

    We should be exploring real bipartisan solutions to this pressing national security issue on behalf of the American people, not perpetuating culture war divisions.

    Thank you Mr. Chair and I yield back.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Support Grows for President Trump’s America First Reciprocal Trade Plan

    Source: The White House

    One day after President Donald J. Trump announced a new chapter in American prosperity, support continues to roll in for his bold vision to reverse the decades of globalization that has decimated our industrial base.

    The support is bipartisan, with Democrat Rep. Jared Golden lauding President Trump’s plan: “I’m pleased the president is building his tariff agenda on the foundation of a universal 10 percent tariff like the one I proposed in the BUILT USA Act. This ring fence around the American economy is a good start to erasing our unsustainable trade deficits. I’m eager to work with the president to fix the broken ‘free trade’ system that made multinational corporations rich but ruined manufacturing communities across the country.”

    Here’s what else they’re saying:

    Coalition for a Prosperous America Chairman Zach Mottl: “A permanent, universal baseline tariff resets the global trade environment and finally addresses the destructive legacy of decades of misguided free-trade policies. President Trump’s decision to implement a baseline tariff is a game-changing shift that prioritizes American manufacturing, protects working-class jobs, and safeguards our economic security from adversaries like China. This is exactly the type of bold action America needs to restore its industrial leadership. Today’s action will deliver lasting benefits to the U.S. economy and working-class Americans, cementing President Trump’s legacy as one that ushered in a new Golden Age of American industrialization and prosperity.”

    National Cattlemen’s Beef Association SVP of Government Affairs Ethan Lane: “For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world. President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef. NCBA will continue engaging with the White House to ensure fair treatment for America’s cattle producers around the world and optimize opportunities for exports abroad.”

    Steel Manufacturers Association President Philip K. Bell: “President Trump is a champion of the domestic steel industry, and his America First Trade Policy is designed to fight the unfair trade that has harmed American workers and weakened manufacturing in the United States. The recently reinvigorated 232 steel tariffs have already started creating American jobs and bolstering the domestic steel industry. President Trump is working to turn America into a manufacturing powerhouse and the steel tariffs are driving that movement. President Trump’s initial 232 steel tariffs and the historic tax cuts led to investments of nearly $20 billion by steel manufacturers in the United States. Since the revised tariffs took effect, Hyundai Steel announced a $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana, demonstrating that the tariffs are working to bring more steel investments and production to the United States. The domestic steel market is stronger when other nations are forced to compete on a level playing field. On a level playing field, American workers can outcompete anyone. We look forward to continuing working with President Trump and his administration to ensure a level playing field for Americans and a robust domestic steel industry that strengthens our national, economic and energy security.”

    Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul: “Today’s trade action prioritizes domestic manufacturers and America’s workers. These hardworking men and women have seen unfair trade cut the ground from beneath their feet for decades. They deserve a fighting chance. Our workers can out-compete anyone in the world, but they need a level playing field to do it. This trade reset is a necessary step in the right direction.”

    National Electrical Contractors Association CEO David Long: “President Trump has consistently prioritized policies that put the electrical industry as a priority, and we recognize his commitment to strengthening our nation’s economy. As these new tariffs take effect, we look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that electrical contractors and the entire electrical industry can continue powering America efficiently while navigating potential cost and supply chain challenges.”

    American Compass Chief Economist Oren Cass: “The new policies announced by President Trump today confirm the end of the disastrous WTO era and lay the groundwork for a new set of arrangements in the international economy that prioritize the national interest and the flourishing of the nation’s working families.”

    National Council of Textile Organizations CEO Kim Glas: “We strongly commend President Trump and his administration on their tariff reciprocity plan to finally begin rebalancing America’s trade positioning in markets at home and abroad. We want to thank President Trump on behalf of the U.S. textile industry and the 471,000 workers we employ.”

    Southern Shrimp Alliance Executive Director John Williams: “We’ve watched as multigenerational family businesses tie up their boats, unable to compete with foreign producers who play by a completely different set of rules. We are grateful for the Trump Administration’s actions today, which will preserve American jobs, food security, and our commitment to ethical production.”

    American Iron and Steel Institute President Kevin Dempsey: “AISI thanks President Trump for standing up for American workers by restoring fairness in international trade and addressing non-reciprocal trade relationships. American steel producers are all too familiar with the detrimental effects of unfair foreign trade practices on domestic industries and their workers. Driven by subsidies and other foreign government trade-distorting practices, global overcapacity in the steel industry reached 573 million metric tons in 2024 and has spurred high levels of exports of steel from countries like China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia that continue to produce steel in volumes that significantly exceed their domestic demand. These exports directly and indirectly injure steel producers in the U.S. and government action to address this unloading of steel overproduction on world markets is overdue.”

    Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano: “Thank you, President Trump, for putting America first and finally once and for all levying the same tariffs on trade partners that they have levied mercilessly on the United States for decades. This was not an easy decision to make, but one that is long overdue with a record $1.2 trillion trade in goods deficit in 2024 after the failed rule of former President Joe Biden. … Under President Trump’s leadership, America will be the industrial and technology leader of the world, with commitments for hundreds of billions of investments in the United States. For countries that want to avoid the tariffs, it’s simple: Build in America. … Thank you again, President Trump, for your leadership in restoring reciprocity in trade and for having the courage that all of our other leaders have lacked.”

    American Petroleum Institute: “We welcome President Trump’s decision to exclude oil and natural gas from new tariffs, underscoring the complexity of integrated global energy markets and the importance of America’s role as a net energy exporter. We will continue working with the Trump administration on trade policies that support American energy dominance.”

    National Association of Home Builders Chairman Buddy Hughes: “NAHB is pleased President Trump recognized the importance of critical construction inputs for housing and chose to continue current exemptions for Canadian and Mexican products, with a specific exemption for lumber from any new tariffs at this time. NAHB will continue to work with the administration to find ways to increase domestic lumber production, reduce regulatory burdens, and create an environment that allows builders to increase our nation’s housing supply.”

    International Dairy Foods Association SVP of Trade and Workforce Policy Becky Rasdall Vargas: “The U.S. dairy industry exports more than $8 billion of high-quality dairy products every year to approximately 145 countries around the world. To meet growing global demand, dairy businesses have invested $8 billion in new processing capacity here in the United States—creating jobs, strengthening rural economies, and positioning America as the world’s leading dairy supplier. This growth depends on strong trade relationships and access to essential ingredients, finished goods, packaging, and equipment to provide Americans with safe, affordable, and nutritious dairy foods and beverages. IDFA supports the Trump Administration’s efforts to hold trading partners accountable and expand market access for U.S. dairy.”

    Bienvenido Empresarios: “As an organization committed to empowering Hispanic Americans and strengthening our nation’s future, Bienvenido supports policies that build a more resilient American economy, safeguard our communities, and reassert U.S. leadership on the global stage. President Trump’s emphasis on using economic leverage — including tariffs — reflects a broader strategy to counter China, confront the deadly fentanyl crisis, and bring critical industries back home. Now is a time for tough, decisive action when national security and American livelihoods are at stake. Our hope is that these measures lead to stronger enforcement, fairer trade, and long-term prosperity for all Americans.”

    America First Policy Institute: “Tariffs worked then—and they’ll work again. Under President Trump, tariffs brought back jobs, lowered inflation, and strengthened national security. It’s not just economic policy—it’s America First in action.”

    Author Batya Ungar-Sargon: “[President Trump] is saying we’re going to invest heavily in our middle class. We are no longer going to be a country in which our economy is an upward funnel of wealth from the hardest-working Americans into the pockets of the international global elites.”

    Fox Business Network’s Charles Payne: “President Trump ran on tariffs. What we just saw was a president who did what he said he was going to do … This system is unsustainable … Is our patriotism tied to Wall Street? Or should it be tied to our own personal ability to achieve the American Dream?”

    Republic Financial Chairman Nate Morris: “As someone who was raised by a proud autoworker – thank you President Trump for putting AMERICAN workers first again!”

    Commentator Geraldo Rivera: “The family did visit Japan… we did not see a single American car on the road in Tokyo — not a Caddy, not a Buick, not a Ford, not a Chevy… I have an innate sense that there’s something unfair going on… if they are screwing us, we got to tax them.”

    Commentator Bill O’Reilly: “We’ve been getting hosed since World War II by the trade imbalance … You can do what Biden and Obama did, which is just ignore it completely … The numbers are staggering, and the best part of Trump’s speech today was that he said that if you go to Japan or South Korea or China or Germany, you’re not going to see any American cars because they won’t let them in … Trump is right.”

    CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp: “America cannot afford to be taken advantage of any longer.  Even our friends and strategic allies have for too long assumed that the United States could absorb unfair treatment, including high tariffs on American goods.  We applaud the steps taken by President Trump today to defend American manufacturers not because we like higher taxes, but because we know that trade is only free when both sides follow similar rules.  What President Trump understands is that America needs to get back on track by improving our domestic competitiveness by cutting taxes and regulations AND we need to take on the globalists who believe Americans should not always have to take it in the chops.  Real respect begins with economic reciprocity.”

    Speaker Mike Johnson: “President Trump is sending a clear message with Liberation Day: America will not be exploited by unfair trade practices anymore. These tariffs restore fair and reciprocal trade and level the playing field for American workers and innovators. The President understands that FREE trade ONLY works when it’s FAIR!”

    Gov. Jeff Landry: “Pro Jobs. Pro Business. Pro America.”

    Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso: “President Trump is acting boldly to put America first. America needs fair and free trade. We can’t allow other countries to keep abusing our workers and job creators. It’s time we had a level playing field. I applaud President Trump’s 100% commitment to Made in America.”

    Sen. Jim Banks: “The decision by President Trump today to impose reciprocal tariffs will be so good for Indiana. … Those are the manufacturing jobs that President Trump is bringing back from overseas.”

    Sen. Bill Cassidy: “The president’s trade agenda can pave the way for stronger trade deals, fairer rules, and real results. I am excited to work with President Trump to make it happen. Louisiana’s workers and families deserve nothing less.”

    Sen. John Kennedy: “America is rich. We buy a lot of stuff. President Trump is saying that if you foreign businesses want to sell in America, then move your business here and hire American workers.”

    Sen. Roger Marshall: “President Donald Trump is fighting for long-term solutions to put America’s farmers and ranchers first.”

    Sen. Ashley Moody: “It’s liberation day in America! Today, @POTUS sent a message to the world that the era of America being taken advantage of is over.”

    Sen. Bernie Moreno: “President Trump is finally reversing their failed policies and fighting back for American workers.”

    Sen. Markwayne Mullin: “President Trump is going to charge foreign countries roughly half of what they *already* charge us to do business. Literally who can argue with this?”

    Sen. Pete Ricketts: “President Trump is delivering on his campaign promises to level the playing field and stand up for the American people. Reciprocal tariffs will ensure equal treatment for American businesses. @POTUS is working to reshore jobs lost overseas and secure our supply chains. He is working to open new markets for our nation’s agriculture products. He is demonstrating to foreign adversaries like China that we will no longer be taken advantage of.”

    Sen. Rick Scott: “The days of the U.S. being taken advantage of by other countries are OVER! Pres. Trump is making it clear that he will ALWAYS put American jobs, manufacturing and our economy first. As Americans, let’s stand with him and support one another by buying products MADE IN AMERICA.”

    Sen. Eric Schmitt: “President Trump is bringing America back. We won’t be ripped off by other countries anymore. We’re bringing back manufacturing, unleashing energy production, and paving the way for prosperity.”

    Sen. Tim Sheehy: “They tariff us at up to 50% of our exported ag products and then dump mass produced ag products into our market severely hurting our farmers and ranchers. It’s about time we have a level playing field for businesses.”

    Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “For too long, other countries have ripped us off with bad trade deals – resulting in American jobs and manufacturing moving overseas. But change is coming. The Golden Age of America’s economy is here. Happy Liberation Day.”

    House Majority Leader Steve Scalise: “The United States and American workers will no longer be ripped off by other countries with unfair trade practices. Thank you President Trump for putting America’s workers and innovators first with reciprocal tariffs that level the playing field and make trade FAIR.”

    House Majority Whip Tom Emmer: “For too long, foreign countries have taken advantage of us at the expense of American workers. President @realDonaldTrump says NO MORE.”

    House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain: “Tariffs work! @POTUS has proven tariffs are an effective tool in achieving economic and strategic objectives. The President’s long-term strategy will pay off.”

    Rep. Elise Stefanik: “I strongly support President Trump’s America First economic policies to strengthen American manufacturing and create millions of American jobs. For too long, Americans have suffered under unfair trade practices putting America Last. We will not allow other countries to take advantage of us and we must put America and the American worker first.”

    Rep. Jason Smith: “America shouldn’t reward countries that discriminate against American workers and manufacturers. On Liberation Day, President Trump is correcting this and demanding fair treatment for American producers.”

    Rep. Mark Alford: “The days of the United States being taken advantage of are OVER. Republicans are putting American workers FIRST.”

    Rep. Rick Allen: “@POTUS is undoing decades of unfair trade practices and putting American workers, businesses, and manufacturers FIRST. These reciprocal tariffs are simply leveling the playing field and will help ensure the U.S. is no longer on the losing end of global trade.”

    Rep. Jodey Arrington: “For too long, our leaders have allowed other nations to rip us off through numerous unfair trade practices resulting in suppressed wages, lost opportunities, and unrealized economic growth. Just as he did in his first term, President Trump is fighting to ensure an even playing field for our manufacturers, farmers, and workers so we can unleash American prosperity and Make America Great Again.”

    Rep. Brian Babin: “Trump’s tariffs aren’t starting a trade war—they’re ending one. For decades, other countries ripped off American workers with unfair tariffs and barriers. Now, we’re finally fighting back.”

    Rep. Andy Biggs: “Past administrations have allowed the United States to be ripped off by allies and adversaries alike. President Trump said “NO MORE!” The Art of the Deal.”

    Rep. Vern Buchanan: “For too long, unfair trade practices devastated America’s manufacturing base and stole millions of blue-collar jobs. It’s time to level the playing field and bring those jobs back. @POTUS is fighting for American workers.”

    Rep. Eli Crane: “America First policies are what the American people voted for.”

    Rep. Michael Cloud: “America-First means putting the American people first. We will no longer be taken advantage of as a nation and people.”

    Rep. Andrew Clyde: “For far too long, the U.S. has been ripped off by countries across the globe with unfair trade practices. Now, we’re finally leveling the playing field. THANK YOU, President Trump, for putting American workers and manufacturing FIRST.”

    Rep. Mike Collins: “This is fair. Whether it’s our military or economy, other countries have taken advantage of the U.S. for far too long. That time is over.”

    Rep. Byron Donalds: “For decades, a lot of these countries have built their economies on the back of the American economy … These nations have become, not just developing nations, they are now strong economies. And so, we have to have fair trade if we’re going to have free trade.”

    Rep. Chuck Edwards: “Many countries are taking advantage of the United States by imposing tariffs against us while we don’t have reciprocal tariffs against them. @POTUS has used tariffs to produce successful trade deals for us in his first term, and I support his plan to use them again to create a more level playing field and secure fairer trade deals for America. The quicker other countries agree to fairer trade deals, the quicker the tariffs can end.”

    Rep. Gabe Evans: “This admin puts America first from strengthening our economy & national security to prioritizing hard working Americans. Farmers in #CO08 have been disadvantaged in foreign trade deals & will benefit from reciprocal tariffs that promote FAIR & free trade.”

    Rep. Scott Franklin: “For years the US handcuffed itself and played nice while other countries imposed massive tariffs and took advantage of us. We’re done putting America last. @POTUS is leveling the playing field, ending trade imbalances and prioritizing American workers and manufacturing again!”

    Rep. Mike Flood: “Biden did nothing for four years on trade. Five years after Brexit, America doesn’t have a free trade deal with the UK. President @realDonaldTrump is rightsizing our trade relationships.”

    Rep. Russell Fry: “HAPPY LIBERATION DAY. Thanks to @POTUS, America is DONE being taken advantage of. A new era has begun.”

    Rep. Lance Gooden: “For decades, Washington allowed Texans to be ripped off by foreign countries. Those days are now over. @POTUS is committed to making America wealthy again!”

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “If you want to do business in America, you need to play by our rules. For too long, American businesses, big and small, have been ripped off by bad trade deals and unfair competition. President Trump is putting a stop to it. He’s standing up for our workers, our companies, and our consumers.”

    Rep. Abe Hamadeh: “The America First Republican party is the party of the working class, the forgotten men and women. On this Liberation Day, we further our commitment to them, that we will reshore our manufacturing, restore fair trade, and rebuild the greatest economy in the world.”

    Rep. Pat Harrigan: “If you want access to the most powerful economy in the world, treat us fairly. If not, don’t expect a free ride. That’s real leadership and @POTUS is delivering it!”

    Rep. Andy Harris: “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs will put the American worker first and bring fairness back to international trade. America is being respected again.”

    Rep. Diana Harshbarger: “President Trump is bringing back the American Dream. Our taxpayers have been ripped off by foreign countries for far too long, but those days are over. President Trump is right to impose these reciprocal tariffs.”

    Rep. Clay Higgins: “.@POTUS’ trade agenda puts American industry and America first. I support the President’s action to protect our domestic producers.”

    Rep. Wesley Hunt: “Today, President Trump empowered the American middle class.  His policies on tariffs will bring automotive manufacturing back to America.”

    Rep. Morgan Luttrell: “President Trump is putting America First on trade—standing up to foreign adversaries, protecting American workers, and rebuilding our manufacturing base. The days of unfair trade deals and economic surrender are OVER.”

    Rep. Nicole Malliotakis: “Since President Trump has been elected, we’ve attracted $5 trillion in private investment, foreign & domestic companies have announced Made in USA manufacturing, countries have reduced tariffs or changed foreign policies. President Trump is sticking up for American workers & farmers, repatriating our supply chain and protecting our national security.”

    Rep. Addison McDowell: “My district was hit hard over the years by unfair trade deals. Finally, we have a President who wants to put the American worker FIRST.”

    Rep. Dan Meuser: “We have been treated unfairly. Free trade has become synonymous with unfair trade, and @POTUS is recognizing that… We needed a reckoning; we needed a correction. President Trump is bringing it.”

    Rep. Mary Miller: “America will no longer be taken advantage of! This is how you put America First.”

    Rep. John Moolenaar: “For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party has exploited America’s generosity, stolen our intellectual property, and undermined our workers. President Trump’s recent tariffs and the Restoring Trade Fairness Act, which I introduced earlier this year to revoke China’s permanent normal trade relations status, will finally put an end to this abuse—holding China accountable and protecting American jobs. For decades, we’ve accepted one-sided trade deals that hurt our industries while benefiting our adversaries. Trade deficits reflect that imbalance, but they also reveal something deeper: the strength of the American consumer. It’s time we stopped allowing that strength to be used against us and started putting American workers first.”

    Rep. Riley Moore: “For decades, foreign countries have enjoyed free access to the greatest consumer marketplace on the face of the planet, all while still charging our domestic producers hefty duties or imposing significant barriers to access their markets. Today that ends. President Trump is the only president in my lifetime to acknowledge how unfair trade has gutted the heartland and shipped countless jobs overseas. By finally reciprocating in-kind, we’ll force foreign competitors to the negotiating table, lower trade barriers, and ultimately create real free and fair trade across the board. I’m confident this move will boost our domestic manufacturing industry and fuel demand for American products across the globe.”

    Rep. Tim Moore: “President Trump is leveling the playing field for American workers and bringing back MADE IN AMERICA!”

    Rep. Troy Nehls: “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs make it clear that our country will not be ripped off anymore. We are bringing back American manufacturing and putting America First.”

    Rep. Ralph Norman: “Happy LIBERATION Day … ✅Protect the American worker ✅Strengthen manufacturing ✅Reduce unfair trade practices … Our economy will be competitive again!!”

    Rep. Andy Ogles: “He’s resetting the negotiating table. He’s resetting the deck here to say, ‘You know what? For too long, you’ve taken advantage of our free market and you’ve literally leached jobs away from the American people … Let’s have a serious conversation and let’s do something that’s fair and mutually beneficial for both sides.’”

    Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: “I fully support President Trump’s critical efforts to right this generational wrong, bring manufacturing jobs home, and rejuvenate American working families. Made in America is back.”

    Rep. John Rutherford: “Tariffs help bring American jobs back home, incentivize buying American, AND put pressure on Canada and Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants from their countries into ours. Even the Biden Admin kept or increased tariffs that President Trump imposed during his first presidency. Under Trump, inflation stayed around 2% and our GDP grew to 3%. Smart tariffs are a long-term investment in the American economy that are worth the short-term cost.”

    Rep. Adrian Smith: “Reducing trade barriers is necessary to ensuring American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, small businesses, and innovators can sell their products in other markets. President Trump has made it clear other countries can avoid tariffs by reducing or eliminating their existing barriers to U.S. products. Engagement on trade is vital to our economy and opportunity for U.S. workers. In his first term, President Trump proved robust engagement can be productive as he moved the ball down the field on several agreements with our top trade partners. To achieve economic stability, we must continue to fight to give our producers the chance to compete in a global marketplace.”

    Rep. Greg Steube: “What many fail to realize: Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are a long-overdue response to years of unfair trade policies against America. For decades, America has been ripped off by other countries who have repeatedly slapped tariffs on our goods, blocked our products, and flooded our markets with theirs. The numbers don’t lie–the rest of the world has profited at the expense of American workers and businesses. President Trump is finally putting America First by taking bold, necessary actions that past leaders wouldn’t take.”

    Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “If Australia doesn’t want our beef – WE DON’T WANT THEIRS! Thank you @POTUS for opening the door of fair treatment for America’s Cattlemen‼️”

    Rep. Tom Tiffany: “Gone are the days of America being taken advantage of by foreign countries. The American worker comes FIRST.”

    Rep. William Timmons: “President Trump’s tariffs are a necessary move to protect American workers and rebuild our economy. We are finally breaking free from decades of unfair trade deals that gutted our industries. These tariffs will bring jobs back to our districts, strengthen manufacturing, and ensure our children inherit a country that is not just a consumer, but a producer. Thank you, @POTUS.”

    Rep. Beth Van Duyne: “For far too long, the United States has been taken advantage of by our foreign trade partners. The American people re-elected President Trump to bring back truly fair trade with other countries. Reciprocal tariffs are a first step to have a level playing field for American products and to start bringing back manufacturing to our country!”

    Rep. Daniel Webster: “President @realDonaldTrump is delivering on his mandate to restore America’s economic strength. For too long, unfair trade deals have hollowed out our factories and shipped American jobs overseas. By standing up to bad actors like China and Venezuela and enforcing fair trade, President Trump is defending American industries and putting American workers first.”

    Rep. Tony Wied: “President Trump has made it clear with these reciprocal tariffs that we will no longer allow other countries to take advantage of us. His goal is simple: to bring jobs and manufacturing back to our country and open up foreign markets to American products. If companies want to avoid these tariffs, they will do business in the United States. I applaud the President for taking a stand against years of unfair trade practices and making sure we put American workers and consumers first. It’s time our foreign trading partners finally live up to their end of the bargain.”

    Rep. Roger Williams: “For too long, America Last policies have put the U.S. auto industry at a disadvantage. As a car dealer and small business owner, I support @POTUS’ Executive Order to increase competition, boost revenue, and bring back American jobs.”

    Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson: “I applaud President Trump’s actions today to reset global trade relations through the President’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff plan. America is not only in a trade war, we’ve been in a trade war for years now. This trade war has resulted in historic trade deficits that continue to hurt our farmers. … I believe President Trump’s actions today will set the stage for the renegotiation of better trade deals that will benefit American farmers and all our domestic industries going forward and will also serve to spur more local production.”

    U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer: “Today, President Trump is taking urgent action to protect the national security and economy of the United States. The current lack of trade reciprocity, demonstrated by our chronic trade deficit, has weakened our economic and national security. After only 72 days in office, President Trump has prioritized swift action to bring reciprocity to our trade relations and reduce the trade deficit by leveling the playing field for American workers and manufacturers, reshoring American jobs, expanding our domestic manufacturing base, and ensuring our defense-industrial base is not dependent on foreign adversaries—all leading to stronger economic and national security.”

    Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick: “Today, the world starts taking us seriously. Our workforce will finally be treated fairly.”

    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: “President Trump signed the Declaration of Economic Independence for the American people. For decades, the trade status quo has allowed countries to leverage tariffs and unfair trade practices to get ahead at the expense of hardworking Americans. The President’s historic actions will level the playing field for American workers and usher in a new age of economic strength.”

    Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: “FARMERS COME FIRST — @POTUS is leveling the playing field, ensuring American farmers and ranchers can compete globally again!”

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Thank you, @POTUS! ‘Made in America’ is not just a tagline — it’s an economic and national security priority.”

    Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: “For too long, America has been targeted by unfair trade practices that made our supply chain dependent on foreign adversaries, eroded our industrial base, and hurt American workers. This has gravely impacted our national security. President Trump’s strong action will help make America safe again. @DHS, primarily through @CBP, is ready to collect these new tariffs and put an end to unfair trade practices. Thank you President @realDonaldTrump for putting America FIRST.”

    Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer: “Promises made, promises kept”

    Secretary of Energy Chris Wright: “President Trump is a businessman; he’s a negotiator. The result of that has been and will continue to be improvements for the American people. We are in the midst of a negotiation, and he is fighting every day to make the cost-of-living conditions better for Americans.”

    Secretary of Education Linda McMahon: “At the White House this afternoon, we celebrated Liberation Day — setting our economy on the path of future prosperity for our children. Business owners, workers, and taxpayers have been waiting for strong economic leadership.

    @POTUS’ actions today prove we are done being taken advantage of in international trade.”

    Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum: “President Trump’s Liberation Day reciprocity plan is commonsense. If you tariff us, we’ll tariff you. This will strengthen our economy and make America wealthy again!”

    Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy: “Today is the day we will liberate ourselves from unfair trade practices and outdated ways of thinking. Tariffs are an important tool in the President’s toolbox to stop foreign countries from ripping us off, protect America’s workers, and restore U.S. manufacturing. I stand with @POTUS as he finally levels the playing field. Happy Liberation Day!”

    Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner: “For four years, Americans couldn’t afford groceries, let alone a house. This Liberation Day, @POTUS is bringing manufacturing and jobs back. President Trump is making the American Dream achievable again!”

    Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin: “Massive announcement by @POTUS today restoring U.S. dominance, cementing his America First vision, and Powering the Great American Comeback.”

    Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler: “Small businesses will no longer be crushed by foreign governments and unfair trade deals. Instead, we will put American industry, workers, and strength FIRST. Thank you @POTUS for bringing back Made in America!”

    National Security Advisor Mike Waltz: “Economic security is national security. Thank you President Trump for putting America first.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 04.02.2025 Cruz, Cornyn Introduce Senate Resolution Honoring Texan George Foreman

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a Senate resolution honoring the life and legacy of Houston native and professional boxer George Foreman, who passed away on March 21, 2025.
    Read the resolution text here or below:
    “Whereas George Foreman was born on January 10, 1949, in Marshall, Texas;
    Whereas George Foreman was raised in Houston, Texas;
    Whereas George Foreman earned his general education degree and gained vocational skills through the Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps;
    Whereas George Foreman began his boxing career in 1966 after meeting Doc Broaddus, a boxing instructor, who worked for Job Corps;
    Whereas George Foreman won his first amateur fight on January 26, 1967, in the Parks Diamond Bell Tournament;
    Whereas George Foreman won the National Boxing Championship heavyweight title in Toledo, Ohio, in 1968;
    Whereas George Foreman won a gold medal in the boxing and heavyweight division during the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games;
    Whereas George Foreman began his professional boxing career in 1969;
    Whereas George Foreman won 37 consecutive fights, of which 35 were by knockout;
    Whereas, on January 22, 1973, George Foreman won the World Heavyweight Championship title by defeating Joe Frazier;
    Whereas George Foreman maintained the title of World Heavyweight Champion until October 30, 1974, in a fierce matchup, known as the “Rumble in the Jungle”, with Muhammad Ali;
    Whereas George Foreman stepped back from his boxing career to become an ordained minister in 1978 and served the congregation at Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, which he founded in 1980, in Houston, Texas;
    Whereas, in 1984, George Foreman opened the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in Houston, Texas, to provide opportunities to youth across Harris County;
    Whereas George Foreman announced his return to boxing in 1987 and won his first fight back against Steve Zouski;
    Whereas George Foreman earned the title of World Heavyweight Champion again on November 5, 1994, against Michael Moorer, breaking multiple records, including the oldest fighter to win a world heavyweight championship after the most time between world heavyweight championships and with the largest age gap between competitors in a heavyweight boxing championship fight;
    Whereas George Foreman fought for the final time in 1997 against Shannon Briggs;
    Whereas George Foreman had a final career record of 76 to 5;
    Whereas George Foreman became a successful businessman, most notably with the George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine, of which more than 100,000,000 units have been sold globally;
    Whereas George Foreman was recognized by the American Legion in 2013 with the James V. Day “Good Guy” Award for his patriotism and service to his community;
    Whereas George Foreman remained a beloved public figure and boxing legend until his death;
    Whereas George Foreman died in Houston, Texas, on March 21, 2025;
    Whereas George Foreman was preceded in death by his daughter, Freeda; and
    Whereas George Foreman is survived by his wife of 40 years, Mary Joan, and 11 of his children and their families: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That—
                 (1) the Senate—
          (A) honors the life and legacy of George Foreman for—
    (i) his accomplishments as a boxing legend;
    (ii) the example he provides to future generations of community leaders; and
    (iii) his dedication to Houston and his support of vulnerable youth in the community;
          (B) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate—
    (i) communicate this resolution to the House of Representatives; and
    (ii) transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of George Foreman; and
    (2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of George Foreman.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced To 14 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Armando Bravo-Coyote (43) to 14 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a deported alien. Bravo-Coyote pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024. 

    According to court documents, on August 19, 2024, Bravo-Coyote, a citizen and national of Mexico, was found to be voluntarily in the United States. Bravo-Coyote was physically removed from the United States to Mexico on four occasions, April 29, 2009, March 22, 2010, August 7, 2013, and May 2, 2019. Bravo-Coyote has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to re-enter the United States after being removed/deported from the United States. Bravo-Coyote had previously been convicted of a felony offense.

    This case was investigated by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transnational Manager for Colombia’s Clan del Golfo Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Colombian national and lieutenant for Clan del Golfo (CDG) pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine destined for the United States.

    According to court documents, Fabian Edilson Torres Caranton, also known as David and Cassius, 53, served as a coordinator, intermediary, and lieutenant for the Bloque Roberto Vargas Gutierrez of CDG — a Colombian paramilitary and multibillion-dollar Transnational Criminal Organization. CDG is one of Colombia’s largest and most powerful drug cartels with its membership in the thousands. CDG’s primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities.

    According to court documents, in July 2018, Torres Caranton and an individual seeking to broker the purchase of cocaine on behalf of Mexican buyers, attended a meeting with another member of CDG at a ranch in or near Caucasia, Colombia. During the meeting, the other CDG member authorized the production of 500 kilograms of cocaine to be transported from Colombia into and through Central America for delivery to Mexican buyers for final delivery to the United States. Torres Caranton spent several days monitoring the cocaine production at a clandestine laboratory in Coralito, Colombia. Torres Caranton and his co-conspirators made two controlled deliveries of cocaine to an undercover officer: 191 kilograms on Sept. 16, 2018, in Valledupar, Colombia, and 172 kilograms on Oct. 16, 2018, in Cartagena, Colombia. Torres Caranton knew the purported Mexican buyers intended to distribute the cocaine in Houston, Texas.

    Torres Caranton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine for unlawful importation into the United States from Colombia. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 4 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota worked with law enforcement partners in Colombia to secure the arrest and December 2023 extradition of Torres Caranton.

    Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Local Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Drug, Money Laundering Crimes

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

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local man and woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to drug and money laundering crimes related to assisting two Chillicothe brothers traffic drugs from Mexico and Arizona. 

    Todd Michael Fulkerson, 42, of Columbus, admitted to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

    In February 2024, Fulkerson traveled to Arizona at the request of Caleb Barillaro, 30, who was acquiring kilogram quantities of the drugs to resell through street-level drug dealers in Chillicothe and the surrounding areas. The men drove separate vehicles to Arizona, and Fulkerson accompanied Caleb on the trip to provide security. Fulkerson was recruited for this role based on his military experience.

    In Arizona, Caleb purchased two kilograms of fentanyl and five kilograms of cocaine for $94,000 in cash. Caleb put the drugs in a cooler and placed ice on top of the drugs to conceal them before putting the cooler in Fulkerson’s car.

    Law enforcement surveilled the two vehicles traveling in tandem back towards Ohio from Arizona.

    The two stopped at a gas station near the Indiana and Ohio border. Caleb discovered that the melting ice in the cooler had ruined some of the kilograms of drugs. He became upset and took the cooler to his car. Caleb feared he was being surveilled by law enforcement as he traveled from the gas station, and he discarded the drugs along the side of the road.

    Fulkerson faces up to 20 years in prison for his role in transporting the drugs.

    Lazae Lett, 24, of Chillicothe, admitted to laundering drug proceeds to Sinaloa, Mexico, to help Dillon Barillaro, 31, obtain more drugs through a source of supply there. She sent several approximately $2,000 money orders via Western Union money orders from Walmart and two Kroger locations in Chillicothe. 

    Dillon Barillaro provided the illicit money to Lett and instructed her on recipient names and payment amounts. Dillon Barillaro drove Lett to the Walmart and Kroger locations to conduct financial transactions in immediate succession.

    Lett faces up to 20 years in prison.

    The Barillaro brothers have each pleaded guilty to federal narcotics crimes punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison and await sentencing.

    Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Field Office; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Chillicothe Police Chief Ron Meyers announced the guilty pleas offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in the related cases.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Possession and Firearms Sales Land Oklahoma City Men in Federal Prison for More Than 19 Years Collectively

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – AUSTIN GAGE OSBORN, 24, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 68 months in federal prison for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and being a drug user in possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. 

    According to public record, beginning in July 2024, undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began purchasing firearms from Osborn and codefendant JOSE ADRIAN HERMOSILLO, 22, of Oklahoma City. Agents identified Hermosillo as a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Between July 17, 2024, and August 9, 2024, ATF agents met with Osborn and Hermosillo on several occasions purchasing approximately 20 firearms.  In one specific transaction on July 29, 2024, undercover agents told Osborn and Hermosillo that the guns the agents were purchasing would be transported out of the United States and into Mexico. Despite having reason to believe that the firearms would be trafficked across the border, Osborn and Hermosillo continued to sell firearms to undercover agents for profit, without a federal firearms license, in violation of federal law. 

    On November 26, 2024, Osborn was charged by Superseding Information with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and with being a drug user in possession of firearms. On December 5, 2024, Osborn pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information, and admitted he possessed 19 firearms while being a regular user of marijuana, and that he was illegally dealing firearms as a business without a license to do so. At the sentencing hearing on March 26, 2025, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Osborn to serve 68 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

    Hermosillo pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024, to trafficking firearms, and admitted he willingly transferred firearms to another person with reasonable cause to believe that the use, carrying, or possession of the firearms by the recipient would constitute a felony. Hermosillo was sentenced on March 24, 2025, to serve 168 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

    In announcing the sentences for Osborn and Hermosillo, Judge Palk noted the seriousness of these offenses, the need for the sentences to deter others in the public who may consider engaging in similar behavior, and the history and characteristics of the defendants. Public record further reflects that Hermosillo has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County that include attempted burglary in case number CF-2021-2066 and possession of a firearm after juvenile adjudication in case number CF-2022-3560.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew E. Davis and Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.

    This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Shooting Incident

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a violent shooting incident involving the illegal use of a firearm.

    According to court records, on the night of September 19, 2024, Devin Wade Wyaco shot John Doe (who was riding a bicycle) from the passenger side of his girlfriend’s vehicle, striking John Doe in the abdomen. Doe was transported to Zuni Hospital and later to the University of New Mexico Hospital for treatment. During an interview with investigators, John Doe identified the vehicle as belonging to Wyaco’s girlfriend. Doe survived the shooting.

    Police identified Wyaco, 34, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, as the shooter through statements from his girlfriend, who admitted being present during the incident and confirmed Wyaco’s involvement. A federal search warrant executed at her residence corroborated her account. In his plea agreement, Wyaco confessed that he fired at John Doe after becoming angry when one of the bicyclists threw a rock at the car. He also admitted that as a previously convicted felon—having prior convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and aggravated fleeing from a law-enforcement officer—he knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition in violation of federal law.

    Handgun recovered from Wyaco’s girlfriend’s home.

    Wyaco pled guilty to all three charges contained in the indictment, including assault with a dangerous weapon, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    At sentencing, Wyaco faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison followed by up to five years of supervised release. Additionally, Wyaco faces up to $250,000 in fines.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Transnational Manager for Colombia’s Clan del Golfo Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Colombian national and lieutenant for Clan del Golfo (CDG) pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine destined for the United States.

    According to court documents, Fabian Edilson Torres Caranton, also known as David and Cassius, 53, served as a coordinator, intermediary, and lieutenant for the Bloque Roberto Vargas Gutierrez of CDG — a Colombian paramilitary and multibillion-dollar Transnational Criminal Organization. CDG is one of Colombia’s largest and most powerful drug cartels with its membership in the thousands. CDG’s primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities.

    According to court documents, in July 2018, Torres Caranton and an individual seeking to broker the purchase of cocaine on behalf of Mexican buyers, attended a meeting with another member of CDG at a ranch in or near Caucasia, Colombia. During the meeting, the other CDG member authorized the production of 500 kilograms of cocaine to be transported from Colombia into and through Central America for delivery to Mexican buyers for final delivery to the United States. Torres Caranton spent several days monitoring the cocaine production at a clandestine laboratory in Coralito, Colombia. Torres Caranton and his co-conspirators made two controlled deliveries of cocaine to an undercover officer: 191 kilograms on Sept. 16, 2018, in Valledupar, Colombia, and 172 kilograms on Oct. 16, 2018, in Cartagena, Colombia. Torres Caranton knew the purported Mexican buyers intended to distribute the cocaine in Houston, Texas.

    Torres Caranton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine for unlawful importation into the United States from Colombia. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 4 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota worked with law enforcement partners in Colombia to secure the arrest and December 2023 extradition of Torres Caranton.

    Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Approximately 13,000 Fentanyl Pills Seized During Undercover Operation, Three Foreign Nationals Detained and Charged

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging three foreign nationals, living in Utah, with drug crimes after agents allegedly seized approximately 13,000 fentanyl pills during a controlled buy and execution of a search warrant in West Valley City, Utah.

    Diego Armando Campos-Fallas, 19, of Costa Rica, Hugo Eduardo Miraba-Franco, 20, of Ecuador, and Jose Enrique Zuniga-Diaz, 19, of, Honduras, were charged by complaint on March 21, 2025.
        
    According to court documents, on March 19, 2025, agents coordinated an undercover operation to purchase 5,000 fentanyl pills during a controlled buy from Campos-Fallas in West Valley City. Upon arrival at the meeting location for the controlled buy, Campos got into the undercover agent’s vehicle with approximately 5,000 fentanyl pills and was subsequently detained. Miraba-Franco, who was seated in the drivers’ seat of Campos’ vehicle was also detained. A search warrant was served at a residence in West Valley City, where Campos, Miraba and Zuniga-Diaz live. At the residence, agents seized an additional 8,000 fentanyl pills, 102.2 grams of marijuana, and 1125.3 grams of THC cartridges. A search warrant was also executed on Campos’ vehicle, a black Hyundai Elantra, and approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills were recovered. The fentanyl provided to the undercover agent during the controlled buy, and the fentanyl seized at the residence, approximately 13,000 in total, were field-tested and tested positive for fentanyl.

    Campos-Fallas, Miraba-Franco, and Zuniga-Diaz are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Campos Fallas and Miraba-Franco are also charged with distribution of fentanyl. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 3, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

    Assistant United States Attorney Mark K. Vincent of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Human smuggling coordinator sentenced following ICE Arizona, law enforcement partner investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PHOENIX — Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez was sentenced March 25 to 30 months in prison for her role in smuggling over 100 Colombians into the United States. The investigation, conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol Sector Intelligence Unit, began in late 2023 after numerous Colombian nationals identified the 39-year-old as their smuggling coordinator.

    “The defendant and her associates blatantly disregarded the safety and well-being of others by prioritizing personal profit over human lives,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these dangerous transnational criminal networks and ensure that those who exploit victims for financial gain are brought to justice.”

    Barcelo-Velasquez owned and operated the Baul Travel SAS travel agency in her native country, Colombia. According to court documents, she allegedly charged the victims a fee to travel to Mexico under the guise of vacationing, with additional bribes required in U.S. currency at Mexican airports.

    Once in Mexico, the Colombian nationals were taken to stash houses near the border and then transported by armed gunmen to cross illegally into the United States.

    This case was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Justice, has been elevated and expanded by the attorney general with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 320 U.S. convictions; more than 265 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Zander and Adriana Genco from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Phoenix handled the prosecution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Progress made in tackling global challenges

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    South Africa’s Presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) is making significant progress in tackling global challenges through an inclusive and collaborative approach.

    This is according to the country’s G20 Sherpa, Zane Dangor. Sherpas are the personal representatives of the G20 leaders.

    “We believe this is important and that the G20 must work with the UN [United Nations] and other multilateral institutions to mitigate these challenges and to find practical solutions for all of us. 

    “We look forward to constructive engagements from all members of the G20, the invited guests [and] also the international organisations,” he said on Thursday. 

    Dangor who is also the Director-General for International Relations and Cooperation, chaired the second virtual meeting of the G20 Sherpas in Pretoria on Thursday.

    He also stressed the importance of Ubuntu – a philosophy of inclusiveness and solidarity – in addressing global challenges and achieving shared interests across international organisations.

    “We must express our appreciation in the way that you embraced the spirit of Ubuntu, the culture that underpins not just South Africa’s culture of inclusiveness, but also Africa’s wider culture. Ubuntu really underpins our commitment and solidarity in addressing our common challenges in achieving shared prosperity,” he said during the opening session of the meeting. 

    Dangor stressed South Africa’s commitment to multilateralism and shared prosperity, with 15 working groups having already conducted their first meetings and three task force meetings.

    Working Groups are made up of representatives from member countries’ Ministries. The G20 working groups cover diverse areas, including development, anti-corruption, culture, education, women’s empowerment, environment, health, tourism, and disaster risk management.

    “We hope that as you listen to the reflections of the working group members in your own inputs, you’ll be able to sharpen what you believe we should be taking forward as a collective.” 

    He also touched on a diplomatic engagement where he told attendees that the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in February this year expressed strong support for South Africa’s themes and priorities, particularly in managing geopolitical issues.

    At the meeting in February, G20 foreign ministers threw their weight behind South Africa’s Presidency priorities, which focus on sustainable development and debt sustainability for low-income countries, amongst others.

    READ | Foreign Ministers’ Meeting backs SA’s G20 Presidency priorities 

    In addition, he said following Brazil’s model, South Africa’s Presidency aims to develop in-depth discussions on geopolitical matters through ministerial and leadership channels while allowing working groups to focus on technical issues.

    Dangor acknowledged the enormous task ahead and the need for support from key members and international organisations.

    The Sherpa said the objective of the two-day meeting which will conclude on Friday, is to take stock of what has happened, identify areas for improvement, and address key issues.

    READ | South Africa convenes second G20 Sherpa Meeting

    He announced that the next meeting for the G20 Sherpa will be held from 26 to 28 June 2025 at the Sun City Resort in the North West, marking an in-person gathering to continue collaborative discussions. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/HAITI – Mirebalais: Two nuns killed by armed gangs

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 3 April 2025

    Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) – Two nuns of the “Little Sisters of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus” were murdered in Mirebalais, in central Haiti, by members of armed gangs who infiltrated the area since last Monday. The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Max Leroy Mésidor, confirmed this to local media, adding: “This is a huge loss for the community.”Sister Evanette Onezaire and Sister Jeanne Voltaire were killed on Monday when the city of Mirebalais was attacked by the “Viv Ansanm” coalition of criminal gangs. Attacks also targeted shops, police stations, and a prison, from which more than 500 inmates reportedly escaped.According to local media reports, the two nuns were working at the school in Mirebalais and had taken refuge in a house with a girl during the attacks. However, members of the armed gangs entered the building, opened fire, and killed the two nuns and all the other people present.To this day, the situation in Mirebalais remains chaotic. The government delegate to the region, Frédérique Occéan, said that the city’s streets are littered with corpses that emit a foul odor. Municipal authorities are reportedly absent, and many residents have fled.Haitian media also reported that armed gangs had also attacked the Mirebalais University Hospital in recent hours. Yesterday, thousands took to the streets in the capital to protest the deteriorating situation and the increase in gang attacks.The protests also included displaced people living in camps near Port-au-Prince, forced to flee their homes, as well as residents of the Canapé-Vert neighborhoods (where the population is fighting back against the threat of armed groups attempting to enter the area), Turgeau, Carrefour-Feuilles, Pacot, Debussy, Delmas, and neighboring areas. Haitian police used tear gas to disperse the crowd gathered in front of the “Ville d’Accueil,” the headquarters of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) and the government.Last year alone, violence in Haiti left at least 5,600 dead (a thousand more than the previous year), over 2,000 injured, and approximately 1,500 kidnapped, according to the United Nations. Just hours before the outbreak of violence in Mirebalais, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reported that between July and February, at least 4,239 people were killed and 1,356 wounded in Haiti with weapons illegally imported from abroad, despite the embargo imposed by the UN Security Council. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Rio Grande Valley, federal partner investigation results in a woman admitting to smuggling firearms into Mexico

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    April 3, 2025Brownsville, TX, United StatesFirearms, Ammunition and Explosives

    BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A Georgia woman entered a guilty plea April 1 to smuggling several firearms and magazines hidden in a vehicle’s gas tank, following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

    According to court documents, on Dec. 15, 2024, Mirna Luna, 38, attempted to cross at the Brownsville/Matamoros port of entry into Mexico. When she arrived to the Port of Entry, authorities had referred her to secondary inspection where they discovered 17 firearms and 27 magazines hidden in the gas tank of the Nissan car she was driving. Luna claimed ownership of the car and admitted she is the only person who drives it. She does not have a license to export firearms and has not applied for one.

    U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. accepted the plea and set sentencing for July 8. At that time, Luna faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine.

    She remains in custody pending sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose Esquivel and Ana Cano from the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A brief history of dance music – from basements to beaches, dancefloors have mirrored social change

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simon Morrison, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Music Journalism, University of Chester

    When US rock’n’roll arrived in the UK in the mid-1950s, there were few places for British teenagers to dance to this exciting new genre. But by the early 1960s, dance venues specifically aimed at teenagers began to open in towns and cities.

    Unlike the sometimes grand and opulent ballrooms that had been the stomping grounds of their parents, the new teen-oriented discotheques of the 1960s tended to be located in altogether contrasting spaces, in terms of architecture and atmosphere.

    Several of these new youth nightclubs were in cellars of somewhat dilapidated buildings. They were often unlicensed and aimed at teenagers younger than the legal drinking age.

    Sometimes described as “coffee dance clubs” or “continental style”, the novelty of these new spaces was reflected an the uncertainty of how to describe them. The dancing was predominantly fuelled by recorded music. This allowed British teenagers, many of them identifying as mods (the stylish youth subculture that flourished in the early to mid 1960s) to hear electrifying rhythm and blues artists from America.

    In our new book, Transatlantic Drift: The Ebb and Flow of Dance Music, we discuss these pioneering clubs and the innovative musicians, performers and DJs that have inspired people to congregate and dance.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    In the basement

    Being based underground enhanced the atmosphere in the clubs. Attendees were simultaneously part of an underground movement and also literally hidden from view from the adult world.

    For a few years between 1963 and 1966, subterranean hedonism existed under the surface – and the mod club scene flourished. The architecture of these spaces provided distinctive environments for the young dancers which led to notably visceral experiences. These were hot, dimly lit, crowded, smoke and sweat-filled spaces where the music ricocheted off surfaces and fed directly back into the dancing bodies.

    The subterranean location sometimes emphasised in the choice of name for these clubs – Cavern, Dug Out, Dungeon, Catacombs, Heaven and Hell.

    The Sinking Ship club in Stockport was located in a cave carved out of red sandstone rocks. The condensation that dripped back on to the dancers was infused with red mineral deposits, leaving a particularly vibrant sensory memory of an all-night dance session.

    At the tail end of the mod club era, in 1966 US R&B stars Etta James and Sugar Pie DeSanto released the track In the Basement – Part 1. Although the song refers to a house party rather than a nightclub, it captured the zeitgeist of the mid 1960s mod dance era, and the locations in which it flourished. DeSanto, in particular, was hugely popular with the mod crowd.

    Alongside the trend for naming the clubs in reference to their below-ground location, another tendency was for clubs to be named with reference to places outside of the UK, giving a sense of escapism and glamour.

    This was often in the form of words of Latin origin, such as La Discotheque, The Bodega and El Partido. This reference to Europe chimed with the mod passion for continental European style. It was also arguably a portent of what was to come as these locations transformed.

    Let there be light

    The latter part of the 20th century finally brought club culture into the light. A glorious confluence of musical, meteorological and pharmaceutical effects combined to form, it might be argued, the last great “spectacular” subculture.

    In the 1980s, raw, electronic beats filtered out of American cities such as Chicago and Detroit and travelled across the Atlantic, first in trickles then ultimately in waves, consuming willing European DJs.

    In Ibiza, for instance, Argentinian Alfredo Fiorito (having fled the restrictions of the junta in his native Argentina), played Chicago house and Detroit techno along with his usual Euro pop and electronica. His canvas was the dance floor of the nightclub Amnesia, where he deejayed through the night and into morning. It was not so much that his deejaying blew the roof off the place – more that Amnesia had no roof in the first place.

    In the sunshine, vitamin D mingled and reacted to the rather less natural flow of drug E around the body. MDMA or ecstasy and shortened to E, presented another intriguing combination – this time of German engineering and American appropriation. For users, it became the perfect pharmaceutical filter to enjoy house music through.

    Brits holidaying on Ibiza in 1987 experienced something of an epiphany and took the party drug culture back to the UK. Back home, parties erupted like magical crops with illegal raves in farms and fields around the M25 orbital motorway.

    Events like Sunrise, Energy and Biology eschewed nightclubs completely, preferring to set up in the great outdoors. Ravers found that partying in the sunshine took them back to something primal and pagan. They celebrated in, and with, nature in a reconstituted Shakespearean Arden, powered by the sun from above and the energy from the ground beneath.

    In this way, the story of club culture emerged from the cellars and basements of a subterranean, nocturnal world and found its way into the light.

    The repercussions of this transatlantic drift, this musical flow of beats and ideas, then spread out further like sonic waves across the planet. We can see traces in festivals like the Notting Hill Carnival. We can further trace that beat as it broke out of the weekend and then the UK completely – a neo-hippy trail taking in the free party scene across Europe, and particularly eastern Europe, and on, to the trance scene in Goa and Thailand’s full-moon parties.

    In Ibiza, new laws and noise regulations means that they have literally been able to put the roof back on, but elsewhere the spirit of raves and rays, of disco al fresco, seems unstoppable.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. A brief history of dance music – from basements to beaches, dancefloors have mirrored social change – https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-dance-music-from-basements-to-beaches-dancefloors-have-mirrored-social-change-251509

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why has Trump launched so many tariffs and will it cause a recession? Expert Q&A

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics/Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

    Donald Trump has always talked about how much he likes tariffs. And on April 2 2025, he showed that he meant it. For the president it was “liberation day”, but for his fellow world leaders it was a tense wait to see what percentage figure would be attached to their country’s vital exports.

    Those tariff rates ranged from 10% for the UK to 49% for Cambodia, charges which Trump says will raise trillions of dollars for the US economy and “make America wealthy again”.

    “Our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered,” he said, before unveiling the tariffs which will cause headaches for business leaders and politicians across the world. We asked Linda Yueh, an economist at the University of Oxford, to answer some of the most pressing questions the tariffs pose.

    What is Trump thinking?

    Economically speaking, the president of the US says he wants to make international trade fairer – by equalising tariffs. He said that if countries want these “reciprocal tariffs” removed (on top of the 10% baseline tariff on all US imports), then they also need to remove non-tariff barriers, such as opening more of their markets to US companies.

    As with his first administration, he also wants companies to bring production and manufacturing jobs back to the US. Basically, he views current international trade as unfair and is using tariffs in a way that’s unprecedented in modern times to try to level the playing field.

    Why such a broad range of tariffs?

    The formula used by the White House to calculate the various tariff rates is apparently based on the trade balance – what each country sells and buys from the US. The Trump administration views a trade surplus (where the US buys more than it sells) as a proxy for unfair trade, so is imposing “reciprocal tariffs” to retaliate.

    And some countries do indeed levy higher tariffs than the US. For instance, some developing countries do so in accordance with their level of development. But tariffs are generally governed by the World Trade Organisation, so that’s where countries would normally go to resolve trade disputes.

    But because no tariff is set below 10%, there will be tariffs levied even on countries with whom the US runs a trade surplus (those which do more buying from the US than selling). These include the Netherlands, Australia and Brazil.

    A complex relationship.
    Tomas Ragina/Shutterstock

    Over 100 countries will have tariffs imposed, including small countries like Fiji (32%) and poor economies like Haiti (10%). Those are also likely to be the ones which will find it most challenging to get into the queue to negotiate a lower tariff any time soon.

    What options do countries have in terms of their response?

    The EU (20%) has said it will retaliate, while the UK (10%) says it will keep talking though all the options on the table. Trump has said he is open to negotiations before the baseline tariffs are imposed on April 5, and the extra reciprocal tariffs land on April 9.

    Engaging in a tit-for-tat trade war is economically damaging – as the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out in its latest assessment of the UK economy. Each government will take its own view on the appropriate approach, but with the knowledge that it’s highly unlikely that everyone will be able to negotiate a better deal conclusively within a week.

    Will there be a recession?

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that Trump’s tariffs could reduce global economic growth by 0.5% through next year, which is significant. But, it also believes that a global recession is not on the horizon.

    That said, the economic impact of these tariffs is highly uncertain and unpredictable. The effects will vary from country to country, and a lot will depends upon how long the tariffs are levied for, how other countries respond and how companies manage the tariffs and the uncertainty of trade policy.



    Read more:
    How the UK and Europe could respond to Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs

    And it remains a big gamble for Trump too. For a president who considers himself to be the master of deals, there are risks of rising inflation, falling stock markets and potentially denting the US economy.

    Linda Yueh 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. Why has Trump launched so many tariffs and will it cause a recession? Expert Q&A – https://theconversation.com/why-has-trump-launched-so-many-tariffs-and-will-it-cause-a-recession-expert-qanda-253765

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Sports diplomacy – 4th “Relay Around the World” (3 Apr. 2025)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    Thanks to the joint efforts of the French diplomatic network, the Relay Around the World has become a key aspect of French sports diplomacy on the international stage. Each participating embassy or consulate is responsible for organizing an hour-long sports event from 9 to 10 a.m. (local time) before handing over to a post in the next time zone, so that the Relay lasts 24 hours, from New Zealand to Tahiti.

    The Paris 2024 Games showed just how much sport can build bridges and unite people, regardless of their origins, beliefs and opinions. The Relay Around the World symbolizes this will to bring us together around essential values (Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence; Paralympic values of determination, equality, inspiration and courage).

    In a divided world, we must encourage “the spirit of the Games” now more than ever, a spirit of fraternity, cohesion and inclusion.

    This year, once again, the Relay will promote sporting actions and cooperation undertaken by the French diplomatic network and all “Team France” all over the world. The enthusiasm for this Relay is emblematic of our collective ability to mobilize our staff, our expatriate communities, our network abroad and our local sporting ecosystems thanks to the momentum generated by the 2024 Paris Games and with a view to the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps.

    For example, our embassy in Singapore will bring together diplomats and students from the Institut Français for a football tournament; in Lebanon, the embassy will organize a multi-sports day with over 300 participants, including students from the French schools in Beirut and young people with disabilities; in Cuba, the embassy and the local federation will hold a day to introduce and promote rugby to about 100 students from schools in Havana.

    The Paris stage of the Relay will highlight France’s determination to host the world’s biggest sporting events. In the run-up to the Badminton World Championships in Paris this summer, the French Foreign Ministry will bring together the French Badminton Federation and several embassies for an awareness programme on the sport, which has 390 million players and 750 million fans around the world. Ministry staff will also partake in sporting activities (badminton, yoga, five-a-side football, walking, running) to show their commitment to a more united world through sport.

    In 2024, the Relay involved 138 embassies, consulates general and overseas territories, and a total of more than 20,000 participants.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican national sentenced for illegal reentry in Eastern District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Valentin Hernandez-Yanez, 38, pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry by a deported alien and was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on April 2, 2025.  Hernandez-Yanez has been imprisoned since July of 2024.  He is currently being held on an immigration detainer and will be processed by Homeland Security before being deported to Mexico.

    According to information presented in court, on April 30, 2024, Hernandez-Yanez was observed by federal immigration agents in Vidor, Texas. Agents were familiar with Hernandez-Yanez from past dealings.  An immigration database check revealed Hernandez-Yanez to be a national of Mexico having been previously deported to Mexico in June of 2011.  Hernandez-Yanez has not since applied for permission to reenter the United States since he was last removed.

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

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Dakota and Colorado Men Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine Across the State of South Dakota Including the Crow Creek Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Christopher Spider, a/k/a “House”, age 45 of South Dakota and Lance Brunsting, age 56, of Colorado, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on March 27, 2025.

    The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in custody and/or a $10,000,000 fine, mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Christopher Spider was also convicted of Tampering with a Witness. That charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, a possibility of up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Spider and Brunsting were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.

    Brunsting and Spider, along with numerous other individuals, conspired to distribute hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine throughout the state of South Dakota.

    Spider, a resident of Crow Creek, was responsible for distributing approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the Crow Creek Indian Reservation during his involvement in the conspiracy. While under Indictment for the offense, Spider sent a letter to another witness attempting to intimidate the witness into changing her testimony at trial. The letter was reported to law enforcement and Spider was subsequently indicted for Witness Tampering.

    Brunsting, a resident of Denver, Colorado, was responsible for assisting in the weighing, packaging, and ultimate distribution of approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine. Brunsting made a trip to South Dakota alongside another co-conspirator where he assisted in selling approximately 41 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the state of South Dakota and into Minnesota.

    “Christopher Spider and Lance Brunsting were involved in one of the largest methamphetamine conspiracies in South Dakota history,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Our office was able to successfully prosecute the large-scale drug conspiracy thanks to the exceptional collaborative and investigative efforts of our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners. Last week’s convictions represent a crucial step toward bringing these individuals to justice for the roles they played in bringing hundreds of pounds of illegal narcotics into our South Dakota communities.”

    The Drug Enforcement Administration provided the following statement: “The two individuals convicted last week are responsible for inflicting immeasurable harm on members of our South Dakota communities,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “Their arrest and conviction should serve as a warning to drug traffickers that the combined efforts of state, local and federal law enforcement will bring those pushing these dangerous substances to justice.”

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (including the Rocky Mountain Field Division, Omaha Field Division, Mexico City Country Office, Los Angeles Field Division, Special Operations Division), as well as South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation team, El Paso Intelligence Center, and collaboration received from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Marshals Service, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Mitchell Police Department, Denver Police Department, Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Worthington Police Department, Brookings Police Department, Brookings Sherriff’s Department, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force,  Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, and the Colorado Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

    A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for June 16, 2025. The defendants were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Join Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Rescind Illegal Executive Order Threatening Federal Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in urging President Donald Trump to rescind his March 27 executive order to end collective bargaining agreements between public employee unions and dozens of federal agencies and bureaus. In their letter, the Democratic Senators blasted the move as a “gross overreach” of presidential authority, asserting that the executive order is a clear attempt to gut the federal merit-based civil service and implement a system of political cronyism. They stressed that the order poses a grave threat to the ability of over 1 million federal workers to carry out their missions and deliver important services for the American people – and thus should be rescinded immediately.
    “We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). This order is an insult to the hardworking public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people,” the Senators began.
    “The executive order effectively classifies two thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions, a blatant misuse of a limited authority intended to provide operational flexibility to address legitimate security needs,” they continued. “There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way; to the contrary, the protection collective bargaining has provided for employees allows them to conduct their work on behalf of the American people—including blowing the whistle on fraud or abuse—without political interference.”
    “This Administration clearly does not have even a basic understanding of the legally binding nature of federal collective bargaining agreements and is actively trying to bend the law to undermine protections for federal civil servants. We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution,” the Senators concluded.
    The Senators’ letter is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
    Led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Senators Heinrich and Luján were joined on this letter by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    A copy of the letter is available here and below.
    Dear President Trump: 
    We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). 
    This order is an insult to the hardworking public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people. They care for our veterans, deliver disaster assistance, prevent wildfires, help farmers improve crop yields, manage health benefits for 9/11 first responders, research treatments and cures for diseases, keep air travel safe, process tax returns, staff our national parks and much, much more. Nearly one third of these dedicated civil servants are veterans seeking to continue their service to our country out of uniform.  
    The executive order effectively classifies two thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions, a blatant misuse of a limited authority intended to provide operational flexibility to address legitimate security needs. The national security exemption has existed for nearly 50 years and has been used only sparingly by Republican and Democratic Administrations—including during your first term—to exclude federal offices with an unquestionable core function in intelligence, counterintelligence, or national security. There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way; to the contrary, the protection collective bargaining has provided for employees allows them to conduct their work on behalf of the American people—including blowing the whistle on fraud or abuse—without political interference. 
    Federal employees’ collective bargaining agreements are critical to ensuring they continue to serve the American people with the peace of mind that comes with being protected from unfair labor practices. Unlike in the private sector, federal employee unions in most cases cannot negotiate pay or benefits, which are set by Congress, and they are legally prohibited from striking. The federal collective bargaining agreements do, however, protect federal employees from illegal firings, retaliation, and discrimination. They also promote resources for whistleblowers and veterans. These federal union contracts give employees in the civil service protections from retaliation so they can serve the American people fairly and effectively without partisan political interference.  
    This executive order, which ruthlessly strips collective bargaining agreements for over one million federal workers, is the most recent attack your Administration has levied against our merit-based civil service in the effort to cut the workforce and replace them with political cronies. While the CSRA does give the president the authority to limit collective bargaining agreements due to national security concerns, the executive order’s direction to terminate mass swaths of federal employee collective bargaining agreements is clearly intended to broadly dismantle the CSRA, which is specifically designed to grant federal employees the right to collective bargaining as a means to resolve workplace issues while maintaining the smooth functioning of government operations.  
    When the Secretary of Labor testified in February in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Members of Congress asked her both in-person and through questions for the record whether she and the Administration would commit to honoring all legally binding collective bargaining agreements signed by federal agencies and labor unions, and whether federal employees have the right to organize and collectively bargain without fear of retaliation. The Secretary answered, “if confirmed, I will follow the law and work with the experts at the Department to understand the collective bargaining process at the Department and the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreements in place.” This Administration clearly does not have even a basic understanding of the legally binding nature of federal collective bargaining agreements and is actively trying to bend the law to undermine protections for federal civil servants.  
    We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Budd Urges Canada to Take Leading Role in Dismantling Cartel Exploitation at Northern Border

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) delivered a speech on the Senate floor this afternoon, urging Canada to take a leading role in efforts to dismantle criminal cartel networks from exploiting the U.S.-Canada border as a gateway for trafficking illicit fentanyl into the United States.

    Watch the full speech here.

    Click here to download complete video remarks. 

    Key Excerpts from Sen. Budd’s Speech:

    Last year alone, as my colleagues have shared with you, more than 70,000 Americans died from a fentanyl overdose, and unsurprisingly, the Biden administration failed to act. Instead, President Biden willingly chose to let the situation get worse. 

    For years, our southern border has been a major entry point for illegal drugs to pour into our country. But, under President Trump’s leadership, illegal crossings at the southern border have now dropped 94 percent. 

    That’s real progress.

    Now, however, we are seeing a dangerous shift. Drug cartels have found a new route and a new loophole to continue trafficking drugs into our communities—and it’s through the northern border with Canada. 

    Just last year, Customs and Border Patrol seized enough fentanyl at the northern border to kill 9.5 million Americans. 

    ****

    Mr. President, when I talk to the sheriffs in all 100 counties across North Carolina, I repeatedly hear the same message: every county in North Carolina is a border county. 

    The U.S.-Canada border is the world’s longest international border—at more than 5,500 miles long. But it remains extraordinarily vulnerable, as criminal cartel networks continue to take advantage of the gaps in our porous northern border.

    I think it’s important to know that 87 percent of all terror watchlist suspects that were encountered at land border ports, last year, they came across our northern border. 

    We have invested heavily in our southern border infrastructure—rightfully so—and we should continue to do so. But the northern border has been overlooked and under-resourced for way too long. Our law enforcement officers are doing everything they can, but without enough resources, they are being set up to fail. And that’s not fair to them.

    ****

    As our ally, we need Canada to step up before more lives are lost, because the truth is that behind every statistic is a grieving family. The American people deserve more than just empty words—they deserve real action. 

    The fentanyl crisis will only continue to strangle our country until we deal with the threat at our northern border like the emergency that it truly is.

    ****

    Read the complete transcript here.

    Background:

    During his floor speech, Senator Budd quoted a recent 60 Minutes interview where a self-described member of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s largest and most well-known operations, openly claimed that: “Canada’s border is much larger than Mexico’s. There are more entry points through Canada than through Mexico, a lot more entry points. So that won’t stop us.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Houston deports 174 criminal aliens to Mexico in 2 weeks who account for 610 criminal convictions as a group

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    April 3, 2025Houston, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

    HOUSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston field office deported 174 criminal aliens, including 24 gang members, to Mexico between March 17 to March 28 who as a group account for 610 criminal convictions and 415 removals from the United States.

    Notable among the 610 criminal convictions were:

    • Two convictions for homicide-related offenses.
    • Four convictions for rape or sexual assault.
    • Five convictions for child sex offenses.
    • 72 convictions for aggravated assault or assault.
    • 49 convictions for theft-related offenses.
    • Five convictions for firearms offenses.
    • 83 convictions for drug trafficking or drug possession-related offenses.
    • 146 convictions for driving while intoxicated.
    • Eight convictions for hit-and-run.
    • 22 convictions for human smuggling-related offenses.

    Many of the criminal aliens removed to Mexico during the two-week period have illegally entered the U.S. numerous times and been convicted of multiple criminal offenses. A few of the more egregious examples include:

    • A 36-year-old criminal alien from Mexico who has been removed from the U.S. 39 times and has been convicted of illegal entry four times and once for DWI, dangerous drugs, and fraud.
    • A 48-year-old criminal alien from Mexico who has been removed from the U.S. 13 times and has 25 criminal convictions including seven for narcotics offenses, six for resisting arrest, two for identity theft, two for domestic violence, two for assault, and once for battery, larceny, kidnapping, illegal entry, illegal reentry, and destruction of evidence.
    • A 50-year-old criminal alien from Mexico and documented Florencia 13 gang member who has been removed from the U.S. eight times and has been convicted of domestic violence, battery, possession of stolen property, drug possession, aggravated assault with a gun, and illegal entry.
    • A 60-year-old criminal alien from Mexico who has been removed from the U.S. seven times and has been convicted of eight DWIs, and once for assault and illegal reentry.
    • A 46-year-old criminal alien from Mexico who has been removed from the U.S. seven times and has been convicted three times for DWI, four times for illegal entry, twice for illegal reentry, twice for obstruction, and once for immigration fraud, narcotics possession, and burglary.

    “This is just a small snapshot of the amazing work that the brave men and women at ICE do every day to enhance public safety in Southeast Texas,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. “Each day they put their lives on the line to apprehend and remove dangerous criminal aliens, transnational gang members and foreign fugitives who have illegally entered the U.S. and are preying on innocent, hardworking Texans. Fueled by our unwavering commitment to protect the public from harm, and united in our determination to restore integrity to our nation’s system of laws, ICE will continue to aggressively pursue and remove anyone who threatens the safety of our communities and the national security of our country.”

    For more news and information on ICE’s efforts to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and bolster public safety, national security and border security in Southeast Texas follow us on X at @EROHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Niagara-on-the-Lake — Cuban National arrested for attempting to enter Canada between the ports

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    In mid-March, 2025, a Cuban National attempted to enter Canada from the US by running across the Fort Erie International Railway Bridge. Members of the RCMP Niagara-on-the-Lake Border Integrity Unit, with the assistance of members of the OPP contributing to Ontario’s Operation Deterrence, were able to locate and arrest the individual under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

    The individual was transported to the CBSA at the Peace Bridge port of entry in Fort Erie. After being assessed, the individual was found to be ineligible for entry to Canada and was returned to the United States on the same day.

    The Niagara-on-the-Lake RCMP Border Integrity Unit currently maintains a 24/7 presence at the railway bridge. The RCMP have recently arrested several people attempting to make illegal entry into Canada at the railway bridge. All individuals who have been arrested were eventually returned to the U.S.

    Members of the Niagara-on-the-Lake RCMP are actively conducting patrols along the border in this area on the land, on the water and in the air to disrupt cross-border criminal activity.

    The RCMP is committed to working with our partners to protect the residents and communities of Canada. Our collaboration with both the CBSA and OPP continues to provide positive results for Canada. The RCMP also acknowledges the assistance of CN rail.

    “The RCMP continues to see positive operational impact from new investments in law enforcement between ports of entry and collaborative efforts with CN Police, OPP and CBSA in maintaining the security and integrity of Canadian borders.”
    Sgt. Lepa Jankovic, Border Integrity Unit, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Central Region RCMP

    “The CBSA and RCMP work in close partnership to maintain the security of our borders. This is yet another example of how our collaboration contributes to protecting the integrity of our border and the safety of our communities.”
    – Michael Prosia, A/Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency

    Fast Facts

    In Canada, border security and integrity is a shared mandate between the CBSA and the RCMP. The CBSA is responsible for enforcement at 1,200 ports of entry across the country, while the RCMP is responsible for enforcement between ports of entry.

    The RCMP Niagara-on-the-Lake Border Integrity Unit is tasked with the prevention and detection of cross-border smuggling both to and from Canada. This unit supports four CBSA ports of entry by conducting larger criminal investigations that start at the port. The unit is also tasked with protecting the border area between the ports from Cobourg on Lake Ontario to Port Burwell on Lake Erie. The members of the unit will often be found in boats ensuring vessels are complying with reporting requirements when entering Canada.

    If you have any information related to smuggling, drug importation, trafficking, or possession, or wish to report other criminality, you can contact the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020, the confidential CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), at any time.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader Of Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Thousands Of Kilograms Of Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Cristian Javier Vente Ocoro (39, Colombia), a/k/a “Shrek,” “Happy,” and “Teletubis,” has pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic cocaine on vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Vente Ocoro faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He was arrested in Colombia in September 2023 at the request of the United States and extradited to the United States a year later. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to the plea agreement, Vente Ocoro was part of an organization that smuggled cocaine from South America to Central America and Mexico, a substantial portion of which passed through points of entry on the United States/Mexico border. Vente Ocoro handled the organization, logistics, and planning of smuggling ventures, as well as recruited and paid crewmembers. As part of the investigation, investigators associated Vente Ocoro with two failed smuggling ventures – the first on June 25, 2019, that involved 1,090 kilograms of cocaine; the second on July 31, 2019, that involved 2,125 kilograms of cocaine.

    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 disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Colombian National Police provided critical investigative support. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the defendant. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are the highest in decades − an economist explains how that could hurt the US

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bedassa Tadesse, Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth

    President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping new tariff plan on April 2, 2025, to reshape U.S. trade and boost domestic industry.

    Framing the announcement as “Liberation Day,” he proposed a 10% tariff on essentially all imports, with steeper rates for major trade partners, including 34% on Chinese goods and 20% on those from the European Union. Starting April 3, a 25% tariff on all foreign-made cars and auto parts will take effect – a move that he says will revive U.S. manufacturing and reset America’s trade agenda.

    But the fanfare surrounding the announcement masks a much larger gamble. What’s really at stake is trust – America’s long-standing reputation as a stable and predictable destination for global investment. And once that trust is lost, it’s incredibly hard to win back.

    The strategy is presented as a robust defense of American manufacturing and the middle class. But foreign direct investment – when overseas companies build factories or expand operations in the U.S. – depends on more than just opportunity. It depends on certainty.

    If global investors start to worry that U.S. trade policy can shift abruptly, they may relocate their capital elsewhere. As such, the administration’s aggressive approach to tariffs risks undermining the very confidence that has long made the U.S. a top destination for global capital.

    Auto tariffs as a case in point

    Nowhere is this risk more visible than in the auto industry.

    In 2023 alone, the United States attracted over US$148 billion in foreign direct investment, with nearly $42.9 billion tied to manufacturing, including in the automotive sector. Over the past few decades, major global automakers such as Toyota, BMW and Hyundai have established expansive plants in states including Alabama, Ohio and Kentucky.

    These facilities – many of which have seen significant reinvestment and expansion in recent years, especially in response to the shift toward electric vehicles – employ thousands of Americans and contribute significantly to local economies.

    Trump’s tariff push aims to get automakers to manufacture more vehicles on U.S. soil to overcome rising import costs. It’s a strategy with precedent. During his first term, the threat of auto tariffs, alongside existing plans, helped spur Toyota’s $1.6 billion investment in a North Carolina plant and Volkswagen’s expansion of its operations in Tennessee. It’s not far-fetched to imagine Honda or Mercedes following suit with new factories in Indiana or Texas.

    But here’s the catch: “Made in the USA” doesn’t always mean “made for less.” American auto plants often face productivity and efficiency gaps compared with foreign competitors. Labor costs are higher. Assembly lines move more slowly, partly due to stricter labor protections, less automation and aging infrastructure. And U.S. automakers such as Ford and GM still depend heavily on global supply chains. Even for vehicles assembled in America, about 40% of the parts, such as engines from Canada and wiring harnesses from Mexico, are imported.

    When those parts are taxed, production costs go up. Moody’s estimates that pickups such as the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado could cost $2,000 to $3,000 more as a result. Goldman Sachs projects price hikes of up to $15,000, depending on the vehicle. Automakers then face a dilemma: raise prices and risk losing customers or absorb the costs and cut into their margins.

    A ripple effect across the economy

    Tariffs may protect one industry, but their ripple effects reach much further. They raise costs for other sectors that rely on imported inputs, slow down production by making supply chains more expensive and less efficient, squeeze profit margins, and leave businesses and consumers with harder choices.

    Factories represent billion-dollar investments that take years to recoup their costs. Mixed signals, such as the president calling tariffs “permanent” one moment and negotiable the next, create a climate of uncertainty. That makes companies more hesitant to build, hire and expand.

    And investors are watching closely. If building in the U.S. becomes more expensive and less predictable, is it still a smart long-term bet? When a company is deciding where to build its next battery plant or chip facility, volatility in U.S. policy can be a deal breaker.

    The consequences could surface soon. Goldman Sachs has already lowered its 2025 U.S. GDP growth forecast to 1.7%, down from an earlier 2.2%, citing the administration’s trade policy risks. Consumers, still grappling with inflation and high interest rates, may begin to delay big-ticket purchases, especially as tariffs push prices even higher.

    The international fallout

    America’s trading partners aren’t standing still. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says his country “will fight back – with purpose and with force.” The European Union is exploring duties on American tech firms. Japan, a longtime ally, is signaling unease. If these countries redirect investment to other countries, the U.S. could lose its competitive edge for years to come.

    And while roughly 1 million Americans work in the auto manufacturing industry, more than 150 million make up the total American labor force. When tariffs drive up input costs, it can trigger a chain reaction, hurting retailers, stalling service-sector jobs and slowing overall economic growth.

    Consumers will feel it too. Higher prices mean lower sales, reduced tax revenues and shrinking profits. All of that weakens the economy at a time when household budgets are already strained.

    Lessons from history

    The U.S. has seen how trade policy can shape investment decisions – just in reverse. In the 1980s, Japanese automakers responded to U.S. import quotas not by withdrawing but by building plants in the United States. That response was possible because policies were clear and negotiated, not abrupt or adversarial.

    Today, the story is different. Volatile, unilateral tariffs don’t build trust – they erode it. And when trust erodes, so does investment.

    Yes, a factory in Indiana or Kentucky might reopen. Yet if that comes at the cost of deterring billions of dollars in long-term investment, is it worth it?

    So while the president may celebrate April 2 as Liberation Day, markets may come to see it as the tipping point – when global confidence in the U.S. economy began to falter in earnest.

    Bedassa Tadesse 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. Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are the highest in decades − an economist explains how that could hurt the US – https://theconversation.com/trumps-liberation-day-tariffs-are-the-highest-in-decades-an-economist-explains-how-that-could-hurt-the-us-253685

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Higgins Supports President Trump’s America First Trade Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued the following statement of support after President Trump announced new tariffs on imported goods, which will directly benefit America’s seafood and agricultural producers.

    “We are taking strong action to put America First,” said Congressman Higgins. “Unrighteous trade practices have disrupted fair market conditions and threatened American industry. I have encouraged the White House to levy significant tariffs on imported seafood and rice, and I support President Trump’s efforts to level the playing field and protect America’s domestic industry. Yesterday’s trade actions are a necessary measure.”

    In February, Congressman Higgins sent an official letter to President Trump requesting tariffs and increased trade enforcement for seafood imports from China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. He also requested tariffs on rice imports from India, Thailand, China, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

    The tariffs included a 10% baseline rate and higher rates for select countries. This includes an additional 34% tariff on China, 26% tariff on India, 36% on Thailand, 32% on Indonesia, 10% on Ecuador, 29% for Pakistan, and 46% for Vietnam.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derby Market Hall unveils latest set of traders – including butcher and bakery

    Source: City of Derby

    Derby City Council is excited to announce the third wave of traders set to move into the revitalised Derby Market Hall.

    Following a £35.1m restoration of the historic Grade II-listed building, the Market Hall will reopen its doors to the public on Saturday 24 May, marking a new era for Derby’s independent shopping, dining, and entertainment scene. 

    A curated mix of traditional and contemporary traders will be in place when the Market Hall reopens its doors, creating a vibrant hub in the heart of the city and blending the Market Hall’s rich history with a modern experience. 

    The newest announcement of traders offers fresh produce from a traditional butcher and a craft bakery, plus an exciting variety of retailers and another occupant of our make and trade stalls, which offer local makers and creators new spaces to reach new audiences, inspire others, and grow their businesses in the heart of the city centre.

    Fresh produce: 

    • Anthony Andrews Butchers will be bringing a traditional trade to Derby Market Hall. A small family-run business in Duffield since 2011, the team sources all their meat as locally as possible, working alongside local farmers. Their popular award-winning sausages – made to a secret recipe! – alongside pork pies, steak pies and much more are all handmade. You’ll be able to pick up prime cuts of quality meat and poultry, including dry cured steak and bacon, black pudding and free-range chicken. The business extends its eco-friendly ethos to its packaging, which has a focus on sustainability.
    • Olivia’s Coffee and Bakery will be bringing freshly-baked breads, pastries, and treats while brewing amazing coffee. From humble beginnings in 2018 as a small craft bakery in Loughborough, the thriving business is now trading from four locations. All their food is handmade, freshly baked every morning and seasonal, while the coffee is crafted with care using amazing Colombian coffee beans roasted by the amazing Monsoon Estates roasters. As well as their delicious bread and pastries, Olivia’s will offer sandwiches, which will be available for pre-order for those needing a quick bite, and celebration cakes to order. Look out for their range of vegan and gluten-free products too!

    Local retailers:

    • Dawkins Pet Supplies is a Derbyshire-based, family-owned business dedicated to providing the best natural treats, raw foods, toys, and accessories for customers’ beloved pets, including vegan treats. They promise to offer only the highest quality products that the team would feel comfortable giving to their own furry companions. With a commitment to customer satisfaction and pet well-being, customers can trust that their pets are receiving the care and attention they deserve.
    • Bringing the beauty and healing power of crystals to Derby Market Hall, Derbyshire-based SpiritCrystals offers a selection of ethically-sourced crystals, minerals, fossils, and spiritual gifts. Combining education and experience to help customers discover the deeper meanings behind each stone, SpiritCrystals aim to create meaningful gifts that people appreciate. More than 6,000 customers have already taken their crystal quiz, which helps people discover the right crystal for them. Products include jewellery, exclusive crystal candles, pet rocks, and giftable crystal cards.
    • Ayup Bikes is a non-profit, volunteer run project dedicated to proving a top-class service to the Derby’s cycling community and saving bikes from the scrap heap! Founded by a group of Derby cyclists, the co-operative sells fully-refurbished bikes that people can trust, while their excellent, industry-qualified mechanics offer low-cost, high-quality servicing and repairs to get cycles working as good as new. Ayup partners with local charities, businesses, and schools, offering maintenance classes and repairs for the community.

    Make and trade:

    • Sportwear specialist Layer is on a mission to create durable, performance-driven training gear that stands up to the demands of the most intense workouts while maintaining a minimal environmental footprint. Owner and founder Dan Bacon has spent many years working at the top level of sport in the UK; working with the biggest sportswear brands in the world along the way. Layer also operates Layer Run Club in Long Eaton and plans to open a second club in Derby this summer.

    Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, said:

    It was important to us to offer a variety of local, independent and traditional traders in the Market Hall, as well as the best of the region’s eating, drinking, and entertainment. There really will be something for everyone.

    I’m getting more excited with every week that goes by and I can’t wait to welcome everyone on Saturday 24 May.

    Located at the heart of the city centre, linking Derbion and St Peter’s Quarter with the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, the redeveloped Market Hall will play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre and is expected to generate £3.64m for the local economy every year. 

    More traders will be announced in the coming weeks.

    Follow Derby Market Hall on Facebook and Instagram or visit the website to find out more.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/HAITI – “Foyer Saint Camille” inaugurates ward for premature babies

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 3 April 2025

    Madian Orizzonti

    Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) – “Providing modern care environments that are better adapted to the needs of the population and adequate for staff is one of the key elements of our health plan to make the network of health and social services more humane and efficient,” said Father Robert Daudier, Director of the “Foyer Saint Camille” Hospital in Port-au-Prince, at the recent inauguration of the ward for premature babies or babies with birth defects which took place on Tuesday, 25 March.In a country like Haiti, which is in chaos, this new ward is an important sign of hope and rebirth, according to a statement sent by the aid organization “Madian Orizzonti Onlus,” an association active in Italy and in the Camillian missions abroad.”Despite the many setbacks that prevented the hospital from meeting its deadlines,” the hospital director continues, “many goals have nevertheless been achieved that facilitate patient care. Examples include the acquisition of new medical equipment and devices, operating tables, anesthesia machines, monitors, incubators, medical imaging equipment, among others, as well as an important room for the oxygen production plant, which was made possible at the cost of great sacrifices. And now, we are finally inaugurating the Neonatal Unit. We are very proud of the new unit, which is a concrete example of our commitment to providing modern infrastructure that better meets the needs of our city’s suffering and poor population. The unit has a capacity of six incubators and nine cots. This new space is a place of life and hope for premature babies and their parents. It is a place of welcome, love, and tenderness, which we wanted to call the ‘foyer,’ a place of security and shared love, but also a unit with new facilities, suitable for welcoming newborns who are entering life with difficulties, and where the nursing staff is also specialized and prepared to provide appropriate medical care, as well as special attention in the general care of the new family.”In conclusion, the missionary extends special thanks to “all those who help us accompany life in such a difficult country and reaffirms our trust in those who collaborate with us in such valuable work for the Haitian people. In our daily work, we strive to save lives by following the guidelines of the Ministry of Public Health through our various competencies, aware that the challenges are increasing every day.” (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 3/4/2025)
    Madian Orizzonti

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    MIL OSI Europe News –