NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Speaks on Finance Committee’s Investigation into Pfizer’s Tax Scheme: “What we’re talking about today proves that the suspicion that Vermonters have about things being rigged—they’re right.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, this week took to the Senate Floor to highlight the Senate Finance Committee’s new report that found Pfizer, which generated $20 billion in U.S. sales of prescription drugs in 2019, reported zero taxable U.S. income by claiming 100% of its profits were earned overseas. Pfizer’s scheme enabled the pharmaceutical giant to dodge billions in U.S. taxes. 
    “What did we find out with the Wyden report? We found that a major United States pharmaceutical company was able to make sales of $20 billion of its product in 2019 and report zero in income. Zero in profits here in this country. What that ultimately means is that what Pfizer paid on its taxes—despite this extraordinary profit—they paid less than a mail room clerk pays in Social Security. They paid less than the pharmacist at the drugstore who dispenses the prescriptions. They paid less than the delivery drivers who may have brought these prescriptions to a person’s home. They paid less than the employees of Pfizer, whether it was a lab technician or a clerk or anyone at that company,” said Senator Welch. 
    “This is really shocking, but if any of us wonder why everyday folks, who are showing up to do their job in all of the places of employment—in your state and mine—and then at the end of the month, despite all their hard work, are having trouble paying the utility bill. And they just wonder: is this system rigged? They’re right, And Exhibit A is what has been exposed in this report by the Senate Finance Committee and Senator Wyden.” 
    Watch Senator Welch’s speech below: 
    The Senate Finance Committee’s investigation into Pfizer, led by Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), also revealed that Pfizer signed nondisclosure agreements for special tax deals with the governments of Singapore and Puerto Rico to conceal information how the company conspired to evade billions in taxes from Congressional investigation.   
    The full report containing new findings on Pfizer’s tax dodging scheme is available here. Pfizer joins the growing number of extraordinarily wealthy Big Pharma companies that report minimal or no U.S. profits on tax returns despite American patients providing their largest customer base. 
    Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:   
    Senate Committee on Finance   
    Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
    Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit   
    Senate Committee on the Judiciary
    Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution   
    Senate Committee on Rules & Administration  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Haiti reaches ‘yet another crisis point’ as gangs tighten their grip

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Peace and Security

    The UN human rights chief sounded the alarm on Thursday over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Haiti, calling it a “catastrophe” fuelled by gang violence, widespread impunity and a political process that is hanging by a thread.

    Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that the country had reached “yet another crisis point,” with heavily armed gangs expanding their control, public institutions in ruins and a humanitarian emergency deepening by the day.

    “I am not sure the usual description of gang violence captures the amount of unbearable suffering that has been inflicted on the Haitian people,” Mr. Türk said.

    Between July 2024 and February 2025, 4,239 people were killed and 1,356 injured, with 92 per cent of casualties attributed to gun violence.

    Gangs, armed with increasingly sophisticated weapons mostly trafficked from abroad, are killing civilians, destroying schools and healthcare facilities, and using sexual violence and mass kidnappings to terrorise communities.

    Destruction as governance

    The rights chief warned that gangs are no longer just operating in pockets of Port-au-Prince – they are implementing their own rule across wider parts of the capital and beyond.

    The Viv Ansanm gang coalition and others have launched coordinated attacks, often outnumbering police, and have destroyed or taken over schools, orphanages, courts, media outlets and hospitals.

    In one December incident alone, at least 207 people were killed over five days in Cité Soleil.

    Sexual violence is being used deliberately to assert control, Mr. Türk said, citing gang rapes in public spaces and even the execution of victims after assault.

    The forced recruitment and trafficking of children is also on the rise.

    Meanwhile, more than 700 kidnappings were documented during the reporting period. “Those who attempted to resist abduction were often shot dead,” Mr. Türk said.

    Police violence and impunity

    Despite efforts by the Haitian National Police and the Security Council-mandated Multinational Security Support Mission, the State is losing ground.

    Law enforcement operations against gangs have resulted in over 2,000 people killed or injured – a 60 per cent increase – with nearly a third of those victims not involved in any violence.

    OHCHR documented at least 219 extrajudicial executions by specialised police units during the reporting period, up from just 33 the year before.

    There has also been a rise in mob lynchings and self-defence groups, sometimes with police complicity.

    Mr. Türk stressed the urgent need to accelerate the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission and ensure full human rights compliance mechanisms are in place.

    Hunger, displacement, despair

    The human toll of the violence is staggering. More than one million people are now displaced, 40,000 in recent weeks alone.

    Half of all Haitians – 5.5 million people – face acute food insecurity and two million have been reduced to emergency hunger levels.

    Nearly 6,000 people are living in famine-like conditions, while 500,000 children are displaced –  a quarter suffering stunted growth due to malnutrition.

    Only half of health facilities in the capital are fully operational, and 31 per cent have shut down due to insecurity.

    “The impact on children is particularly devastating,” said Mr. Türk. “[This] will impact them for life.”

    Justice, not just security

    The High Commissioner welcomed Haiti’s recent decision to establish two specialised judicial units to tackle human rights violations and financial crimes but said much more must be done.

    “The most crucial first step here is to stop the illicit flow of arms into the country,” he said, stressing the need to fully implement the Security Council’s arms embargo, travel bans and asset freezes.

    Mr. Türk emphasised that “there is a way out”, but only with political will, international support and urgent action to end the cycle of corruption, impunity and senseless violence.

    “I call on each and every one of you, including the media, to put the spotlight on this crisis,” he said. “The Haitian people cannot be forgotten.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Father, son arrested on fentanyl trafficking, gun sales and immigration violations following ICE, multiagency investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LOS ANGELES – A father and son were arrested March 26, for trafficking fentanyl and illegal firearms sales. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement assisted by multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies focused on financial crimes in Southern California.

    “Transnational crime, including the trafficking of fentanyl and weapons, remains a persistent and dangerous threat to our communities,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations acting Special Agent in Charge Los Angeles John Pasciucco. “HSI Los Angeles remains committed to combatting these threats by working alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt trafficking routes and to bring these perpetrators to justice.”

    Antonio Espinoza Zarate, 55, also known as “El Gato,” and his son, Francisco Javier Espinoza Galindo, 31, were arrested and charged in U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Antonio Espinoza was also charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien.

    According to affidavits filed with the complaints, in July 2023, Antonio Espinoza sold a pistol, a rifle, 131 rounds of ammunition, and more than 500 grams of fentanyl pills to a buyer. He is not licensed to engage in the business of dealing in firearms.

    In August 2023, Antonio Espinoza allegedly sold an AR-style rifle and approximately one kilogram of fentanyl pills to a buyer, supplied by Francisco Espinoza. In January 2025, he allegedly sold a rifle, a pistol, a revolver, and ammunition to a buyer. The following month, with his son present, Antonio Espinoza sold more than 500 grams of fentanyl pills to a confidential informant.

    Antonio Espinoza is a citizen of Mexico, who has been previously deported in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017. He illegally reentered the United States following his removals. If convicted of all charges, both defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

    “ATF is working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to assist with their immigration efforts in the Los Angeles area,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cooper, Los Angeles Field Division. “These efforts are targeting gang members, drug traffickers and dangerous criminals who have entered the country illegally. Public safety is at the forefront of ATF’s mission. We will continue to provide our support to our partners at the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the safety of this community.”

    The ICE HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, is comprised of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California – Criminal Investigative Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department.

    To report suspected fentanyl and firearms trafficking, contact 1-866-347-2423.

    Learn more about ICE HSI’s mission to protect children in your community on X at @HSILosAngeles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: International law enforcement cooperation leads to takedown and immigration arrests of alien smugglers in US and Brazil

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WORCESTER, Mass. – Extensive coordination and cooperation between the United States and Brazilian law enforcement and prosecution authorities culminated March 26 in a significant enforcement operation to dismantle a transnational criminal organization allegedly responsible for the illicit smuggling of hundreds of individuals from Brazil to the United States.

    The enforcement operation included the arrest of a previously convicted alien smuggler who allegedly reentered the United States illegally after deportation to Brazil and was residing unlawfully in Worcester. The Brazilian Federal Police (PF) executed multiple search warrants in Brazil and arrested an alleged Brazil-based human smuggler.

    Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” 41, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Worcester on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to bring aliens to and transport aliens within the United States for the purpose of commercial or financial gain in violation of law. Alves appeared in federal court in Worcester the day of his arrest.

    According to court documents, Alves conspired with others to transport aliens from Brazil through Mexico and then into the United States. Once the aliens arrived in the United States, Alves allegedly purchased airline tickets for the aliens to other U.S. destinations. Alves also allegedly transferred money from the United States to aliens and smugglers located in Mexico to pay for expenses associated with transit into the United States and collected fees from aliens for being smuggled into the United States. Alves allegedly was previously convicted of human smuggling in the Central District of California in 2004 and deported to Brazil in February 2005. Court documents indicate that Alves has been residing in the United States without an immigration status after illegally re-entering the United States.

    It is alleged that between May 2021 and August 2022, Alves purchased more than 100 individual airline tickets from Tucson or Phoenix to destination cities in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (Boston, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia). Some of these purchases were for migrants who recently had encounters with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers or were recently released from detention.

    Additionally, ICE Homeland Security Investigations offices in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia, supported by partner law enforcement agencies, detained four individuals associated with the alien smuggling organization on administrative immigration violations.

    The investigation and arrest of Alves was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, 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 315 U.S. convictions; more than 260 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and ICE HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present national security, public safety risks or grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    ICE HSI New England led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with the ICE HSI Attaché Brasilia, ICE HSI Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and the ICE HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. with substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided crucial assistance in this matter.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Woburn Men Sentenced to Prison for Migrant Smuggling Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Father and son owners of two Woburn, Mass. restaurants, Taste of Brazil—Tudo Na Brasa and The Dog House Bar and Grill, were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiring to smuggle migrants into the United States from Brazil. One defendant was also sentenced for money laundering conspiracy.

    Jesse James Moraes, 67, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 45, both of Woburn, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs. Jesse Moraes was sentenced to eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release; and Hugo Moraes was sentenced to five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, with the first five months in home confinement, and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. In November 2024, the defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law, for commercial advantage or private financial gain. Jesse Moraes also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the migrant smuggling conspiracy.

    The conspiracy involved recruiting undocumented migrants in Brazil to come to the United States through Mexico without authorization in exchange for fees of between $12,000 and $22,000 per person. The migrants were encouraged to make fraudulent claims of asylum and familial relationship (e.g., parent and minor child) in the United States and were given fraudulent information about U.S. points of contact to give to immigration authorities when they were caught in the United States. Once migrants were in the United States, Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes helped them secure long-term housing, including in apartments owned by relatives of Hugo Moraes. The defendants arranged for some of the migrants to work at Tudo Na Brasa/Taste of Brazil and The Dog House Bar and Grill and paid the migrants either entirely or partly in cash unless and until the migrants obtained identification documents, at which point they would be paid at least partly by check.

    The defendants encouraged the migrants working for them to obtain false identification documents and referred them to a co-defendant, Marcos Chacon Gil, a/k/a Marquito,” to obtain such false identification documents. The co-conspirators agreed that some of the migrants could pay off some of their smuggling fee once they reached the United States, which they did by direct payment, having their wages withheld, or by collection by relatives and other associates within and outside the United States.

    The money laundering conspiracy to which Jesse Moraes was sentenced involved transferring funds into and out of the United States with the intent to promote the migrant smuggling conspiracy and conducting financial transactions with the proceeds of the smuggling conspiracy that were designed to conceal the ownership and control of the proceeds.  

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr., made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts into the United States

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    A PROCLAMATION

    1.  On February 17, 2019, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) transmitted to me a report on his investigation into the effects of imports of passenger vehicles (sedans, sport utility vehicles, crossover utility vehicles, minivans, and cargo vans) and light trucks (collectively, automobiles) and certain automobile parts (engines and engine parts, transmissions and powertrain parts, and electrical components) (collectively, automobile parts) on the national security of the United States under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (section 232).  Based on the facts considered in that investigation, the Secretary found and advised me of his opinion that automobiles and certain automobile parts are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States. 

    2.  In Proclamation 9888 of May 17, 2019 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States), I concurred with the Secretary’s finding in the February 17, 2019, report that automobiles and certain automobile parts are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.  I also directed the United States Trade Representative (Trade Representative), in consultation with other executive branch officials, to pursue negotiation of agreements to address the threatened impairment of the national security of the United States with respect to imported automobiles and certain automobile parts from the European Union, Japan, and any other country the Trade Representative deems appropriate.

    3.  The Trade Representative’s negotiations did not lead to any agreements of the type contemplated by section 232.

    4.  In Proclamation 9888, I also directed the Secretary to monitor imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts and inform me of any circumstances that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate the need for further action under section 232 with respect to such imports.

    5. The Secretary has informed me that, since the February 17, 2019, report, the national security concerns remain and have escalated.  The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities and choke points in global supply chains, undermining our ability to maintain a resilient domestic industrial base.  In recent years, American-owned automotive manufacturers have experienced numerous supply chain challenges, including material and parts input shortages, labor shortages and strikes, and electrical-component shortages.  Meanwhile, foreign automotive industries, propelled by unfair subsidies and aggressive industrial policies, have grown substantially.  Today, only about half of the vehicles sold in the United States are manufactured domestically, a decline that jeopardizes our domestic industrial base and national security, and the United States’ share of worldwide automobile production has remained stagnant since the February 17, 2019, report.  The number of employees in the domestic automotive industry has also not improved since the February 17, 2019, report. 

    6.  I am also advised that agreements entered into before the issuance of Proclamation 9888, such as the revisions to the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), have not yielded sufficient positive outcomes.  The threat to national security posed by imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts remains and has increased.  Investments resulting from other efforts, such as legislation, have also not yielded sufficient positive outcomes to eliminate the threat to national security from such imports.

    7.  After considering the current information newly provided by the Secretary, among other things, I find that imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts continue to threaten to impair the national security of the United States and deem it necessary and appropriate to impose tariffs, as defined below, to adjust imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts so that such imports will not threaten to impair national security.

    8.  To ensure that the imposition of tariffs on automobiles and certain automobile parts in this proclamation are not circumvented and that the purpose of this action to eliminate the threat to the national security of the United States by imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts is not undermined, I also deem it necessary and appropriate to establish processes to identify and impose tariffs on additional automobile parts, as further described below.

    9.  Section 232 provides that, in this situation, the President shall take such other actions as the President deems necessary to adjust the imports of the relevant article so that such imports will not threaten to impair national security.  

    10.  Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) the substance of statutes affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code; section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended; and section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, do hereby proclaim as follows:
    (1)  Except as otherwise provided in this proclamation, all imports of articles specified in Annex I to this proclamation or in any subsequent annex to this proclamation, as set out in a subsequent notice in the Federal Register, shall be subject to a 25 percent tariff with respect to goods entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 3, 2025, for automobiles, and on the date specified in the Federal Register for automobile parts, but no later than May 3, 2025, and shall continue in effect, unless such actions are expressly reduced, modified, or terminated.  The above ad valorem tariff is in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported automobiles and certain automobile parts articles.
    (2)  For automobiles that qualify for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, importers of such automobiles may submit documentation to the Secretary identifying the amount of U.S. content in each model imported into the United States.  “U.S. content” refers to the value of the automobile attributable to parts wholly obtained, produced entirely, or substantially transformed in the United States.  Thereafter, the Secretary may approve imports of such automobiles to be eligible to apply the ad valorem tariff of 25 percent in clause (1) of this proclamation exclusively to the value of the non-U.S. content of the automobile.  The non-U.S. content of the automobile shall be calculated by subtracting the value of the U.S. content in an automobile from the total value of the automobile.
    (3)  If U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determines that the declared value of non-U.S. content of an automobile, as described in clause (2) of this proclamation, is inaccurate due to an overstatement of U.S. content, the 25 percent tariff shall apply to the full value of the automobile, regardless of the actual U.S. content of the automobile.  In addition, the 25 percent tariff shall be applied retroactively (from April 3, 2025, to the date of the inaccurate overstatement) and prospectively (from the date of the inaccurate overstatement to the date the importer corrects the overstatement, as verified by CBP) to the full value of all automobiles of the same model imported by the same importer.  This clause does not apply to or otherwise affect any other applicable fees or penalties.
    (4)  The ad valorem tariff of 25 percent described in clause (1) of this proclamation shall not apply to automobile parts that qualify for preferential treatment under the USMCA until such time that the Secretary, in consultation with CBP, establishes a process to apply the tariff exclusively to the value of the non-U.S. content of such automobile parts and publishes notice in the Federal Register.
    (5)  For avoidance of doubt, clause (4) of this proclamation does not apply to automobile knock-down kits or parts compilations.  Clause (4) of this proclamation applies only to individual automobile parts as defined by Annex I to this proclamation that otherwise meet the requirements of clause (4) of this proclamation.
    (6)  The Secretary, in consultation with the United States International Trade Commission and CBP, shall determine the modifications necessary to the HTSUS to effectuate this proclamation and shall make such modifications to the HTSUS through notice in the Federal Register.  
    (7)  Within 90 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary shall establish a process for including additional automobile parts articles within the scope of the tariffs described in clause (1) of this proclamation. In addition to inclusions made by the Secretary, this process shall provide for including additional automobile parts articles at the request of a domestic producer of an automobile or automobile parts article, or an industry association representing one or more such producers, where the request establishes that imports of additional automobile parts articles have increased in a manner that threatens to impair the national security or otherwise undermines the objectives set forth in any proclamation issued on the basis of the Secretary’s February 17, 2019, report or any additional information submitted to the President under clause (3) of Proclamation 9888 or clause (9) of this proclamation. When the Secretary receives such a request from a domestic producer or industry association, the Secretary, after consultation with the United States International Trade Commission and CBP, shall issue a determination regarding whether to include the articles within 60 days of receiving the request.  Any additional automobile parts articles that the Secretary has determined to be included within the scope of the tariffs described in clause (1) of this proclamation shall be so included on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time the day after a notice in the Federal Register describing the determination of the Secretary.  The notice in the Federal Register shall be made as soon as practicable but no later than 14 days after the Secretary’s determination.
    (8) Any automobile or automobile part, except those eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, that is subject to the duty imposed by this proclamation and that is admitted into a United States foreign trade zone on or after the effective date of this proclamation, in accordance with clause (1) of this proclamation, must be admitted as “privileged foreign status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.41, and will be subject upon entry for consumption to any ad valorem rates of duty related to the classification under the applicable HTSUS subheading.
    (9)  The Secretary shall continue to monitor imports of automobiles and automobile parts.  The Secretary also shall, from time to time, in consultation with any senior executive branch officials the Secretary deems appropriate, review the status of such imports with respect to national security.  The Secretary shall inform the President of any circumstances that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate the need for further action by the President under section 232.  The Secretary shall also inform the President of any circumstance that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate that the increase in duty rate provided for in this proclamation is no longer necessary.
    (10)  No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to this proclamation.
    (11)  The Secretary may issue regulations and guidance consistent with this proclamation, including to address operational necessity.
    (12)  CBP may take any necessary or appropriate measures to administer the tariffs imposed by this proclamation.
    (13)  Any provision of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that is inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation is superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Files More Than 250 New Immigration Cases This Week in the Western District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 261 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 21 through March 27.

    Among the new cases, Guatemalan national Noe Mardoquero Calel-Cabinal was pulled over March 24 on Highway 85 near Dilley by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. The area is known to be commonly used to smuggle undocumented aliens further into the U.S. from Mexico. A U.S. Border Patrol agent stopped to assist with the traffic stop. Calel-Cabinal allegedly presented a Guatemalan identification card, did not have proper immigration documentation to be in the U.S. legally, and could not provide a reason for being in the area that aligned with his travel route. A criminal complaint alleges that Calel-Cabinal later confessed to being in the area to pick up and transport four illegal aliens to San Antonio and would be paid $1,300 per illegal alien. A review of his cell phone allegedly confirmed Calel-Cabinal’s confession and he was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.

    In El Paso, Mexican national Luis Francisco Alarcon-Sanchez allegedly stated at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on March 22 that he was a U.S. citizen born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was returning to Albuquerque to visit his ex-wife and mother. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer received a system alert for prior deport and further procedures confirmed that Alarcon-Sanchez had been previously removed on May 16, 2024. A criminal complaint alleges that Alarcon-Sanchez admitted he is affiliated with the Paisas Gang. In addition to the 2024 removal, records show he was removed from Texas to Mexico in 2015, 2003, and in 1998 following an aggravated felony conviction.

    Mexican national Jesus Barraza-Frias was also arrested in El Paso. He was allegedly located less than a mile east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry without immigration documents allowing him to be or remain in the U.S. legally. Barraza-Frias was just removed from the U.S. on Nov. 27, 2024, after being convicted for illegal re-entry in El Paso. He now has three total removals as well as a domestic violence/harassment conviction in Lamar, Colorado from 2007, a 2002 disorderly conduct conviction as a juvenile in Lamar, and a sexual assault conviction as a juvenile in Prowers County, Colorado from 2001.

    In Del Rio, Honduran national Carlos Alejandro Varela-Avila was arrested March 20 and charged with re-entry after deportation from the United States. A criminal complaint alleges that Varela-Avila was previously deported on April 16, 2024 through Alexandria, Louisiana and has five prior removals and a criminal record that includes aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

    Another Honduran national, Alba Jeannet Medina-Chavez, was arrested March 23 near Del Rio after being previously deported Dec. 29, 2014 through Phoenix, Arizona. A criminal complaint reflects five prior removals for Medina-Chavez as well as a criminal history that includes child cruelty, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and assault against an elderly or disabled individual.

    Amir Hassan Riley was also arrested March 23 near Eagle Pass. According to a criminal complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents inspected a vehicle drive by Riley at a Highway 57 checkpoint and allegedly located three illegal aliens from Honduras and Yemen concealed in the rear seat and trunk of the vehicle. Further investigation allegedly led to the discovery of two more illegal aliens at a motel. The complaint alleges that Riley said he responded to a job post on Facebook and coordinated to pick up people at pinned locations in Eagle Pass. Riley is charged with one count of conspiring with others to transport illegal aliens within the United States.

    A Mexican national is charged in Pecos with illegal re-entry. Ibrahim Villanueva was arrested by Presidio Border Patrol agents after being previously removed on June 6, 2024 through El Paso. Villanueva’s criminal and immigration history indicate four total deportations and a 2007 felony conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child in Odessa.

    In Austin, Mexican national Cesario Bueno-Figueroa was arrested March 23 and charged with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a crash. If convicted, criminal records show that this would be at least his third DWI. He previously served 18 months in jail after he was arrested for driving under the influence of liquor in 2010, and 65 days for the same charge in 2018. Bueno-Figueroa has also served 30 days in jail after being arrested in 2012 for illegal entry and 97 days in 2018 for illegal re-entry. Bueno-Figueroa is federally charged with illegal re-entry.

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

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

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

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Klobuchar, and Warner Announce Expected Vote Timing on their Bill to Undo Canada Tariffs that will Raise Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Next Tuesday, April 1, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on legislation led by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) to undo President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on goods imported from one of America’s top trading partners and closest allies. Since President Trump announced tariffs on Canada, there has been strong pushback from Americans, businesses, trade groups, and industry leaders.

    “President Trump’s taxes on Canadian goods have sent our economy into chaos, and Americans aren’t buying what he’s selling. They know they will pay the price with higher costs for everyday items, and their confidence in the economy is the lowest it has been in recent years,” said Kaine. “Many of my Republican colleagues in Congress have already expressed concerns about these tariffs, so the Senate’s upcoming vote on our legislation provides senators with the perfect opportunity to show Americans that they will stand up for their constituents and reverse the President’s disastrous economic policies.”

    “This Administration is igniting a reckless trade war and regular Americans are paying the price,” said Klobuchar. “Costs for everyone will go up and our farmers and businesses will suffer. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner and is a key U.S. ally. We must reverse these damaging tariffs before it’s too late.”

    “Trump’s tariffs on Canada are a self-inflicted wound—raising prices for American consumers, hurting workers, and straining one of our closest trade partnerships,” said Warner. “Now my Republican colleagues have an opportunity to weigh in—will they stand up for the American people or continue us down this damaging path?”

    In total, the tariffs President Trump announced on February 1 would cost the average American household up to $2,000 a year, with the Canada tariffs making up a significant portion of that. These tariffs represent the largest tax increase on American families in recent history. Polls have overwhelmingly demonstrated that the American people do not support Trump’s trade wars. According to a survey by Public First, just 28 percent of American adults supported specifically applying tariffs to Canada, while 43 percent opposed.

    In Virginia in 2024, Canada was the largest export market and accounted for 15 percent of Virginia exports. In Virginia in 2022, top goods exports to Canada included motor vehicles and transportation equipment, such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 56.1 percent of Southwest Virginia’s economic output is dependent on trade.

    Below is what Americans are saying about Trump’s tariffs on Canada:

    AFL-CIO Director of Government Affairs Jody Calemine: “On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to support S.J. Res. 37, a resolution introduced by Senator Tim Kaine to terminate the national emergency that was declared to justify tariffs on imports from Canada under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)… However, imposing large, across the board tariffs on Canada aimed at non-trade objectives will only cause unnecessary economic pain for workers and businesses on both sides of the border.”

    International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) International President Brian Bryant: “On behalf of the 600,000 active and retired members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), I write today in strong support of S.J. Res. 37… These new tariffs on Canada, one of our closest allies and largest trading partners, are unjust and will have lasting negative impacts on American and Canadian workers… The Trump administration’s erratic approach to tariffs is wreaking havoc on workers and businesses in the United States and Canada. Punishing one of our nation’s closest trading partners based on a false pretense is wrong and the action needs to be reversed.”

    International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) President Matthew S. Biggs and Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson: “As the Executive Officers of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), representing 90,000 workers in the private, public, and federal sectors across North America, we are writing in support of S.J. Res. 37… Canada is America’s closest ally and number one trading partner. Our trading relationship uplifts American and Canadian working families alike. Imposing reckless tariffs on Canadian imports will harm both the U.S. and Canadian economies and do even greater harm to working families on both sides of the border. Congress must step in now to block this reckless and destructive policy.”

    National Taxpayers Union: “Canada is an important supplier of goods that strengthen U.S. security, including crude oil, natural gas, steel, and aluminum. Tariffs that restrict our access to these supplies and increase their cost will weaken our industrial base and undermine our ability to sustain our defense in the event of a national emergency.”

    Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams: “TPA enthusiastically supports Sens. Tim Kaine and Rand Paul’s CRA to overturn President Trump’s February 1, 2025, national emergency declaration. This use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is fraught with issues. The ensuing trade war will inevitably raise costs for consumers. Placing a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico will harm consumers and the vast majority of American businesses.”

    United Steelworkers (USW) International President David McCall: “On behalf of the 850,000 active members of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW), I urge you to support S.J. Res. 37, a resolution introduced by Senator Tim Kaine to terminate the national emergency that was declared to impose duties on imports from Canada, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)… These new tariffs are misdirected, unsubstantiated by facts, and harmful to the very workers we represent.”

    The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: “None of this is supposed to happen under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that Mr. Trump negotiated and signed in his first term. The U.S. willingness to ignore its treaty obligations, even with friends, won’t make other countries eager to do deals. Maybe Mr. Trump will claim victory and pull back if he wins some token concessions. But if a North American trade war persists, it will qualify as one of the dumbest in history.”

    The Washington Post Editorial Board: “Markets have plummeted since Trump announced new levies on Canada, Mexico and China, erasing nearly all gains since his election… The tariffs are still likely to be economically destructive: They will snarl global supply chains, raise costs to consumers and cause layoffs in industries that depend on imported inputs like steel… This means more than just additional pain for consumers whipsawed by inflation, higher prices on imports and, now, the possibility of a recession.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Salt Lake City removes foreign fugitive for sexual assault of minor

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SALT LAKE CITY – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Mexican citizen and foreign fugitive Jairo Ivan Paredes Cota, 43, to Mexico via ground transportation, March 27. Paredes is wanted in his home country for the sexual assault of a minor.

    Paredes entered the United States on an unknown date and location without inspection by U.S. Immigration Officers. He was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection April 16, 2013, in Del Rio, Texas, and was removed to Mexico by CBP April 20, 2013.

    Paredes re-entered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location without inspection by U.S. Immigration Officers.

    ICE Officers arrested Paredes March 6, in Reno, Nevada and he was booked into the Washoe County Jail in Reno until his removal from the United States.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROSaltLakeCity

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Multiagency investigation results in Cartel Del Noreste leader sentencing for murder-for-hire, kidnapping conspiracies

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LAREDO, Texas – A illegal Mexican alien who is a Cartel Del Noreste leader was sentenced March 26 by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. Noe Gonzalez-Martinez, also known as Tocayo, 41, will serve the rest of his life plus 60 months in federal prison for his role in multiple convictions related to a murder-for-hire scheme that brought three sicarios, or hitmen, across the U.S. border into Laredo. At the hearing, the court heard about his role as a leader/organizer and his conduct in the crimes as well as the substantial progress Gonzalez-Martinez made toward the completion of the offenses. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Laredo Police Department.

    “Drug trafficking and violence go hand-in-hand, and this is particularly true in the case of cartels, as this case shows,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei from the Southern District of Texas. “The Department of Justice is committed to preventing the cartels from ever gaining a foothold in America, and the vigorous prosecution of their leadership is a critical component of that. Through the conviction of Mr. Gonzalez-Martinez, the Southern District of Texas has dealt a major blow to the CDN cartel. This is, however, just the beginning. SDTX is pursuing every opportunity and every avenue to dismantle cartel operations on both sides of the border. Stay tuned.”

    “With drug trafficking comes violence that typically spills over from Mexico and into the United States, particularly the southwest border. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s tenacious agents did not only thwart the drug trafficking activities of this violent CDN but successfully managed to halt several murders, one of which would have been carried out by the drug trafficking organization’s trusted lead enforcer Noe Gonzalez-Martinez,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux. “This case is a testament that the DEA is definite in its fight against these foreign terrorist drug trafficking organizations who illegally crossed into the United States for the sole purpose of kidnapping and murdering an American Citizen. We will continue to bring to justice anyone thinking about ripping peace out of our American neighborhoods and communities.”

    “This brazen scheme planned out by CDN is a direct threat to the safety and stability of South Texas. The campaign of terror, drug-trafficking, and violence this man employed has no place on American soil. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in coordination with our federal partners, have prioritized Mexican cartels, like CDN, and will continue to aggressively combat their criminal acts until they are no more,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee.

    A federal jury deliberated for approximately one hour before convicting him Dec. 13, 2023, on all counts following a three-day trial. They found him guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, conspiracy to kidnap, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking-related crime and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

    During the trial, the jury heard evidence that between Sept. 7, 2021, and Sept. 13, 2021, Gonzalez-Martinez and several other CDN members traveled from Nuevo Laredo into Laredo. There, Gonzalez-Martinez solicited the help of other CDN affiliates to recruit, plan and coordinate the kidnapping and murder of an individual the cartel believed had stolen from them. Testimony also revealed the CDN’s operations and additional details of the murder-for-hire plot. The three sicarios were to kidnap the suspected drug thief and return him to Mexico for cartel members to make an example of him. If they were unable to do so, they were to kill him and return the stolen property to the cartel. The jury heard from law enforcement who were able to thwart the crime and take the hitmen into custody prior to carrying out the murder. Authorities apprehended Gonzalez-Martinez July 29, 2022, at the international port of entry in Laredo. At trial, Gonzalez-Martinez attempted to convince the jury someone else was responsible for arranging and overseeing the commission of the crime. The jury did not believe defense’s claims and found him guilty as charged.

    According to court documents, the investigation revealed Gonzalez-Martinez communicated via cellphone with co-conspirators to plan and coordinate the recovery of drugs and proceeds from the intended victim. In addition, Gonzalez-Martinez provided co-conspirators with an address where they could retrieve firearms to execute the murder. On Sept. 13, 2021, co-conspirators took possession of an automobile and firearms to carry out the murder. The firearms included a .45 caliber pistol, .357 magnum revolver, and two AR-15s.

    The three sicarios – Juan Antonio Martinez-Padilla, also known as Juan Antonio Martinez-Lopez and Otoniel Martinez-Padilla, 60, Gregorio Gonzalez-Barragan, 34, and Rodolfo Reyna-Zapata, 27, all from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, previously received sentences of 240, 352, and 352 months, respectively.

    Gonzalez-Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

    Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys’ Jose Angel Moreno and Steven Chamberlin from the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Colombian Navy Lieutenant Sentenced to 15 Years for Helping Sell Locations of Navy Drug Interdiction Vessels to International Drug Traffickers

    Source: US State of Vermont

    On Wednesday, Cesar Augusto Romero Caballero, of Colombia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge James Moody Jr. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine having reasonable cause to believe it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Romero Caballero pleaded guilty on April 8, 2024.

    According to court documents, Caballero, 35, was a former member of the Colombian Navy. In exchange for money, he recruited active-duty members of the Colombian Navy to secretly plant global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices in Colombian Navy vessels. Transnational Criminal Organizations used the location data derived from these tracking devices to direct vessels filled with cocaine bound for the United States around Colombian Navy ships and patrols.

    “This foreign national committed serious crimes to enable the flow of drugs into our country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This sentencing reflects the Department of Justice’s ironclad commitment to not only hunting down criminals, but ensuring that they suffer severe legal consequences following their apprehension.”

    “Our teams focus on sophisticated and violent drug trafficking organizations and work countless investigative hours,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division. “I am proud of our team’s efforts and thankful for our law enforcement partners who brought this case to conclusion.”

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Stoia for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted this case.

    The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.

    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, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tourists are cancelling trips to the US – here’s how this could affect its economy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ross Bennett-Cook, PhD Researcher, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University

    The United States is one of the top three most visited countries in the world. The big draw cards – cities such as San Francisco, New York and Chicago and national parks such as Yosemite – have attracted international tourists for decades. This combined with its role as a global business powerhouse meant it had 66.5 million visitors in 2023 – and the 2024 figure is expected to be higher still.

    But a lot has changed in recent months, and 2025’s figures may not be as strong. The 2024 reelection of Donald Trump as the president of the United States and the consequential changes in foreign diplomacy and relations, alongside internal cultural shifts, are starting to change global attitudes towards the US – attitudes that appear to be affecting tourists’ desire to visit the US.

    In a recent report by research firm Tourism Economics, inbound travel to the US is now projected to decline by 5.5% this year, instead of growing by nearly 9% as had previously been forecast. A further escalation in tariff and trade wars could result in further reductions in international tourism, which could amount to a US$18 billion (£13.8 billion) annual reduction in tourist spending in 2025.

    There is already some evidence of travel cancellations. Since Trump announced 25% tariffs on many Canadian goods, the number of Canadians driving across the border at some crossings has fallen by up to 45%, on some days, when compared to last year. Canada is the biggest source of international tourists to the US. Air Canada has announced it is reducing flights to some US holiday destinations, including Las Vegas, from March, as demand reduces.

    According to a March poll by Canadian market researcher Leger, 36% of Canadians who had planned trips to the United States had already cancelled them. According to data from the aviation analytics company OAG, passenger bookings on Canada to US routes are down by over 70% compared to the same period last year. This comes after the U.S. Travel Association warned that even a 10% reduction in Canadian inbound travel could result in a US$2.1 billion (£1.6 billion) loss in spending, putting 140,000 hospitality jobs at risk.

    An unwelcoming environment?

    Some would-be visitors have cited an unwelcoming political climate as part of a concern about visiting the US – including angry rhetoric about foreigners, migrants and the LGBTQ+ community. The Tourism Economics report also cited “polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric” as a factor in travel cancellations.

    There are other factors that may influence travellers from, for instance, western Europe, which represented 37% of overseas travel to the US last year. These include US tariffs pushing prices up at home and the US administration’s perceived alignment with Russia in the war in Ukraine.

    Canadian trips to the US are going down.

    Research by YouGov in March found that western European attitudes towards the US have become more negative since Trump’s reelection last November. More than half of people in Britain (53%), Germany (56%), Sweden (63%) and Denmark (74%) now have an unfavourable opinion of the US. In five of the seven countries polled, figures for US favourability are at the lowest since polling began in November 2016.

    Border issues

    Some high-profile cases at the US border could also be putting off tourists. In March, a British woman was handcuffed and detained for more than ten days by US Customs Enforcement after a visa problem. In the same month, a Canadian tourist was detained after attempting to renew her visa at the US-Mexico border. During the 12-day detention, she was held in crowded jail cells and even put in chains.

    Mexico is the US’s second largest inbound travel market. Tourism Economics suggests that issues around new border enforcement rules will raise concerns with potential Mexican tourists. During Trump’s first term in office, Mexican visits to the US fell by 3%. In February this year, air travel from Mexico had already fallen 6% when compared to 2024.

    Many countries including Canada have been updating their travel advice for the US. For instance, on March 15 the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated its advice for the US, warning visitors that “you may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules”. The previous version of advice, from February, had no mention of arrest or detention. Germany has made similar updates to its travel advisory, after several Germans were recently detained for weeks by US border officials.

    Multiple European countries, including France, Germany, Denmark and Norway have also issued specific travel warnings to transgender and non-binary citizens, as US authorities demand tourists declare their biological sex at birth on visa applications. This comes as the US has stopped issuing of passports with a X marker – commonly used by those identifying as non-binary – for its own citizens.

    Alternative destinations

    As thousands of travellers cancel their trips to the US, other destinations are seeing a spike in interest. Hotels in Bermuda have reported a surge in enquiries as Canadians relocate business and leisure trips away from the US, with some predicting a 20% increase in revenue from Canadian visits.

    Europe too has reported increased bookings from Canada, with rental properties experiencing a 32% jump in summer reservations when compared to last year, according to some reports.

    There are already growing concerns that visa and entry restrictions will disrupt fans and athletes from enjoying 2026 men’s Fifa World Cup, held on sites in the US, Canada and Mexico. Visitors from some countries, such as Brazil, Turkey and Colombia, could wait up to 700 days to obtain visas. The International Olympic Committee has also raised concerns over the 2028 Olympics Games in Los Angeles, although US officials have insisted that “America will be open”.

    With mounting visa delays, stricter border enforcement and growing concerns over human rights and anti-minority rhetoric, the United States risks losing its appeal as a top holiday destination. The long-term impact on its tourism industry may prove difficult to reverse.

    Ross Bennett-Cook 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. Tourists are cancelling trips to the US – here’s how this could affect its economy – https://theconversation.com/tourists-are-cancelling-trips-to-the-us-heres-how-this-could-affect-its-economy-252858

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Frankel, Lawmakers Urge Trump Administration To Reverse Illegal Gutting Of U.S. Agency For Global Media

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    Lawmakers: These Actions Are Not Just Illegal And Wasteful, They Run Counter To Our Interests of Promoting Free Expression, Combating Censorship

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and U.S. Representative Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security and Department of State, led a bicameral letter urging United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Acting CEO Victor Morales and Special Advisor Kari Lake to rescind the Trump administration’s illegal actions to dismantle the agency, terminate grants for several government-funded outlets worldwide, and place Voice of America and other federal staff on administrative leave. In addition to Schatz and Frankel, the letter was signed by Democratic members of the their respective committees including U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), as well as U.S. Representatives Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.).

    “Congress reaffirmed its commitment to your agency, its mission, and its personnel by funding the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) at $866.9 million in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, and expects that each of the entities will continue their unique mission of broadcasting content to audiences around the world,” the lawmakers wrote. “Your decisions to terminate the grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia (RFA) (in addition to withholding funds for the BenarNews service), Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Open Technology Fund; place on administrative leave Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Technology, Services, and Innovation, and other federal staff; cancel hundreds of contracts; and pull transmissions from the air violate several provisions in the appropriations bill.”

    The lawmakers continued, “These actions are not just illegal and wasteful, they run counter to our interests. America’s authoritarian adversaries are investing billions in state-backed media, targeting the same countries USAGM entities reach. With an audience of 427 million people speaking more than 60 languages, USAGM networks are a trusted and reliable source of information in the face of state censorship, including in the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The technology developed by the Open Technology Fund and used across grantees will leave users who are dependent on their tools to circumvent censorship stranded. Once America loses the trust of these audiences, it will be difficult to get it back.”

    “We respectfully request that you rescind the actions you have taken to date and refrain from any further downsizing or terminations, and that you ensure you are in compliance with your legal requirements, including to consult and notify Congress of any proposed changes and to meet congressional spending directives,” the lawmakers concluded.

    The full text of the letter is below and available here.

    Dear Acting CEO Morales and Ms. Lake:

    You are at the helm of an agency with a critical mission to increase freedom of expression, circumvent censorship, and deliver objective, accurate, and relevant information to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. This mission directly supports U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.

    Given its importance, we write to express our concerns with the decisions you have made in response to the March 14, 2025 Executive Order titled “Executive Order on Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”

    Congress reaffirmed its commitment to your agency, its mission, and its personnel by funding the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) at $866.9 million in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, and expects that each of the entities will continue their unique mission of broadcasting content to audiences around the world. Your decisions to terminate the grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia (RFA) (in addition to withholding funds for the BenarNews service), Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Open Technology Fund; place on administrative leave Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Technology, Services, and Innovation, and other federal staff; cancel hundreds of contracts; and pull transmissions from the air violate several provisions in the appropriations bill. This includes sections 7015 and 7063, and the provisions under the United States Agency for Global Media heading, of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025.

    Additionally, the actions you have taken to significantly downsize the agency, including termination of the new building lease and closeout costs, will cost the U.S. taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars.

    These actions are not just illegal and wasteful, they run counter to our interests. America’s authoritarian adversaries are investing billions in state-backed media, targeting the same countries USAGM entities reach. With an audience of 427 million people speaking more than 60 languages, USAGM networks are a trusted and reliable source of information in the face of state censorship, including in the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The technology developed by the Open Technology Fund and used across grantees will leave users who are dependent on their tools to circumvent censorship stranded. Once America loses the trust of these audiences, it will be difficult to get it back.

    In 2020, when then-USAGM CEO Michael Pack instituted mass firings, then-Senator Rubio led a bipartisan effort to have such actions reversed. In the letter, Senator Rubio and colleagues stated:

    “We are at a critical moment in history where malign actors including Russia, China, and Iran, are using advanced tools and technology to undermine global democratic norms, spreading disinformation, and severely restricting their own free press to hamper access to independent news for their citizens. As these and other authoritarian regimes further crack down domestically, their citizens turn to outside media as their only trustworthy source of unbiased, accurate news.”

    This is no less true today.

    We are equally troubled that these actions put staff across all of those entities, who have faithfully served the interests of the U.S. government, at risk if they are forced to return to authoritarian countries where they may be subject to harassment, persecution, or arbitrary arrest. The agency appears to have no plan in place to address these risks. Already, 1,300 VOA staff and 75 percent of RFA U.S.-based staff have been put on leave.

    We respectfully request that you rescind the actions you have taken to date and refrain from any further downsizing or terminations, and that you ensure you are in compliance with your legal requirements, including to consult and notify Congress of any proposed changes and to meet congressional spending directives. We request that you respond to this letter no later than April 4, 2025 confirming your intent to do so.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Colombian Navy Lieutenant Sentenced to 15 Years for Helping Sell Locations of Navy Drug Interdiction Vessels to International Drug Traffickers

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    On Wednesday, Cesar Augusto Romero Caballero, of Colombia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge James Moody Jr. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine having reasonable cause to believe it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Romero Caballero pleaded guilty on April 8, 2024.

    According to court documents, Caballero, 35, was a former member of the Colombian Navy. In exchange for money, he recruited active-duty members of the Colombian Navy to secretly plant global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices in Colombian Navy vessels. Transnational Criminal Organizations used the location data derived from these tracking devices to direct vessels filled with cocaine bound for the United States around Colombian Navy ships and patrols.

    “This foreign national committed serious crimes to enable the flow of drugs into our country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This sentencing reflects the Department of Justice’s ironclad commitment to not only hunting down criminals, but ensuring that they suffer severe legal consequences following their apprehension.”

    “Our teams focus on sophisticated and violent drug trafficking organizations and work countless investigative hours,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division. “I am proud of our team’s efforts and thankful for our law enforcement partners who brought this case to conclusion.”

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Stoia for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted this case.

    The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.

    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, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps Issa, Hudson and Senator Risch Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Stop Improper State Taxes on Firearms

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50)

    WASHINGTON – This week, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Congressman Richard Hudson (NC), and Senator Jim Risch (ID), introduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act. This bill would prohibit states from implementing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition to fund gun control programs.

    “For too many years, extreme state policies — including from my home state — have targeted our fundamental Second Amendment rights and the American citizens who exercise them,” said Issa. “The latest attack is California’s imposition of a ‘sin tax’ on firearms and ammunition. This outrageous and unfair burden on law-abiding citizens is why Sen. Risch, Rep. Hudson, and I are working to stop this and other attempts to penalize our people and put the price of self-defense out of reach of any American.”

    “Far-left politicians will stop at nothing to undermine the Second Amendment,” said Hudson. “Their latest scheme is an unconstitutional tax that seeks to price you out of your right to keep and bear arms, and this legislation will put a stop to it.”

    “Blue states that implement an excessive excise tax to fund gun control initiatives are exploiting the Second Amendment,” said Risch. “The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states do not place a significant financial burden on law-abiding gun owners to advance their anti-Second Amendment agenda.”

    In 2024, California implemented a new 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition to discourage the purchase of firearms and fund gun control programs. Colorado is set to implement a 6.5% excise tax in April 2025. Maryland, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and New Mexico have proposed similar taxes. 

    Issa, Hudson and Risch are joined by Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA), U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in introducing the legislation.

    The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act has received support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and National Rifle Association (NRA).

    “There is a growing effort among states to levy excise taxes to discourage firearm ownership. California and Colorado have already implemented a gun tax to fund their gun control efforts and dismantle the Second Amendment,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. “Senator Risch’s bill would prevent these blatant and egregious attacks on the rights of Americans, and the National Rifle Association is proud to support this legislation.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Issa Leads California Call to Restore Essential Pest Inspections for Imported Avocados

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50)

    Escondido – This week, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) led a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins calling for the reinstatement of essential USDA pest inspections on avocados bound for U.S. import. 

    In 2024, USDA-certified pest inspections in Mexico were abruptly canceled by USDA’s APHIS.  As a result, a greater number of destructive weevils have been detected at packing facilities which has increased the likelihood of pest infested avocados slipping into the United States threatening California’s avocado industry.  

    California is the top state producer for avocados, with Issa’s district representing large constituencies of growers.

    Congressman Issa was joined by Congressman Ken Calvert, Congressman Doug LaMalfa, Congressman David Valadao, and Congresswoman Young Kim.

    Congressman Issa recently held an avocado and citrus industry roundtable in San Diego County to hear directly from constituents on their challenges.

    Read the full letter here. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Mr. James Swan of the United States – Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS)

    Source: United Nations MIL-OSI 2

    nited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of James Swan of the United States as his Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS). The Secretary-General expresses his gratitude to Mr. Swan for acting as Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM)/UNTMIS since May 2024, and is pleased that Mr. Swan accepted to continue to lead the United Nations in Somalia during this critical period.

    Mr. Swan is an experienced diplomat with a long career in African countries facing complex political transitions.  Prior to serving as acting Special Representative for Somalia and Head of UNSOM/UNTMIS as well as Special Representative for Somalia and Head of UNSOM (2019-2022), he worked in the United States Government as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2013-2016), Special Representative for Somalia (2011-2013) and Ambassador to Djibouti (2008-2011).

    In his earlier career, Mr. Swan was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2006-2008) and Director of African Analysis in the US State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (2005-2006).  Before assuming these positions, Mr. Swan held various assignments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Cameroon, Nicaragua and Haiti.

    Mr. Swan holds a B.Sc. degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, and a Master’s degree in Security Studies from the National War College, all in the United States.  He is fluent in English and French.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EU Archives: First EU-Africa Summit, European Citizens’ Initiative, UN Convention on Climate Change

    Source: European Commission (video statements)

    Have you ever wondered what the European Union was up to 30 years ago? Dive with us into the European Commission’s audiovisual archives and discover important anniversaries with our new weekly AV history teaser!

    Upcoming anniversaries in the teaser:

    · 1995: Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard at the first Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change in Berlin
    · 2000: First EU-Africa Summit in Cairo
    · 2010: Press conference by Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on the European Citizens’ Initiative
    · 2010: International Donors’ Conference in New York after Haiti earthquake

    Get the complete material from our archive:
    https://europa.eu/!Yq37xW
    https://europa.eu/!wG84Pw
    https://europa.eu/!fn37HX
    https://europa.eu/!D6XX3j

    find a tribute to Ritt Bjerregaard (on the thumbnail), former European Commissioner of Environment and Nuclear Safety here:
    https://europa.eu/!HYyWbb

    Follow us on:
    -X: https://twitter.com/EU_Commission
    -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/europeancommission/
    -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanCommission
    -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-commission/
    -Medium: https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission

    Check our website: http://ec.europa.eu/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA8TrX9qPHQ

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former federal officer sentenced for smuggling aliens and receiving bribes from cartel

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has been sentenced to federal prison in two separate cases for allowing aliens and cocaine across the border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Emanuel Isac Celedon, 37, Laredo, pleaded guilty March 11, 2024, for his role in illegally smuggling illegal aliens into the United States through the Lincoln Juarez Port of Entry (POE) in Laredo. He also admitted to bribery and attempted importation of cocaine for accepting money to allow what he thought was cocaine to cross into the United States from Mexico. 

    U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now imposed a total of 117 months in prison for both cases to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a money judgment of $17,980. At the hearing, the court noted Celedon’s job was to protect the United States from introduction of controlled substances and people not authorized to be in the country, and that he had failed in both regards. Judge Saldana added that Celedon was deeply involved in the organization and appeared to want to go even deeper.

    “Anybody who aids or works for the cartel is going to find themselves on the wrong end of a federal indictment,” said Ganjei. “This case was especially troubling given the position of trust the defendant held. His criminal conduct stands in stark contrast to the heroic work the men and women of CBP are doing every day to keep our border and ports secure.”

    While employed as a CBP Officer in Laredo in 2023, Celedon sought contacts within the Mexican criminal organization known as the Cartel del Noreste in order to smuggle drugs and aliens through his inspection lane in exchange for monetary payment.

    During an undercover operation, Celedon expressed his interest in smuggling cocaine for payment, provided his duty schedule and gave instructions directing a loaded vehicle to his inspection lane at the port of entry. He then allowed the vehicle to safely cross into the United States. 

    Using his position as a CBP officer, Celedon allowed several kilograms of what he believed to be cocaine into the United States on two separate occasions in October 2023. In exchange, he received $6,000.

    Further investigation revealed Celedon also conspired with at least three others to bring illegal aliens into the United States without inspection. Celedon provided his daily lane assignment to Mexican national Homero Romero-Hernandez, 32, who passed the information to Jose Osvaldo Zapata-Vasquez, 25, another Mexican national with ties to the cartel. Zapata-Vasquez hired Cotulla resident Beatris Guadalupe Martinez, 22, to act as the driver.

    Zapata-Vasquez relayed instructions to Martinez based on information Celadon provided regarding when to pick up the aliens in Mexico and which lane to approach when making entry to the United States.

    The investigation revealed Martinez transported people through Celedon’s lane on at least nine separate occasions between September and November 2023. Each time, Celedon permitted entry without inspecting any of Martinez’s passengers. Additionally, on at least two of those dates, Celedon falsely inputted information into a CBP database in order to avoid sending Martinez to a mandatory secondary inspection.

    Celedon then asked Zapata-Vasquez and Romero-Hernandez to relay this to smugglers in Mexico in order to reassure them that he was doing his part to facilitate the cartel’s smuggling efforts. Law enforcement seized $1,980 in cash from Celedon at the time of his arrest, which he admitted were proceeds from human smuggling.

    Judge Saldana previously sentenced Zapata-Vasquez, Romero-Hernandez and Martinez to 46, 36, and 42 months in prison, respectively.

    Celedon has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and CBP – Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation with assistance from the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, Texas Department of Public Safety, Border Patrol, Webb County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office and CBP Laredo Joint Forensic Center.

    The case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation and coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    JTFA, a partnership with DHS, has been elevated and expanded 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. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA and other partners. 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.

    This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Arthur R. Jones prosecuted the cases.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: March 27th, 2025 Heinrich Joins Bicameral Push Urging Trump Administration to Reinstate Executive Order Supporting Tribal Self-Determination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and the New Mexico Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to reinstate Biden-era Executive Order 14112, titled “Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination.”

    President Trump’s decision to revoke the Executive Order reversed a significant policy designed to empower Tribal Nations by improving their access to federal funding and reducing bureaucratic hurdles. Signed by President Biden in 2023, the order aimed to reduce government interference on Tribal funding, and to make sure federal agencies meet their legal obligations for tribes.

    The order had tangible positive impacts, including facilitating federal support for tribal emergency response efforts and funding critical infrastructure projects such as fisheries management and broadband connectivity. It also established the Tribal Access to Capital Clearinghouse, a centralized hub for Native businesses to navigate federal funding opportunities. Its revocation creates uncertainty for Tribal Nations, potentially reinstating restrictive barriers to funding and creating instability in federally supported tribal programs.

    The letter pointed to key provisions of the rescinded executive order that aligned with the administration’s stated goals, including increasing “accessibility, flexibility, and utility of Federal funding and programs for Tribal Nations, while increasing the transparency, and efficiency of Federal funding processes.” The lawmakers warned that removing these provisions will exacerbate challenges that already hinder Tribal Nations’ ability to meet their communities’ needs.

    “Too often, federal funding processes impose unnecessary barriers for Tribal Nations, including restrictive limitations and burdensome reporting requirements,” the lawmakers wrote. “Without the coordination and efficiency processes established under the Tribal Self-Determination EO, these challenges will only grow, creating uncertainty and instability that directly undermines tribal self-determination.”

    The lawmakers called on the administration to immediately reinstate Executive Order 14112 and engage in meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations moving forward.

    “We urge you to restore [the Biden-era executive order] and work directly with Tribal Nations, Congress, and your federal agencies to ensure Tribal Nations are able to exercise their sovereignty and more efficiently access federal support,” the letter concluded.

    The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

    Dear President Trump: 

    We write to request your reconsideration of your recent decision1 to rescind Executive Order 14112, “Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination” (Tribal Self-Determination EO). The Tribal Self Determination EO was designed to improve the efficiency and coordination of federal funding and demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to upholding its treaty and trust obligations to Tribal Nations. Because the Tribal Self-Determination EO is intended to improve efficiency, coordination, and respect for Native American Tribes, we believe it is a policy position that your administration and all subsequent administrations would favor. 

    Tribal Nations have a legal, government-to-government relationship with the United States. The inherent sovereignty of Tribal Nations is recognized in the U.S. Constitution, in treaties, and across many federal laws and policies. It is important that your administration not include Tribes in any efforts to target diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Tribal Nations have legal status as a political, not racial class and the United States has a trust responsibility to them.

    Section five of the Tribal Self-Determination EO directed agencies to increase the accessibility, flexibility, and utility of Federal funding and programs for Tribal Nations, while increasing the transparency and efficiency of Federal funding processes. This aligns closely with the administration’s stated goals to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity. Too often, federal funding processes impose unnecessary barriers for Tribal Nations, including restrictive limitations and burdensome reporting requirements that hinder Tribal Nations from meeting their communities’ needs. Without the coordination and efficiency processes established under the Tribal Self-Determination EO, these challenges will only grow, creating uncertainty and instability that directly undermines tribal self-determination. 

    We request an explanation of why the Tribal Self-Determination EO was rescinded, and whether any Tribal Nations were consulted prior to its rescission. We urge you to restore Executive Order 14112 and work directly with Tribal Nations, Congress, and your federal agencies to ensure Tribal Nations are able to exercise their sovereignty and more efficiently access federal support.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Latin Music Talent Agency and Its CEO Found Guilty of Violating U.S. Sanctions by Doing Business with Cartel-Linked Concert Promoter

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

    LOS ANGELES – The CEO of a Latin music conglomerate and his talent agency were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.

    José Ángel Del Villar, 44, of Huntington Beach, the CEO of Del Records and its related talent agency Del Entertainment Inc., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act.

    Co-defendant Del Entertainment also was found guilty of all 11 counts of which Del Villar was convicted.

    According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, in April 2018, the defendants did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. “Chucho,” of Guadalajara, Mexico, a music promoter who controlled Gallistica Diamante, a.k.a. Ticket Premier. Pérez promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019.

    The U.S. Treasury Department listed Pérez and his company as “specially designated narcotics traffickers” under the Kingpin Act on April 6, 2018, after concluding he facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization. The Kingpin Act prevents people in the United States from conducting business with sanctioned persons and entities.

    Even though Del Villar and Del Entertainment were aware that it was illegal to engage in transactions or dealings with Pérez, they willfully did business with him by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest.

    For example, on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached a well-known musician and explicitly told him about Pérez’s designation under the Kingpin Act and how that prohibited him from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted.

    On April 28, 2018, the musician performed at a music concert which Pérez organized. Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet that brought the musician from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

    On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for the musician to perform at concerts in Mexico – including Mexicali and San José Iturbide, Guanajuato.

    “The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.”

    “Doing business with government-sanctioned individuals is illegal and can have very serious consequences,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a message to music industry associates and others who engage in business with those sanctioned for laundering money for Mexican drug cartels will not be tolerated by the FBI, nor our partners at the IRS and the United States Attorney’s Office.”

    United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an August 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Del Villar will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count.

    Co-defendant Luca Scalisi, 58, of West Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in this case and is scheduled to be tried separately in July 2025.

    Co-defendant Pérez, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers, was murdered in Mexico in December 2024. 

    The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control provided significant assistance in this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding and Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.

    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 Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Haiti

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Haiti

    UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Haiti with the participation of the Independent Expert. Delivered by the UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Thank you, Mr President.

    We thank the High Commissioner for his report. The ongoing and rapid deterioration of human rights in Haiti is shocking. 

    The Haitian people have long suffered indiscriminate attacks by armed criminal gangs – these have contributed to over a million Haitians being displaced from their homes.

    Widespread recruitment, exploitation and abuse of children by these gangs is still happening. At the same time the use of sexual violence as a form of punishment and to spread fear within communities is increasing.

    Re-establishing security to end the scourge of gangs remains essential to Haiti’s long-term stability. The UK supports the work of the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti and is providing £5 million to OHCHR to ensure the Mission’s compliance with international standards on human rights, conduct and discipline.

    We will continue to take action against perpetrators of human rights abuses in Haiti through sanctions.

    High Commissioner,

    Given the increasing chaos spread by Haitian gangs, how can the international community best assist the Haitian government in bringing about lasting improvements to the security environment?

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: BW Energy: Enters into new increased Reserve Based Lending facility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BW Energy enters into new increased Reserve Based Lending facility

    BW Energy is pleased to announce an up to USD 500 million Reserve Based Lending (RBL) facility. The new facility replaces the USD 200 million RBL from 2022, which was increased to USD 300 million in 2023. The funds will be used together with cash-flow from operations to finance the further development of the Company.

    The facility has an initial commitment of USD 400 million, which can be expanded with an additional USD 100 million. The senior secured long-term debt facility matures on 1 October 2030.

    “We are pleased to conclude the amend, extend and increase of the RBL with strong interest from several international banks. The increased facility provides further liquidity to finance BW Energy’s development activities and drive our future production growth and long-term value creation, at a competitive interest margin,” said Brice Morlot, the CFO of BW Energy.

    Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited is the Facility Agent for the RBL facility, while SCB and Rand Merchant Bank are Joint Technical banks. The syndicate further includes NedBank Group and ABSA Group (documentation bank), alongside SHELL, the offtaker of oil from the Dussafu license.  

    For further information, please contact:

    Brice Morlot, CFO BW Energy, +33.7.81.11.41.16

    ir@bwenergy.com

    About BW Energy:

    BW Energy is a growth E&P company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. The Company has access to existing production facilities to reduce time to first oil and cashflow with lower investments than traditional offshore developments. The Company’s assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine licence offshore Gabon, 100% interest in the Golfinho and Camarupim fields, a 76.5% interest in the BM-ES-23 block, a 95% interest in the Maromba field in Brazil, a 95% interest in the Kudu field in Namibia, all operated by BW Energy. In addition, BW Energy holds approximately 6.6% of the common shares in Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. and a 20% non-operating interest in the onshore Petroleum Exploration License 73 (“PEL 73”) in Namibia. Total net 2P+2C reserves and resources were 599 million barrels of oil equivalent at the start of 2025.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 47 million health workers and advocates call for cleaner aid to curb pollution deaths

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The Second WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health co-hosted by the World Health Organization and Colombia, in the city of Cartagena, brought together over 700 participants from 100 countries – including heads of state, ministers, scientists, and civil society groups — to accelerate action to curb what’s increasingly described as a full-scale health emergency. 

    “It is time to move from commitments to bold actions,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 

    “To achieve clean air, we need urgent actions on all fronts: financial investment in sustainable solutions, such as in clean energy and sustainable transport, technical enforcement of WHO global air quality guidelines, and social commitment to protect the most vulnerable in our most polluted regions.” 

    The shared goal? A 50 per cent reduction in the health impacts of air pollution by 2040. 

    Countries including Brazil, Spain, China, and the United Kingdom laid out national roadmaps, while the Clean Air Fund pledged an additional $90 million for climate and health programmes. 

    Cities which are part of the C40 network, including London, vowed to strengthen air quality monitoring and push for greater investment in clean air strategies. 

    A health crisis hidden in plain sight 

    According to WHO, air pollution is responsible for seven million premature deaths annually and is now the second leading global risk factor for disease, after hypertension. 

    “Today air pollution is the first risk factor for disease burden,” said Maria Neira, WHO’s Director of Environment, Climate Change and Health. “It’s the number one risk factor for getting sick.” 

    The burden is heaviest in countries with fast-growing cities and weak regulatory frameworks. But Neira pointed out that the economic costs and health toll are rising globally. “Those chronic diseases are costing us well – to our health system and to our hospitals,” she said. 

    Despite the grim statistics, WHO leaders say solutions are at hand. Neira cited China’s progress in cutting emissions while continuing to grow economically. “At one point they demonstrated that you can reduce air pollution while still maintaining economic growth,” she said. “This argument that in order to tackle the causes of climate change, air pollution and environmental health, you need to invest and you don’t obtain benefits immediately – that’s not correct.” 

    Climate and health emergency 

    Indeed, air pollution is not just a public health issue but a key driver and symptom of the climate crisis. The burning of fossil fuels which feeds air pollution also releases greenhouse gases – adding to global warming. 

    “Climate change causes and air pollution causes overlap,” said Neira. “We have a lot to gain for health, for the economy, and for society, sustainable development, if we accelerate this transition.” 

    She emphasized that clean air solutions – including renewable energy, better urban design, and phasing out fossil fuels – also serve as climate mitigation strategies. 

    “This pollution, this particulate matter we are breathing every day…is coming from different sources, but fundamentally from the combustion of fossil fuels,” she said. “This can be avoided only by accelerating the transition to more renewables; cleaner sources of energy.” 

    © UNICEF/Aliraza Khatri

    Examples from Colombia and Europe 

    Hosts Colombia presented a slate of national initiatives, including cleaner fuels, zero-emission public transit, and a target to reduce carbon emissions 40 per cent by 2030. 

    “Air pollution claims more victims than violence itself. Poisoning our air costs lives in silence – this conference reinforces our determination to implement policies for both the environment and the health of our people,” said Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro. 

    He stressed the importance of smarter regulation and bridging the inequality gap with indigenous peoples, local and rural communities. 

    In Europe, where air pollution still causes 300,000 premature deaths annually, lawmakers are moving toward stricter regulation. “Pollution is an invisible pandemic. It is a slow-motion pandemic,” underscored Javier López, Vice President of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee. 

    The European Union recently adopted a new Air Quality Directive, halving legal air pollution thresholds and aiming to reduce pollution-related deaths by 30 per cent by 2030. “We have decided to come up with the air quality directive, which is part of the European Green Package,” Mr. López said. 

    Regional model, global lessons 

    Officials from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) also took part in Cartagena, highlighting the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution as one of the most successful multilateral environmental agreements to date. 

    “The Air Convention…is a multilateral environmental agreement that was adopted in 1979 to address air pollution that crosses national borders,” said policy officer Carolin Sanz Noriega.  

    Since its adoption, the convention has expanded to 51 parties and achieved deep emissions cuts across the region. “Reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides by 40 to 80% from 1990 levels in the UNECE region, and for more than 30% for particulate matter,” Ms. Sanz Noriega said. 

    She emphasized that the agreement’s success lies in its binding commitments, robust science, and long-standing trust-building mechanisms. “Countries implement the convention because it really brings benefits. It brings health benefits, environmental benefits, crop benefits. It has co-benefits for climate.” 

    Through the Forum for International Cooperation on Air Pollution, UNECE is now working with countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia to share scientific tools and regulatory approaches. 

    But a major challenge, especially in the Global South, remains technical capacity.  

    “We need to make sure that the countries are able to monitor air quality. That’s the first step,” Neira said. “In Africa, unfortunately, we are still missing a lot of monitoring capacity…You cannot manage what you cannot measure.” 

    Prescribing clean air 

    The health sector provided one of the key takeaways of the conference. With millions of medical professionals and individuals already backing the WHO campaign, delegates emphasized that clean air must be recognized as central to disease prevention.  

    “We have 47 million signatures from health professionals, from patients, from advocates, from institutions, saying ‘I want to prescribe clean air’,” Neira said.  

    “I don’t want to treat the patients with diseases caused by exposure to toxic air. I want to make sure that my patients will not be exposed and therefore they will not develop those diseases.” 

    As the conference wrapped up, delegates left Cartagena emboldened with new partnerships, data, and policy options – but also a resounding moral imperative. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Extreme weather impacts cascading ‘from the Andes to the Amazon’

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Climate and Environment

    Extreme weather and climate impacts had a damaging toll on Latin America and the Caribbean last year, resulting in dying glaciers, record-breaking hurricanes, debilitating drought and deadly floods, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a new report on Friday. 

    The study also highlights positive developments amid the bleak news, such as the growing role of renewable energy in the region and the power of early warning systems to save lives.

    “In 2024, weather and climate impacts cascaded from the Andes to the Amazon, from crowded cities to coastal communities, causing major economic and environmental disruptions,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

    “Drought and extreme heat fuelled devastating wildfires. Exceptional rainfall triggered unprecedented flooding, and we saw the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record,” she added.

    Feeling the heat

    The State of the Climate for Latin America and the Caribbean report reveals that 2024 was the warmest or second warmest year on record, depending on the dataset used.

    Rising temperatures led to the disappearance of the Humboldt Glacier, the last one standing in Venezuela, which became the second country in the world after Slovenia to lose all its glaciers in the modern era.

    Meanwhile, El Niño conditions in the first half of the year influenced rain patterns. For example, areas across the Amazonia and Pantanal regions in Brazil experienced widespread drought, where rainfall was 30 to 40 per cent below normal. 

    Wildfires and floods

    Wildfires in the Amazon and Pantanal, as well as in central Chile, Mexico and Belize, were driven by drought and extreme heatwaves, breaking records in many countries. Wildfires in Chile resulted in over 130 deaths – the country’s worst disaster since the February 2010 earthquake.

    Floods triggered by heavy rainfall in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul became Brazil’s worst climate related disaster, causing billions in economic losses to the agricultural sector. 

    While timely warnings and evacuations helped mitigate the impacts of the flooding, WMO said more than 180 fatalities were reported, thus highlighting the need to improve understanding around disaster risks among both authorities and the general public.

    Hope and resilience

    “But there is also hope,” Ms. Saulo insisted, pointing to bright spots in the report. 

    “Early warnings and climate services from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) are saving lives and increasing resilience throughout Latin America and the Caribbean,” she said.

    Moreover, renewable energy accounts for nearly 69 per cent of the energy mix. Solar and wind energy experienced a remarkable 30 per cent increase in capacity and generation compared to 2023, WMO said.

    The UN weather agency and partners are also assisting national meteorological and hydrological services to support renewable energy development and integration through artificial intelligence-based wind forecasting, and other measures.

    The State of the Climate for Latin America and the Caribbean report was issued at a WMO Regional Association meeting hosted by El Salvador to inform decisions on climate change mitigation, adaptation and risk management at the regional level.

    It complements the State of the Global Climate flagship report, released last week. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Rivers are increasingly being given legal rights. Now they need people who will defend these rights in court

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Oluwabusayo Wuraola, Lecturer in Law, Anglia Ruskin University

    The River Ouse near Lewes in Sussex, England. Melanie Hobson / shutterstock

    A district council in England has passed a motion to grant its local river the rights to flow freely, to be free from pollution and to enjoy its native biodiversity. The move by Lewes District Council in East Sussex to recognise the fundamental rights of the River Ouse is the first of its kind in the UK.

    The Ouse (not to be confused with larger rivers of the same name in Yorkshire and East Anglia) flows southwards for 35 miles into the English Channel and suffers from the usual problems afflicting many rivers in the UK: chemical pollution, sewage dumping and so on.

    As a legal academic who researches exactly these sorts of rights, I was excited to see the news from Lewes (even if the council’s motions ultimately can’t overrule national laws). But simply granting a river some rights isn’t enough. We now need to think about who will actually defend these rights.

    This may mean appointing someone to represent the rights of the river. Who these representatives are, and how they think about nature and conservation, can be as important as the granting of these rights in the first place.

    Appointing representatives who care about their own personal and property interests would be a grave mistake, as would appointing anyone who prioritises the rights of humans to a healthy environment over a more intrinsic right of nature (remember: the idea is that the River Ouse has rights in itself and shouldn’t need to demonstrate its worth to humans).

    As further rivers, lakes, forests and more are granted rights like the Ouse, we’ll need to train up an army of people willing to represent the rights of nature.

    Natural entities should have legal rights

    The law professor Christopher Stone pioneered the rights of nature concept back in the 1970s. He argued that natural entities, like rivers or forests, should have legal rights and that a “guardian” or representative should be appointed to defend those rights in court when they are threatened.

    Some legal systems have adopted this model. For example, in New Zealand, the Whanganui River was granted legal personhood, and two “human faces” were appointed to act and speak on its behalf. Their duties are outlined in a 2017 act, which specifies that these representatives must have the skills, knowledge and experience needed to effectively advocate for the river’s rights.

    The Whanganui River was awarded legal personhood in 2017 due to its spiritual importance for local Māori people.
    Ron Kolet / shutterstock

    But even as rights of nature are being considered in many countries, there is still little consideration of who will represent these rights effectively. For instance, back in 2008 Ecuador became the first country to grant the rights of nature in its constitution. However the constitution states that “all persons” are representatives of the rights of nature. This is simply impractical: we can’t expect every citizen to truly care about the rights of nature.

    Efforts to apply the rights of nature in Ecuador have often failed. Legal challenges can become highly politicised and there is little legal infrastructure beyond general constitutional principles.

    For example, in a case brought after road builders had dumped material into the Vilcabamba River, plaintiffs claimed to represent nature in court. However, they were not genuinely advocating for the river’s rights – their main concern was protecting their downstream property.

    An ecocentric perspective

    Ultimately, defending the rights of nature in court will be a struggle if the nature in question – the river, forest or lake – is not represented by someone with an ecocentric perspective. That means prioritising the intrinsic value of nature itself, rather than focusing on how it can serve human interests.

    To protect it from mining and deforestation, Los Cedros cloud forest was awarded the same rights as people.
    Andreas Kay / flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

    Ecocentric advocates have proved to be the most effective defenders of the rights of nature in many court cases. For example, in lawsuits involving Ecuador’s Los Cedros cloud forest and its marine ecosystems, ecocentric arguments helped secure stronger legal protections and even inspired the courts to grant further rights of nature.

    One of the most common legal frameworks involves appointing “all persons”, “a person”, or “a resident” as representatives or protectors. For instance, Uganda’s National Environment Act 2019 states that anyone has the right to bring an action before a court “for any infringement of rights of nature”.

    Similarly, the city of Toledo, Ohio, tried to introduce the Lake Erie bill of rights which stated that the city or any resident could act on behalf of the lake’s ecosystem. (The bill was declared unconstitutional by a federal court in 2020 and did not become the law).

    Lake Erie lies between Canada and the US. It is surrounded by heavy industry and has had periods of intense pollution.
    Ted Auch, FracTracker Alliance / flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

    Having such broad representation can make these legal protections less effective. This is what Stone, the law professor, envisioned back in the 70s: representatives should be trained to view nature as having intrinsic value – the very reason it is granted rights – and to protect it on that basis.

    There are some promising examples. Guardians were appointed to protect the Magpie River in Canada, for instance, after it was granted legal personhood in 2022. Their responsibilities include participating – on behalf of the river itself – in any consultations on projects that might affect the river.

    When the River Atrato in Colombia was also granted legal rights, the court required the formation of a commission (with representatives from the state and local communities) to train and oversee the work of the guardians.

    Moves to give rights to nature are promising. But from Colombia to Canada to Sussex, we’ll need a whole army of nature protectors to actually enforce those rights.

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

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

    Oluwabusayo Wuraola is a knowledge expert member of the United Nations Harmony with Nature Programme.

    – ref. Rivers are increasingly being given legal rights. Now they need people who will defend these rights in court – https://theconversation.com/rivers-are-increasingly-being-given-legal-rights-now-they-need-people-who-will-defend-these-rights-in-court-251736

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: C-12 Aircraft Vital for Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Logistics

    Source: United States Navy

    NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — The C-12 Huron, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft, plays a critical logistical role in supporting operations at the isolated Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Its function extends beyond routine transportation, serving as a lifeline for personnel and cargo movement.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson joins settlement with Sigue Corporation; affected customers eligible for refundsRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that the Money Services Division of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office (the “Money Services Division”) joined a settlement with money transmitter Sigue Corporation (NMLS ID 915912) (“Sigue”) in connection with Sigue’s failure to fulfill its obligations to customers during its collapse last year.

    This settlement comes one year after financial regulatory agencies from 39 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia ordered the company to cease engaging in any further money transmission activities due to Sigue’s declining financial position. As Sigue’s financial condition deteriorated, the company failed to complete multiple money orders and transmissions, including those for consumers in South Carolina, and failed to maintain adequate net worth and permissible investments to cover outstanding liabilities, both violations of state money transmission law.

    Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Sigue surrendered its money transmitter license. Additionally, Sigue’s owner, Guillermo de la Viña, has agreed to refrain from any position of management, control, or employment with any money transmitter unless first approved by the Money Services Division.

    Furthermore, this settlement agreement also requires Sigue and Guillermo de la Viña to resolve Sigue’s failure to meet its outstanding liabilities. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, customers may file claims for refunds by following the instructions on Sigue’s website (https://sigue.com/). Sigue will maintain its public website for two years to provide this information directly to consumers.

    If Sigue fails to comply with the terms of the settlement agreement or fails to provide information needed to process customer bond claims, Sigue will pay a $1,000,000 monetary penalty to be divided equally amongst the jurisdictions that entered into the settlement agreement with Sigue.

    The Money Services Division can be reached by calling 803-734-1221 or by email at [email protected]. Consumers can learn more about the Money Services Division by visiting the Attorney General’s Office website at https://www.scag.gov/inside-the-office/legal-services-division/money-services/ or can submit a complaint at https://tinyurl.com/SCMSB. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British Ambassador visits Peten to strengthen conservation of the Mayan Forest

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    British Ambassador visits Peten to strengthen conservation of the Mayan Forest

    UK assistance continues advancing forests protection and sustainable livelihoods of communities in Peten, as the British Ambassador endorses a conservation agreement during her visit.

    Ambassador Juliana Correa visited Petén on 26-28 March to learn about the progress of projects supported by DEFRA’s Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF). She met with local authorities, implementing partners and communities. 

    On 26 March Ambassador Correa had discussions with representatives of the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) about the achievements and challenges in natural resource management in the region. She also met with implementing partners of the Guatemalan Mayan Forest sub-landscape, who presented progress in ecosystem restoration, fire prevention, and sustainable forest management. 

    Representatives of the communities of Cruce a La Colorada, La Pasadita, Paso Caballos, San Miguel, and San Miguel Poptún, explained to the Ambassador how their Climate-Smart Community Development Plans were helping them to better adapt to the effects of climate change and improve their environmental resilience. 

    During a visit to Uaxactun on 27 March, the Ambassador participated as witness in the signing of a Conservation Agreement between the BLF’s leading implementing organization Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), CONAP, and other partners, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s commitment to protecting forests and strengthening community governance models. As part of the focus on sustainability, she visited a forest nursery and a community sawmill, where she learned about the impact of responsible forest management and its contribution to the local economy. 

    On 28 March, the Ambassador toured the Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Association (ARCAS) rescue centre, an organization that has received support from the United Kingdom for the conservation of endangered species and to promote environmental education. Finally, he met with FORESCOM, an organization that promotes the sustainable use of timber and non-timber products, contributing to the economic development of communities and the protection of forests. 

    DEFRA’s Biodiverse Landscapes Fund seeks to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems and communities in regions of high ecological value, such as the Mayan Rainforest. The UK is investing in precious areas covering Guatemala and Belize, which compose the largest tropical forest in Mesoamerica and is a refuge for endangered species. The BLF’s activities in Peten are carried out by WCS, and other implementing partners.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The results of the VI International Arctic Forum “The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue” have been summed up

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The 6th International Arctic Forum “The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue” was held in Murmansk on March 26–27. The organizer was the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian Government.

    “The International Arctic Forum “The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue” – 2025 was attended by about 1.3 thousand participants and media representatives from 21 countries, as well as about 230 representatives of Russian and foreign businesses from more than 110 companies. The business program included 20 events with the participation of more than 150 speakers. The forum turned out to be truly international and significant. At the plenary session, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin announced a number of fundamental decisions for the socio-economic development of the Arctic. The most important task of the IAF is to discuss current problems that the Government of Russia, federal ministries and regions must jointly solve for the successful operation of enterprises, improving the standard of living of people, supporting the territories as a whole,” emphasized Deputy Prime Minister – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev.

    The IAF has become a platform for international dialogue on issues such as the development of the Northern Sea Route, increasing the investment and entrepreneurial potential of the Arctic zone, as well as environmental issues, humanitarian and cultural cooperation.

    “Right now, the Arctic is becoming a territory of opportunities for the entire country. Given the revision of traditional technological chains, given participation in large-scale Arctic projects, huge prospects are opening up for enterprises across the country and creative, artistic people. The development of the Northern Sea Route as the main transport artery in the Arctic, the construction of new railway approaches to northern ports will also have a multiplier effect for the entire country. Within the framework of the upcoming major international forums, including the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, the Arctic theme will be taken into account and allocated to a separate block of the business program of events,” said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of Russia, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the Preparation and Holding of the International Arctic Forum “The Arctic – Territory of Dialogue”.

    One of the central topics of the forum was the discussion of state policy in the Arctic, aimed at the comprehensive development of the Far North and the growth of the well-being of the region’s residents.

    “The mechanisms of state support need to be improved for the accelerated development of the macro-region, the implementation of investment projects, and the improvement of the quality of life of people. Based on the results of the implementation of the first stage of the Arctic development strategy until 2035, proposals will be prepared to update this fundamental document,” said Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunkov at a joint meeting of the State Council commissions on the development of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route.

    The forum was held under the motto “Live in the North!” The event brought together representatives of federal and regional authorities, businesses and the expert community.

    “Our strategic plan is “Live in the North!” This is the motto of today’s forum. For us, this is a plan in addition to national projects. Clear, worked out with people, designed, aimed at ensuring investment growth and, of course, increasing people’s incomes and their quality of life,” noted Murmansk Region Governor Andrei Chibis during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of the MAF.

    Business program

    The business program of the forum included 20 sessions divided into four thematic blocks: “The Arctic and the NSR: how to win in the competitive struggle of world routes”, “The Arctic and the NSR: a pole for attracting investments”, “The Arctic and the NSR: development of key settlements”, “International cooperation and ecology”. More than 150 speakers took part in the discussions.

    The forum included a joint meeting of the State Council commissions on the development of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route, which united five State Council commissions – in the areas of “Northern Sea Route and the Arctic”, “International Cooperation and Export”, “Energy”, “Youth and Children”, and “Efficient Transport System”.

    The session “The Arctic: Bridges of Cooperation between Peoples and States” summed up the results of the VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference “The Universe of the Polar Bear: Effective Cooperation in the Arctic”.

    Also, for the first time, the MAF hosted a special session dedicated to the role of women in the development of northern regions – the “Arctic Living Room”.

    Plenary session

    The key event of the forum was the plenary session with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    “Development of the Russian North, overcoming the challenges of harsh nature, the state’s entry into new promising frontiers – these tasks inspired many generations of our ancestors: sailors and Novgorod merchants of the Middle Ages, Arctic pioneers of the 16th and 17th centuries, industrialists of the 18th and 19th centuries, scientists, polar explorers, engineers, workers of the Soviet Union, teams of companies of modern Russia, which launched large Arctic projects in the early 2000s. And today, the northern vector of development is in the foreground, it is our sovereign, historical choice. And this means that the tasks that we set and solve in the Arctic, the projects that we implement here, must be of an appropriate, historical scale, with an expectation of decades, maybe even centuries. We will do everything to strengthen Russia’s global leadership in the Arctic, and, despite all the current difficulties and complexities, we will ensure the comprehensive development of this region and create a solid foundation for future generations,” the head of state noted.

    Participants

    The forum brought together about 1.3 thousand participants and media representatives from 21 countries, including Russia (Argentina, Great Britain, Venezuela, Vietnam, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, UAE, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Korea, Russia, USA, Serbia, Singapore, Turkey, Finland, France, Switzerland, Japan).

    The forum was attended by Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Adviser and Special Representative of the President for International Cooperation in Transport Igor Levitin, Presidential Aide Alexei Dyumin, Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev, and Presidential Adviser Anton Kobyakov.

    The forum was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev and Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal District Alexander Gutsan, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Siberian Federal District Anatoly Seryshev, Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunkov and Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov.

    The forum participants included seven heads of federal services and agencies and ten heads of constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

    The Chairman of the Committee of Senior Arctic Officials, Norwegian diplomat Morten Höglund, addressed the forum participants with a video message. In addition, the forum site was visited by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea Lee Do-hoon.

    The forum brought together about 230 representatives of Russian and foreign businesses from more than 110 companies.

    ​

    Media

    The forum was attended by 305 media representatives from Russia and nine foreign countries (Great Britain, Venezuela, Vietnam, Germany, Qatar, Serbia, Turkey, Finland, France).

    ​

    Agreements

    Nine agreements were signed at MAF-2025:

    ● PJSC Rosseti North-West, JSC Rosseti Scientific and Technical Center and the Novosibirsk State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering signed a strategic partnership agreement;

    ● JSC Far East and Arctic Development Corporation signed an agreement on information interaction with the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, as well as with JSC Arsenal on cooperation in the extraction and enrichment of rare metal ores in the Murmansk region within the framework of the Kulyok – Rare Earths project with a total investment volume of 10 billion rubles;

    ● The Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs and PJSC Mining and Metallurgical Company Norilsk Nickel signed an additional cooperation agreement;

    ● a cooperation agreement was signed between the Government of the Republic of Karelia and Vodohod LLC;

    ● the Ministry of Property Relations of the Murmansk Region and the public-law company Roskadastr signed an agreement on the implementation of the pilot project “Involvement of real estate objects in economic circulation in the Murmansk Region”;

    ● the government of the Murmansk region and the Avito company signed a cooperation agreement;

    ● the government of the Murmansk region, Sberbank of Russia PJSC and the V.A. Almazov National Medical Research Center signed a cooperation agreement;

    ● The Arkhangelsk Region Government and the United Volunteer Center of the Murmansk Region signed an agreement on cooperation in the development of volunteerism and strengthening cooperation in the regions of the Arctic zone, scaling up practices to support the wives of military personnel in the Northern Fleet.

    Sports program

    The sports program included eight events. The Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Northwestern Federal District Alexander Gutsan and the Governor of the Murmansk Region Andrei Chibis took part in the ceremonial event dedicated to the 90th Festival of the North. The program of competitions, which will last until mid-April, included cross-country skiing, biathlon, speed skating and alpine skiing, bandy and others.

    For the forum participants, Arctic team building, exercise in ties, ice floating, alpine skiing and snowboarding, snow fights, as well as an introduction to traditional sports of the peoples of the North were organized.

    The forum included a presentation of the Arctic Mosaic sports, health and strength festival, which will be held annually in different regions of the Arctic zone. Under the auspices of the MAF, the IV All-Russian Arctic Games were held in Salekhard and Labytnangi, the program of which included nine sports.

    The final and largest event of the MAF-2025 sports program will be the 51st Murmansk Ski Marathon. On March 29 and 30, 2.5 thousand athletes will take to the start line of the 25 km and 50 km races at the Dolina Uyuta sports complex. The marathon participants will be Olympic winners and medalists Nikita Kryukov, Alexey Petukhov, Maxim Vylegzhanin and Alexander Bessmertnykh.

    Cultural program

    The cultural program included the opening of the Taste of the Arctic gastrofestival, where a joint team of restaurateurs and chefs from the subjects of the Russian Arctic zone presented a menu of regional cuisine. The Sami Village and the Taste the North ice bar operated on the site. There was also an Arctic crafts fair.

    The Murmansk Regional Museum of Local History offered the forum participants excursions that told about the uniqueness of the Murmansk Region. Thematic exhibitions were timed to coincide with the MAF. Among them was an exhibition of paintings dedicated to the development of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route, from the collections of the Murmansk Regional Art Museum.

    There was also a ceremony of donating works of art to the Murmansk Region and the opening of the exhibition “H2O. Art about water and more…”. Seven paintings and three sculptures were donated to the Murmansk Regional Art Museum from the Siyanie Contemporary Art Center and the collections of Vladimir Nekrasov and Andrey Malakhov.

    In addition, forum participants were able to take a tour of the icebreaker Lenin, the world’s first vessel with a nuclear power plant, which provided navigation along the Northern Sea Route for about 30 years. The icebreaker has guided thousands of ships through the Arctic and traveled a total of 654,400 nautical miles. It has now become a calling card of the Murmansk Region and one of the most visited tourist sites in the Kola North.

    The Murmansk Drama Theatre hosted an “Art Cocktail”, during which the audience saw the play “Prologue to the Murmansk Region” and a concert by the Pacific Fleet ensemble.

    On March 30, a creative evening of People’s Artist of Russia Alexander Oleshko “Set the Mood” will take place.

    ​

    Project “Soul of Russia. Arctic”

    As part of the project, seven films were screened in partnership with Roskino, including the films North Pole and Village of Widows, which were dedicated to the Year of Defender of the Fatherland and the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    Creative meetings “Inspired by the Arctic” were held, during which viewers met with the production designer of the Soyuzmultfilm studio, creator of the animated series “Umka” Anna Popova, director of the film “North Pole” Alexander Kott, scriptwriter and producer of the film “Widows’ Village” Olga Martisova.

    During the children’s program “Arctic Film Vacations” they showed “The Best Episodes of Soyuzmultfilm Series” and “Warm Animation from Soyuzmultfilm”.

    The business program included a session entitled “The Northern Creative Path: A Territory of Business Opportunities,” where the contribution of creative industries to the economic growth of the northern territories, the use of the wealth of national cultural traditions to create unique brands, and other issues were discussed.

    Expert and analytical support

    The Roscongress Foundation’s information and analytical system continued to develop the Summary service, which uses artificial intelligence to obtain brief analytical summaries of discussions with descriptions of key conclusions, problems, and solutions voiced during the discussions.

    Based on the results of the forum, an analytical report “Results of the International Arctic Forum 2025” will be prepared, which will be available in electronic form in the information and analytical system of the Roscongress Foundation roscongress.org.

    Expert and analytical support for the forum was provided by experts representing the country’s leading scientific and educational centers that conduct research on a wide range of topics on the Arctic agenda, including the Murmansk Arctic University, the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov, the St. Petersburg State University of Economics, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the G.P. Luzin Institute of Economic Problems of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Regional Economic Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, etc.

    Partners

    The co-organizer of the forum is the state corporation Rosatom, the strategic partner is PJSC Rosseti, the strategic scientific partner is the National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, the communications partner is the media holding MAER, the business program partners are VTB Bank, PJSC Novatek, MMC Norilsk Nickel, PhosAgro, and the business partner is VEB.RF.

    The information partners were the TV channel Rossiya 24, MIA Rossiya Segodnya, the TASS information agency, MIC Izvestia, the Vedomosti newspaper, the RT TV channel, the Business FM radio station, Sputnik, the Arguments and Facts newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Mir TV channel, the Komsomolskaya Pravda publishing house, Lenta.ru, Gazeta.Ru, Shkulev Media – Vokrug Sveta, the Federal Press information agency, the Expert magazine, the Regional Russia magazine, Vesti FM, the NEWS.ru portal, the GoArctic portal, the Arktik-TV TV channel, the Murmansk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, the TV21 TV channel, the Murmansk Herald, the Vecherniy Murmansk newspaper and the Severpost information agency.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –