Category: Latin America

MIL-OSI Security: Two Tren De Araqua Associates Plead Guilty to Bank Theft

Source: US FBI

JACKSON, MS – Two individuals with ties to the Venezuelan organized crime syndicate Tren de Araqua pleaded guilty to bank theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff.

According to court documents and statements made in open court, Jesus Rene Cabrera Tobias, 25 and Darwin Javier Delgado, 46, pleaded guilty after being indicted by a federal grand jury for bank theft. On August 8, 2024, Tobias and Delgado stole $21,500 from an ATM machine in Enterprise, Mississippi by hacking the ATM operating system and disabling the ATM security features by installing a foreign device that allowed them to assume control of the ATM.

Surveillance footage recovered by FBI on the night of the theft captured Tobias unlock the ATM and open the machine to access the internal system that controlled the ATM operating system and security features. The footage showed that after manipulating the ATM, Tobias returned to their vehicle and retrieved a small electronic device to install within the ATM. After a brief period of manipulating the ATM using the small electronic device, the ATM then emptied by continuously producing United States currency from the cash tray. Tobias collected the cash as it was disbursed from the ATM and transferred it to another individual in the vehicle.

Investigators identified the suspect vehicle and its owner through the surveillance footage. The registered owner of the vehicle was Delgado. Surveillance footage from a nearby store captured Tobias and Delgado traveling in the suspect vehicle and shopping within the store.

The suspect vehicle was stopped the next day in Texas by officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Delgado and Cabrera were found in the vehicle and arrested. Two cell phones and clothing matching the clothing worn during the bank theft operation were recovered from the suspect vehicle upon execution of a search warrant. A forensic examination of the cellular phones contained photographs and videos from the instant offense, including multiple videos of the defendants manipulating other ATMs and withdrawing cash. The forensic examination also showed that the photographs and videos taken during the theft contained metadata placing the defendants at the scene of the crime. The ATM hard drive was forensically examined by FBI and was shown to have been compromised with malware that disabled the ATM security features.

Tobias and Delgado are citizens of Venezuela. During the investigation, Investigators discovered that Tobias and Delgado committed the theft in coordination with members of the transnational criminal organization Tren de Araqua from Venezuela.

“Today’s announcement sends a clear message: Tren de Aragua transnational criminal operations will not be tolerated and the FBI will aggressively pursue TdA’s scourge of criminal activity. Tobias and Delgado brazenly tampered with ATM machines defrauding banks and the American people,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff. “These guilty pleas underscore the FBI’s commitment in collaboration with our state and federal partners in identifying, pursuing, disrupting, and dismantling organized crime syndicates, ultimately eradicating TdA’s presence and influence in the U.S.”

Tobias is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10, 2025. Delgado is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2025. Tobias and Delgado face a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment followed by possible deportation. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, Meridian Police Department, Decatur Police Department, Enterprise Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Goff and Brett Grantham are prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE Detroit arrests suspected member of foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Officers and agents with ICE Detroit arrested a suspected member of the foreign terrorist organization Tren De Aragua in Traverse City, Michigan, on the 4th of July.

Enforcement and Removal Operations alongside Homeland Security Investigations arrested Kleiber Siso Balza, a 25-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela.

Siso has an active warrant out of Virginia for possession of burglary tools and a pending charge out of Florida for larceny. Siso was apprehended in the company of three other men who were also in the country illegally.

“Our teams are working daily to remove criminal aliens and immigration violators from our communities across Michigan and Ohio,” said ICE ERO Detroit acting Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft. “I’m extraordinarily grateful to our officers for their service, especially when they sacrifice time with their own families to keep our communities safe.”

“Tren De Aragua is known to engage in sex trafficking, debt bondage, drug trafficking, and murder to advance their interests,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “We’re thankful to have the assistance of our TSA, Federal Air Marshals and IRS partners in executing this important mission.”

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

Learn more about ICE Detroit’s mission to increase public safety in our Michigan and Ohio communities on X at @ERODetroit and @HSIDetroit.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Lujan Grisham condemns U.S. Senate budget vote

Source: US State of New Mexico

SANTA FE – Today, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement following passage of the Republican budget bill by the U.S. Senate.

With their vote to approve President Trump’s reckless budget proposal, Republicans in the U.S. Senate betrayed the American people. This bill is a disastrous, deficit-exploding gift to the ultra-wealthy made possible by gutting health care and food programs that millions of Americans rely on. I urge New Mexicans to call Republican members of the U.S. House immediately and demand that they vote against this awful bill.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gov . Lujan Grisham blasts GOP passage of budget that will hurt millions – Gov. says special session may be necessary

Source: US State of New Mexico

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement after final passage of the Republican budget bill in Congress:

The Republican budget bill is an abomination that abandons working families and threatens the health and well-being of New Mexicans. Their vote to slash funding for health care and child nutrition to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-rich isn’t just bad policy—it’s an outright betrayal.

Make no mistake: this Republican budget will hit New Mexico hard. From cuts to Medicaid funding that keeps our rural hospitals open, to reductions in food assistance for children, to threats against education programs that ensure our kids have a brighter future, this budget puts politics over people. It also amounts to an egregious tax hike on Americans who will pay higher prices for health care, electricity, and other services.

As governor, I will do everything in my power to mitigate harm from this budget, which President Trump and Congressional Republicans foisted on the American people without adequate hearings, debate and transparency. I’m prepared to call a special session if necessary to protect New Mexicans from their fiscal assault.

My administration is going through this budget with a fine-tooth comb, identifying every threat to our state, and we’re going to fight like hell to protect what matters most.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Five hundred+ rural locations gain high-speed internet access – $6.8M federal funding connects previously unserved communities
Source: US State of New Mexico
SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham today announced that three completed broadband projects have connected more than 500 rural locations to high-speed internet in Cibola and McKinley counties through the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE).

“Rural New Mexicans need reliable internet access and we’re delivering it,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “These projects deliver real results—connecting families to telehealth, students to online learning, and businesses to new markets.”

“These projects define our mission to bring sustainable, reliable broadband to communities that lack this vital service,” said Jeff Lopez, director of OBAE. “It’s extremely satisfying to connect locations that now have access to critical online programs, services and opportunities. I’m proud of our OBAE team that has worked closely with internet service providers and others to make this happen.”

Cibola County Project: OSO Internet Solutions deployed a nearly 50-mile fiber network connecting 109 homes in Pine Meadow Ranches near Ramah. The $5,789,283 ARPA grant project connects through Oso’s mainline with Lumen Technologies and crosses sections of Ramah Navajo Tribal allotments to reach the Pine Meadows areas.

McKinley County Projects: Sacred Wind/Ethos Broadband used a $1,041,926 ARPA grant to install fixed wireless systems serving 410 locations in two areas:
- 162 locations in the Western Skies subdivision in Gallup.
- 248 locations in the unincorporated community of Thoreau, east of Gallup.
“I’m proud to welcome $6.8 million from legislation I helped pass into law to connect New Mexicans living in Cibola and McKinley counties to high-speed internet,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich. “This funding will connect New Mexicans in rural areas to careers they can build their families around, help local small businesses boost their sales online, and provide the next generation with the tools they need to succeed in their education and beyond.”

“In today’s digital era, reliable internet access is a necessity for New Mexico families,” said Sen. Ben Ray Luján. “The completion of these critical broadband projects will bring much-needed, high-speed internet to rural communities across Cibola and McKinley Counties. I’m proud to have secured over $6.8 million in federal funding for these projects through the American Rescue Plan. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, I will continue to fight to deliver federal dollars to help connect New Mexicans to high-speed internet.”

“High-speed internet is not a luxury—it’s essential for school, work, health care, and opportunity. That’s why I fought to make sure our rural and Tribal communities weren’t left behind when Democrats invested in America’s future with the historic American Rescue Plan,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández. “The new connections in Gallup and Thoreau are life-changing for hundreds of families in McKinley County. With this over $6.8 million investment paid for by that Democratic reconciliation bill, we’re not just laying down internet lines—we’re building the foundation for our children’s success and building ‘the good life’ Democrats believe in.”

“The completion of these three broadband projects is a big win for our district, as more New Mexicans living in Cibola and McKinley counties will now be able to access the online opportunities and resources they need to thrive in today’s digital world,” said Rep. Gabe Vasquez. “From online education platforms to telehealth medicine and more, the doors unlocked by expanded broadband access make day to day life easier for our communities, and I am proud to support this effort.”

“The Navajo Nation Broadband Office is pleased to collaborate with OBAE and the state of New Mexico in delivering broadband access to Ramah Chapter and surrounding areas, with over 560 homes already successfully connected to fiber internet by Oso Internet Solutions,” said Sonia Nez, department manager for Navajo Nation Broadband Office. This achievement means more Navajo families now have the vital tools to access online healthcare, attend virtual classes, and stay connected with loved ones, all from the comfort of their homes.”

All projects provide broadband speeds of 100/100 mbps download/upload to customers.

###

The Office of Broadband Access and Expansion is dedicated to serving New Mexico with a commitment to make high-speed broadband accessible to all New Mexicans. OBAE’s mission is to expand and improve high-speed internet service with passionate leadership that drives bold, equitable, affordable and inclusive broadband solutions. OBAE seeks results that honor the state’s rich heritage and elevate quality of life for all.
MIL OSI USA News –
July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: New Mexico Governor mobilizes resources following catastrophic flooding in Ruidoso

Source: US State of New Mexico

SANTA FE – New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement:

Ruidoso endured devastating wildfires and flooding last summer, and now catastrophic flooding is hitting this resilient community again. This crisis demands immediate action.

Tonight, I signed an emergency declaration request to get federal response teams and repair resources on the ground immediately. We’re encouraged that additional federal resources are already on the way.

New Mexico is mobilizing every resource we have, but Ruidoso needs federal support to recover from this disaster. We’ve watched Texas receive the federal resources they desperately needed, and Ruidoso deserves that same urgent response.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor secures some federal resources for Ruidoso – State works with federal partners for additional financial assistance
Source: US State of New Mexico
SANTA FE – The state of New Mexico today received partial approval for a federal emergency declaration for flood-damaged communities, providing immediate federal personnel resources to support response and recovery efforts in Ruidoso while work continues to secure additional federal assistance.

“This federal declaration is a critical first step, but it’s not everything Ruidoso needs and deserves,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “We will continue working with the federal government for every dollar and resource necessary to help this resilient community fully recover from these devastating floods.”

What was approved: The emergency declaration provides immediate assistance to the community for life saving activities like urban search and rescue teams and the support staff for the incident management team to begin work.

What remains under federal review: The governor’s original request also sought additional assistance that remains pending including:
- Direct financial assistance for individuals, households, and businesses in the affected areas of Lincoln and Valencia counties, including grants for:
  
  Repair or replacement of homes destroyed in the disaster.
  
  Necessary expenses and essential needs including medical, dental, funeral, personal property, and transportation costs.
  
  A one-time payment for emergency supplies including water, food, first aid, breastfeeding supplies, infant formula, diapers, personal hygiene items, and fuel for transportation.
  
  Temporary housing including hotels, staying with family or friends, or other suitable options for displaced residents.
  
  Transitional sheltering assistance.
- Federal reimbursement for emergency work, including debris removal for Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, and Valencia counties.
- Permanent repair of disaster-damaged facilities and public infrastructure for Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, and Valencia counties including:
  
  Roads and bridges.
  
  Water control facilities.
  
  Public buildings and equipment.
  
  Public utilities.
  
  Parks, recreational, and other facilities.
In support of the governor’s request, the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is actively working with FEMA to conduct preliminary damage assessments and provide additional documentation requested by FEMA.

A state Disaster Recovery Center is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at ENMU-Ruidoso, 709 Mecham Dr, Ruidoso, N.M. 88345. State disaster case managers are on site, along with state agencies who can help residents replace documents, ask insurance questions, and find resources.

Residents can also call the State Disaster Helpline at 1-833-663-4736 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or visit the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s website.
MIL OSI USA News –
July 17, 2025

MIL-OSI: South Plains Financial, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LUBBOCK, Texas, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — South Plains Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPFI) (“South Plains” or the “Company”), the parent company of City Bank (“City Bank” or the “Bank”), today reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

Second Quarter 2025 Highlights

Net income for the second quarter of 2025 was $14.6 million, compared to $12.3 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $11.1 million for the second quarter of 2024.
Diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2025 was $0.86, compared to $0.72 for the first quarter of 2025 and $0.66 for the second quarter of 2024.
Average cost of deposits for the second quarter of 2025 was 214 basis points, compared to 219 basis points for the first quarter of 2025 and 243 basis points for the second quarter of 2024.
Net interest margin, on a tax-equivalent basis, was 4.07% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.81% for the first quarter of 2025 and 3.63% for the second quarter of 2024.
Return on average assets for the second quarter of 2025 was 1.34%, compared to 1.16% for the first quarter of 2025 and 1.07% for the second quarter of 2024.
Tangible book value (non-GAAP) per share was $26.70 as of June 30, 2025, compared to $26.05 as of March 31, 2025 and $24.15 as of June 30, 2024.
The consolidated total risk-based capital ratio, common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, and tier 1 leverage ratio at June 30, 2025 were 18.17%, 13.86%, and 12.12%, respectively.

Curtis Griffith, South Plains’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We delivered solid second quarter results highlighted by steady margin expansion, continued loan growth despite high levels of loan payoffs, which were expected, and healthy capital levels that continued to build through the quarter. Additionally, we believe the credit quality of our loan portfolio remained solid through the quarter. We believe that we are in a strong position to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves and are pursuing a strategy to increase the assets of the Bank primarily focused on expanding our lending capabilities. Our community-based deposit franchise continues to provide a stable, lower-cost funding source for loan growth across our markets and our team has done a terrific job growing our loan portfolio over the last five years. We believe that we have opportunities to accelerate that growth by further expanding our lending platform and adding experienced commercial lenders who share our culture and values, and who can bring high quality customer relationships to the Bank. We recruited several experienced lenders in the Dallas market during the second quarter and will continue to add talent in the quarters to come as we expand our reach and continue to work to take market share.”

Results of Operations, Quarter Ended June 30, 2025

Net Interest Income

Net interest income was $42.5 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $38.5 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $35.9 million for the second quarter of 2024. Net interest margin, calculated on a tax-equivalent basis, was 4.07% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.81% for the first quarter of 2025 and 3.63% for the second quarter of 2024. The average yield on loans was 6.99% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 6.67% for the first quarter of 2025 and 6.60% for the second quarter of 2024. The average cost of deposits was 214 basis points for the second quarter of 2025, which is 5 basis points lower than the first quarter of 2025 and 29 basis points lower than the second quarter of 2024. There was a recovery of $1.7 million in interest during the second quarter of 2025, related to a full repayment of a loan that had previously been on nonaccrual. This recovery positively impacted the net interest margin by 17 basis points and the loan yield by 23 basis points during the second quarter of 2025.

Interest income was $64.1 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $59.9 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $59.2 million for the second quarter of 2024. Interest income increased $4.2 million in the second quarter of 2025 from the first quarter of 2025, which was primarily comprised of an increase of $3.3 million in loan interest income and an increase of $888 thousand in interest income on other earning assets. The increase in loan interest income was due primarily to the $1.7 million recovery of interest and growth of $20.0 million in average loans outstanding during the second quarter of 2025. The increase in interest income on other earning assets was mainly due to an increase of $69.8 million in average other interest-earning assets during the second quarter of 2025. Interest income increased $4.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the second quarter of 2024. This increase was primarily due to the $1.7 million recovery of interest and an increase of average loans of $12.0 million and higher loan interest rates during the period, resulting in growth of $3.3 million in loan interest income.

Interest expense was $21.6 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $21.4 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $23.3 million for the second quarter of 2024. Interest expense increased $237 thousand compared to the first quarter of 2025 and decreased $1.7 million compared to the second quarter of 2024. The $237 thousand increase was primarily as a result of a $21.2 million increase in average interest-bearing deposits during the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the first quarter of 2025. The $1.7 million decrease was primarily as a result of a 42 basis point decline in the cost of interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by an increase of $151.3 million in average interest-bearing deposits in the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the second quarter of 2024.

Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expense

Noninterest income was $12.2 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $10.6 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $12.7 million for the second quarter of 2024. The increase from the first quarter of 2025 was primarily due to an increase of $1.5 million in mortgage banking revenues, mainly as a result of an increase of $1.4 million in the fair value adjustment of the mortgage servicing rights assets as interest rates that affect the value stabilized in the second quarter of 2025 after declining in the first quarter of 2025. The decrease in noninterest income for the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the second quarter of 2024 was primarily due to a decrease of $523 thousand in income from investments in Small Business Investment Companies.

Noninterest expense was $33.5 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $33.0 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $32.6 million for the second quarter of 2024. The $513 thousand increase from the first quarter of 2025 was largely the result of an increase of $267 thousand in personnel expenses and $144 thousand in increased professional service expenses. The $971 thousand increase in noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the second quarter of 2024 was largely the result of an increase of $509 thousand in personnel expenses, mainly a result of annual salary adjustments.

Loan Portfolio and Composition

Loans held for investment were $3.10 billion as of June 30, 2025, compared to $3.08 billion as of March 31, 2025 and $3.09 billion as of June 30, 2024. The increase of $23.1 million, or 3.0% annualized, during the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the first quarter of 2025 occurred primarily as a result of organic loan growth experienced broadly across the portfolio, partially offset by a decrease of $52.6 million in multi-family property loans mainly due to the payoff of three loans totaling $49.1 million. As of June 30, 2025, loans held for investment increased $4.7 million, or 0.2%, from June 30, 2024.

Deposits and Borrowings

Deposits totaled $3.74 billion as of June 30, 2025, compared to $3.79 billion as of March 31, 2025 and $3.62 billion as of June 30, 2024. Deposits decreased by $53.6 million, or 1.4%, in the second quarter of 2025 from March 31, 2025. Deposits increased by $114.4 million, or 3.2%, at June 30, 2025 as compared to June 30, 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits were $998.8 million as of June 30, 2025, compared to $966.5 million as of March 31, 2025 and $951.6 million as of June 30, 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits represented 26.7% of total deposits as of June 30, 2025. The quarterly change in total deposits was mainly due to a seasonal decrease of $73.7 million in public fund deposits, partially offset by organic growth in retail and commercial deposits. The year-over-year increase in total deposits was primarily the result of continued organic growth in retail and commercial deposits.

Asset Quality

The Company recorded a provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2025 of $2.5 million, compared to $420 thousand in the first quarter of 2025 and $1.8 million in the second quarter of 2024. The provision during the second quarter of 2025 was largely attributable to an increase in specific reserves, net charge-off activity, increased loan balances, and several credit quality downgrades.

The ratio of allowance for credit losses to loans held for investment was 1.45% as of June 30, 2025, compared to 1.40% as of March 31, 2025 and 1.40% as of June 30, 2024.

The ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets was 0.25% as of June 30, 2025, compared to 0.16% as of March 31, 2025 and 0.57% as of June 30, 2024. Annualized net charge-offs were 0.06% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 0.07% for the first quarter of 2025 and 0.10% for the second quarter of 2024.

Capital

Book value per share increased to $27.98 at June 30, 2025, compared to $27.33 at March 31, 2025. The change was primarily driven by $12.2 million of net income after dividends paid, partially offset by a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive income of $2.3 million. The ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP) increased 34 basis points to 9.98% during the second quarter of 2025.

Conference Call

South Plains will host a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2025 financial results today, July 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial 1-877-407-9716 (international callers please dial 1-201-493-6779) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live audio webcast of the conference call and conference materials will be available on the Company’s website at https://www.spfi.bank/news-events/events.

A replay of the conference call will be available within two hours of the conclusion of the call and can be accessed on the investor section of the Company’s website as well as by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (international callers please dial 1-412-317-6671). The pin to access the telephone replay is 13754259. The replay will be available until July 30, 2025.

About South Plains Financial, Inc.

South Plains is the bank holding company for City Bank, a Texas state-chartered bank headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. City Bank is one of the largest independent banks in West Texas and has additional banking operations in the Dallas, El Paso, Greater Houston, the Permian Basin, and College Station, Texas markets, and the Ruidoso, New Mexico market. South Plains provides a wide range of commercial and consumer financial services to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals in its market areas. Its principal business activities include commercial and retail banking, along with investment, trust and mortgage services. Please visit https://www.spfi.bank for more information.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Some of the financial measures included in this press release are not measures of financial performance recognized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). These non-GAAP financial measures include Tangible Book Value Per Share, Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets, and Pre-Tax, Pre-Provision Income. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the Company’s financial position and performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for any analysis based on GAAP financial measures.

We classify a financial measure as being a non-GAAP financial measure if that financial measure excludes or includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding or including amounts, that are included or excluded, as the case may be, in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP as in effect from time to time in the United States in our statements of income, balance sheets or statements of cash flows. Not all companies use the same calculation of these measures; therefore, this presentation may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures as presented by other companies.

A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures is provided at the end of this press release.

Available Information

The Company routinely posts important information for investors on its web site (under www.spfi.bank and, more specifically, under the News & Events tab at www.spfi.bank/news-events/press-releases). The Company intends to use its web site as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, investors should monitor the Company’s web site, in addition to following the Company’s press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts.

The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the Company’s web site is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect South Plains’ current views with respect to future events and South Plains’ financial performance. Any statements about South Plains’ expectations, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believes,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “predicts,” “potential,” “should,” “will,” “estimate,” “plans,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “intends” and similar words or phrases. South Plains cautions that the forward-looking statements in this press release are based largely on South Plains’ expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on factors which are, in many instances, beyond South Plains’ control. Factors that could cause such changes include, but are not limited to, the impact on us and our customers of a decline in general economic conditions and any regulatory responses thereto; potential recession in the United States and our market areas; the impacts related to or resulting from uncertainty in the banking industry as a whole; increased competition for deposits in our market areas and related changes in deposit customer behavior; the impact of changes in market interest rates, whether due to a continuation of the elevated interest rate environment or further reductions in interest rates and a resulting decline in net interest income; the lingering inflationary pressures, and the risk of the resurgence of elevated levels of inflation, in the United States and our market areas; the uncertain impacts of ongoing quantitative tightening and current and future monetary policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; changes in unemployment rates in the United States and our market areas; adverse changes in customer spending and savings habits; declines in commercial real estate values and prices; a deterioration of the credit rating for U.S. long-term sovereign debt or uncertainty regarding United States fiscal debt, deficit and budget matters; cyber incidents or other failures, disruptions or breaches of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our third-party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks; severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism, geopolitical instability or other external events, including as a result of the policies of the current U.S. presidential administration or Congress; the impacts of tariffs, sanctions and other trade policies of the United States and its global trading counterparts and the resulting impact on the Company and its customers; competition and market expansion opportunities; changes in non-interest expenditures or in the anticipated benefits of such expenditures; the risks related to the development, implementation, use and management of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learnings; potential costs related to the impacts of climate change; current or future litigation, regulatory examinations or other legal and/or regulatory actions; and changes in applicable laws and regulations. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties to which South Plains’ business and future financial performance are subject is contained in South Plains’ most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q on file with the SEC, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of such documents, and other documents South Plains files or furnishes with the SEC from time to time, which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, or implied by the forward-looking statements due to additional risks and uncertainties of which South Plains is not currently aware or which it does not currently view as, but in the future may become, material to its business or operating results. Due to these and other possible uncertainties and risks, the Company can give no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Any forward-looking statements presented herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and South Plains does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in assumptions, new information, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. All forward-looking statements, express or implied, included in the press release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Contact:	Mikella Newsom, Chief Risk Officer and Secretary
	(866) 771-3347
	investors@city.bank

Source: South Plains Financial, Inc.


South Plains Financial, Inc. Consolidated Financial Highlights – (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands, except share data)

	As of and for the quarter ended
	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
Selected Income Statement Data:
Interest income	$	64,135		$	59,922		$	61,324		$	61,640		$	59,208
Interest expense		21,632			21,395			22,776			24,346			23,320
Net interest income		42,503			38,527			38,548			37,294			35,888
Provision for credit losses		2,500			420			1,200			495			1,775
Noninterest income		12,165			10,625			13,319			10,635			12,709
Noninterest expense		33,543			33,030			29,948			33,128			32,572
Income tax expense		4,020			3,408			4,222			3,094			3,116
Net income		14,605			12,294			16,497			11,212			11,134
Per Share Data (Common Stock):
Net earnings, basic	$	0.90		$	0.75		$	1.01		$	0.68		$	0.68
Net earnings, diluted		0.86			0.72			0.96			0.66			0.66
Cash dividends declared and paid		0.15			0.15			0.15			0.14			0.14
Book value		27.98			27.33			26.67			27.04			25.45
Tangible book value (non-GAAP)		26.70			26.05			25.40			25.75			24.15
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic		16,231,627			16,415,862			16,400,361			16,386,079			16,425,360
Weighted average shares outstanding, dilutive		16,886,993			17,065,599			17,161,646			17,056,959			16,932,077
Shares outstanding at end of period		16,230,475			16,235,647			16,455,826			16,386,627			16,424,021
Selected Period End Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	470,496		$	536,300		$	359,082		$	471,167		$	298,006
Investment securities		570,000			571,527			577,240			606,889			591,031
Total loans held for investment		3,098,978			3,075,860			3,055,054			3,037,375			3,094,273
Allowance for credit losses		45,010			42,968			43,237			42,886			43,173
Total assets		4,363,674			4,405,209			4,232,239			4,337,659			4,220,936
Interest-bearing deposits		2,740,179			2,826,055			2,685,366			2,720,880			2,672,948
Noninterest-bearing deposits		998,759			966,464			935,510			998,480			951,565
Total deposits		3,738,938			3,792,519			3,620,876			3,719,360			3,624,513
Borrowings		111,799			110,400			110,354			110,307			110,261
Total stockholders’ equity		454,074			443,743			438,949			443,122			417,985
Summary Performance Ratios:
Return on average assets (annualized)		1.34	%		1.16	%		1.53	%		1.05	%		1.07	%
Return on average equity (annualized)		13.05	%		11.30	%		14.88	%		10.36	%		10.83	%
Net interest margin ⁽¹⁾		4.07	%		3.81	%		3.75	%		3.65	%		3.63	%
Yield on loans		6.99	%		6.67	%		6.69	%		6.68	%		6.60	%
Cost of interest-bearing deposits		2.91	%		2.93	%		3.12	%		3.36	%		3.33	%
Efficiency ratio		61.11	%		66.90	%		57.50	%		68.80	%		66.72	%
Summary Credit Quality Data:
Nonperforming loans	$	10,463		$	6,467		$	24,023		$	24,693		$	23,452
Nonperforming loans to total loans held for investment		0.34	%		0.21	%		0.79	%		0.81	%		0.76	%
Other real estate owned	$	535		$	600		$	530		$	973		$	755
Nonperforming assets to total assets		0.25	%		0.16	%		0.58	%		0.59	%		0.57	%
Allowance for credit losses to total loans held for investment		1.45	%		1.40	%		1.42	%		1.41	%		1.40	%
Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding (annualized)		0.06	%		0.07	%		0.11	%		0.11	%		0.10	%

	As of and for the quarter ended
	June 30 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
Capital Ratios:
Total stockholders’ equity to total assets		10.41	%		10.07	%		10.37	%		10.22	%		9.90	%
Tangible common equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)		9.98	%		9.64	%		9.92	%		9.77	%		9.44	%
Common equity tier 1 to risk-weighted assets		13.86	%		13.59	%		13.53	%		13.25	%		12.61	%
Tier 1 capital to average assets		12.12	%		12.04	%		12.04	%		11.76	%		11.81	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets		18.17	%		17.93	%		17.86	%		17.61	%		16.86	%

(1) Net interest margin is calculated as the annual net interest income, on a fully tax-equivalent basis, divided by average interest-earning assets.


South Plains Financial, Inc. Average Balances and Yields – (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)

	For the Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025							June 30, 2024

	Average Balance		Interest		Yield/Rate			Average Balance		Interest		Yield/Rate
Assets
Loans	$	3,094,558	$	53,894		6.99	%	$	3,082,601	$	50,579		6.60	%
Debt securities – taxable		508,508		4,700		3.71	%		533,553		5,285		3.98	%
Debt securities – nontaxable		152,202		1,015		2.67	%		155,408		1,022		2.64	%
Other interest-bearing assets		456,818		4,747		4.17	%		225,720		2,545		4.53	%

Total interest-earning assets		4,212,086		64,356		6.13	%		3,997,282		59,431		5.98	%
Noninterest-earning assets		166,763							171,472

Total assets	$	4,378,849						$	4,168,754

Liabilities & stockholders’ equity
NOW, Savings, MMDA’s	$	2,326,779		15,890		2.74	%	$	2,221,427		17,652		3.20	%
Time deposits		438,697		4,172		3.81	%		392,778		3,977		4.07	%
Short-term borrowings		18		–		0.00	%		3		–		0.00	%
Notes payable & other long-term borrowings		–		–		0.00	%		–		–		0.00	%
Subordinated debt		64,031		835		5.23	%		63,845		835		5.26	%
Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures		46,393		735		6.35	%		46,393		856		7.42	%

Total interest-bearing liabilities		2,875,918		21,632		3.02	%		2,724,446		23,320		3.44	%
Demand deposits		990,343							960,106
Other liabilities		63,679							70,854
Stockholders’ equity		448,909							413,348

Total liabilities & stockholders’ equity	$	4,378,849						$	4,168,754

Net interest income			$	42,724						$	36,111
Net interest margin ⁽²⁾						4.07	%						3.63	%

(1) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans and loans held for sale.
(2) Net interest margin is calculated as the annualized net interest income, on a fully tax-equivalent basis, divided by average interest-earning assets.


South Plains Financial, Inc. Average Balances and Yields – (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)

	For the Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2025							June 30, 2024

	Average Balance		Interest		Yield/Rate			Average Balance		Interest		Yield/Rate
Assets
Loans	$	3,084,563	$	104,471		6.83	%	$	3,048,569	$	99,519		6.56	%
Debt securities – taxable		509,431		9,392		3.72	%		543,817		10,796		3.99	%
Debt securities – nontaxable		152,716		2,029		2.68	%		155,831		2,046		2.64	%
Other interest-bearing assets		421,899		8,606		4.11	%		262,345		6,020		4.61	%

Total interest-earning assets		4,168,609		124,498		6.02	%		4,010,562		118,381		5.94	%
Noninterest-earning assets		169,222							177,882

Total assets	$	4,337,831						$	4,188,444

Liabilities & stockholders’ equity
NOW, Savings, MMDA’s	$	2,314,562		31,401		2.74	%	$	2,253,704		35,649		3.18	%
Time deposits		440,297		8,488		3.89	%		383,816		7,643		4.00	%
Short-term borrowings		11		–		0.00	%		3		–		0.00	%
Notes payable & other long-term borrowings		–		–		0.00	%		–		–		0.00	%
Subordinated debt		64,008		1,670		5.26	%		63,822		1,670		5.26	%
Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures		46,393		1,468		6.38	%		46,393		1,717		7.44	%

Total interest-bearing liabilities		2,865,271		43,027		3.03	%		2,747,738		46,679		3.42	%
Demand deposits		962,557							959,219
Other liabilities		64,875							70,856
Stockholders’ equity		445,128							410,631

Total liabilities & stockholders’ equity	$	4,337,831						$	4,188,444

Net interest income			$	81,471						$	71,702
Net interest margin ⁽²⁾						3.94	%						3.60	%

(1) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans and loans held for sale.
(2) Net interest margin is calculated as the annualized net interest income, on a fully tax-equivalent basis, divided by average interest-earning assets.


South Plains Financial, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)

	As of
	June 30, 2025			December 31, 2024

Assets
Cash and due from banks	$	60,400		$	54,114
Interest-bearing deposits in banks		410,096			304,968
Securities available for sale		570,000			577,240
Loans held for sale		17,182			20,542
Loans held for investment		3,098,978			3,055,054
Less: Allowance for credit losses		(45,010	)		(43,237	)
Net loans held for investment		3,053,968			3,011,817
Premises and equipment, net		51,329			52,951
Goodwill		19,315			19,315
Intangible assets		1,417			1,720
Mortgage servicing rights		25,134			26,292
Other assets		154,833			163,280
Total assets	$	4,363,674		$	4,232,239

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	998,759		$	935,510
Interest-bearing deposits		2,740,179			2,685,366
Total deposits		3,738,938			3,620,876
Short-term borrowings		1,352			—
Subordinated debt		64,054			63,961
Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures		46,393			46,393
Other liabilities		58,863			62,060
Total liabilities		3,909,600			3,793,290
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock		16,230			16,456
Additional paid-in capital		90,268			97,287
Retained earnings		407,822			385,827
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		(60,246	)		(60,621	)
Total stockholders’ equity		454,074			438,949
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	4,363,674		$	4,232,239


South Plains Financial, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)

	Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2025		June 30, 2024		June 30, 2025		June 30, 2024

Interest income:
Loans, including fees	$	53,886	$	50,571	$	104,456	$	99,503
Other		10,249		8,637		19,601		18,432
Total interest income		64,135		59,208		124,057		117,935
Interest expense:
Deposits		20,062		21,629		39,889		43,292
Subordinated debt		835		835		1,670		1,670
Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures		735		856		1,468		1,717
Other		–		–		–		–
Total interest expense		21,632		23,320		43,027		46,679
Net interest income		42,503		35,888		81,030		71,256
Provision for credit losses		2,500		1,775		2,920		2,605
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		40,003		34,113		78,110		68,651
Noninterest income:
Service charges on deposits		2,098		1,949		4,239		3,762
Mortgage banking activities		3,606		3,397		5,719		7,342
Bank card services and interchange fees		3,771		4,052		7,150		7,113
Other		2,690		3,311		5,682		5,901
Total noninterest income		12,165		12,709		22,790		24,118
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and employee benefits		19,708		19,199		39,149		38,187
Net occupancy expense		3,972		4,029		7,999		7,949
Professional services		1,874		1,738		3,604		3,221
Marketing and development		919		860		1,824		1,614
Other		7,070		6,746		13,997		13,531
Total noninterest expense		33,543		32,572		66,573		64,502
Income before income taxes		18,625		14,250		34,327		28,267
Income tax expense		4,020		3,116		7,428		6,259
Net income	$	14,605	$	11,134	$	26,899	$	22,008


South Plains Financial, Inc. Loan Composition (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)

	As of
	June 30, 2025		December 31, 2024

Loans:
Commercial Real Estate	$	1,085,309	$	1,119,063
Commercial – Specialized		379,068		388,955
Commercial – General		620,934		557,371
Consumer:
1-4 Family Residential		589,935		566,400
Auto Loans		258,193		254,474
Other Consumer		63,589		64,936
Construction		101,950		103,855
Total loans held for investment	$	3,098,978	$	3,055,054


South Plains Financial, Inc. Deposit Composition (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)

	As of
	June 30, 2025		December 31, 2024

Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	998,759	$	935,510
NOW & other transaction accounts		1,244,023		498,718
MMDA & other savings		1,072,010		1,741,988
Time deposits		424,146		444,660
Total deposits	$	3,738,938	$	3,620,876


South Plains Financial, Inc. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited) (Dollars in thousands)

	For the quarter ended
	June 30, 2025		March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024
Pre-tax, pre-provision income
Net income	$	14,605	$	12,294	$	16,497	$	11,212	$	11,134
Income tax expense		4,020		3,408		4,222		3,094		3,116
Provision for credit losses		2,500		420		1,200		495		1,775
Pre-tax, pre-provision income	$	21,125	$	16,122	$	21,919	$	14,801	$	16,025

	As of
	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
Tangible common equity
Total common stockholders’ equity	$	454,074		$	443,743		$	438,949		$	443,122		$	417,985
Less: goodwill and other intangibles		(20,732	)		(20,884	)		(21,035	)		(21,197	)		(21,379	)

Tangible common equity	$	433,342		$	422,859		$	417,914		$	421,925		$	396,606

Tangible assets
Total assets	$	4,363,674		$	4,405,209		$	4,232,239		$	4,337,659		$	4,220,936
Less: goodwill and other intangibles		(20,732	)		(20,884	)		(21,035	)		(21,197	)		(21,379	)

Tangible assets	$	4,342,942		$	4,384,325		$	4,211,204		$	4,316,462		$	4,199,557

Shares outstanding		16,230,475			16,235,647			16,455,826			16,386,627			16,424,021

Total stockholders’ equity to total assets		10.41	%		10.07	%		10.37	%		10.22	%		9.90	%
Tangible common equity to tangible assets		9.98	%		9.64	%		9.92	%		9.77	%		9.44	%
Book value per share	$	27.98		$	27.33		$	26.67		$	27.04		$	25.45
Tangible book value per share	$	26.70		$	26.05		$	25.40		$	25.75		$	24.15

The MIL Network –

July 17, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: Review: BRICS officials expect media and think tank collaboration to boost Global South’s profile and power

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 15 (Xinhua) — Xinhua News Agency Director General Fu Hua met with media representatives and think tanks from Russia, Vietnam and Cuba in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday.

The parties discussed in depth issues such as deepening cooperation between the media and think tanks of the Global South and strengthening the authority and power of the Global South, reaching a consensus on advancing cooperation within the “greater BRICS” and the development of the Global South.

Fu Hua invited representatives from various countries to participate in the BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum, noting that China has a long tradition of friendship and a positive basis for cooperation with countries such as Russia, Vietnam and Cuba.

According to Fu Hua, in the future, Xinhua is ready to work with partners from different countries to expand areas of cooperation, update cooperation models, and establish close coordination and interaction within the framework of multilateral mechanisms.

Xinhua will join forces with its partners to better tell the development stories of different countries and highlight examples of successful cooperation so as to make greater contributions to strengthening the international voice of the Global South and promoting a more equitable and diverse world order in the field of communications, Fu Hua added.

First Deputy Director General of the Russian news agency TASS Mikhail Gusman said that TASS is ready to strengthen cooperation with Xinhua within the framework of multilateral mechanisms, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Media and Think Tanks Summit and the BRICS Media and Think Tanks Forum, in order to jointly build a system of narratives from the position of the Global South, increasing representation and strengthening the voice of developing countries in international affairs.

Alexey Nikolov, Director General of the Russian television channel Russia Today (RT), noted that RT values its friendly relations with Xinhua and expects to implement the consensus reached by the heads of the two states at the peak of strategic cooperation.

According to him, RT intends to deepen exchanges and expand cooperation with Xinhua, as well as make a positive contribution to promoting the sustainable development of multilateral media mechanisms and strengthening international influence.

Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences Ta Minh Tuan said he is very pleased to establish contacts with Xinhua and is willing to use the forum to institutionalize cooperation between the two sides and make it regular, make the collective voice of the Global South louder in the international arena, and give lasting impetus to the sustainable and long-term development of cooperation within the framework of the “greater BRICS”.

Maridée Fernández López, deputy head of the Ideological Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, along with the heads of several Cuban media outlets, expressed gratitude to Xinhua for its commitment to objective and fair news reporting and for its indelible contribution to spreading the true voice of Latin America.

Cuban officials expressed their willingness to learn from Xinhua’s experience in using new technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data.

They agreed that the extension and renewal of the news exchange and cooperation agreements between the two countries will make new contributions to promoting exchanges between Latin American and Chinese media and deepening mutual understanding between the peoples. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

.

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE New England administratively arrests alleged child predator, Guatemalan national recently charged with attempting to solicit a minor for commercial sex

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — ICE New England administratively arrested an illegally present Guatemalan national who had recently been charged and released on bond in the State of Rhode Island for allegedly engaging a minor for the purpose of sex.

Josue Santiago Perez Gomez, 29, was taken into ICE custody on July 12, one day after he was arrested by local authorities in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, on charges of patronizing a minor for commercial sex, indecent solicitation of a child, and procurement of sexual conduct for a fee.

“This individual’s administrative arrest underscores HSI New England’s commitment to targeted enforcement that works to identify individuals seeking to cause harm to our communities, including and especially children,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “HSI will continue to work with our partners to enforce laws that uphold national security and the safety and wellbeing of our neighborhoods.”

Upon his release from criminal custody, ICE HSI and ERO personnel administratively arrested Perez Gomez, who was illegally present in the U.S. after having entered the country at an unknown time without inspection.

Perez Gomez remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

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.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: USNS Comfort Arrives in Dominican Republic for CP25

Source: United States Navy

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic – The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic for the fourth mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25), July 15, 2025.

16 July 2025

From Petty Officer 2nd Class Alfredo Marron – U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet

“It is an honor and a privilege to leave our footprint in the Dominican Republic,” said Capt. Grace Key, commanding officer, Medical Treatment Facility aboard Comfort. “From the medical site and community relations, to the repairs the Seabees will make to the facilities, we will strengthen our partnership with the people of the Dominican Republic.”

Comfort and Dominican medical professionals will work side-by-side to provide medical care to the community of Puerto Plata. By working together and exchanging knowledge, the Dominican Republic and partners in the region can maintain regional stability as a team and work collectively in the event of natural disasters, medical catastrophes, or regional conflict.

“Throughout Continuing Promise, the clinical staff and personnel have welcomed us with open arms at every port visit,” said Lt. j.g. Althea Caraballo, the Puerto Plata medical site assistant officer in charge. “I am excited to be in Dominican Republic and very inspired by our partnerships and the opportunity to expand our professional and cultural horizons.”

Medical care during the Dominican Republic mission stop will be provided at Polideportivo, Puerto Plata and will include services in adult medicine, pediatrics, dental, optometry, women’s health, dermatology, cardiology, physical therapy, nutrition, preventative medicine, radiology, and pharmacy.

“This mission is a valuable opportunity to deepen cooperation between the United States and the Dominican Republic, particularly in the areas of security and humanitarian assistance,” said Lt. Col. Lowell D. Krusinger, senior defense official/defense attaché, U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo. “We’re proud to see U.S. and Dominican medical professionals working shoulder to shoulder aboard the USNS Comfort, including seven Dominican providers who are lending their expertise to benefit communities across six countries on the ship’s tour.”

Additionally, Comfort’s medical personnel will conduct subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE) with Dominican health professionals, to include tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) and round tables on preventative medicine, nutrition, and wound care. U.S. Army veterinarians embarked aboard Comfort from the 248th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support will conduct a dairy farming SMEE and K-9 tactical causality combat care.

This visit marks the sixth Continuing Promise visits the Dominican Republic and the fifth visit from Comfort. The last time Comfort visited the Dominican Republic was during Continuing Promise 2022, where the medical team treated 4,435 patients at sites in Santo Domingo and Azua, as well as conducted 87 surgeries aboard Comfort.

“I am excited to be here as we bring the same service offered to other countries to my home country,” said Dominican Republic 1st Lt. Luiz Rameriez, doctor of obstetrics and gynecology embarked aboard Comfort. “I am excited for the U.S. service members to tour our facilities and to see how we can improve and impact the overall health of the population.”

The CP25 mission in Dominican Republic also includes a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) SMEE and a table-top exercise with local responders. Sailors aboard Comfort will also support the region through a variety of community relations events to include a beach clean-up and performances from the U.S. Fleet Forces band “Unchartered Waters.”

“This mission is a blessing, there are people not as fortunate to receive advanced medical care and we are able to provide it while we are here,” said Hospitalman Joseclaudia Garcia, a food service associate assigned to Comfort with Dominican heritage. “The Dominican people will really feel very appreciated that we get to share these engagements with them. I am very excited my fellow service members will get to experience my culture first hand!”

CP25 marks the 16th mission to the region since 2007 and the eighth aboard Comfort. The mission will foster goodwill, strengthen existing partnerships with partner nations, and encourage the establishment of new partnerships among countries, non-federal entities, and international organizations.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.

Learn more about USNAVSOUTH/4th Fleet news and photos, visit facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT, https://www.fourthfleet.navy.mil/, X – @ NAVSOUS4THFLT, and https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-naval-forces-southern-command-u-s-4th-fleet

MIL Security OSI –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two MS-13 Members Sentenced for Racketeering

Source: US FBI

Defendants responsible for murder in Chelsea, Mass. in 2010

BOSTON – Two members of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for their roles in a previously-unsolved murder.

Jose Vasquez, a/k/a “Cholo,” a/k/a “Little Crazy,” 31, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 25 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2025, Vasquez pleaded guilty to violent crime in aid of racketeering. Vasquez was already serving a 212-month prison sentence for a May 2018 federal conviction for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. In total, Vasquez will serve a total of 37 years for his MS-13-related crimes.

William Pineda Portillo, a/k/a “Humilde,” 31, a Salvadoran national who was unlawfully residing in Everett, was sentenced by Judge Young to 16 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In May 2023, Pineda Portillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise (RICO) conspiracy.

Pineda Portillo and Vazquez were indicted by a federal grand jury along with other MS-13 members in September 2024. Specifically, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez conspired with others to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010, in Chelsea, Mass. That evening, law enforcement responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, the victim was found with approximately 10 stab wounds to his chest and back, along with injuries to his head. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. A recent reexamination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.

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

An undercover recording obtained approximately six weeks after the murder, captured one MS-13 member acknowledging his participation in the murder and other gang members disciplining him for leaving Massachusetts after the murder without the gang’s permission.

Pineda Portillo fled to El Salvador before investigators could interview him about his role in the murder. On or about April 29, 2015, after Pineda Portillo returned to the United States, he arranged to sell a firearm loaded with eight rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness, in exchange for money. On or about June 1, 2015, Pineda Portillo conspired to murder an MS-13 member he incorrectly believed had been arrested and was cooperating with law enforcement. Specifically, in a conversation recorded by law enforcement, Pineda Portillo said, among other things: “I want that son of a bitch killed, man. . . . You will see, homeboy! We are going to do a complete thing to that son of a bitch, dude.”

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

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

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

MIL Security OSI –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Effect of the emissions trading system on the attractiveness of the outermost regions for air and sea transport – the case of Guadeloupe – E-001915/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

The Commission is aware of the permanent constraints faced by the outermost regions, notably their heavy dependence on air and sea transport. This is why these regions benefit from specific conditions under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS[1]).

Nearly 100%[2] of all the emissions from flights to/from Guadeloupe are connected to France and therefore not priced under the ETS before 2031[3].

Despite these flights not being subject to carbon pricing, the ETS provides a higher level of support when sustainable aviation fuels[4] are uplifted at airports in outermost regions, when 100% of the cost difference with traditional kerosene is covered.

Similarly, until end of 2030, the ETS imposes no surrendering obligation for maritime transport emissions from voyages between a port in an outermost region and a port in the same Member State.

The FuelEU Maritime Regulation[5] also covers only half of the voyages to/from outermost regions, and Member States can fully exempt voyages between two outermost regions until 2029.

The Commission is carefully monitoring the implementation of the ETS and FuelEU in relation to maritime, taking due account of outermost regions.

The first Commission report[6] does not find any evidence of major changes in the market being directly attributable to the introduction of the ETS — including for outermost regions. The Commission will continue its monitoring activities and propose, if necessary, measures to ensure the effective implementation of the ETS.

In terms of support mechanisms, Member States are required to use all revenues generated by the ETS to tackle climate change, including in outermost regions. Several other EU instruments include favourable conditions for these regions to address their transport needs[7].
- [1] Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
- [2] Eurocontrol data indicates that, in 2024, the emissions from flights to and from Guadeloupe were 98.7% domestic.
- [3] Flights to/from an outermost region within the same Member State are exempt, thus no additional costs stem from the application of the ETS.
- [4] https://climate.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7eace0de-fbc8-46c5-b52c-80d50f406c58_en?filename=policy_transport_aviation_airport_100_support_en.pdf.
- [5] Regulation (EU) 2023/1805 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport, and amending Directive 2009/16/EC (OJ L 234, 22.9.2023, p. 48, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1805/oj).
- [6] COM(2025) 110 final — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0110.
- [7] The European Regional Development Fund supports airport infrastructure and compensates for their higher operating costs. The Connecting Europe Facility supports transport infrastructure with higher co-financing rates in these regions. Moreover, several Public Service Obligations ensure connectivity with outermost regions. Social aid schemes support air transport for residents of remote regions.
MIL OSI Europe News –
July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Budd, Justice, Hawley, Ricketts Introduce Bill to Increase Transparency of Foreign Funds Fueling Left-Wing Agitators

US Senate News:

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

FRONT Act would require U.S. nonprofits to register under FARA if they accept funds from hostile nations

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) led his colleagues in introducing the Foreign Registration Obligations for Nonprofit Transparency (FRONT) Act today, which would require nonprofits in the United States that receive funding from foreign principals in countries of concern, such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba, to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The bill would also require nonprofits to disclose the activities they use foreign funds to engage in to mitigate future unrest.

“There are serious indicators recent left-wing riots, protests, and rallies resulting in violence and political unrest are funded by foreign agitators. It’s time for American nonprofit organizations to be transparent about where they are getting their funding from. No foreign country with hostile intentions should be meddling in our democratic process. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the FRONT Act to increase transparency and help put a stop to this,” said Senator Budd.

“Let me just say this and be clear: foreign influence in our country’s nonprofits ends now. The FRONT Act ensures that any money coming from our adversaries, like China, will be fully disclosed. This bill is common-sense, provides much needed transparency, and I’m proud to join Senator Budd in this effort,” said Senator Justice.

“I am concerned that U.S. non-profits are receiving foreign funding from our adversaries and countries of concern. Senator Budd’s FRONT Act hardens the United States’ ability to monitor potentially malign influence of non-profits from foreign adversaries. In order to stop adversaries such as Communist China, Russia, and Iran, we must have the tools to better understand their efforts to infiltrate our American system and influence our institutions,” said Senator Ricketts.

Senators Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) joined Senator Budd in introducing the bill.

Read the full bill text HERE.

Background

Recent civil unrest has raised alarms about possible foreign influence impacting U.S. nonprofits that organize and provide material support for protests.

For example, when it comes to riots against ICE enforcement operations, FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly stated, “The FBI is investigating any and all monetary connections responsible for these riots.” Reports have also indicated that “[the] socialist group [which] promoted the chaotic anti-deportation protests in Los Angeles…is tied to a network of groups bankrolled by a pro-China millionaire.”

But this is just the surface of a deeply troubling trend of foreign interference in our political processes. As former Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines claimed, “We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters,” following the October 7 attacks.

What we’re witnessing is not isolated. Safeguarding our political system from continued foreign interference must be a top national security priority to protect the integrity of our democracy.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Introduces Legislation to End ICE Targeting of US Citizens

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, is introducing legislation to formally block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from detaining or deporting U.S. citizens.

“ICE is acting like a rogue force, kidnapping and disappearing people off the streets with no due process,” said Jayapal. “When ICE is conducting immigration enforcement, arresting and detaining U.S. citizens is illegal — and deporting U.S. citizens is illegal, full stop. But since Trump took over, ICE has been consistently breaking these laws and going after U.S. citizens, including young children. Congress must act to make it abundantly clear, with absolutely no grey area, that ICE cannot do this and ensure that agents who do act outside of their authority are held accountable.”

Since Trump returned to office, multiple reports have surfaced of U.S. citizens being wrongfully arrested, detained, and deported. One citizen, a 19-year-old, was held by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for 10 days after he suffered a seizure and was taken to the hospital without his ID. He approached a Border Patrol agent asking for help, and instead was held for over a week under the false claim that he was a Mexican national. Two U.S. citizen children were also deported to Honduras after their mother was taken by ICE when she showed up for a regular check-in. Another family experienced the exact same situation when their two-year-old was deported with her mother, who was attending a regular check-in. And in the recent California ICE raids, a 25-year-old disabled veteran who is a US citizen was detained and held for three days without access to legal representation or any charges against him.

ICE has no authority to arrest, detain, or deport U.S. citizens. Their own internal guidance states, “As a matter of law, ICE cannot assert its civil immigration enforcement authority to arrest and/or detain a U.S. citizen.” U.S. citizens also cannot be deported under U.S. law.

The Stop ICE from Kidnapping US Citizens Act is sponsored by Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-30), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

Issues: Civil Rights, Immigration

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI: Agricultural Scientific Begins Construction on Innovative Hydroponic Greenhouse to Transform U.S. Food Supply Chain
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LAGRANGE, Ga., July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Agricultural Scientific, LLC announces that construction is now underway on the Agriculture Technology Campus (ATC), an innovative agricultural project in South Carolina set to transform food production in the Eastern U.S.

Located at the 1,000-acre Agriculture Technology Campus, the high-tech hub will feature a hydroponic greenhouse and processing facility in Early Branch, SC. It will produce locally grown, organic tomatoes with 90% greater water efficiency than traditional farming, reducing dependence on imports from Mexico, California, and Canada.

Initially announced in September 2020 during the COVID pandemic, the highly anticipated project that garnered international interest, has been galvanized through a strategic partnership between Phoenix Lender Services, a subsidiary of Community Bankshares, Inc. and Optus Bank of South Carolina.

Backed by a complex capital stack of USDA Business & Industry and Food Supply Chain loans, the project will enable 400+ acres of hydroponic greenhouses to produce year-round vegetables, cutting water use and eliminating pesticides. Upon completion, this innovative project will bring $350 million in private capital investment and over 1000 direct jobs to rural Hampton County and the surrounding region.

“This isn’t just about growing vegetables—it’s about reshaping the future of agriculture and re-shoring our critical U.S. supply chain,” said Zeb Portanova, CEO of Agricultural Scientific. “By producing fresh, high-quality produce closer to consumers, we can reduce food miles, cut emissions, and limit our reliance on foreign countries. Thank you to the United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for her integral support of this project.”

Currently, 90% of vegetables consumed in the Eastern U.S. are transported from other countries and regions, leading to supply chain vulnerabilities and excessive carbon emissions. This project will drastically shorten food miles, ensuring fresher produce while slashing CO₂ emissions by approximately 600 metric tons per 100 truckloads.

Key benefits of this initiative include:
- Enhance food security by reducing reliance on imported produce from Mexico and Canada
- Lower carbon emissions through sustainable, localized production
- Align with retailers’ goals by providing fresher, locally grown, organic, and environmentally responsible products
- Foster U.S.-based manufacturing growth and reinvestment in critical sectors that sustain communities and the economy
- Generate hundreds of skilled agricultural jobs in South Carolina
“This is a landmark moment for agriculture, rural America, and sustainability,” said Chris Hurn, President of Phoenix Lender Services and Community Bankshares, Inc. “By investing in local food production, we’re not only boosting U.S. agriculture but also bringing manufacturing back home, reducing reliance on foreign supply chains and creating lasting economic impact.”

“This facility represents the future of sustainable food production,” said Reggie Webber, Chief Credit Officer of Optus Bank. “It’s not just an investment in farming—it’s an investment in economic stability, job creation, and environmental responsibility.

“At Optus Bank, we are proud to bank on communities through innovation, impact, and economic empowerment. Our strategic partnership with Community Bankshares and their subsidiaries, Phoenix Lender Services, allows us to achieve a key strategic imperative for the Bank,” said Benita Lefft, President of Optus Bank.

A total USDA loan capital stack of $46,157,187 was successfully structured through the partnership. This included two food supply chain loans totaling $29,610,400 and a Business & Industry (B&I) loan of $16,546,787.

The ATC is developed and owned by Agricultural Scientific, LLC and leased to Lokal Harvest USA (LHUSA), a subsidiary of Harvest House, one of Europe’s largest and most successful greenhouse operators. With a track record of supplying major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, Sam’s Club, Trader Joe’s, and Publix, Lokal Harvest USA is well-positioned to scale operations and meet the rising demand for fresh, locally grown produce.

“The Agriculture Technology Campus has been the talk of Hampton County since it was first announced, and the commencement of construction could not have come at a better time. We in Hampton County understand that good economic development has a direct tie to a better quality of life for all of our citizens, and we are excited about this innovative agricultural project. We thank everyone involved in the ATC project for their support, and we look forward to working with the company for decades to come as new jobs and opportunities emerge in Hampton County,” said Dr. Roy Hollingsworth, Chairman of Hampton County Council.

“SouthernCarolina Alliance is delighted to see this critical project coming to fruition. We appreciate the support of our partners at USDA, the SC Dept. of Commerce, the SC Dept. of Agriculture, Phoenix Lender Services, Community Bankshares, and Optus Bank in facilitating this investment in our region. Good jobs and investment change communities, and this project will not only affect Hampton County locally, but also improve the quality of life in our region and beyond through both its economic impact and fresher, healthier produce for all,” said Danny Black, President and CEO, SouthernCarolina Alliance.

This landmark project is more than just a local initiative—it’s a scalable model for the future of agriculture in the U.S. With federal support, private investment, and the expertise of global leaders in hydroponic agriculture, this initiative is poised to set a new standard for modern farming—one that delivers fresher produce, reduces environmental impact, and supports economic growth.

Local, legislative and state leaders gathered at the construction site on July 16 to celebrate the partnership and view the construction underway.

For more information, please visit The Agriculture Technology Campus https://agtechcampus.com.

For more information about Phoenix Lender Services and its lending solutions, please visit www.phoenixlenderservices.com.

ABOUT AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS (ATC)

The Agriculture Technology Campus in Hampton County, SC, is a pioneering agricultural development designed to revolutionize food production through controlled-environment farming, sustainable growing practices, and strategic partnerships with global leaders in greenhouse technology. If you are interested in joining the ATC campus, please email info@gemozf.com. Backed by a complex capital stack of USDA Business & Industry and Food Supply Chain loans, the project will enable 400+ acres of hydroponic greenhouses to produce year-round vegetables, cutting water use and eliminating pesticides.

ABOUT PHOENIX LENDER SERVICES

Based in Georgia and serving clients nationwide, Phoenix Lender Services offers a comprehensive suite of commercial lending solutions, including loan underwriting, closing, and servicing; participant lender matching; secondary market sales; portfolio management; risk analysis; and compliance reviews and regulatory support. Our seasoned professionals combine extensive industry expertise in SBA, USDA, and other commercial government-guaranteed lending with industry-leading technologies to deliver tailored solutions that align with each client’s unique strategic goals. Phoenix Lender Services is leading the way in SBA and USDA commercial lending.

ABOUT COMMUNITY BANKSHARES INC

Community Bankshares, Inc. is a dynamic company that is revolutionizing the financial landscape via its support for America’s businesses. As a mission-focused company, we are redefining how lending capital is provided across the nation and its territories in ways that promote business stability and encourage local area prosperity. In doing so, we foster economic growth, job creation and retention, and community strength. https://communitybankshares.com/

ABOUT OPTUS BANK

Established in 1921, Optus Bank is a federally designated Minority Depository Institution (MDI) and certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated to serving underserved communities. Optus is committed to Banking on Communities Through Innovation, Impact, and Economic Empowerment—providing access to capital, financial education, and full-service banking for individuals, small businesses, and mission-aligned organizations. https://optus.bank/

ABOUT LOKAL HARVEST USA

Lokal Harvest USA is a leading producer of hydroponic greenhouse vegetables, bringing advanced farming techniques and global supply chain expertise to the U.S. market in partnership with Harvest House, one of Europe’s largest greenhouse operators.

https://agtechcampus.com/

MEDIA CONTACT

Abigail Davison
Uproar PR by Moburst for Community Bankshares, Inc.
abigail.davison@moburst.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e99b9c29-2298-468a-8d70-705020ace65d

The MIL Network –
July 17, 2025
India and Argentina strengthen agricultural ties at 2nd Joint Working Group Meeting

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The 2nd Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Agriculture between India and Argentina was held virtually on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in bilateral agricultural cooperation.

Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of India’s Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, emphasized Argentina’s importance as a key partner for India, highlighting the potential for collaboration in sharing knowledge, technologies, and best practices. He identified agricultural mechanization, pest control, climate-resilient agriculture, and joint research as critical areas for cooperation, underscoring the mutual benefits for both nations.

Argentina’s Sergio Iraeta reaffirmed Argentina’s commitment to strengthening ties with India, expressing interest in advancing cooperation in agricultural mechanization, genome editing, and plant breeding technologies. He noted that the rich agricultural expertise of both countries could complement each other to enhance productivity, promote mechanization, and improve farmers’ welfare.

Muktanand Agrawal, Joint Secretary (Plant Protection), provided an overview of India’s agricultural achievements, spotlighting government initiatives such as digital solutions, climate-resilient practices, risk mitigation, and farmer credit schemes aimed at bolstering the sector.

Discussions covered key areas including horticulture, oilseed and pulses value chains, mechanization, precision agriculture, carbon credits for farmers, biopesticides, locust control, new breeding technologies, and market access. The meeting saw participation from senior officials of India’s Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Ministry of External Affairs, reflecting a strong commitment to advancing this partnership.

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Support for the Canadian Steel Sector
Source: Government of Canada News

This move comes in response to both U.S. tariffs on steel and global steel overproduction, which are pushing foreign exporters to find new places to sell their steel—including Canada. Strengthening these import limits will help prevent the Canadian market from being overwhelmed with cheap steel, while still making sure Canadian businesses that rely on steel can continue to get the supply they need.
Canada is among the countries most affected by global steel tariffs. It is one of the world’s largest per capita importers of steel. Canadian steel producers are highly trade exposed, exporting just over 50 per cent of their annual production in 2024, during which over 90 per cent went to the U.S. Our steel industry is a cornerstone of the national economy—critical to building infrastructure, supporting advanced manufacturing, and securing our future prosperity. Canada is proud of our highly skilled steelworkers and the strong, resilient industry they power. However, rising trade pressures and market disruptions demand a clear and proactive response. The government is taking decisive steps to protect, stabilize, and pivot our steel sector. Canada needs steel to build Canada strong – homes, bridges, transit, and the clean economy of tomorrow—and the government is committed to ensuring our industry is ready to meet that demand.

Tariff rate quotas

Tariff rate quotas (TRQs) allow a certain amount of steel to come in at a reduced tariff or tariff-free. After that limit is reached, higher tariffs apply. The government is strengthening the TRQs for steel products implemented on June 27, 2025.

This move comes in response to both U.S. tariffs on steel and global steel overproduction, which are pushing foreign exporters to find new places to sell their steel—including Canada. Strengthening these import limits will help prevent the Canadian market from being overwhelmed with cheap steel, while still making sure Canadian businesses that rely on steel can continue to get the supply they need.
- Effective August 1, 2025, the TRQs will be extended to countries that have a free trade agreement in force with Canada, with the exception of the United States and Mexico. This will result in a 50 per cent surtax being applied on steel imports above 100 per cent of 2024 levels.
- For those countries that do not have a free trade agreement with Canada, the quota for tariff-free imports will be reduced to 50 per cent of 2024 levels. A 50 per cent surtax will be applied on steel imports exceeding this threshold.
- The government will consult with industry to finalize adjustments to other design elements of the tariff rate quotas.
Melt and Pour Tariffs

A 25 per cent surtax will also be applied on imports from all countries other than the U.S. that contain steel melted and poured in China. This will increase transparency in the domestic supply chains and help prevent circumvention of Canada’s trade measures. The product scope of the surtax would align with the existing China Surtax Order on steel. This measure will be implemented before the end of July.

Strategic Innovation Fund

The government will provide up to $1 billion to the Strategic Innovation Fund to support the steel industry’s transition toward new lines of business and to strengthen domestic supply chains. This investment will help the sector pivot to emerging opportunities, modernize production capabilities, and better serve the Canadian market. By fostering innovation and adaptability, this funding will build a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable steel industry for the future. Funding will be provided to support the competitiveness of Canada’s steel companies by:
- Enhancing competitiveness of domestic steel companies to serve the domestic market;
- Supporting the production of steel products not currently produced in Canada;
- Supporting the production of steel products needed by strategic sectors such as defence; and,
- Anchoring the presence of steel companies that are, or would become, commercially viable in a sustained tariff environment.
Labour Market Development Agreements

The government is investing $70 million over three years for steel workers via Labour Market Development Agreements with provinces and territories.
- Supports will be developed in partnership with workers, employers and provinces and territories to retrain and upskill up to 10,000 steel workers.
- Funding will support access to targeted training, reskilling financial-related supports, and job retention programs to ensure workers can continue contributing to a resilient and competitive steel sector and in-demand jobs.
- These measures will benefit mid-career, long-tenured steel workers affected by U.S. tariffs and global market shifts.
Regional Tariff Response Initiative

In March 2025, the Government of Canada announced funding to Canada’s regional development agencies so they could better support businesses impacted by U.S. tariffs. Up to $150 million of the $450 million Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) will be targeted to SME projects in the steel sector. The RTRI will be launched very shortly and more details will be available for potential applicants at that time.

Large Enterprise Tariff Loan Facility

In March 2025, the government announced the creation of Large Enterprise Tariff Loan (LETL), a new $10 billion financing facility to support Canadian companies affected by actual or potential tariffs and countermeasures.

The Large Enterprise Tariff Loan facility terms will be revised to enable the Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corporation to provide targeted support the steel industry. These changes include:
- Reducing the proposed initial interest rate from CORRA + 400 basis points to CORRA + 200 basis points
- Reducing the minimum annual revenue criterion from $300 million to $150 million,
- Reducing the minimum loan size criterion from $60 million to $30 million,
- Extending the loan maturity from 5 years to 7 years,
- Enabling the Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corporation to hold equity in companies,
- Requiring companies prioritize worker retention.
Procurement

Through changes to federal procurement processes, companies contracting with the government will be required, where possible, to source steel from Canadian companies. Companies will only be granted a Ministerial exemption if they attest in writing that no Canadian steel producer could or wants to produce the steel required. Alternatively, companies will be required to provide proof that the requirement would raise the cost to unstainable levels or delay critical equipment required by the Government for defence, national security or other key sectors.

Pivot to Grow

Launched in winter 2025, Pivot to Grow is a $500 million fund administered by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and seeks to help small and medium-sized enterprises transition to new markets and increase productivity.

The BDC will provide more flexible repayment terms through its Pivot to Grow fund, with the financing to provide liquidity support to eligible steel Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) facing liquidity concerns. Further details will be available from BDC shortly.
MIL OSI Canada News –
July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: PacifiCan investment to boost trade and export success for B.C. businesses
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

Minister Robertson announces $2.5M investment for companies across B.C., highlighting PacifiCan’s impact across the Southern Interior

July 16, 2025 – Kelowna, British Columbia – PacifiCan

As one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities, Kelowna, a regional hub in B.C.’s interior, is powered by a diverse economy, a thriving tech sector, and a strong spirit of entrepreneurship.

PacifiCan has offices across the province, including Kelowna, supporting the entrepreneurs and innovators driving B.C.’s future. Since 2021, PacifiCan has invested over $47M in 156 projects across the Southern Interior, with over $28M in 65 projects specifically in Kelowna and nearby communities in the Thompson-Okanagan. These investments are fueling key sectors like tech, tourism, and manufacturing – creating well-paying jobs, and helping the region remain a hub of innovation and opportunity.

Today, the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan), announced an investment of $2.5M to help businesses in Kelowna and throughout B.C. find opportunities for growth in new markets and manage the impacts of tariffs.

Through this investment, $1.2 million will allow Community Futures British Columbia (CFBC) to continue delivering the Export Navigator program, which helps B.C. businesses become export-ready. Export Navigator pairs businesses with expert advisors in regions across the province who provide personalized guidance to help them achieve their export goals. To date, Export Navigator has helped more than 1,200 businesses begin their export journey, including 280 businesses in the Thompson-Okanagan alone. This initiative also received $1.2 million from the Province of B.C.

The remaining $1.3 million of PacifiCan investment will help CFBC and the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT) support B.C. businesses as they adjust to a changing economy and meet requirements of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) through two specialized initiatives:
- $900,000 for CFBC to launch the CUSMA Compliance Advisory Services Initiative (CCASI), delivered through Export Navigator. This initiative will provide expert advisory services and up to $5,000 to help businesses cover the costs of becoming CUSMA compliant.
- $380,500 for GVBOT to deliver a series of webinars and in-person workshops in six B.C. communities. These sessions will connect businesses with experts, including customs brokers, lawyers and other professionals, who will provide valuable guidance on CUSMA compliance.
As the Government of Canada works towards building one Canadian economy, PacifiCan will continue helping businesses across B.C. remove barriers and unlock new trade opportunities.

MIL OSI Canada News –
July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Undocumented Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Reentry

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

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Armando Reyes-Ascension, 43, a Mexican national, living in the United States illegally, was sentenced to 58 months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to immigration and drug trafficking crimes. In less than three months, Reyes-Ascension, who was previously removed from the United States on three different occasions and criminally convicted of felony illegal reentry, was again found back in the United States and in possession of more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, a loaded firearm, several dangerous weapons, and more than $80,000 in cash.

In addition to his term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups sentenced Reyes-Ascension to three years’ supervised release and ordered him to forfeit over $88,000.00 USD, a Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol, associated ammunition, including eight .380 rounds, nine knives and daggers, and nine collectors’ coins.

According to court documents and statements made at Reyes-Ascension’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on May 17, 2024, during an investigation, officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department seized 7,000 fentanyl pills, and $32,000 in cash from Reyes-Ascension’s apartment. On June 11, 2024, he was removed from the United States to Mexico by immigration officials. On August 7, 2024, Reyes-Ascension re-entered the United States illegally, and was found in Salt Lake County Metro jail after law enforcement had arrested him for drug crimes. During the arrest, officers seized 2,000 fentanyl pills and more than $55,000 cash, coins, and several dangerous weapons – including a firearm. See prior press release: Previously Removed Foreign National and Felon Indicted on Drug and Gun Crimes.

Prior to Reyes-Ascension’s May 2024 arrest and third removal on June 11, 2024, he was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two separate occasions; one of which he was convicted of illegal reentry of a previously removed alien on March 4, 2020.

“Reyes-Ascension’s repeated criminal conduct is a complete and total disregard for the laws of this country, and it will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti, of the District of Utah. “The defendant is a clear danger to Utah and the United States as a whole. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute anyone who breaks our laws and pumps poison into our communities.”

“This sentencing sends a clear message that we will relentlessly pursue individuals who combine violent narcotics distribution with firearms offenses,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Possessing poisonous dangerous drugs alongside a loaded firearm posed an imminent and grave threat to public safety. ATF remains committed to disrupting the nexus between illicit drugs and guns because every one of the weapons we take off the street is one less chance for tragedy in our communities.”

“Defendants like Reyes-Ascension knowingly put people’s lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI and our partners will not stand by as traffickers, especially those in the United States illegally, push dangerous drugs into our neighborhoods. We will aggressively pursue those who seek to profit by fueling the opioid epidemic.”

The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Salt Lake City Police Department, and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Bryan N. Reeves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

MIL Security OSI –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Joins Miranda Devine on New York Post’s Pod Force One

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This week, Speaker Johnson sat down with the New York Post’s Miranda Devine for a wide-ranging discussion on her new podcast, Pod Force One. They discussed how Republicans are reestablishing fiscal sanity in Washington, the future of the MAGA movement, Speaker Johnson’s roots in Louisiana, and what he believes is the secret to success.

Watch the full interview here

On restoring fiscal sanity in Washington:

We spend too much money. The debt is our number one national security threat and I came to Congress to solve it. The trajectory is not sustainable, but we can’t solve the problem overnight because it could took decades for us to get here. The big beautiful bill was a giant leap forward. We’re going to save over $1.5 trillion in spending. It’s the largest that any legislative body in the history of mankind has ever done. Is it enough? No. It’s a drop in the bucket, but it is a turn. I use the metaphor of an aircraft carrier for the US economy. You don’t turn an aircraft carrier on a dime; it takes a mile of open ocean when it’s at top speed. This was the first big crank on the wheel, the turn on the wheel that we’ve had in generations and now we have the next sequential steps to continue that.

The president and his administration came in, they identified these areas like USAID for example, which was just fraught with abuse and wasteful uses of taxpayer dollars. We were funding transgender operas in Peru, you know? And Congress didn’t know that which is one of the credits to the DOGE effort as they were able to crack the code, get inside the belly at the agencies and crawl through the data with magic algorithms and find these things. And we didn’t know. So we found that out…And that we hope is the first of a series of rescissions packages that come forward where we, again, in our sequential steps to getting back fiscal, fiscal sanity, that’s going to be a piece of it.

On the future of the MAGA movement:

I think the movement goes forward. It won’t be the same without him, but he’s done a recalibration of our party in many ways. We brought in new demographics, big groups of people that had not been with us probably since the early eighties under Reagan. We’re a working-class party, as we should be. We represent the core principles, and I’m one of the people who’s trying to keep us tied to the moorings. You know, the core principles of our party are the core principles of America. They’re the principles that made us the greatest nation in the history of the world, and we abandon them at our peril, you know? And so there’s a lot of competing ideas and different forces out there right now, but I think we got to hold on to the soul of the party because that’s what’s gotten us to this point.

On Speaker Johnson’s secret for success:

This probably defies conventional wisdom, but it’s a matter of faith. You just be faithful and humble and you be faithful in the little thing that God puts before you today, and then you trust him with the rest. I quote often, John Quincy Adams, he famously said, “duty is ours, results are God’s.” It’s a very liberating way to live, you know, and you just try to do your best every day, do your responsibility, do your duty, and then I let the chips fall where they may. I’m not the sovereign and I’m so delighted that I’m not.

I’m not sure anyone could navigate the modern speakership the way it’s evolved to today. Without that faith component, I’m not sure I would. Scripture says you love your enemy, of course, as yourself. We don’t have enemies in the building. They’re all colleagues. But it also says that you bless those who persecute you. You don’t keep a record of wrongs. The soft word turns away wrath. There’s so much wisdom in the scripture, and if you apply all that, it allows you to navigate very tricky waters and not take things personally.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Arrest of Javier Santos-Alejandro
Source: US FBI

SAN JUAN, PR—Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), San Juan Field Office, announced today the arrest of Javier Santos-Alejandro (Santos-Alejandro).

Santos-Alejandro was charged under a Federal Criminal Complaint with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections:
- 2119(1) and (2): Carjacking—Aiding & Abetting
- 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and (2): Brandishing of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence—Aiding & Abetting
- 2119(3) and (2): Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Death—Aiding & Abetting
Charges included in the complaint are related to events which took place July 2nd and July 5th, which led to the death of Natalia Aileen Santiago-Rivera.

“Today’s arrest is an important step in the journey to secure justice for Natalia’s family,” said SAC Kowalski. “I am proud of, and thankful for, the dedicated FBI Special Agents, Intelligence, and Professional Staff – as well as our incredible teammates at the Police of Puerto Rico and the United States Attorney’s Office – who have worked this case relentlessly. But we are not done, and you can expect us to persistently investigate this tragedy until everyone involved is held accountable. My advice to those who think they can get away with this: you won’t, so turn yourselves in.”

This case is being investigated by the FBI San Juan Field Office in partnership with the Police of Puerto Rico and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.

Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The FBI reminds the public that anyone with information on this case should contact the FBI San Juan Field Office immediately by calling 787-987-6500 or submit tips through the FBI’s Internet complaint portal at tips.fbi.gov. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

The public is reminded that a Federal Criminal Complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty by a court of law. The U.S. government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

MIL Security OSI –
July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Mann Leads Subcommittee Hearing on Safeguarding U.S. Agriculture, Disease Prevention in Animal Health

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-01), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, led a subcommittee hearing entitled “Safeguarding U.S. Agriculture: The Role of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).” During the hearing, the Chairman underscored the vital role the National Animal Health Laboratory Network plays in mitigating foreign animal diseases like the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, African Swine Fever, and New World Screwworm.

Chairman Mann also emphasized the role institutions like the Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the National Bio and Argo-Defense Facility play in preventing animal diseases from spreading and highlighted the devastating impact the New World Screwworm would have on cattle producers in the Big First District and across the country if it reaches U.S. borders. The Chairman ended his questioning touting investments the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made into animal health research, strengthening the nation’s food supply chain and better positioning the United States to focus on disease prevention rather than outbreak control.

Excerpts:

[Opening Statement as Prepared]: “Good morning and thank you all for joining us at today’s hearing. I am excited to chair this hearing of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, where we will focus on the important work of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, or NAHLN. As a fifth-generation Kansas farm kid I grew up riding pens and doctoring cattle at my family’s preconditioning feedlot and I intimately understand the vital role that animal health plays in all livestock and poultry operations.

The National Animal Health Laboratory Network is a critical piece of our ability to respond to and mitigate foreign animal diseases. Originally comprised of 12 laboratories when created in 2002, the NAHLN network has grown to include over 60 State and university laboratories, including the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Manhattan, Kansas.

These labs are strategically placed across the United States to support animal agriculture by developing and increasing the capabilities and capacities to support early detection, rapid response, and appropriate recovery from high-consequence animal diseases. Put simply, they are our first line of defense.

These labs do not operate in a vacuum. The NAHLN network is successful because of partnerships between Federal, State, and university-associated animal health laboratories and experts. This partnership is critical to response efforts when foreign animal diseases are detected, such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, New World Screwworm, African Swine Fever, and so many more.

Today, you will hear from a panel of experts who work at NAHLN laboratories. These experts will be able to share pertinent information about the critical work they do – whether it be tracking the New World Screwworm outbreak in Mexico, identifying the move of hi-path into dairy cattle in Texas, working with the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas, or crucial swine testing in Iowa.

This hearing could not come at a better time to highlight the work of the NAHLN laboratories and talk about the need for additional resources. As of two weeks ago, funding for NAHLN – as well as funding for the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program and National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank – was substantially increased in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

The One Big Beautiful Bill included $233 million per year for the three-legged stool, with $10 million per year directed towards the NAHLN laboratories, which is on top of existing discretionary funding. This funding will increase diagnostic capabilities, improve research, assist in disease surveillance, and strengthen our overall capacity as a nation to prevent, detect, and mitigate foreign animal diseases. I am proud of the work this Committee did to shore up our animal health resources and protect the herds and flocks that bring so much value to our producers and national security.

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about the work they do, day in and day out, in their roles with the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. I am excited to hear about how the increased funding will help their operation of these laboratories, which foreign animal diseases they see as the most consequential, and how we as Congress can be good partners to them. Again, thank you all for being here.”

[On NBAF and NAHLN combatting foreign animal disease]: “The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, is a state-of-the-art facility that will help protect the nation’s agriculture, farmers, and consumers against the threat and potential impacts of serious foreign animal diseases. NBAF has biosafety level 2, 3, and 4 laboratories, allowing them to study and diagnose the most consequential animal pathogens. NBAF plays a critical role in our animal disease preparedness and management and is an important partner to the NAHLN system. Dr. Retallick, how does the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory collaborate with NBAF, and how will each of your operations supplement one another?”

Retallick: “We are excited to have NBAF as our neighbor in Manhattan, KS. NBAF has multiple missions, one of those is research and one of those is service, which is the NAHLN lab that was discussed. And so the NAHLN being a network, our interaction with them through the NAHLN and confirmatory testing is going to be the same as all the NAHLN laboratories for that. The other thing you might see us assist in NBAF is training the future technicians for them. Often entry level will come in, we will train, and they may go to work in NBAF. Ultimately, the collaboration will be very similar among all of the state laboratories, with NBAF being our parent lab and our confirmatory testing place.”

[On New World Screwworm]: “The detection of New World Screwworm in Mexico is a huge threat to our domestic cattle producers. USDA estimates that a contemporary outbreak in Texas alone could cost producers $732 million per year. If you expand those results to the states within the historic range of New World Screwworm pre-eradication, a contemporary outbreak would cost producers as much as $4.3 billion per year and cause a total economic loss of over $10 billion. These are not losses our producers, or our economy, can afford. Again for you Dr. Retallick, surveillance and testing capacity was critical to eradicating this pest back in the 1960s. How are the NAHLN laboratories involved in preventing the spread of screwworm, and what role would they play if the pest were to reach our shores?”

Retallick: As I stated earlier the NAHLN labs, many of them are in universities and state departments of ag, which have specialists. Each specialist is highly trained to recognize diseases and new disease threats. At KVDL, like many of the other labs in the network, we have parasitologists and pathologists who have already gone through training to recognize this. So, we will recognize through there. The NAHLN is also discussing it in their weekly calls, updating us and providing training. And in addition, with the caseload that comes through these diagnostic laboratories in the states, we see all sorts of things and animals for disposal, allowing us a large caseload to surveil coming in through routine testing.”

[On One Big Beautiful Bill Act]: “Two weeks ago the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law. We were able to secure historic investments to modernize the farm safety net, promote ag products overseas, increase research, and important to this hearing, shore up our animal health tools. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the NAHLN system will receive $10 million annually through fiscal year 2030 on top of existing discretionary funding. At a time when foreign animal diseases are threatening our producers on all fronts, how will this investment help your lab to prepare for and respond to an outbreak?”

Main: “Thank you. It would be a tremendous help, I would say, from providing a base of capacity and capability which is principally driven by our people. And that additional funding will enable I think, across the laboratory to really help with, I would say, maintaining adequate preparedness, via the people in the laboratory.

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MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Helps Secure Over $200 Million from Gilead Sciences for Paying Illegal Kickbacks

Source: US State of California Department of Justice

California will receive more than $4 million from multistate settlement in principle

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 48 other attorneys general in securing $202 million from Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Gilead), for running an illegal kickback scheme to promote its HIV medications. Gilead allegedly violated federal law by illegally providing incentives – including awards, meals, and travel expenses – to healthcare providers to prescribe Gilead’s medications, resulting in millions of dollars of false claims submitted to government health care programs, including Medi-Cal. The settlement in principle, reached in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice and approved by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, provides $49 million for Medicaid programs nationwide, including $4,118,184 for California, with the remainder going to Medicare, Tricare, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).

“The best interests of patients must always come first,” said Attorney General Bonta. “At this time of unprecedented funding cuts to Medicaid, it is particularly important to protect the program from illegal kick-back schemes that harm the program and patients alike. Today’s settlement returns critical funding to our communities and programs like Medicaid that keep them healthy.”

From January 2011 to November 2017, Gilead allegedly violated federal anti-kickback laws by providing gifts to healthcare providers who attended and spoke at promotional speaker programs for Gilead’s HIV drugs: Stribild, Genvoya, Complera, Odefsey, Descovy, and Biktarvy. Gilead paid high-volume prescribers tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to present as “HIV Speakers.” The company also covered travel expenses for speakers, including those traveling long distances and to attractive destinations, such as Hawaii, Miami, and New Orleans, and hosted dinners at high-end restaurants.

Gilead’s internal compliance mechanisms failed to halt these violations. The company’s internal policies and procedures failed to prevent its sales representatives from improperly offering incentives to induce prescriptions.

Joining Attorney General Bonta in securing settlements with Gilead are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: When big sports events expand, like FIFA’s 2026 World Cup matches across North America, their climate footprint expands too
Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

Lionel Messi celebrates with fans after Argentina won the FIFA World Cup championship in 2022 in Qatar. Michael Regan-FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of soccer fans will be traveling to and from venues spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.

The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.

A sustainability conundrum

Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.

There is a divide over how sports should respond.

Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.

Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19.
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.

This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.

A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate

Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.

In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.

When climate promises become greenwashing

The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.

Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.

However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.

For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.

Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team.
Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images

Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.

Finding practical solutions

Some academics, observing the rising emissions trend, have called for radical solutions like the end of commercialized sports or drastically limiting who can attend sporting events, with a focus on fans from the region.

These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.

Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.

Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.

How fans can cut their environmental footprint

Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:
- Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.
- While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.
- Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.
- Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.
- You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.
Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.

In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.

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

– ref. When big sports events expand, like FIFA’s 2026 World Cup matches across North America, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-expand-like-fifas-2026-world-cup-matches-across-north-america-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437
MIL OSI –
July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi

Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Aishwarya Veerabahu, Ph.D. Candidate in Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Golden oyster mushrooms can be cultivated, but they can also escape into the wild. DDukang/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Golden oyster mushrooms, with their sunny yellow caps and nutty flavor, have become wildly popular for being healthy, delicious and easy to grow at home from mushroom kits.

But this food craze has also unleashed an invasive species into the wild, and new research shows it’s pushing out native fungi.

In a study we believe is the first of its kind, fellow mycologists and I demonstrate that an invasive fungus can cause environmental harm, just as invasive plants and animals can when they take over ecosystems.

A scientist documents golden oyster mushrooms growing wild in a Wisconsin forest, where these invasive fungi don’t belong. DNA tests showed the species had pushed out other native fungi.
Aishwarya Veerabahu

Native mushrooms and other fungi are important for the health of many ecosystems. They break down dead wood and other plant material, helping it decay. They cycle nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen from the dead tissues of plants and animals, turning it into usable forms that enter the soil, atmosphere or their own bodies. Fungi also play a role in managing climate change by sequestering carbon in soil and mediating carbon emissions from soil and wood.

Their symbiotic relationships with other organisms also help other organisms thrive. Mycorrhizal fungi on roots, for example, help plants absorb water and nutrients. And wood decay fungi help create wooded habitats for birds, mammals and plant seedlings.

However, we found that invasive golden oyster mushrooms, a wood decay fungus, can threaten forests’ fungal biodiversity and harm the health of ecosystems that are already vulnerable to climate change and habitat destruction.

The dark side of the mushroom trade

Golden oyster mushrooms, native to Asia, were brought to North America around the early 2000s. They’re part of an international mushroom culinary craze that has been feeding into one of the world’s leading drivers of biodiversity loss: invasive species.

As fungi are moved around the world in global trade, either intentionally as products, such as kits people buy for growing mushrooms at home, or unintentionally as microbial stowaways along with soil, plants, timber and even shipping pallets, they can establish themselves in new environments.

Where golden oyster mushrooms, an invasive species in North America, have been reported in the wild, including in forests, parks and neighborhoods. Red dots indicate new reports each year. States in yellow have had a report at some point. Aishwarya Veerabahu

Many mushroom species have been cultivated in North America for decades without becoming invasive species threats. However, golden oyster mushrooms have been different.

No one knows exactly how golden oyster mushrooms escaped into the wild, whether from a grow kit, a commercial mushroom farm or outdoor logs inoculated with golden oysters – a home-cultivation technique where mushroom mycelium is placed into logs to colonize the wood and produce mushrooms.

As grow kits increased in popularity, many people began buying golden oyster kits and watching them blossom into beautiful yellow mushrooms in their backyards. Their spores or composted kits could have spread into nearby forests.

Evidence from a pioneering study by Andrea Reisdorf (née Bruce) suggests golden oyster mushrooms were introduced into the wild in multiple U.S. states around the early 2010s.

Species the golden oysters pushed out

In our study, designed by Michelle Jusino and Mark Banik, research scientists with the U.S. Forest Service, our team went into forests around Madison, Wisconsin, and drilled into dead trees to collect wood shavings containing the natural fungal community within each tree. Some of the trees had golden oyster mushrooms on them, and some did not.

We then extracted DNA to identify and compare which fungi, and how many fungi, were in trees that had been invaded by golden oyster mushrooms compared with those that had not been.

We were startled to find that trees with golden oyster mushrooms housed only half as many fungal species as trees without golden oyster mushrooms, sometimes even less. We also found that the composition of fungi in trees with golden oyster mushrooms was different from trees without golden oyster mushrooms.

For example, the gentle green “mossy maze polypore” and the “elm oyster” mushroom were pushed out of trees invaded by golden oyster mushrooms.

Mossy maze polypore growing on a stump. This is one of the native species that disappeared from trees when the golden oyster mushroom moved in.
mauriziobiso/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Another ousted fungus, Nemania serpens, is known for producing diverse arrays of chemicals that differ even between individuals of the same species. Fungi are sources of revolutionary medicines, including antibiotics like penicillin, cholesterol medication and organ transplant stabilizers. The value of undiscovered, potentially useful chemicals can be lost when invasive species push others out.

The invasive species problem includes fungi

Given what my colleagues and I discovered, we believe it is time to include invasive fungi in the global conversation about invasive species and examine their role as a cause of biodiversity loss.

That conversation includes the idea of fungal “endemism” – that each place has a native fungal community that can be thrown out of balance. Native fungal communities tend to be diverse, having evolved together over thousands of years to coexist. Our research shows how invasive species can change the makeup of fungal communities by outcompeting native species, thus changing the fungal processes that have shaped native ecosystems.

There are many other invasive fungi. For example, the deadly poisonous “death cap” Amanita phalloides and the “orange ping-pong bat” Favolaschia calocera are invasive in North America. The classic red and white “fly agaric” Amanita muscaria is native to North America but invasive elsewhere.

The orange ping-pong bat mushroom is invasive in North America. These were photographed in New Zealand.
Bernard Spragg. NZ/Flickr Creative Commons

The golden oyster mushrooms’ invasion of North America should serve as a bright yellow warning that nonnative fungi are capable of rapid invasion and should be cultivated with caution, if at all.

Golden oyster mushrooms are now recognized as invasive in Switzerland and can be found in forests in Italy, Hungary, Serbia and Germany. I have been hearing about people attempting to cultivate them around the world, including in Turkey, India, Ecuador, Kenya, Italy and Portugal. It’s possible that golden oyster mushrooms may not be able to establish invasive populations in some regions. Continued research will help us understand the full scope of impacts invasive fungi can have.

What you can do to help

Mushroom growers, businesses and foragers around the world may be asking themselves, “What can we do about it?”

For the time being, I recommend that people consider refraining from using golden oyster mushroom grow kits to prevent any new introductions. For people who make a living selling these mushrooms, consider adding a note that this species is invasive and should be cultivated indoors and not composted.

If you enjoy growing mushrooms at home, try cultivating safe, native species that you have collected in your region.

Most mushrooms you see in the grocery store are grown indoors.

There is no single right answer. In some places, golden oyster mushrooms are being cultivated as a food source for impoverished communities, for income, or to process agricultural waste and produce food at the same time. Positives like these will have to be considered alongside the mushrooms’ negative impacts when developing management plans or legislation.

In the future, some ideas for solutions could involve sporeless strains of golden oysters for home kits that can’t spread, or a targeted mycovirus that could control the population. Increased awareness about responsible cultivation practices is important, because when invasive species move in and disrupt the native biodiversity, we all stand to lose the beautiful, colorful, weird fungi we see on walks in the forest.

Aishwarya Veerabahu receives funding from UW-Madison Dept. of Botany, the UW Arboretum, the Society of Ecological Restoration, and the Garden Club of America. Aishwarya Veerabahu was an employee of the USDA Forest Service.

– ref. The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi – https://theconversation.com/the-golden-oyster-mushroom-craze-unleashed-an-invasive-species-and-a-worrying-new-study-shows-its-harming-native-fungi-259006

MIL OSI –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Demand Answers on Trump Admin Re-Adding Medical Debt onto Credit Reports
US Senate News:
Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and 24 other Senators in pushing the Trump administration for answers regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025. The letter demands CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.

“On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the Senators said.

“Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.

At the conclusion of the letter, the Senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.

“On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the Senators closed.

Senator Luján has long worked to support Americans facing medical debt. In March 2024, Senator Luján called on CFPB Director Rohit Chopra to eliminate reporting of all medical debt in consumers’ credit reports. In November 2024, Senator Lujánintroduced the Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act to ease the burden on Americans forced into bankruptcy because of unforeseen medical expenses. Senator Luján continues to stand up in defense of New Mexicans by holding the CFPB under President Trump accountable.

In addition to Senators Heinrich, Lujan, Warnock, Warren, Schumer, and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

Read the full letter HERE, and the text is below

Dear Acting Director Vought,

On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.

Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stopped using medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.

Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.

Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.

In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.

Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:
- Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,
- Paying higher premiums for auto, homeowner’s and other types of insurance,
- Losing job opportunities as a result of credit reporting on background checks,
- Obstacles to starting small businesses because of challenges with securing loans,
- Paying more for everyday services such as household utilities or cell phone contracts
We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
MIL OSI USA News –
July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: What makes ‘great powers’ great? And how will they adapt to a multipolar world?

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College

When greats clash! In this case, in the 1974 film ‘Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.’ FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images

Many column inches have been dedicated to dissecting the “great power rivalry” currently playing out between China and the U.S.

But what makes a power “great” in the realm of international relations?

Unlike other states, great powers possess a capacity to shape not only their immediate surroundings but the global order itself – defining the rules, norms and structures that govern international politics. Historically, they have been seen as the architects of world systems, exercising influence far beyond their neighborhoods.

The notion of great powers came about to distinguish between the most and least powerful states. The concept gained currency after the 1648 Peace of Westphalia and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 – events in Europe that helped establish the notion of sovereign states and the international laws governing them.

Whereas the great powers of the previous eras – for example, the Roman Empire – sought to expand their territory at almost every turn and relied on military power to do so, the modern great power utilizes a complex tapestry of diplomatic pressure, economic leverage and the assertions of international law. The order emerging out of Westphalia enshrined the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, which allowed these powers to pursue a balance of power as codified by the Congress of Vienna based on negotiation as opposed to domination.

This transformation represented a momentous development in world politics: At least some portion of the legitimacy of a state’s control was now realized through its relationships and capacity to keep the peace, rather than resting solely on its ability to use force.

From great to ‘super’

Using their material capabilities – economic strength, military might and political influence – great powers have been able to project power across multiple regions and dictate the terms of international order.

In the 19th-century Concert of Europe, the great powers – Britain, France, Austria, Prussia and Russia – collectively managed European politics, balancing power to maintain stability. Their influence extended globally through imperial expansion, trade and the establishment of norms that reflected their priorities.

During the 20th century, the Cold War brought a stark distinction between great powers and other states. The U.S. and the Soviet Union, as the era’s two “superpowers,” dominated the international system, shaping it through a rivalry that encompassed military alliances, ideological competition and economic systems. Great powers in this context were not merely powerful states but the central actors defining the structure of global politics.

Toward a multipolar world

The post-Cold War period briefly ushered in a unipolar moment, with the U.S. as the sole great power capable of shaping the international system on a global scale.

This era was marked by the expansion of liberal internationalism, economic globalization and U.S.-led-and-constructed multilateralism.

However, the emergence of new centers of power, particularly China and to a lesser extent Russia, has brought the unipolar era to a close, ushering in a multipolar world where the distinctive nature of great powers is once again reshaped.

In this system, great powers are states with the material capabilities and strategic ambition to influence the global order as a whole.

And here they differ from regional powers, whose influence is largely confined to specific areas. Nations such as Turkey, India, Australia, Brazil and Japan are influential within their neighborhoods. But they lack the global reach of the U.S. or China to fundamentally alter the international system.

Instead, the roles of these regional powers is often defined by stabilizing their regions, addressing local challenges or acting as intermediaries in great power competition.

Challenging greatness

Yet the multipolar world presents unique challenges for today’s great powers. The diffusion of power means that no single great power can dominate the system as the U.S. did in the post-Cold War unipolar era.

Instead, today’s great powers must navigate complex dynamics, balancing competition with cooperation. For instance, the rivalry between Washington and Beijing is now a defining feature of global politics, spanning trade, technology, military strategy and ideological influence. Meanwhile, Russia’s efforts to maintain its great power status have resulted in more assertive, though regionally focused, actions that nonetheless have global implications.

Great powers must also contend with the constraints of interdependence. The interconnected nature of the global economy, the proliferation of advanced technologies and the rise of transnational challenges such as climate change and pandemics limit the ability of any one great power to unilaterally dictate outcomes. This reality forces great powers to prioritize their core interests while finding ways to manage global issues through cooperation, even amid intense competition.

As the world continues to adjust to multiple centers of power, the defining feature of great powers remains an unmatched capacity to project influence globally and define the parameters of the international order.

Whether through competition, cooperation or conflict, the actions of great powers will, I believe, continue to shape the trajectory of the global system, making their distinctiveness as central players in international relations more relevant than ever.

This article is part of a series explaining foreign policy terms commonly used but rarely explained.

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

– ref. What makes ‘great powers’ great? And how will they adapt to a multipolar world? – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-great-powers-great-and-how-will-they-adapt-to-a-multipolar-world-260969

MIL OSI –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Frankel Statement at the Subcommittee Markup of the 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Funding Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)

Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee’s markup of the fiscal year 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill:

-As Prepared For Delivery-

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Let me start by recognizing the collegiality of Chairman Diaz-Balart and the thoughtful members on both sides of the aisle. I also want to thank the dedicated committee staff—and my own team—for their hard work and guidance. But above all, I want to express my deep gratitude to the public servants who bring American values to life around the world—diplomats, development professionals, and humanitarian workers. They serve and served in some of the most dangerous and difficult places on earth. Many have recently been forced out of their jobs, dismissed without cause or ceremony. To those who’ve served and those still standing: You are patriots. You represent the best of who we are. And we owe you more than thanks—we owe you the tools to do your job.

With the right allocation and a White House that actually valued diplomacy, development, and humanitarianism, I believe we could have crafted a strong, bipartisan measure worthy of our nation’s leadership.

Instead, I rise in fierce opposition to the Republican FY26 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill—a reckless, shortsighted blueprint for American retreat.

It follows a deeply troubling pattern. The White House has illegally impounded foreign aid, dismantled USAID, gutted the State Department—all without input from Congress. More than ten thousand USAID staff were dismissed. Over 5,000 aid programs have been axed. Just last week, 1,300 State Department employees were let go. Entire offices eliminated.

And all of this in the middle of a global convergence of crises: armed conflicts, climate disasters, health emergencies, famine, mass migration, and rising authoritarianism.

This is not theoretical. These crises are slamming into us. When fragile states collapse, migration surges. When we cancel trade support, American farmers and manufacturers lose customers. When we fail to build climate resilience, homes and crops are washed away. When global health systems fail, disease reaches our shores. And when the U.S. pulls back, China and Russia are right there to take our place.

Worse still, our closest allies—pressured to increase military spending—are also cutting their foreign aid. So as global needs explode, the soft power of democratic nations is vanishing. And the vacuum left behind? It’s being filled by regimes that don’t share our values—or our interests.

This bill slashes international affairs funding by 22 percent—$13 billion in deep, devastating cuts.

It guts development and economic support: children pulled from classrooms and left without clean water; farmers cut off from tools that feed communities; young entrepreneurs abandoned, fueling extremism and instability; conflict prevention programs eliminated—so violence erupts unchecked; local organizations, our most trusted partners, shut down.

It cuts humanitarian assistance by 42 percent. That’s not just unwise—it’s inhumane: women and girls in conflict zones left without care after suffering horrific sexual violence; refugees denied shelter, medicine, hope; food rations slashed below survival levels in places like Syria, Sudan, Bangladesh; and millions of children dying from malnutrition.

This bill is cruel. It is cold. And it is not who we are.

And of course, Republicans couldn’t resist another attack on women—reviving the Global Gag Rule, gutting funding for the UN Population Fund, and shortchanging family planning programs that save lives and lift up communities.

This bill also abandons multilateral institutions like the United Nations and World Health Organization; it sidelines the U.S. from global decision-making; weakens our ability to promote peace and defend allies; forces partners into the arms of authoritarian regimes; and forfeits the power of burden-sharing through institutions like UNICEF, the World Bank, and the UN.

It’s putting China in charge of the world.

Let me be blunt: These cuts are not abstract. They are deadly.

In Nigeria, malnourished infants are dying because therapeutic food deliveries have stopped. In Myanmar, hospitals are shutting their doors in the middle of conflict. In The Gambia, programs to support survivors of female genital mutilation have been halted just as the country debates re-legalizing the practice. In Ukraine, wounded soldiers are going without care. In Afghanistan, pregnant women are being turned away from clinics. In Ecuador, women entrepreneurs—stripped of support—are being pushed toward our border.

This isn’t just a loss of aid. It’s a loss of American credibility. A loss of moral authority. A loss of global influence.

And it will cost us dearly.

Why should the American people care? Because when we fail to lead with compassion and common sense, the world becomes less stable, our troops face more danger, and we pay the price—again and again.

When we cut aid, we increase the risk of war. When we defund development, we undercut diplomacy. And when we turn our back on the world, we endanger our own.

I speak as the proud mother of a U.S. Marine veteran. I know what happens when diplomacy fails. When we fail to prevent conflict with education, aid, and engagement, the burden falls on the Pentagon—and on families whose loved ones serve our military.

Let’s remember: The entire international affairs budget has typically been less than one percent of federal spending. But it delivers exponential returns for our safety, prosperity, and moral standing.

These programs give youth an alternative to violence. They build markets for American goods. They prevent wars. They reduce migration pressures. They keep our troops home.

This bill—sadly—is a missed opportunity. A failure to lead. A failure to invest in the power of peace, progress, and partnership.

But let me end with this: Democrats are not giving up. We stand ready to work with our Republican colleagues—to fight for a bill that reflects our values, honors our commitments, and protects American lives.

A sustained path to a safer, stronger, and more prosperous nation cannot be built on isolation and threats.

Because we cannot bomb our way to peace. We cannot drone our way to stability. And we cannot retreat our way to safety.

A strong America leads—not with fear, but with courage.

Not by pulling back, but by reaching out.

And that’s the bill we should all fight for.

Thank you. I yield back.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien from Mexico and Straw Purchaser from Fort Worth Charged with Unlawfully Acquiring Two Gas-Operated Rifles

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

An illegal alien from Mexico and a Fort Worth man were indicted for falsely acquiring two firearms from licensed firearms dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

Illegal alien Oscar Guadalupe Cruz Gonzalez, 28, and U.S. citizen Jose Juan Flores, 45, of Fort Worth, were charged by indictment on March 18, 2025, with Conspiracy to Make False Statements to a Licensed Firearms Dealer, and two counts of Acquiring a Firearm from Licensed Firearms Dealers by False or Fictitious Statement. Cruz Gonzalez was also charged with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. The defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judges on July 3 and July 7, respectively.

According to the indictment, in January 2023 and March 2023, Cruz Gonzalez paid Flores a combined total of approximately $2,500 to acquire two semi-automatic gas-operated rifles from two separate licensed firearms dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Each rifle had the ability to be belt-fed ammunition. Cruz Gonzalez supplied Flores with the funds to purchase both guns, more than $10,000 for the first rifle and over $15,000 for the second. Flores allegedly purchased the two firearms knowing he was going to transfer them to Cruz Gonzalez. To conceal this intended transfer when purchasing each rifle, Flores made false statements on the required ATF Form, stating that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. After purchasing the first rifle, Flores gave the rifle to Cruz Gonzalez, who was an illegal alien. In the United States, it is a federal offense for an illegal alien to knowingly possess a firearm.

“A straw purchase means that someone bought a firearm for a person who they knew could not legally purchase one,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “Here, as we allege in the indictment, Flores used a significant amount of money to purchase two firearms for an illegal alien from Mexico. This type of crime flouts our gun laws, which are designed to ensure safe, lawful purchases of firearms by U.S. citizens. This will not be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas.”

“Straw purchasing is a federal crime that undermines the integrity of our nation’s firearm laws and enables dangerous individuals to obtain weapons they are prohibited from possessing,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “This case highlights the importance of our partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies to identify and stop illegal firearm trafficking before it results in violence.”

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Cruz Gonzalez and Flores are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers is prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

July 17, 2025

Category: Latin America

From Petty Officer 2nd Class Alfredo Marron – U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet

Tariff rate quotas

Melt and Pour Tariffs

Strategic Innovation Fund

Labour Market Development Agreements

Regional Tariff Response Initiative

Large Enterprise Tariff Loan Facility

Procurement

Pivot to Grow

A sustainability conundrum

A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate

When climate promises become greenwashing

Finding practical solutions

How fans can cut their environmental footprint

The dark side of the mushroom trade

Species the golden oysters pushed out

The invasive species problem includes fungi

What you can do to help

From great to ‘super’

Toward a multipolar world

Challenging greatness