NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI Global: What does the US public think about sending troops to foreign wars? Here’s what the evidence shows

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of Portsmouth

    The US public’s commitment to sending its sons and daughters to war has declined in recent years. Polls suggest that US involvement in modern conflicts is more likely to be viewed as mistaken than in the early and middle parts of the 20th century. Today, around 47% of Americans consider the Iraq war a mistake, and 43% feel the same about the war in Afghanistan.

    Recent announcements by the US president, Donald Trump, about the possibility of using US forces as part of his Gaza strategy is unlikely to improve those figures.

    On February 4, Trump proposed that the US effectively take control of the Gaza Strip and rebuild the area into what he has called the riviera of the Middle East.

    When he was asked at a press conference whether he would be willing to use US troops to secure the region, Trump answered that “as far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that. We’re going to take over that piece that we’re going to develop it”.

    Trump walked back on that initial claim of the use of military personnel just days later, stating that the US military force would be unnecessary. “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” adding that “No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!” But others have suggested a US military presence would have to be involved.

    Putting US troops on the ground would fly in the face of current American public opinion. In a survey taken on February 12, only a quarter of those polled supported the prospect of US troops being sent to the region, and just over half (52%) of Republicans disapproved of the plan.

    Less than 25% of Americans supported the US taking ownership of the Gaza Strip, while 62% showed opposition to it. Less than half (46%) of Republican voters polled expressed support while only 10% of Democrats showed any kind of enthusiasm for the initiative, according to the poll.

    Of those polled, the majority said they opposed all of Trump’s plans to expand US-controlled territory, whether that was the Panama Canal, Greenland, Canada, or Gaza.

    The lack of support from the US public in deploying troops overseas has been constant since the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 – and the American public appears to be questioning US military involvement in world affairs more generally.

    In a poll taken by foreign policy thinktank Defense Priorities in February 2024, 56% of respondents were “very worried” or “somewhat worried” that the presence of US troops in Syria could escalate into a broader conflict in the region. Of those that opposed a US military presence in Syria, 66% felt that it was a waste of resources.

    And just last September, a Pew Research Center poll revealed that 75% of those polled were worried about the Israel-Hamas conflict expanding in the region and US troops becoming more directly involved.

    Recruitment ad for the US Marines.

    This lack of public support for US military involvement abroad, as well as the poor recent record of recruitment into the military, may be informing Trump’s negotiations in both Gaza, and over the Ukraine war.



    Read more:
    US kicks off debate on conscription as other Nato members introduce drafts

    While the US public shows high levels of respect for those who serve in the military, around 80% of American teenagers are not interested in military service, while 55% of adults and 67% of parents are not likely to recommend it as a career to teenagers.

    The US has tried numerous recent initiatives, including offering substantial bonuses to entice recruits to join up, but without much success. The army, navy and air force all failed to reach their target recruitment numbers in 2023.

    This week Trump opened early discussions with Vladimir Putin, and latterly Kyiv, over proposals for a Ukraine peace deal. In a meeting with European defense ministers in Brussels on February 12, the new US defense secretary Pete Hegseth ruled out the participation of US troops in any peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, although in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on February 13 vice-president JD Vance did not rule out using the military.

    Hegseth also said that the US was planning to pull back from its role in European security, sparking high levels of concern from many European leaders.

    Some Republican senators have not been particularly supportive of Trump’s Ukraine proposals, especially those that have backed Ukraine over the last three years.

    In an interview, Senate armed services chair, Roger Wicker, said that “there are good guys and bad guys in this war, and the Russians are the bad guys. They invaded, contrary to almost every international law, and they should be defeated. And Ukraine is entitled to the promises that the world made to it.” Republican Senator Mike Rounds joined Wicker in demanding that: “Russia be recognised for the aggressor that they are.”

    There’s a similar level of concern on Trump’s Gaza plan – even from Trump’s close allies in the party. Rand Paul, the libertarian senator for Kentucky, suggested this idea flew in the face of Trump’s foreign policy proposals espoused during the campaign.

    “I thought we voted for America First. We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers’ blood,” he wrote on X.

    It is unlikely that the majority of Republican voters would be supportive of Trump’s Gaza initiative (or sending troops to Ukraine). This is partly because of the demands that it would make on the federal government – but also because of the necessity of using armed forces to implement it.

    Trump’s recent controversial executive orders have barely damaged his early job approval ratings. But the deployment of armed forces to Gaza or Ukraine runs counter to a long-term significant decline in public support for US overseas military intervention and that might be a step too far for many voters.

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

    – ref. What does the US public think about sending troops to foreign wars? Here’s what the evidence shows – https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-us-public-think-about-sending-troops-to-foreign-wars-heres-what-the-evidence-shows-249419

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Researchers Tracking Change in Precious Ecosystems

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Primary forests, or old-growth forests as they are sometimes called, are epicenters of rich biodiversity, are more resilient than younger forests, and store significantly more carbon than their younger counterparts, to name just a few of the vital roles of these essential and irreplaceable ecosystems. The preservation of primary forests is the focus of global conservation efforts.

    The UConn Global Environmental Remote Sensing (GERS) Lab has developed a new remote sensing method to continuously monitor primary forest loss and determine what factors are driving that loss. Their findings are published in Remote Sensing of Environment.

    Lead author and Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Ph.D. student Falu Hong says that they focused on these key habitats on the island of Hispaniola, which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic, using satellite images from the years 1996-2022.

    “We used a satellite time series to track primary forest loss, and we focused on these two countries because they have experienced significant primary forest loss and because they are ignored in previous studies, especially Haiti, which is one of the hotspots of biodiversity loss,” says Hong. “We analyzed the forest loss over 27 years of land cover change, which has not been done in previous studies.”

    The researchers analyzed multiple dimensions of forest loss, including the primary forest inside and outside of protected areas and the drivers of forest loss. They applied a method called the COtinuous monitoring of Land Disturbance algorithm (COLD) and remote sensing data from Landsat to create a map of the primary forest loss.

    Ji Won Suh, a postdoctoral researcher in the GERS lab, says this study showcases the power of using Landsat time series data.

    “So few studies focus on primary forests because it is very difficult to map them using remote sensing signals. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate a secondary forest or regenerated forest from a primary forest, but this study successfully classified those primary forests using a random forest machine learning model.”

    Suh says the accuracy of the map was verified by their collaborator and co-author S. Blair Hedges from Temple University, who is an expert on primary forests on Hispaniola Island.

    “Another unique part of this study is we created a primary forest map over time,” Suh says. “Usually other studies just focused on a one-time event. We can track the loss of primary forests over many years. Our study is a way where we can map the trajectory of loss as it happens and we can analyze why those losses happen.”

    They found the main drivers of primary forest loss in Haiti are fire, which caused around 65% of the observed losses, followed by logging which accounted for about 20% of the primary forest loss, and around 10% of the forest loss was attributed to hurricane damage.

    “We found that in 2016, Hurricane Matthew destroyed around 12% of the primary forest in Haiti, just in one year,” says Hong. “That’s a huge amount of loss. With our map we can visualize the primary forest change and analyze the drivers causing that change. We can also analyze forest fragmentation. Usually, primary forests are homogeneous, but activities like construction or logging result in the forest becoming more and more fragmented. We quantified the fragmentation level of the primary forest which could give good insight into biodiversity conservation and preservation.”

    They also found that primary forest fragmentation is more pronounced in Haiti, where patches of primary forest are smaller and less numerous. Primary forests in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located on steep terrain, indicating that primary forests located in flatter and more accessible areas are prone to development and forest destruction.

    This paper is the first step in a larger project, says Hong, where the next steps are to begin expanding the mapping across the Caribbean region to evaluate the impact of primary forest loss on biodiversity change.

    GERS Lab Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Zhe Zhu says that as primary forests have the lion’s share of biodiversity, many of the species living there are also endangered, so the preservation of these irreplaceable ecosystems is paramount. Having a reliable method to map primary forests accurately will help in the effort,

    “One thing I want to emphasize about this work is that it is very difficult to identify between different forests like primary dry forests, primary wet forests, and secondary forests, for example. A primary forest may look very similar if the secondary forest is old enough. You can have very subtle human disturbances causing it to no longer be a primary forest. You need to know the driver and how severe the drivers are. You also need to know the resilience of the trees.”

    This work is supported by a $2 million NSF grant with the goal of linking remote sensing to track biodiversity through time.

    “We are treating remote sensing as a time machine to backward and forward to forecast future impacts on biodiversity. It is a very fun project that a lot of us in the GERS lab are working on,” says Zhu.

    Tracking the impacts on biodiversity and the drivers of change is important for conservation and policymaking, and studies like this can yield surprising results and insights into what needs to happen to preserve vital ecosystems like primary forests.

    This work was supported by a grant from the NSF Biodiversity on a Changing Planet (BoCP) program (2326013 and 2326014).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New Permanent Representative of Haiti Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    Ann-Kathryne Lassegue, the new Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    Prior to her appointment, Ms. Lassegue had been serving as Head of Mission a.i. at the Permanent Mission of Haiti to the United Nations Office in Geneva since June 2024, and prior to that, as Minister Counsellor at the Mission since 2021.  She served as Head of Mission a.i. at the Embassy of Haiti in Canada from 2020 to 2021, and as Minister Counsellor from 2014 to 2021.  She served as Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Haiti in Benin from 2012 to 2014.

    Ms. Lassegue holds a master’s degree in international development and globalization from the University of Ottowa (2021) and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of New York (2010), as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science from Queens College of New York (2008) and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Bordeaux (2005).  She is married with two children.

    ____

    CR.25.052E

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the information media; not an official record.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Munich Security Conference: G7 foreign ministers’ statement, February 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    G7 foreign ministers and the EU gave a joint statement on the margins of the Munich Security Conference on 15 February 2025.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy with G7 foreign ministers and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas at the Munich Security Conference.

    Joint statement:

    The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, met on the margins of the Munich Security Conference for the first time under Canada’s 2025 Presidency.

    The G7 members discussed Russia’s devastating war in Ukraine.  They underscored their commitment to work together to help to achieve a durable peace and a strong and prosperous Ukraine and reaffirmed the need to develop robust security guarantees to ensure the war will not begin again.  

    The G7 members welcomed their discussion today with Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.  They recalled the G7’s important contribution towards ending the war in Ukraine, including through measures pursuant to the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, by supporting Ukraine financially through the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from Russian Sovereign Assets, by imposing further cost on Russia, if they do not negotiate in good faith, through caps on oil and gas prices, and by making sanctions against Russia more effective. Any new, additional sanctions after February should be linked to whether the Russian Federation enters into real, good-faith efforts to bring an enduring end to the war against Ukraine that provides Ukraine with long-term security and stability as a sovereign, independent country.  The G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

    The G7 members discussed the provision to Russia of dual-use assistance by China and of military assistance by DPRK and Iran.  They condemned all such support.

    The G7 members discussed political, security and humanitarian issues in the Middle East, including in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, and their commitment to advancing regional peace and stability.  They underscored the importance of a durable, Israeli-Palestinian peace.  They reaffirmed their support for the full implementation of the ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas, including for the release of all hostages and the expansion of humanitarian aid in Gaza.  The G7 members stand behind the ongoing efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States in continuing to work towards a permanent ceasefire.  They reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and the need to ensure that Hamas neither reconstitutes militarily nor participates in governance.  They recognized Israel’s inherent right to self-defence, consistent with international law. 

    The G7 members welcomed the outcomes of the International Conference on Syria, hosted by France on February 13, 2025.  They reiterated their shared commitment to the people of Syria and their support for an inclusive political transition process, in the spirit of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.  They welcomed, as well, positive developments in Lebanon, including the recent election of President Joseph Aoun, the designation of Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister, and the formation of a new government.  The G7 members reaffirmed their commitment to both countries’ stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

    The G7 members unequivocally condemned Iran’s destabilizing actions, including its rapid advancement of uranium enrichment without credible civil justification, its facilitation of terrorism organizations and armed groups across the Middle East and Red Sea, its proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and its transnational repression and violation of fundamental human rights.

    The G7 members reiterated their commitment to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region, grounded in respect for the rule of law and sovereignty.  They strongly opposed any attempts to change unilaterally the status quo using force and underscored the importance of resolving disputes peacefully.  They strongly opposed China’s attempts to restrict freedom of navigation through militarization and coercive activities in the East and South China Sea. 

    The G7 members expressed serious concern over the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They demanded that the DPRK abandon all its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). They underscored that direct DPRK support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine marks a dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security. They urged the DPRK to cease immediately all assistance for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including by withdrawing its troops. The called upon DPRK to resolve the abductions issue immediately.

    The G7 members also discussed urgent situations of conflict and instability elsewhere in the world, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan, and in Haiti and Venezuela.

    The G7 Foreign Ministers looked forward to their meeting in Canada in Charlevoix, Quebec on March 12-14.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Launches Global Graduate Program to Cultivate the Next Generation of Web3 Talent

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Feb. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, announced the launch of its first Bitget Graduate Program, an initiative designed to recruit and cultivate the next generation of blockchain and Web3 talent from top global universities. As part of Bitget’s Blockchain4Youth Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, this program aligns with the company’s plans of driving education, innovation, and long-term growth in the blockchain industry.

    The Bitget Graduate Program seeks outstanding graduates with a global mindset, a passion for innovation, and a strong drive to explore the future of Web3. The program provides career opportunities across various fields, including operations, product management, marketing, risk & compliance, data management, and engineering, enabling participants to gain hands-on experience in one of the fastest-growing sectors.

    Applications are now open on the Bitget official website and will remain available until March 15, 2025. Successful candidates will receive offer letters to join Bitget, with the earliest start date being April 1. Through this program, Bitget plans to hire around 30 exceptional graduates, offering them a structured development program, cross-functional training, and direct mentorship from industry experts. Participants will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge blockchain projects and contribute to expanding Web3 applications.

    “At Bitget, we believe the future of Web3 lies in the hands of the next generation,” said Vugar Usi Zade, Chief Operating Officer at Bitget. “The Graduate Program is designed to bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity, providing young professionals with a direct pathway to immerse themselves in the blockchain industry. As Web3 adoption accelerates, we are committed to equipping future leaders with the skills and experiences they need to shape the decentralized world.”

    Bitget offers a dynamic and diverse workplace, with over 1,800 employees from over 60 countries and a culture that values efficiency, innovation, and collaboration. The program offers competitive compensation, clear career development pathways, and growth opportunities within Bitget.

    Launched in May 2023, Blockchain4Youth aligns with Bitget’s commitment to inspiring the next generation to embrace blockchain. With a $10 million pledge over five years, the initiative offers courses, hackathons, and scholarships. By the end of 2024, Bitget had entered over 60 universities, including  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University College London (UCL), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, National Technological University of Argentina, National Taiwan University, and RMIT University, hosting nearly 100 talks and reaching over 13,000 students.

    For more details on the Bitget Graduate Program and application process, visit this link.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships,  such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM market, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices may fluctuate and experience price volatility. Only invest what you can afford to lose. The value of your investment may be impacted and it is possible that you may not achieve your financial goals or be able to recover your principal investment. You should always seek independent financial advice and consider your own financial experience and financial standing. Past performance is not a reliable measure of future performance. Bitget shall not be liable for any losses you may incur. Nothing here shall be construed as financial advice.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4b8e4841-98ea-487c-b176-1a3359695920

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Xiamen exports over 30 mln e-commerce parcels via air route to Sao Paulo

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

    China’s Xiamen exports over 30 mln e-commerce parcels via air route to Sao Paulo

    Updated: February 17, 2025 15:58 Xinhua

    China’s Xiamen has exported over 30 million cross-border e-commerce parcels since an air cargo route linking it with Sao Paulo in Brazil was launched two years ago.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular – P10_TA(2025)0017 – Thursday, 13 February 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Nicaragua,

    –  having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas since 2018, the Nicaraguan regime has systematically, repeatedly and arbitrarily persecuted human rights defenders (HRDs), opposition and religious representatives, among others; whereas over 5 600 NGOs have been dissolved, including religious groups – mainly Catholic – and their assets confiscated;

    B.  whereas imprisoned political opponents, along with HRDs, have been expelled from the country, stripped of their nationality and deprived of their political rights; whereas since 2018, 245 members of the clergy have been arbitrarily arrested or expelled, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez, Sakharov Prize finalist;

    C.  whereas in January 2025, the regime passed a constitutional reform that eliminates the separation of powers and political pluralism, establishing an Ortega-Murillo co-presidency that controls all branches of government, independent institutions and the media, and ignores adherence to international human rights conventions and treaties;

    1.  Strongly condemns the Ortega-Murillo regime’s widespread, systemic human rights violations against its population, democratic opposition, students, civil society organisations (CSOs) and its persecution of religious leaders, primarily Catholic; urges the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained, and the restoration of the rule of law and the legal status of all organisations, freedoms and the rights of exiled individuals, including their safe return; insists that these are essential conditions for any prospect of meaningful dialogue;

    2.  Denounces the use of statelessness and exile as a weapon against dissenting voices; reiterates the need to end restrictions on civic space and to respect the right to dissent;

    3.  Calls on the Ortega-Murillo regime to reverse its constitutional reform and all repressive laws institutionalising totalitarianism, to fully respect its international human rights obligations, and to implement the recommendations made by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua; calls for its mandate to be extended;

    4.  Calls for the EU to include specific guarantees of human rights compliance when allocating EU funds, including through multilateral and financial institutions, and to ensure that the funds do not contribute to strengthening the Ortega-Murillo regime;

    5.  Highlights the key role played by CSOs, HRDs, the Catholic Church and journalists in Nicaragua; calls for the EU to reinforce its regular dialogue with them, including those in exile, to support their vital work, as well as countries receiving migrants fleeing Nicaragua, such as Costa Rica;

    6.  Calls on the Member States, in accordance with the Rome Statute, to open investigations through the International Criminal Court into the Ortega-Murillo regime for crimes against humanity;

    7.  Reiterates its demand that the democratic clause of the EU Association Agreement be triggered; rejects any prospect of holding any parliamentary dialogue with members of Nicaragua’s regime-controlled National Assembly;

    8.  Reiterates its call to expand the list of sanctioned individuals to include Ortega, Rosario Murillo and their inner circle;

    9.  Calls for the immediate extradition of Alessio Casimirri to Italy;

    10.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, the VP/HR, the Member States and the Nicaraguan authorities.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: This Week at Interior February 14, 2025

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    This Week: President Trump signs an Executive Order officially renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America; the Bureau of Land Management says the federal grazing fee for 2025 will remain the same as last year; cold temperatures off the coast of Florida send U.S. Geological Survey scientists and volunteers into rescue mode; The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service marks a milestone; this Monday is a “fee free” day at a public lands site near you; and we’re showing a little Valentine’s Day love for the great outdoors in our social media Picture of the Week! Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X!

    http:/www.facebook.com/usinterior
    http:/www.instagram.com/usinterior
    http:/www.x.com/Interior

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kma6ty9Uzxs

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Breathing Threads : Fashion Show at Bharat Tex 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 16 FEB 2025 12:37PM by PIB Delhi

    The office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms Ministry of Textiles, Government of India organized a fashion event titled “Breathing Threads” to feel the pulse of craftsmanship, to honour a living legacy, to witness the timeless elegance of Indian handlooms in modern silhouettes.

    The event was organized at amphitheatre in Bharat Mandapam on the sidelines of Bharat Tex 2025 in association with Vaishali S Couture, Vaishali S Threadstories Private Limited, Mumbai and in coordination with Handloom Export Promotion Council.Vaishali S Couture is a 24-year-old brand dedicated to reviving old and dying hand weaving techniques and bringing them to the top global luxury stages by inserting innovation, creativity, and a very high level of quality.

    The beauty of Handloom and the mission of the brand is also its sustainability and zero waste strategy, in line with what are the living habits of Indian villages.

    The Indian hand-woven textiles are the untapped wealth of the country, and it is just a question of showcasing them in a more modern and global language that will set them back to the most admired luxury fashion stages around the globe.

    The show carried fabrics woven in the villages from 5 different states viz. West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka & Rajasthan and 20 models in 30 looks showcased these weaves, draped in 7 different weaving techniques: Chanderi, Maheshwari, Jamdani, Khun, Benarasi, Kota Doria, Murshidabad. Each weave was creatively embellished with unique textures and cording.

    The show was the testament of how much skill and hard work, together with creativity is needed to make a hand-woven fabric, and at the same time how a craft can be elevated to being one of the global luxury brands.

    The show was a great success and demonstration of the power of Indian heritage textiles when given a global language, to the mesmerised eyes of buyers from overseas countries such as Australia, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Chile etc. besides the stake holders of Indian textile industry with the unwavering support of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms, the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.

    ***

    Dhanya Sanal K

    (Release ID: 2103763) Visitor Counter : 13

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CDS Gen Anil Chauhan concludes a significant visit to Aero India 2025, boosting India’s strategic defence partnerships and capability development

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 5:50PM by PIB Delhi

    Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan held multiple high-level engagements at Aero India 2025, demonstrating India’s willingness to forge strategic defence partnerships. Key interactions included meetings with General Kevin B Schneider, Commander Pacific Air Force (USA), Lord Vernon Coaker , Minister of State it’s f Defence (UK) and Air Vice Marshal Suraya Marshall (UK), Lt Gen Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi (UAE), Maj Gen Duong Van Yen (Vietnam), Maj Gen Ro Jone Kalouniwai Logavatu (Fiji), General Paul Velentino Phiri (Malawi), Lt Gen Salum Haji Othman (Tanzania) and Vice Admiral Exon Oswaldo Ascencio Albeno (El Salvador). The discussions centered on enhanced military cooperation, capacity building, and strategic partnerships in the defence sector.

    The CDS engaged extensively with global defence industry leaders, conducting strategic discussions with executives from major aerospace companies including Saab AB, Airbus, Israel Aerospace Industries, BAE Systems, Dassault Aviation, and Rolls Royce. These interactions centered on indigenous manufacturing, technology transfer, and the development of niche capabilities under India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

    General Chauhan also visited various defence pavilions, engaging with both Indian and foreign defence equipment manufacturers, MSMEs, and startups. He witnessed impressive displays of military aircraft from friendly foreign countries and received comprehensive briefings on the capability and performance parameters, including the F-35 from the USA, MRTT from Germany, A400 from Spain, SU-57 from Russia and H125 from France, underlining India’s commitment to fostering international defence collaboration while strengthening domestic capabilities.

    In a notable development, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh had unveiled a landmark document on ‘Network Centric Multi Domain Operations’ in the presence of key military leadership. This pivotal document, created by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff , outlines the roadmap for preparing the Indian Armed Forces for future warfare, emphasizing decision superiority in an increasingly data-centric environment amidst rapidly evolving military technologies.

    The visit of General Chanegriha Said, Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Staff of Algeria’s People’s National Army, marked a significant milestone in Indo-Algerian defence relations. During his comprehensive tour of India’s vital defence establishments and industrial complexes, General Chanegriha expressed strong satisfaction with the similarities in military traditions and cultures between both nations, setting the stage for enhanced military cooperation and defence modernization initiatives.

    Aero India 2025 has emerged as a landmark event in India’s defence ecosystem, showcasing the nation’s growing stature as both a significant market and an emerging producer of defence technology. The unprecedented participation of military leaders from diverse nations, coupled with engagements with global defence industry giants, underscores India’s pivotal role in shaping international defence partnerships. The exhibition’s success not only highlights India’s commitment to achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing but also positions the country as a reliable partner for joint development and production of advanced military systems, marking a significant step toward realizing the vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World.’

    ***

    SR/Anand

    (Release ID: 2103572) Visitor Counter : 7

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES), IEIC and WinZO launch the Tech Triumph Season 3 to showcase India’s gaming innovation at global platforms

    Source: Government of India

    World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES), IEIC and WinZO launch the Tech Triumph Season 3 to showcase India’s gaming innovation at global platforms

    Win in Tech Triumph Season 3, the Nation’s biggest gaming competition, and get a chance to showcase your talent at the Game Developers Conference 2025 in San Francisco from March 17-21

    WAVES offers a golden opportunity: Submit your form by February 20, registrations closing soon, don’t miss your chance

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 5:32PM by PIB Delhi

    Aspiring to build a career in the gaming industry but struggling with the right platform and funding? The World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) offers Tech Triumph Season 3 an incredible opportunity to showcase your talent, whether you’re in India or abroad! Open to both domestic and international participants, this challenge now has an extended application deadline of February 20, 2025.

    Winners of the country’s largest gaming competition will get a chance to showcase their product, IP and technology at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025 in San Francisco from March 17th to 21st, and later at WAVES in India on a fully sponsored basis.

    Tech Triupmh Program

     The Tech Triumph Program (TTP), has been launched by the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC) in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) as part of the Create in India Challenge Season – 1. In the run-up to the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES), this Challenge will identify, recognize, and showcase India’s gaming talent at the international platform of WAVES and India Pavilion at the Game Developer Conference, 2025.

    Over 1,000 Already Registered as Tech Triumph Season 3, India’s gaming ecosystem is set to make a lasting impact on the international stage, advancing the nation’s ambitions for a dynamic and globally recognized ‘Made in India’ tech industry.

    This initiative aligns with India’s vision of becoming a global powerhouse in gaming technology and intellectual property, bolstered by the growth of India’s AVGC and (Extended Reality) XR sectors, which now contribute significantly to the economy. According to a FICCI-EY report, digital and online gaming grew the most within the Indian media sector.

    For more information please visit: https://www.thetechtriumph.com/

     Stages of the contest

    1. Feb 20, 2025 – Game Submission
      Register for the contest
    2. Feb 23, 2025 – Expert Evaluation
      Shortlisted candidates pitch to the jury
    3. Feb 28, 2025 – Grand Finale
      Result declaration
    4. March 5, 2025 – Gearing Up for Events
      Prepare with us for global showcase

    Eligibility Criteria

    Open to all entities or individuals within the interactive entertainment ecosystem, including developers, studios, startups, and tech companies focused on PC, console, and mobile games, alongside gaming-related technologies. Participants can be at any stage of development but must have at least a working prototype.

    Gaming studios and Esports – Individual Developers, studios, Indie startups creating games (pc/mobile/console) and entities involved in esports, including event production and talent management, esports clubs and esports influencers.

    Business of Gaming – Businesses developing solutions for functions critical for gaming companies: payments, security, live ops, engagement, distribution, monetization, localization, quality assurance, legal and financial services.

    How to Participate

    Step 1: Game Submission: Initiate your journey by submitting your game through the contest form available on the official contest website.

    Step 2: Expert Evaluation: Our esteemed panel of experts will meticulously review all submissions, shortlisting the finest entries for the pitching round. Following the pitches, the final results will be unveiled by the distinguished jury.

    Step 3: Gearing Up for Events: Upon announcement of the winners, our organizers will promptly get in touch to guide and assist them in gearing up for their prominent showcase at the events.

    About different seasons of Tech Triumph

    The Tech Triumph is a contest to identify and empower the top gaming and interactive entertainment innovators.

    THE TECH TRIUMPH: BHARAT SEASON 3

    TTT Bharat Season 3 aims to make India grow as a leader in tech on the world stage by providing opportunities to innovators to present at global platforms. TTT focuses on fostering cutting-edge innovations, offering participants a platform to showcase their technologies at the global stage.

    THE TECH TRIUMPH: BHARAT SEASON 2

    Season 2 of The Tech Triumph Bharat, offered developers a platform to showcase Bharat’s evolving gaming ecosystem at the India Pavilion during Gamescom LATAM 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil.

    THE TECH TRIUMPH: BHARAT SEASON 1

    Season 1 of Bharat Tech Triumph, a collaboration between WinZO and IGDC, provided developers with a stage to present Bharat’s thriving gaming landscape at GDC 2024 in San Francisco, USA.

    TTP Winners Shine on Global Stages

    In past editions, TTP by WinZO & IEIC has empowered 10 winners to showcase their games at prestigious global events like GDC 2024 (India Pavilion), Gamescom (Germany & Brazil) and the Brazil Gaming Show. With guidance from top industry and government leaders—including former Secretary to the Government of India Rohit Kumar Singh, Ambassador to Brazil Suresh K Reddy, Info Edge co-founder Sanjeev Bhikchandani, and Kalaari Capital MD Rajesh Raju participants have gained invaluable mentorship and the opportunity to shine on an international stage.

    What is the Game Developers Conference (GDC)

    The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the world’s premier event for developers who make the games we love. GDC is the destination for creativity, innovation, and excellence.

    Over the past 30 years, GDC has brought thousands of developers together to learn, grow, and connect. Whether you’re a game developer, industry leader, or company looking to grow your reach and realize your potential, GDC is the place for you.

    ***

    Dharmendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

    (Release ID: 2103564) Visitor Counter : 18

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China remains constructive force in changing world

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) concluded on Sunday. In interviews with Xinhua, Chinese experts attending the MSC said the event addressed numerous emerging global uncertainties, while China reaffirmed its commitment to being a constructive force in a changing world.

    A security report was released ahead of the conference with a focus on multipolarization and its U.S. section noted that the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump “promises more selective, often unilateral, international engagement, only when narrowly construed US interests are at stake.”

    And it also stated that the administration’s “toying with the idea of coercively absorbing Greenland, Panama, and Canada” suggests it will not feel bound by key international norms.

    Wang Junsheng, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the key focus of the conference was the uncertainties stemming from the Trump administration. He said the administration’s past statements and acts have indicated a disrespect for international order and a disruption of the existing international system.

    The report stated that the Trump administration’s indifference toward United Nations’ agencies and climate change will negatively impact the Global South countries.

    Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, said the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization not only undermined the authority and effectiveness of the global governance system but also dampened the momentum for multilateral cooperation. This, he argued, has deepened the fragmentation of the international order and hastened the world’s shift toward a more disordered state.

    During his speech at the MSC, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized European countries, including Germany, on issues concerning democracy and immigration. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday criticized Vance for interfering in German politics. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday emphasized that Europe would not accept external imposition.

    Wang Junsheng said Vance’s speech was condescending, undermining the principle of equal exchanges between nations. He added that Vance’s blatant interference in Germany’s internal affairs violates other’s sovereignty and reflects unilateralism, which could provoke diplomatic tensions.

    Xiao Qian, deputy head of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said Vance’s speech failed to address issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tariffs, disregarding the concerns of countries in Europe and beyond. European officials and scholars have expressed deep disappointment.

    Wang Junsheng said the Russia-Ukraine conflict remained a key issue at this year’s MSC. While the Trump administration has been pursuing a negotiated resolution, widespread concerns persist in Europe regarding the fairness and justice of the U.S. proposal, its potential to achieve lasting peace, and whether it primarily serves American interests.

    With regard to U.S. wielding the big stick of tariffs, Wang Yiwei said this move has undermined the global free trade regime and World Trade Organization rules, fueled trade protectionism and economic nationalism, disrupted global supply chains, and heightened uncertainties in the development of world economy.

    Addressing the “China in the World” session of the MSC, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged that China will remain a global stabilizing factor and a constructive force in the transformation of the world. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, elaborated on China’s four key views regarding multipolarity, including advocating equality among nations, respecting the rule of international law, practicing multilateralism, and upholding openness and win-win cooperation.

    The Chinese experts said Wang’s speech addressed concerns of all parties and provided the greatest certainty in this uncertain world. China’s proposal to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world was widely discussed and received high praise from attendees.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Al Ula conference For Emerging Market Economies

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    THE MANAGING DIRECTOR’S OPENING REMARKS
    Sunday, February 16, 2025, 9:30-9:45 a.m.
    Maraya Conference Hall, Al Ula, Saudi Arabia

    February 16, 2025

    Al salam Alaikum! Hello everyone and welcome!

    Let me start by thanking Minister Aljadaan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting us in beautiful Al Ula. I also want to express my deep appreciation for Minister Aljadaan’s role as chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), where his leadership is critical to the work and effectiveness of  our institution.

    Minister Aljadaan not only identified a gap in terms of space for emerging markets to discuss policy issues of common interest but decided to close it — and I am delighted that the IMF’s new Regional Office in Riyadh, supported by Saudi Arabia, has played a very important role in turning Minister Aljadaan’s vision into a reality. Here we see an impressive gathering of representatives from all around the world, with one objective: to identify issues that emerging markets face and how they can best address them.

    Now is a time of sweeping transformations in the global economy, in terms of technology, demography and geopolitics, creating a more challenging and uncertain environment for policymakers everywhere, with some specificities in terms of both risks and opportunities for emerging economies.

    We know, for instance, that trade is no longer the engine of growth that it used to be—unlike the decades of the 1990s and 2000s when global trade grew much faster than global GDP, the two are now growing at roughly the same rate (and trade even lags behind). When global trade slows down, opportunities for regional and cross-regional trade become more important.

    We also know that governments around the world are shifting policy priorities: the new US administration has been clear that it intends to take action in the areas of trade, tax and spending, deregulation, immigration, and digital assets.

    And the technology revolution—especially AI—is upon us, set to transform the way we live and work, with massive impact on jobs as early as the next five years.

    What does it all mean for emerging markets? These economies have weathered the shocks of the past few years remarkably well. And your economies have delivered two thirds of global growth.

    But the recipes of the past may no longer provide the path to prosperity. Emerging economies will need to be agile, adaptable and resilient—these will be the ingredients for future success.

    Looking into the next years, I will highlight three areas to watch.

    First, inflation is expected to go back to target levels faster in advanced economies than in most emerging markets. A stronger US dollar could trigger capital outflows. This makes monetary policy more complicated for emerging economies.

    Second, like in advanced economies, many emerging economies are dealing with high debt, limited fiscal resources, and mounting spending pressures—a challenging triple threat. Too often, countries use fiscal stimulus to boost short-term domestic demand. While this “sugar rush” provides temporary growth, it often fuels inflation and financial turbulence.  In the current environment, stepping on the gas pedal is not the solution — instead we need to focus on the efficiency of the engine.

    This takes me to my third point — the critical importance of structural reforms to improve competitiveness, increase productivity and enhance growth prospects.     

    At the IMF, we are known for our dedication to macroeconomic and financial stability.  Yes, it must be preserved or restored to enable growth.  But it also must be utilized to pursue reforms, especially those that can boost productivity. Slow productivity growth accounts for more than half the global growth slowdown in recent decades.

    Just think: If countries narrow their overall productivity gaps with the United States by just 15 percent, that would add 1.2 percentage points to global growth.

    Transformational reforms to improve the business environment will be essential: cutting red tape, increasing competition, and encouraging entrepreneurship.

    All of this can help countries create jobs and harness the benefits of promising technologies such as AI. Why is this so important? Because only when we achieve higher productivity growth can we meet the aspirations of people everywhere for better lives for themselves and their children.

    So it is clear: we need to double down on policies that we know can lift productivity.

    But we also need to redouble our search for promising new ideas.

    And this is what we intend to do during this conference. Together, we can look for new ways to jumpstart growth in emerging markets.

    At the IMF, we recognize our responsibility in this regard. We are putting together our own IMF Advisory Council on growth and entrepreneurship. I want to thank Minister Sturzenegger of Argentina for agreeing to serve on it. We count on deep engagement with this new Council to find ways in which economies can be stronger for their people.

    But we also know that there is huge value in countries working together.

    As you said recently, Minister Aljadaan, “Working together to fix our global economic ship so it benefits more people is not a charitable act; it is a wise investment in our common future.”

    I couldn’t agree more! And we are seeing a new force for cooperation—sometimes based on areas of common interest, sometimes based on geography—that are crucially important. So we have to be determined and we have to be engaged, but most importantly, we must remain positive.

    Together we can do well for our member countries and for their people.

    Shukran!

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/16/sp-md-al-ula-conference-for-emerging-market-economies

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Paul Buchanan: Trump 2.0 and the limits of over-reach

    COMMENTARY: By Paul G Buchanan

    Here is a scenario, but first a broad brush-painted historical parallel.

    Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the Nazi pogroms unfolded in the late 1930s.

    But Hitler never intended to confine himself to Germany and decided to attack his neighbours simultaneously, on multiple fronts East, West, North and South.

    This came against the advice of his generals, who believed that his imperialistic war-mongering should happen sequentially and that Germany should not fight the USSR until it had conquered Europe first, replenished with pillaged resources, and then reorganised its forces for the move East. They also advised that Germany should also avoid tangling with the US, which had pro-Nazi sympathisers in high places (like Charles Lindbergh) and was leaning towards neutrality in spite of FDR’s support for the UK.

    Hitler ignored the advice and attacked in every direction, got bogged down in the Soviet winter, drew in the US in by attacking US shipping ferrying supplies to the UK, and wound up stretching his forces in North Africa, the entire Eastern front into Ukraine and the North Mediterranean states, the Scandinavian Peninsula and the UK itself.

    In other words, he bit off too much in one chew and wound up paying the price for his over-reach.

    Hitler did what he did because he could, thanks in part to the 1933 Enabling Law that superseded all other German laws and allowed him carte blanche to pursue his delusions. That proved to be his undoing because his ambition was not matched by his strategic acumen and resources when confronted by an armed alliance of adversaries.

    A version of this in US?
    A version of this may be what is unfolding in the US. Using the cover of broad Executive Powers, Musk, Trump and their minions are throwing everything at the kitchen wall in order to see what sticks.

    They are breaking domestic and international norms and conventions pursuant to the neo-reactionary “disruptor” and “chaos” theories propelling the US techno-authoritarian Right. They want to dismantle the US federal State, including the systems of checks and balances embodied in the three branches of government, subordinating all policy to the dictates of an uber-powerful Executive Branch.

    In this view the Legislature and Judiciary serve as rubber stamp legitimating devices for Executive rule. Many of those in the Musk-lead DOGE teams are subscribers to this ideology.

    At the same time the new oligarchs want to re-make the International order as well as interfere in the domestic politics of other liberal democracies. Musk openly campaigns for the German far-Right AfD in this year’s elections, he and Trump both celebrate neo-fascists like Viktor Urban in Hungry and Javier Milei in Argentina.

    Trump utters delusional desires to “make” Canada the 51st State, forcibly regain control of the Panama Canal, annex Greenland, turn Gaza into a breach resort complex and eliminate international institutions like the World Trade Organisation and even NATO if it does not do what he says.

    He imposes sanctions on the International Criminal Court, slaps sanctions on South Africa for land take-overs and because it took a case of genocide against Israel in the ICC, doubles down on his support for Netanyahu’s ethnic cleansing campaign against Palestinians and is poised to sell-out Ukraine by using the threat of an aid cut-off to force the Ukrainians to cede sovereignty to Russia over all of their territory east of the Donbas River (and Crimea).

    He even unilaterally renames the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in a teenaged display of symbolic posturing that ignores the fact that renaming the Gulf has no standing in international law and “America” is a term that refers to the North, Central and South land masses of the Western Hemisphere — i.e., it is not exclusive to or propriety of the United States.

    Dismantling the globalised trade system
    Trump wants to dismantle the globalised system of trade by using tariffs as a weapon as well as leverage, “punishing” nations for non-trade as well as trade issues because of their perceived dependence on the US market. This is evident in the tariffs (briefly) imposed on Canada, Mexico and Colombia over issues of immigration and re-patriation of US deportees.

    In other words, Trump 2.0 is about redoing the World Order in his preferred image, doing everything more or less at once. It is as if Trump, Musk and their Project 2025 foot soldiers believe in a reinterpreted version of “shock and awe:” the audacity and speed of the multipronged attack on everything will cause opponents to be paralysed by the move and therefore will be unable to resist it.

    That includes extending cultural wars by taking over the Kennedy Center for the Arts (a global institution) because he does not like the type of “culture” (read: African American) that is presented there and he wants to replace the Center’s repertoire with more “appropriate” (read: Anglo-Saxon) offerings. The assault on the liberal institutional order (at home and abroad), in other words, is holistic and universal in nature.

    Trump’s advisers are even talking about ignoring court orders barring some of their actions, setting up a constitutional crisis scenario that they believe they will win in the current Supreme Court.

    I am sure that Musk/Trump can get away with a fair few of these disruptions, but I am not certain that they can get away with all of them. They may have more success on the domestic rather than the international front given the power dynamics in each arena. In any event they do not seem to have thought much about the ripple effect responses to their moves, specifically the blowback that might ensue.

    This is where the Nazi analogy applies. It could be that Musk and Trump have also bitten more than they can chew. They may have Project 2025 as their road map, but even maps do not always get the weather right, or accurately predict the mood of locals encountered along the way to wherever one proposes to go. That could well be–and it is my hope that it is–the cause of their undoing.

    Overreach, egos, hubris and the unexpected detours around and obstacles presented by foreign and domestic actors just might upset their best laid plans.

    Dotage is on daily public display
    That brings up another possibility. Trump’s remarks in recent weeks are descending into senescence and caducity. His dotage is on daily public display. Only his medications have changed. He is more subdued than during the campaign but no less mad. He leaves the ranting and raving to Musk, who only truly listens to the fairies in his ear.

    But it is possible that there are ghost whisperers in Trump’s ear as well (Stephen Miller, perhaps), who deliberately plant preposterous ideas in his feeble head and egg him on to pursue them. In the measure that he does so and begins to approach the red-line of obvious derangement, then perhaps the stage is being set from within by Musk and other oligarchs for a 25th Amendment move to unseat him in favour of JD Vance, a far more dangerous member of the techbro puppet masters’ cabal.

    Remember that most of Trump’s cabinet are billionaires and millionaires and only Cabinet can invoke the 25th Amendment.

    Vance has incentive to support this play because Trump (foolishly, IMO) has publicly stated that he does not see Vance as his successor and may even run for a third term. That is not want the techbro overlords wanted to hear, so they may have to move against Trump sooner rather than later if they want to impose their oligarchical vision on the US and world.

    An impeachment would be futile given Congress’s make-up and Trump’s two-time wins over his Congressional opponents. A third try is a non-starter and would take too long anyway. Short of death (that has been suggested) the 25th Amendment is the only way to remove him.

    It is at that point that I hope that things will start to unravel for them. It is hard to say what the MAGA-dominated Congress will do if laws are flouted on a wholesale basis and constituents begin to complain about the negative impact of DOGE cost-cutting on federal programmes. But one thing is certain, chaos begets chaos (because chaos is not synonymous with techbro libertarians’ dreams of anarchy) and disruption for disruption’s sake may not result in an improved socio-economic and political order.

    Those are some of the “unknown unknowns” that the neo-con Donald Rumsfeld used to talk about.

    In other words, vamos a ver–we shall see.

    Dr Paul G Buchanan is the director of 36th-Parallel Assessments, a geopolitical and strategic analysis consultancy. This article is republished from Kiwipolitico with the permission of the author.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM calls for further cooperation with Brazil

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday expressed China’s willingness to promote more achievements in various fields of China-Brazil cooperation.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

    Wang said that Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Brazil last year and reached a series of important consensus with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on building the China-Brazil community with a shared future, demonstrating the contemporary significance and strategic value of China-Brazil relations.

    The synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil’s development strategies has injected strong impetus into China-Brazil cooperation, he added.

    As major global powers and representative forces of the Global South, China and Brazil, facing a turbulent and intertwined world, have maintained strategic focus and worked together to make contributions to promoting world peace, stability, and development, Wang noted.

    China is willing to work with Brazil to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote more achievements in various fields of cooperation, practice true multilateralism, uphold the core role of the United Nations, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Global South countries, he said.

    Amorim said that President Xi’s state visit to Brazil last year was of great significance, demonstrating the vision of the two heads of state and consolidating the deep friendship between Brazil and China.

    The visit would also promote more achievements in practical cooperation between Brazil and China in various fields, said Amorim.

    Brazil is willing to work with China to accelerate the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state, build a fairer and more sustainable Brazil-China community with a shared future, and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, he added.

    The two sides expressed their willingness to strengthen communication and coordination, and deepen cooperation within the BRICS framework and between China and Latin American countries.

    Both sides recognized the work of the “Friends of Peace” platform and pledged to continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement: February 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, 15 February 2025.

    The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, met on the margins of the Munich Security Conference for the first time under Canada’s 2025 Presidency.

    The G7 members discussed Russia’s devasting war in Ukraine.  They underscored their commitment to work together to help to achieve a durable peace and a strong and prosperous Ukraine and reaffirmed the need to develop robust security guarantees to ensure the war will not begin again.  

    The G7 members welcomed their discussion today with Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.  They recalled the G7’s important contribution towards ending the war in Ukraine, including through measures pursuant to the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, by supporting Ukraine financially through the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from Russian Sovereign Assets, by imposing further cost on Russia, if they do not negotiate in good faith, through caps on oil and gas prices, and by making sanctions against Russia more effective. Any new, additional sanctions after February should be linked to whether the Russian Federation enters into real, good-faith efforts to bring an enduring end to the war against Ukraine that provides Ukraine with long-term security and stability as a sovereign, independent country.  The G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

    The G7 members discussed the provision to Russia of dual-use assistance by China and of military assistance by DPRK and Iran.  They condemned all such support.

    The G7 members discussed political, security and humanitarian issues in the Middle East, including in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, and their commitment to advancing regional peace and stability.  They underscored the importance of a durable, Israeli-Palestinian peace.  They reaffirmed their support for the full implementation of the ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas, including for the release of all hostages and the expansion of humanitarian aid in Gaza.  The G7 members stand behind the ongoing efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States in continuing to work towards a permanent ceasefire.  They reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and the need to ensure that Hamas neither reconstitutes militarily nor participates in governance.  They recognized Israel’s inherent right to self-defence, consistent with international law. 

    The G7 members welcomed the outcomes of the International Conference on Syria, hosted by France on February 13, 2025.  They reiterated their shared commitment to the people of Syria and their support for an inclusive political transition process, in the spirit of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.  They welcomed, as well, positive developments in Lebanon, including the recent election of President Joseph Aoun, the designation of Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister, and the formation of a new government.  The G7 members reaffirmed their commitment to both countries’ stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

    The G7 members unequivocally condemned Iran’s destabilizing actions, including its rapid advancement of uranium enrichment without credible civil justification, its facilitation of terrorism organizations and armed groups across the Middle East and Red Sea, its proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and its transnational repression and violation of fundamental human rights.

    The G7 members reiterated their commitment to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region, grounded in respect for the rule of law and sovereignty.  They strongly opposed any attempts to change unilaterally the status quo using force and underscored the importance of resolving disputes peacefully.  They strongly opposed China’s attempts to restrict freedom of navigation through militarization and coercive activities in the East and South China Sea. 

    The G7 members expressed serious concern over the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They demanded that the DPRK abandon all its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). They underscored that direct DPRK support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine marks a dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security. They urged the DPRK to cease immediately all assistance for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including by withdrawing its troops. The called upon DPRK to resolve the abductions issue immediately.

    The G7 members also discussed urgent situations of conflict and instability elsewhere in the world, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan, and in Haiti and Venezuela.

    The G7 Foreign Ministers looked forward to their meeting in Canada in Charlevoix, Quebec on March 12-14.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Get Started with BexBack: 100x Leverage, No KYC, Double Deposit Bonus and $50 Welcome Bonus

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Feb. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the price of bitcoin once again trading below $100,000, many analysts believe it will enter a long period of high volatility. Holding spot positions may not continue to generate profits in the short term. BexBack Exchange is stepping up its efforts to provide traders with irresistible preferential packages. The platform now offers a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and a 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, creating unparalleled opportunities for investors.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?

    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

    Why recommend BexBack?

    No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

    100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

    High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

    Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

    Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

    Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

    Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

    Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

    Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

    If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users (complete one trade within one week of registration), you can be a winner in the new bull run.

    Sign up on BexBack now, claim your exclusive bonus and start accumulating more BTC today!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7c665a64-15ba-4c5f-8baa-30318ba6c420
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9eda6b7e-6b6d-4d19-8666-aed8c1e8ca31
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3364a04b-93cf-430d-b812-dba3b543681e
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/194b9f4a-91e6-41ca-9269-95d555c452a3

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Business – New location in Phoenix: Gebrüder Weiss continues to expand in the southwestern United States

    Source: Gebrüder Weiss

    Cross-border transport: The new branch in Arizona complements the existing Gebrüder Weiss locations in Texas near the Mexican border. Today, the logistics company has 17 of its own locations in the North America region.

    Phoenix / Lauterach, February 14, 2025. The global transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss has announced the opening of a new location in Phoenix, Arizona, as part of its continued growth in the United States. This new facility will provide air and sea freight transport services including customs clearance and partial and full-load land transport.

    The logistics company continues to expand its activities in North America, in particular to meet the demand for trade between the US and Mexico. Arizona is the most important state for transport to and from Mexico, while Phoenix itself is becoming increasingly important as a central transhipment point for trade across the southern border of the US. In 2023, nearly 20 billion USD worth of cargo moved between Arizona and Mexico. Phoenix complements Gebrüder Weiss’ existing Texas locations in El Paso and Laredo, which specialize in the cross-border transport of goods to and from Mexico.

    “Our logistics services in Phoenix are a further building block in the development of Gebrüder Weiss and strengthen our position in this economically strong region. This allows us to offer our customers greater flexibility in their transports and more reliable supply chains,” says Mark McCullough, Country Manager of Gebrüder Weiss North America.

    Gebrüder Weiss has continuously expanded its presence in North America in recent years and now operates a network of 17 locations. In addition to Phoenix, the company recently opened a logistics terminal in Elgin, Illinois, as well as branches in Miami, Florida, Denver, Colorado and Dallas, Texas. In Salt Lake City, the company acquired the local freight forwarder Cargo-Link in 2024.

    For more information about Gebrüder Weiss USA, its services, and locations, please visit gw-world.com/us.

    Phoenix Arizona

    Mark McCullough

    Locations USA

    About Gebrüder Weiss

    Gebrüder Weiss Holding AG, based in Lauterach, Austria, is a globally operative full-service logistics provider with about 8,600 employees at 180 company-owned locations. The company generated revenues of 2.46 billion euros in 2023. Its portfolio encompasses transport and logistics solutions, digital services, and supply chain management. The twin strengths of digital and physical competence enable Gebrüder Weiss to respond swiftly and flexibly to customers’ needs. The family-run organization – with a history going back more than half a millennium – has implemented a wide variety of environmental, economic, and social initiatives. Today, it is also considered a pioneer in sustainable business practices. www.gw-world.com

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes the National Energy Dominance Council

    Source: The White House

    POSITIONING AMERICAN ENERGY FOR THE NEXT CENTURY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the National Energy Dominance Council.

    • The National Energy Dominance Council will be established within the Executive Office of the President, chaired by the Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and vice-chaired by the Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and comprised of members of President Trump’s cabinet and key government agencies.
    • The Council will advise President Trump on strategies to achieve energy dominance by improving the processes for permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, and transportation across all forms of American energy.
    • It will recommend a National Energy Dominance Strategy to the President aimed at cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments, and advancing innovation.
    • The Council will facilitate cooperation between the federal government and domestic energy partners, ensuring policy consistency.
    • It will also consult with various public and private sector stakeholders to expand energy production and address cost barriers.

    LOWERING PRICES AND STRENGTHENING AMERICAN ECONOMIC SECURITY: Championing domestic energy production is vital both for mitigating price shocks to American families and de-risking the energy supply chain for our Nation as well as our allies.

    • American energy dominance is the most reliable way to ensure the stability and affordability of American energy prices.
      • Gasoline prices, as well as overall household energy prices, increased 30% under President Biden.
      • The Biden-Harris Administration dramatically slowed the growth rate of American energy production and development, including by instituting a federal oil leasing moratorium, increasing energy permitting times by multiples of what they had been under President Trump, and removing hundreds of million acres from being available for energy production.
      • Over the last four years, it is estimated that our Nation produced over two billion fewer barrels of oil than anticipated by trend (had President Trump’s energy policies been kept intact), a vast quantity of lost supply that could have lessened the burden of energy prices on American families.
    • Developing American energy resources will enable our Nation to reduce its reliance on foreign entities, including strategic adversaries.
      • While creating policies to restrict American production, the Biden Administration asked OPEC+ to increase production to meet American energy demand.
      • As energy prices rose, the Biden Administration was reluctant to enforce American oil sanctions on rogue regimes, allowing Iran to export over one million barrels of oil per day through lax enforcement (up from a low of approximately 70,000 under the Trump administration) and temporarily lifting oil sanctions altogether on the Maduro regime in Venezuela.
      • The United States is also highly dependent on China for a range of critical minerals, which has put our Nation’s supply chain at risk, as exemplified by China’s recent weaponization of its resources through bans on exporting germanium, gallium, and antimony to the United States.
      • As our Nation makes rapid advancements in next generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence (along with the associated data centers), and energy demand rises, it will be all the more important to expand domestic energy supply.
    • American energy leadership is vital not only for our Nation’s economic and national security, but also for the security of our allies.
      • America’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry has played a critical role in helping Europe reduce its dependence on Russian energy, with LNG exports to Europe rising 141% in 2022, and continuing to increase to fill the gap.
      • President Trump warned Western Europe as early as 2017 to rely on American natural gas rather than Russian energy.

    RESTORING AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE: President Trump has a demonstrated track record of empowering American energy production, and will return our Nation to energy dominance.

    • During President Trump’s first term, our Nation became a net exporter of energy for the first time in nearly 70 years and transformed into the world’s leading oil producer.
    • President Trump expedited the LNG export license process (achieving licensing times one-sixth as long as those seen during the Biden Administration, which revoked these reforms), reduced the permitting time for drilling on federal lands (increasing permit applications by 300%), fixed the New Source Review (which punished companies for repairing and upgrading coal power plants), and opened up millions of acres for domestic energy development.
    • Under President Trump’s leadership, American families saved an average of $2,500 per year in utility and gas costs, while the economy at large saw the creation of new American energy jobs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final two defendants of 76 indicted in Operation Ghost Busted sentenced to federal prison

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

    Brunswick, GA:  The last of 76 defendants in a major south Georgia drug trafficking operation have been sentenced to federal prison, wrapping up an investigation into a gang-coordinated conspiracy that operated inside and outside Georgia prisons.

    David D. Young, a/k/k “Khaos,” 44, of Hortense, Georgia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A co-defendant, Blake K. Screen, 36, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 100 months in prison just five months after his conviction at trial on charges of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered each of the defendants to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    “Altogether as adults, the 76 defendants in Operation Ghost Busted have been convicted of more than 250 felonies – and more egregiously, this investigation linked their drug trafficking operation to multiple deaths from dozens of overdoses,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “Our community is demonstrably safer with these drug distributors off the streets, and we applaud our law enforcement partners for the outstanding investigative work to put these defendants behind bars and bring this case to a successful conclusion.”

    Young and Screen were among the 76 defendants indicted in December 2022 in USA v. Alvarez et al., dubbed Operation Ghost Busted. For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with multiple federal, state, and local agencies to identify the sprawling drug trafficking network. Operating inside and outside Georgia prisons, the conspiracy was coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.

    Both Young and Screen served as dealers and sources of supply to the operation. After the December 2022 indictment and subsequent sweep to bring the defendants into custody, Young was a fugitive for more than a year until he was identified through his extensive Ghost Face Gangsters facial tattoos and taken into custody in March 2024 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, after being featured on “America’s Most Wanted.”

    In addition to long histories of arrests and felony convictions, all of the defendants in Operation Ghost Busted have a history of illegal drug use, including several who survived repeat overdoses. Fifty of the defendants are high school dropouts.

    Believed to be the largest drug trafficking prosecution in the history of the Southern District of Georgia, Operation Ghost Busted was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Flower industry blossoms during Spring Festival holiday

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Standing beneath a “flower cascade,” visitors felt like they had entered a floral wonderland. The display of thousands of butterfly orchids mesmerized everyone and became a popular photo spot.

    It was a standout attraction at Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers during the Spring Festival. This year, the garden has been bursting with vibrant colors and fragrant blooms, making it a must-visit destination.

    Another highlight of the garden was the Hippeastrum exhibition, which featured 35 varieties from around the world and nearly 1,000 plants.

    Hippeastrum, known for its auspicious name “Zhu Ding Hong” (a homophone for “certain to thrive” in Chinese), symbolizes good luck and prosperity, according to Shi Wenfang, director of the Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers.

    “This is our first time displaying so many Hippeastrum varieties, half of which are imported. Their unique shapes, bright colors, and symbolic meanings have made them a major attraction,” said Shi. “During the Spring Festival holiday, we welcomed around 35,000 visitors, a 20 percent increase from last year.”

    As China’s Spring Festival gains global attention, it has become an opportunity for the world to share in the Chinese market. Throughout the holiday, flowers from both domestic and international growers decorated parks, malls and homes, adding to the festive vibes and driving economic growth.

    Statistics show that Beijing’s parks welcomed about 9.38 million visits during the 8-day holiday. Popular flower-related events, like the family flower arrangement at Yuyuantan Park and the orchids exhibition at Zhongshan Park, attracted many visitors to enjoy the beauty of flowers.

    During the holiday, flower sales also achieved remarkable success.

    “More than 50,000 bunches of Hippeastrum have nearly sold out. Our overall sales of flowers around Chinese New Year have increased by about 30 percent compared to the same period last year,” said Liu Meng, head of Beijing Hualanzi Technology Co., Ltd.

    Ecuadorian roses were also very popular, with over 40,000 sold before and during the Spring Festival holiday. The easier import channels and lower prices made them a top choice, according to Liu.

    As living standards rise, there’s a growing demand for diverse, high-quality flowers. Liu said the import of flowers provides consumers with more options, helping to meet their needs and becoming a key part of holiday shopping for younger generations.

    This year, a “New Year Flower Treasure Map” was introduced to simplify flower shopping in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province. With a simple QR code scan, buyers can find district-specific flower varieties, farm locations, and purchasing details down to individual growers, their locations, varieties and quantities.

    In Guangzhou’s Zengcheng District, 18 villages in Zhongxin Township have developed a flower industry that generates an annual output value of 57 million yuan (about 7.95 million U.S. dollars). With nearly 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares) of planted area, it has helped over 1,500 villagers boost their income.

    China has emerged as the world’s largest flower producer, with a flower planting area of 1.5 million hectares and over 5 million workers in the industry, according to the China Flower Association.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Colleagues to President Trump: Don’t Turn Your Back on Tribal Communities

    US Senate News:

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

    Recent Reporting Indicates Musk-Trump Layoffs at Indian Health Service Will Cut Off Access to Health Care for Tribal Communities

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, led nine other Senators in a letter to President Trump expressing concern regarding reporting that layoffs at the Indian Health Service (IHS) will dramatically impact access to health care for Tribal communities and demanding that President Trump stop from these firings at IHS. Recent reporting indicates that over 850 IHS employees who deliver critical medical care for Tribal communities are at risk of being laid off immediately. At a time when IHS faces a significant health care workforce shortage, any further reductions in IHS’ workforce will severely impact the health and wellbeing of our Tribal communities.

    “We write to express our concern regarding recent reporting that layoffs at the Indian Health Service (IHS) resulting from Executive Order 14210 and OPM guidance will dramatically impact American Indians and Alaska Native (Native) communities’ access to health care. Tribal Nations have a legal and political relationship with the United States, and the federal government has a fundamental obligation to fulfill its treaty and trust responsibilities to Tribal Nations – an obligation that includes providing services such as health care to Native communities,” wrote the senators.

    “Not only will this lead to worse health outcomes, but overall costs will also rise. With less health care services at existing IHS facilities, there will be increased Purchased Referred Care referrals. This will increase costs for the Federal government and require increased travel, accommodations, and expenses, creating increased hardships and barriers for patients and families seeking care far from where they live on Tribal lands. The federal government is already failing to meet its trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations, and further reductions in IHS’ workforce will severely impact the health and wellbeing of Tribal communities across the country,” the senators continued.

    In addition to Senator Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).

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

    Dear President Trump:

    We write to express our concern regarding recent reporting that layoffs at the Indian Health Service (IHS) resulting from Executive Order 14210 and OPM guidance will dramatically impact American Indians and Alaska Native (Native) communities’ access to health care. Tribal Nations have a legal and political relationship with the United States, and the federal government has a fundamental obligation to fulfill its treaty and trust responsibilities to Tribal Nations – an obligation that includes providing services such as health care to Native communities. Abruptly terminating any IHS employees undermines this responsibility, and we urge you to halt the mass firing of any essential health care workers at IHS to preserve the Federal obligations to Tribes.

    Reporting indicates that more than 850 IHS employees, including 90 physicians, 350 nurses, at least 25 nurse practitioners, nearly 20 dentists, 43 dental assistants, more than 85 pharmacists, 45 lab technicians and more than 15 service area chief executives or their deputies are at risk of being laid off immediately. This is particularly concerning because IHS has long struggled with chronic health care workforce shortages. Last year, IHS experienced nearly 2,000 vacancies, and a 2018 GAO report found that IHS had an overall health care provider vacancy rate of 25 percent across service areas. These shortages, which are attributed to limited recruitment incentives, lower salaries, lengthy hiring processes, and geographic isolation, result in longer wait times for appointments, over worked providers who cannot spend enough time with patients, inadequate follow-up care, and provider burnout – leading to lower patient satisfaction and worse health outcomes. It is not uncommon for recently hired clinicians to be the only primary care provider or specialist in their IHS Service Area. AI/ANs already face significantly lower life expectancies compared to the general U.S. population and higher rates of disease including diabetes and hypertension.

    Not only will this lead to worse health outcomes, but overall costs will also rise. With less health care services at existing IHS facilities, there will be increased Purchased Referred Care referrals. This will increase costs for the Federal government and require increased travel, accommodations, and expenses, creating increased hardships and barriers for patients and families seeking care far from where they live on Tribal lands.

    The federal government is already failing to meet its trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations, and further reductions in IHS’ workforce will severely impact the health and wellbeing of Tribal communities across the country. Therefore, we strongly urge you to stop these firings and retain IHS probationary staff.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Phoenix Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 151 Months After Agents Seize Over 90 Pounds of Fentanyl and Over 40 Pounds of Cocaine from Stash House

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Miguel Angel Gaytan-Ramirez, 34, an undocumented Mexican National living in Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 151 months, followed by three years supervised release. Gaytan-Ramirez pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl on November 5, 2024.

    According to court documents, on January 25, 2024, an undercover agent working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agreed to purchase 150,000 fentanyl pills (approximately 15 kilograms) from a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Mexico. The individual in Mexico instructed the undercover agent to travel to a parking lot in Phoenix to complete the transaction.

    At the parking lot, investigators identified a Dodge Ram pickup truck as the vehicle in which a DTO member was located. A man later identified as Gaytan-Ramirez called the undercover agent and said that he was occupying the Dodge Ram pickup. Thereafter, investigators moved in and detained Gaytan-Ramirez.

    After detaining Gaytan-Ramirez, investigators identified a nearby apartment used by Gaytan-Ramirez to store narcotics. Gaytan-Ramirez provided investigators consent to search the apartment. Inside a closet in the apartment investigators seized a black American Tactical Omni Hybrid 5.56 NATO caliber rifle with an AOMEKIE Scope, approximately 34 kilograms (74.9 pounds) of blue pills stamped M30 which contained fentanyl, 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of fentanyl powder, and 19 kilograms (41.9 pounds) of cocaine. Authorities also seized over $18,000 in drug proceeds from Gaytan-Ramirez’s vehicle and the stash house.

    Drug Enforcement Administration, Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jospeh K. Nwoga and Stuart J. Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-00257-PHX-DJH
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-017_Gaytan-Ramirez

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miami Federal Prosecutors Charge Two Foreign Nationals Headed for Florida Coast on Boat with 20 Alien Passengers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A Bahamian national and a Haitian national face federal charges in the Southern District of Florida after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stopped a go-fast boat heading towards South Florida, finding the two defendants at the helm accompanied by 20 other aliens – 12 from China, seven from Haiti, and one from Jamaica.

    A criminal complaint charges both Demetrius Luciano Kemp, 27, of the Bahamas, and Mikewendzly Nestar Norelus, 22, of Haiti, with failure to heave to, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2237(a)(1). In addition, it charges Kemp with unlawfully encouraging or inducing aliens to come to, enter, and reside in the United Sates, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1324(a)(1)(A)(iv), and re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1326(a).

    According to the charging affidavit: On Feb. 9, a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) cutter spotted a 25-foot go-fast boat about three nautical miles west of Bimini, Bahamas. The cutter followed the boat as it traveled (in the dark and with its lights off) from Bahamian and through international waters. Once the boat entered U.S. territorial waters, a CBP Air and Maritime Operations vessel approached. Agents activated the CBP vessel’s lights and siren and commanded the go-fast boat drivers to stop. The boat kept going, despite these and further commands, as well as warning shots. CBP had to disable the go-fast boat to get it to stop.

    The affidavit also says that on boarding the boat, CBP agents found 22 aliens: Norelus at the helm and Kemp in the first mate seat, accompanied by 12 Chinese nationals, seven Haitian nationals, and one Jamaican national. Biometrics testing and other checks showed that no one on the go-fast boat had permission or authorization to enter the United States on the date of the interdiction. They also showed that Kemp had been previously removed from the United States in July 2024.

    Defendants were arrested, charged, and will remain in federal detention pending trial. The other 20 aliens were returned to the Bahamas, where the journey began.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    HSI Miami is investigating the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), 7th Coast Guard District provided valuable assistance in this matter. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting it.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20255.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Commission for Social Development Concludes Annual Session, Recommending Adoption of 4 Resolutions by Economic and Social Council

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    The Commission for Social Development concluded its 2025 annual session today, recommending four resolutions, including a text on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, to the Economic and Social Council for their adoption.

    “The call to address systemic challenges, including poverty, hunger and social exclusion, resonates more powerfully than ever before,” said Krzysztof Maria Szczerski (Poland), Chair of the Commission, as he delivered closing remarks for the session.  Discussions during this session highlighted the centrality of gender equality, human rights and the promotion of social cohesion, he noted, adding that ensuring equitable access to health, education, decent work and housing is fundamental to creating just and inclusive societies. 

    The second World Summit for Social Development to be held in November in Doha represents a vital opportunity to reset global priorities and renew our collective resolve.  “As we prepare for this landmark event, it is essential that we remain steadfast in our pursuit of structural reforms,” he went on to say, emphasizing the need to promote quality employment, eliminate barriers to technology and create resilient social protection systems.

    E/CN.5/2025/L.7

    The Commission approved the draft resolution “Future organization and methods of work of the Commission for Social Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.7) without a vote, forwarding it to the Council.

    By the text, the Council would decide that the priority theme for the sixty-fourth session of the Commission, which shall allow it to contribute to the work of the Council, will be “Advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive policies”.

    E/CN.5/2025/L.5

    The Commission also approved, without a vote, the draft resolution “Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.5), recommending its adoption by the Economic and Social Council.

    By the text, the Council would, recognizing that New Partnership for Africa’s Development programmes have become the cornerstone of development in the continent, urge African Governments to fast-track the implementation of the revised Africa Health Strategy for the period 2016–2030 and stress the importance of improving maternal and child health.  It would encourage Member States to continue to provide capacity-building support to African countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes. Further, it would encourage African countries to accelerate actions for eradicating extreme poverty, provide decent jobs and tackle the climate emergency by investing in a sustainable, inclusive and just transition. 

    E/CN.5/2025/L.4

    Acting without a vote, the Commission approved the draft resolution “Strengthening solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion to accelerate the delivery of the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.4) and recommended its adoption by Council.

    By the text, the Council would recognize the need for strengthening international cooperation to provide necessary financial assistance, technical support and capacity-building to developing countries for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Reaffirming that eradicating poverty in all its forms is the greatest global challenge, it would encourage States to invest in programmes for poverty eradication and the promotion of equitable and universal access to basic services and resilient infrastructure, including healthcare services, education, safe drinking water and sanitation and affordable housing.

    E/CN.5/2025/L.6

    The Commission approved the draft resolution “Modalities for the fifth review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.6), sending it to the Council.

    The text would have the Council decide that the procedure for the fifth review and appraisal of the Madrid Plan of Action will follow the set procedure of the fourth review and appraisal exercise, and the global review and appraisal will be held by the Commission on the third day of its sixty-sixth session, in 2028.  It would also request the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its sixty-fifth session, in 2027, a report, including an analysis of the preliminary findings of the fifth review and appraisal exercise, and at its sixty-sixth session, in 2028, a report, including the conclusions of the fifth review and appraisal exercise.

    E/CN.5/2025/L.3

    The Commission also adopted the draft resolution “Policies and programmes involving youth” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.3) without a vote.

    The text would have the Commission urge States to ensure that youth issues are adequately addressed in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote the full and effective participation of young people and youth-led and youth-focused organizations in decision-making processes. Relatedly, it would call on donors to actively contribute to the United Nations Youth Fund to facilitate the participation of youth representatives from developing countries in UN activities, considering the need for greater geographical and gender balance of youth representation, as well as to accelerate the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth.  In this regard, it would request the Secretary-General to take appropriate action to encourage contributions to the Fund.

    In other business, the Commission nominated Olivier de Schutter (Belgium) and Graziella Moraes Silva (Brazil) to serve as members of the Board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development for the additional term from the date of confirmation by the Economic and Social Council to 30 June 2027, and Jenina Joy Chavez (Philippines) for a four-year term from the date of confirmation by the Council to 30 June 2029.

    The Commission also adopted the provisional agenda and documentation for its sixty-fourth session (document E/CN.5/2025/L.1) and the draft report of its sixth-third session (document E/CN.5/2025/L.2).

    Following the closure of the sixty-third session, the Commission opened its sixty-fourth session, electing Khrystyna Hayovyshyn (Ukraine) as Chair, and Céline Pierre Fabre (Haiti) and Stefano Guerra (Portugal) as Vice-Chairs.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Wins Come All Day Under President Donald J. Trump

    Source: The White House

    It was another week filled with endless wins for the American people under President Donald J. Trump.

    Here are only a few of the many victories from the past week:

    • President Trump brought home an American citizen wrongfully detained in Russia and another American detained in Belarus — the tenth and eleventh hostages freed since he took office.
      • Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to Russia under President Obama, reacted to Marc Fogel’s release and said: “Hallelujah! Fantastic news! Praise be to President Donald Trump … This is just fantastic news for anybody who cares about patriotic Americans.”
    • President Trump restored a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevated the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports to protect these critical American industries from unfair foreign competition.
      • The Steel Manufacturers Association released a statement applauding “President Trump for putting the American steel industry and its workers first by imposing a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports. President Trump understands that America’s steel industry is the backbone of our economy. A thriving domestic steel industry is critical to U.S. national, energy and economic security.”
      • The president of the Aluminum Association said: “We appreciate President Trump’s continued focus on strong trade actions to support the aluminum industry in the United States.”
      • Colorado Springs-based, family-owned Western Steel, Inc., praised the move: “What we hope that the tariffs will bring is some sort of stability to U.S. pricing. It allows a little bit more money to be made … on the intermediate level like us.”
    • President Trump unveiled a plan for fair and reciprocal trade, making clear to the world that the United States will no longer tolerate being ripped off.
      • The Renewable Fuels Association said: “The Brazilian tariff on U.S. ethanol now stands at 18 percent and has virtually eliminated all market access for U.S. ethanol producers. We thank President Trump for taking this action and hope this reciprocal tariff will help encourage a return to free and fair ethanol trade relationship with Brazil.”
    • President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pursuit of finally securing peace.
    • President Trump hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who announced the Kingdom will accept 2,000 sick children from Gaza “as quickly as possible.”
    • President Trump joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce new deals between the two countries on immigration, trade, energy, and artificial intelligence.
    • The Department of Energy approved the first liquefied natural gas project since the prior administration banned LNG exports last year.
    • President Trump declared all foreign policy must be conducted under the President’s direction, ensuring career diplomats reflect the foreign policy of the United States at all times.
    • President Trump paused enforcement of the overregulation of American business practices abroad, which negatively impacted national security.
    • Hamas agreed to free additional Israeli hostages after President Trump declared “all hell is going to break out” if the terrorist group delayed.
    • Taiwan pledged to boost its investment in the United States amid President Trump’s tariffs.
    • President Trump received his highest ever approval rating in a CBS News poll — with 70% of Americans agreeing he is keeping his promises.
    • President Trump attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, becoming first sitting President to do so and bringing back tradition of pre-Super Bowl interviews.
    • Illegal border crossings have hit lows not seen in decades.
    • Hundreds of illegal aliens from Venezuela were repatriated back to their own country on Venezuelan-owned planes.
    • Illegal aliens have started turning around in droves amid the Trump Administration’s crackdown on dangerous illegal immigration.
    • The Department of Homeland Security “clawed back” tens of millions of dollars in funds paid by rogue FEMA officials to house illegal aliens in luxury New York City hotels.
    • President Trump instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to stop production of the penny, which costs 3.69 cents to make.
    • Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins were confirmed by the Senate — continuing the Trump Administration’s rapid pace of confirmations.
    • President Trump signed an executive order barring COVID-19 vaccine mandates in schools that receive federal funding.
    • President Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council to advise on achieving energy dominance.
    • President Trump established the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which redirects the national focus to promoting health rather than simply managing disease.
    • President Trump signed an executive to end the use of paper straws.
    • President Trump shut down the Biden-era “Climate Corps” work program.
    • President Trump secured the resignations of 75,000+ federal workers, or approximately 3.75% of the federal workforce, in an effort to eliminate inefficiency at taxpayer expense.
    • President Trump commenced his plan to downsize the federal bureaucracy and eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity — including an order that agencies hire no more than one employee for every four employees who leave.
    • The Trump Administration ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren, which funneled cash to left-wing advocacy groups — to halt operations.
    • President Trump ended the wasteful Federal Executive Institute, which had become a training ground for bureaucrats.
    • President Trump ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard following years of woke ideologies infiltrating U.S. service academies.
    • Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth restored Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to “Fort Bragg,” in honor of a World War II hero.
    • President Trump instructed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to terminate Biden-era regulations restricting water flow and mandating inadequate lightbulb standards.
    • President Trump proclaimed “Gulf of America Day” after the Department of the Interior officially changed the name on its mapping databases.
      • Google Maps and Apple Maps both updated their apps to reflect the new name.
    • The Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New York and its elected officials over their willful failure to follow federal immigration law.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency canceled tens of millions of dollars in contracts to left-wing advocacy groups and announced an investigation into a scheme by Biden EPA staffers to shield billions of dollars from oversight and accountability.
    • The Department of Education announced an investigation into the Minnesota State High School League and California Interscholastic Federation for violation of federal anti-discrimination law by allowing men to compete in women’s sports.
    • The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered 2,400 additional records on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which were never provided to the board tasked with reviewing and disclosing the documents. The discovery happened due to President Trump’s executive order calling for the declassification of JFK assassination documents.
    • The Department of Veterans Affairs implemented a new flag policy to promote the prominence of the American flag and ensure consistency among its facilities.
    • President Trump was unanimously elected as Chairman of The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and fired a slew of the Center’s board members over their obsession with perpetuating radical ideologies.
    • U.S. crude oil stockpiles continued to rise, which they have done every week since President Trump took office.
    • Chicago Lurie Children’s Hospital paused sex change surgeries for minors in response to President Trump’s executive order ending the radical practice.
    • Taxpayer-funded PBS closed its DEI office and Disney dropped two of its DEI programs after President Trump’s executive order reining in such discriminatory practices.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, multi-agency partners arrest suspected TdA gang member previously convicted of attempting to smuggling firearms

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    February 14, 2025Austin, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

    ICE Austin along with law enforcement partners arrested a suspected TdA gang member for being in the country illegally. He is a prior felon who was convicted and sentenced for firearms smuggling. He is now facing removal from the U.S.

    AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Department of Public Safety arrested an illegally present Venezuelan national who is also a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua prison gang.

    The 34-year-old male gang member was arrested Feb. 6 during a routine daily enforcement action. During record checks, agents learned that he was previously convicted and sentenced for attempting to smuggle firearms out of the United States.

    “The arrest of a suspected TdA gang member, previously convicted of firearms smuggling, marks a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to enhance public safety,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “This apprehension is a testament to the diligent work of our law enforcement agencies in rooting out criminal activity and safeguarding our communities.”

    He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

    Individuals can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-2423) or by completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE HSI’s mission to increase public safety in Central and South Texas communities on X: @HSI_SanAntonio.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: South Texas man pleads guilty to smuggling 36 aliens in tractor trailer following investigation by ICE, US Border Patrol

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A South Texas man pleaded guilty Feb. 13 to smuggling 36 undocumented aliens in the back of a tractor trailer following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol.

    Eusebio Cavazos, a 33-year-old resident of Alamo, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to transporting aliens into or within the U.S. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 15 and faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 possible fine.

    “The days of transnational criminal organizations raking in billions in illicit profits each year by trampling on our nation’s sovereignty and flooding our country with millions of unvetted aliens who could present a threat to public safety or national security are over,” said ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “The law enforcement community in Southeast Texas is united in our effort to restore law and order along the southern border by aggressively pursuing and dismantling human smuggling organizations and other criminal organizations who are bold enough to test our collective resolve.”

    During the hearing it was revealed that Cavazos drove a tractor-trailer into the primary inspection lane at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita Dec. 13, 2024. Upon initial inspection, a K-9 alerted to the possible presence of humans in the trailer. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where they discovered 36 undocumented aliens in the back of the trailer and nothing else.

    A total of 36 aliens were discovered in the trailer including 15 from Guatemala, 10 from Honduras, eight from Mexico and three from El Salvador. All 36 had illegally entered the U.S. and five have pending charges for allegedly illegally re-entering the U.S. after previously being removed.

    During an investigation by ICE HSI Corpus Christi, Cavazos admitted that someone had hired him to drive all 36 illegal aliens from a point near Donna to Houston and promised to pay him $1,000 per alien that he smuggled.

    Cavazos will remain in custody pending his sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.

    For more news and information on how ICE HSI combats human trafficking and human smuggling in Southeast Texas follow us on X at @HSIHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pedro Cerna Arias, 62, a Mexican national residing in Milpitas, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on April 9, 2020, Cerna Arias sold approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Milpitas, in a deal that was initially negotiated between the undercover officer and a Mexico-based drug trafficker. On Oct. 8, 2021, law enforcement searched Cerna Arias’s residence and found about a kilogram of methamphetamine, a bucket with methamphetamine residue, drug ledgers, drug packaging material, and $6,165 in cash. Cerna Arias admitted to law enforcement that the methamphetamine was his and that he distributed methamphetamine in pound quantities.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

    Co-defendant Jose Moreno Albestrain was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Dec. 19, 2024, by Judge Calabretta for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    This prosecution is part of the 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. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As directed by the President, the Gulf of America enters the USGS official place names database

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Last week, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names played an essential role to enact the Secretary’s Order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. 

    Following President Trump’s Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum signed on February 7 Secretary’s Order 3423, “The Gulf of America,” and directed the BGN to immediately rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. 

    The order states, “The area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an indelible part of America and an asset to our Nation. The Gulf has played a pivotal role in shaping America’s history and promises to play a vital role in our future, serving as a flourishing natural resource of critical importance to our Nation’s economy and people.” 

    The USGS updated the Gulf’s name to coincide with the President’s Proclamation to recognize February 9, 2025, as the first ever Gulf of America Day. 

    Federal agencies are currently in the process of updating their maps, products, and services to reflect the Gulf of America name change. 

    To accelerate adoption of the new name, the USGS has updated the USGS topoBuilder application to ensure that the public can rapidly generate paper maps with the new name. The USGS has also invested additional funding to speed up topoBuilder’s responsiveness in anticipation of high demand. In addition, the new name is featured in popular USGS applications like the National Map Viewer, Lidar Explorer, and the Geographic Names Information System Search Tool.

    A name change of this magnitude has multiple facets and requires the efforts of many. Adoption of the new name has also been seen across the nation in commercial applications like Google Maps and Apple Maps.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –