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Category: Law Enforcement

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Russell Fry’s Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act Passes out of House Judiciary Committee

    Source:

    Rep. Russell Fry’s Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act Passes out of House Judiciary Committee

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) announced that his Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. Under current law, federal agencies are required to destroy retired firearms so they are rendered inoperable and incapable of being reused. This process costs the federal government millions of dollars and trickles down to American taxpayers.

    Allowing current and retired federal law enforcement officers in good standing to purchase retired firearms is a commonsense, cost-saving measure that benefits both law enforcement and American taxpayers.

    “The Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act not only saves American taxpayers millions of dollars but also creates a system in which law enforcement officers in good standing can exercise their Second Amendment rights by purchasing their retired service weapons,” said Congressman Fry. “This legislation is a practical measure that recognizes the service of our federal officers while also encouraging responsible use of government resources.”

    This bill is endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Treasury Employees Union, and the FBI Agents Association.

    “This bill is a common-sense measure with numerous benefits. Allowing federal officers and agents to buy back their service weapons serves as a force multiplier in our communities, reduces material waste, and saves taxpayer dollars,” said Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association President Mathew Silverman. “Many agencies have already implemented similar buyback programs, and officers across other agencies have long advocated for this initiative. We commend Representative Fry for his leadership in advancing this effort in advance of National Police Week.”

    “The Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act establishes a commonsense program that allows federal law enforcement officers to purchase retired service weapons,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “These weapons would otherwise be unnecessarily destroyed at a great cost to the federal taxpayer. NAPO thanks Congressman Fry for his leadership on this bill.”

    “The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents frontline Customs and Border Protection Officers at ports of entry around the country, endorses the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act,” said Doreen Greenwald, National President of NTEU. “We commend Rep. Russell Fry and other cosponsors for this commonsense legislation that would allow federal law enforcement officers to purchase their retired service handguns, under certain conditions, and save the government the cost of destroying them. Bringing this bill up for debate during Police Week is especially appropriate, as it shows these highly trained officers a level of respect and professionalism that they have earned and deserve.”

    “The FBIAA is pleased that the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act has been introduced and we hope Congress will move swiftly to pass the bill into law,” said Natalie Bara, President of the FBI Agents Association. “Federal law enforcement officers should be allowed to purchase retired service weapons, and the bill is recognition of the responsibility, professionalism and commitment to public safety that is required of FBI Special Agents and other federal law enforcement officers. Congress should enact this legislation as soon as possible.”

    In addition, the following groups sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee in support of the bill:

    • Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies

    • Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association

    • Major Cities Chiefs Association

    • Major County Sheriffs of America

    • National Association of Police Organizations

    • National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition

    • Sergeants Benevolent Association NYPD

    Full text of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act can be found here.

    Congressman Fry serves on both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. To stay up to date with Congressman Fry and his work for the Seventh District, follow his official Facebook, Instagram, and X pages and visit his website at fry.house.gov.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The investigation and arrest of Alves was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the attorney general with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 315 U.S. convictions; more than 260 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Department of Justice Releases Report on Officer-Involved Shooting of Anthony and Savannah Graziano

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), today released a report on Anthony and Savannah Graziano’s death from an officer-involved shooting in Hesperia, California, on September 27, 2022. The incident involved officers from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department (SBSD). The report is part of the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ’s findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case.  

    “This was a tragic situation with a tragic outcome that grieved the local community and California as a whole,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This report was quite difficult to publish, and I sincerely hope it provides the community with the answers they’ve been waiting for. The California Department of Justice aims to partner with law enforcement to build a just and equitable legal environment, ensuring that the rule of law is upheld, and justice is accessible to everyone.”

    On September 26, 2022, Mr. Graciano shot and killed his wife, Tracy Martinez, on a public street in Fontana, California as Ms. Martinez attempted to flee from Mr. Graziano’s white Nissan Frontier pickup truck. Their daughter, 15-year-old Savannah Graziano, was in the Nissan Frontier when her mother was shot. Mr. Graziano drove off with Savannah after Ms. Martinez’s shooting. An Amber Alert was issued for Savannah. On September 27, 2022, witnesses called 911 and reported seeing the Nissan Frontier and Savannah Graziano in San Bernardino County. The Nissan Frontier was then spotted by San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department deputies, and a 41-mile pursuit ensued on southbound Interstate 15. During the last 34 miles of the pursuit, as Mr. Graziano drove the vehicle, numerous rounds were fired at pursuing deputies from the rear and passenger-side windows of the Nissan Frontier. Mr. Graziano ultimately drove off the freeway. Shots continued to be fired from the Nissan Frontier as Mr. Graziano drove the wrong way up an on-ramp, attempted to drive up an embankment, and reversed onto the shoulder of the freeway. Twenty-one deputies returned fire. The Nissan came to a stop and Savannah Graziano got out of the front passenger door and crouched on the ground. She was wearing a tactical helmet and vest. She rose and as she ran towards one of the deputies, she was shot by other SBSD deputies. She later succumbed to her injuries. After the shooting stopped, Mr. Graziano was discovered deceased in the driver’s seat of the Nissan Frontier.

    Under AB 1506, which requires DOJ to investigate all incidents of officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state, DOJ conducted a thorough investigation into this incident and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the deputies involved acted without the intent to defend themselves and others from what each of them reasonably believed to be the imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the deputies. As such, no further action will be taken in this case. 

    As part of its investigation, DOJ has identified four policy recommendations related to this incident. The first recommendation is that SBSD give their deputies a refresher training on crossfire and field of fire to avoid and minimize risk to bystanders and deputies. The second recommendation is that SBSD provide refresher training on incident command and communications between ground units when using lethal force. SBSD immediately implemented the training, subsequent to this incident, to address recommendations one and two. 

    The third recommendation is that SBSD consider equipping and installing an in-car video system in its patrol units. At the time of this event, SBSD did not have dashboard mounted cameras in its patrol vehicles. The fourth recommendation is that SBSD should revise its policies regarding the use of body worn cameras. 

    A copy of the report can be found here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Fifth-Grade Teacher at San Gabriel Valley School Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RIVERSIDE, California – A former elementary school teacher who worked at a school district in the San Gabriel Valley was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for possessing more than 400 videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Steven Pilar, 47, of Las Vegas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes, who also ordered him to pay $115,000 in restitution.

    Pilar pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of possession of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since August 2024.

    In February and April of 2020, Pilar used his computer and a peer-to-peer file-sharing program called BitTorrent to download videos and images containing CSAM via the internet. Specifically, Pilar – at this then-home in Victorville – knowingly received and downloaded approximately 444 videos containing CSAM, and knowingly possessed the videos for a time before deleting them. 

    At the time of download and possession, Pilar knew these videos and images contained visual depictions of actual children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

    Many of the videos and images that Pilar knowingly downloaded involved a pre-pubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age, sadistic and masochistic conduct, and sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant and toddler.

    Pilar was employed as a fifth-grade teacher working in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District at the time of the offense. He no longer works at the school.

    In April 2020, Pilar was arrested on state charges, which were later dropped so a federal case could be pursued.

    “His actions caused direct and significant harm to the victims in this case, and his offense is aggravated by fact that he was teaching young children at the time,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “In fact, when [Pilar] downloaded and viewed the CSAM, he took part of a perpetual re-victimization of the victims.”

    The FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Joshua J. Lee of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man, Guilty of Conspiring to Steal Mail and Possession of Stolen Mail

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DARRYL ALEXANDER, age 22, of New Orleans, plead guilty on March 27, 2025 to Conspiracy to Steal United States Mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 and Possession of Stolen Mail that had been deposited into authorized mail receptacles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708. United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon set sentencing for June 26, 2025.

    According to the indictment, on June 23, 2022, ALEXANDER and another man stole mail from one location, and attempted to steal mail from another location, in Kenner, Louisiana. ALEXANDER acted as the driver while the coconspirator used the United States Postal Service (USPS) “arrow key” to steal mail from the first location.  They were unsuccessful at the second location.  After a police chase, the pair were found in possession of 36 stolen checks, including one forged counterfeit check, six opened pieces of mail, and the USPS arrow key used to open the USPS mailboxes to steal mail.

    For each charge, ALEXANDER faces a maximum penalty of up to five (5) years imprisonment,  up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is charge of the prosecution. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Unseals Charges for Theft of Texas Republican Party Data

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    AUSTIN, Texas – The Department of Justice announced the unsealing of charges against Canadian national Aubrey Cottle, 37, of Oshawa, Ontario, in connection with the theft of data relating to the Texas Republican Party in 2021. Canadian authorities arrested Cottle on Wednesday and are pursuing charges under Canadian law.

    A criminal complaint filed in the Western District of Texas alleges Cottle gained unauthorized access to a third-party hosting company’s computer system to deface and download a backup of Texas Republican Party’s web server, which contained personal identifying information. The information was distributed and made available for download online. Cottle allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack on social media. A search of Cottle’s electronic devices revealed he was in possession of the data stolen from the Texas Republican Party.

    Cottle has been charged with unlawfully transferring, possessing, or using a means of identification with the intent to commit, or aid or abet, or in connection with, unlawful activity under state or federal law. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The FBI Austin Cyber Task Force is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the Ontario Provincial Police and the Durham Regional Police Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Gun Felon, Bond Jumper Headed to Federal Prison for 11 Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – United States District Judge Aileen M. Cannon has sentenced 29-year-old Joseph John Pyrzyk to 11 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and failing to report to federal authorities to serve his sentence on a prior felony gun charge.

    Pyrzyk pleaded guilty to the charges in this case on Nov. 21, 2024.

    The facts: In 2021, Pyrzyk was charged in the Southern District of Florida with one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon (the 2021-gun charge). See case no. 21-cr-80180. Pyrzyk was released on bond pending resolution of the case. Pyrzyk pled guilty to the 2021-gun charge and, on June 30, 2022, received a two-year federal prison sentence. Pyrzyk did not begin serving his sentence immediately. Instead, he remained free on bond, with the judge ordering Pyrzyk to surrender to federal authorities on August 29, 2022. Pyrzyk didn’t appear on that date, and the judge issued an arrest warrant.

    In January 2023, law enforcement officers located Pyrzyk at an address in West Palm Beach, Florida and moved in to arrest him pursuant to the warrant. As they cleared a vehicle in the driveway connected to Pyrzyk, an agent saw marijuana on the center console. The agent opened the door to get the marijuana and saw a pistol under the driver’s seat. Law enforcement sought and executed a search warrant for the vehicle. They found a Tan/Black Glock Model 17 9mm pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one in the chamber. Pyrzyk was arrested and later charged with jumping bond in the 2021-gun case. He was also charged for possessing the Glock and ammunition found in the car on the day of his arrest.

    Note: Pyrzyk has been in prison since his arrest, during which he completed his two-year sentence in the 2021-gun case. He now will serve the recently imposed 11-year sentence.          

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge John F. Dion Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), made the announcement.

    ATF West Palm Beach and U.S. Marshals West Palm Beach investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Sadlo prosecuted it.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-80088.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: More Prison Time for the Stabbing of Another Inmate at D.C. Jail

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – William Brock, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to three years in prison, for stabbing a fellow inmate, in D.C. Jail on January 24, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Brock pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025, to one count of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe ordered Brock to serve his three-year prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release.

                The defendant admitted that on January 22, 2025, inside the D.C. Jail located at 1901 D Street, SE, the victim, an inmate at the jail, was walking with a correctional officer.  Brock, also incarcerated there, approached him from behind and started stabbing the victim in the shoulder and back, with what appeared to be a makeshift knife. The correctional officer deployed OC spray at Brock, who then ran up the stairs, and shook off the attempted apprehension of another corrections officer, who was trying to detain him. Brock attempted to give the knife to other inmates, but when they refused to take it, he dropped it on the ground. He was apprehended a short time later.

                In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Ison and Randy Fultz, who prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement During Firearm Purchase

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that STACYANN M. HAYLETT, 32, of Manchester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, an ATF investigation identified Haylett as the straw purchaser of firearms on behalf of an individual who, as a felon, was prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.  In pleading guilty, Haylett specifically admitted that on May 15, 2021, she purchased a Glock Model 20, 10mm caliber pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Middletown.  During the purchase, Haylett completed and signed an ATF Form 4473 in which she falsely represented that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm and was not acquiring it for another person.  The investigation revealed that Haylett transferred the firearm to the prohibited individual.

    On October 10, 2023, law enforcement recovered the firearm from a fentanyl trafficker in New Haven.

    Haylett was arrested on July 15, 2024.

    Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for July 9, at which time Haylett faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Haylett is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.      

    This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Sean P. Mahard, and Trial Attorneys Jeremy Franker and Christopher Usher from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

    This prosecution is a part of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Hartford, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Three companies sentenced under OHS law

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Greensboro Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREENSBORO – A Greensboro, North Carolina man was sentenced yesterday in Winston-Salem to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).   

    MICHAELL HUMBERTO GUTIERREZ, age 31, was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment plus 5 years of supervised release by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, Senior United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison and supervision, GUTIERREZ was ordered to forfeit a Glock 9mm handgun, a Romarm Micro Draco 7.62x39mm handgun, a Romarm 5.45x39mm AK-style rifle, and a Hi-Point .380 handgun.

    According to court records, GUTIERREZ was a member of a California-based drug trafficking organization and distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in North Carolina. From December 2023 through February 2024, he and his co-defendant coordinated the shipment of large amounts of narcotics from California to Greensboro for GUTIERREZ to sell. Unbeknownst to GUTIERREZ, he was regularly communicating with an undercover agent about the sale of these drugs, as well as firearms. On January 24, 2024, GUTIERREZ was involved in a single-car accident after which law enforcement found a bag containing 980 grams of methamphetamine GUTIERREZ had hidden as he ran from the scene. On February 23, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on GUTIERREZ’s residence and found methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as a loaded assault-style pistol, a loaded semi-automatic handgun, and a loaded semi-automatic rifle, among other contraband.

    GUTIERREZ pleaded guilty on October 8, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B).

    “Fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to devastate communities in the Middle District of North Carolina,” said Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon. “We are dedicated to holding those responsible for distributing these drugs accountable in the court of law.”

    “This sentencing is another step forward in our ongoing mission to protect our communities from the devastating impact of drug trafficking,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, which oversees North and South Carolina. “By dismantling this criminal network and seizing dangerous drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, along with numerous firearms, HSI and its partners are making our neighborhoods safer and sending a clear message that these illegal activities will not be allowed to thrive.”

    The case was investigated by Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, Greensboro Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorney Laura Jeanne Dildine.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former EDD Employee Sentenced to 66 Months for Mail Fraud and Bribery Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Regina Brice, a former employee of the California Employment Development Department, was sentenced in federal court today to 66 months in prison for using her position to file $858,339 in fraudulent unemployment claims, effectively stealing money that was intended to give economic relief to people impacted by the pandemic.

    According to court documents, Brice was employed by the EDD since 2010. During the pandemic, she was responsible for processing COVID-related unemployment claims. However, between July 2020 and May 2021, Brice exploited her employee access at EDD to manipulate and file fraudulent unemployment claims for her co-conspirators in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes. These co-conspirators included California prison inmates whom she instructed on how to bypass the system’s fraud checking software to obtain the money.

    “This defendant turned her back on the oath of her office and those she was supposed to help during a once-in-a-century pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Today she is being held accountable for her greed.”

    “Former California Employment Development Department (EDD) Employment Program Representative Regina Brice filed fraudulent and manipulated unemployment insurance (UI) claims in exchange for kickbacks, diverting vital taxpayer resources away from unemployed American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “Brice violated the public trust afforded to her as an EDD employee to enrich herself and others. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of the UI program for those who need it. This sentencing demonstrates DOL-OIG’s commitment to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in DOL programs.”

    DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., said, “Regina Brice defrauded government programs meant to help Americans at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. DHS OIG will continue to prioritize pandemic-related fraud investigations and work with our law enforcement partners to bring perpetrators to justice. I appreciate the continued partnership between DHS OIG and the Department of Labor OIG in bringing this case to a close.”

    “Today’s sentencing marks a significant victory for justice and accountability,” said Matt Shields, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Los Angeles Division. “The exploitation of vulnerable individuals’ personal information for nearly a million dollars in fraudulent gains, facilitated by an EDD employee’s corruption, is a betrayal of public trust. I commend the relentless efforts of our inspectors and collaboration with the Department of Labor OIG and Department of Homeland Security OIG in bringing this case to a close and ensuring that such misconduct results in severe consequences.”

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Sou.

    DEFENDANT                                   Case Number 23-CR-2082-RBM                          

    Regina Brice                                       Age: 43                                   San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Mail Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1341

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General

    Department of Homeland Security – Office of the Inspector General

    United States Postal Inspector Service

    California Employment Development Department – Investigation Division

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Turkey is an incredibly powerful broker in the current world crisis, and a masterful negotiator

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex

    A Turkish military ship in the Bosphorus. Atakan Divitlioglu/Shutterstock

    While Turkey’s government is struggling to deal with mass protests at home (after Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was imprisoned), in foreign affairs it is in an increasingly strong position as a key power broker in deals with Europe, the US and Russia. At the crossroads between Asia and Europe, Turkey is strategically important to just about everyone, and is emerging as a clever negotiator.

    Since the early 2000s, Turkey has relied on a foreign policy approach that emphasised cooperation instead of competition. Economic ties were a priority, which helped Turkey steadily improve its relationships with Russia, Iran and Syria.

    While remaining a part of Nato and a major trading partner with the European Union, Turkey views its ties with Russia, Ukraine, China and countries in the Middle East as equally important. Turkey has shown that it will work with whatever government benefits its interests, and has taken advantage of regional conflicts to be a convenient ally when needed.

    At the same time, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has no qualms about confronting both friends and rivals equally, giving it strategic flexibility.

    Rocky relationship with Russia

    Turkey is Russia’s second biggest trading partner. Ankara continues to rely on Russian gas and banking networks, doing over US$60 billion (£46.3 billion) in trade annually with Moscow. The Turkish relationship with Russia improved dramatically in 1995 when Russia stopped supporting the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) and Turkey stopped supporting Chechen rebels.

    Since then, Turkey has maintained a functional relationship with Russia, while never being pliant to Moscow.

    Turkey was critical of Russia setting up military bases in Syria, in Tartus and Khmeimim and as it controls the airspace in northern Syria it also has the ability to restrict Russian access. Ankara has also used its military presence in Idlib, in northern Syria, to check Russian influence in the past. Turkey’s drone offensive in Idlib in 2020 helped the Syrian opposition and pushed back Syrian government and Russian-backed activity in the north-west.

    The importance of the Black Sea

    The Black Sea is another area of competition where Turkey has emerged with the upper hand during the war in Ukraine. Russia aimed to exercise control over the Black Sea, even seizing several Ukrainian ports which affected global grain supply in 2022.

    But Turkey negotiated the release of millions of tonnes of grain and has ensured the safety of shipping routes through the Black Sea by enforcing the Montreux Convention. This 1936 agreement granted Turkish control over the shipping route between the Black Sea (through the Bosporus Strait, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles, through which hundreds of millions of tons tonnes of cargo pass each year) and the Mediterranean.

    Citing the agreement, Turkey also restricted Russian reinforcements into the Black Sea, which has restricted Russian naval power considerably.


    Shutterstock

    Though Turkey has not levied sanctions on Russia and has kept its revenue streams open, Turkey also does not accept the Russian annexation of Crimea. With more than 5 million Turks claiming to have Crimean Tatar roots, Crimea has both strategic and historical importance to Turkey.

    Yet, Turkey maintains communication with Moscow (and Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin are “dear friends”). Complicating this “friendship” is the fact that Turkey also supports Ukraine, supplying it with Bayraktar TB2 drones, heavy machine guns, laser-guided missiles, electronic warfare systems, armoured vehicles and protective gear.

    Ultimately, Turkey wants Ukraine to remain independent in order to check Russian naval power in the Black Sea. As such, Turkey is likely to work with Nato to ensure that Ukraine is not defeated.

    To that end, Turkey is willing to contribute peacekeepers to a post-ceasefire settlement, under the right conditions.

    Meanwhile, Turkey has used the Ukraine conflict to diversify its supply routes for energy (relying more on suppliers from the Caucasus region and central Asia), to reduce its dependence on Russia. Turkey is in a strong position, especially with the discovery of gas reserves in the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean. Ankara aims to become an energy hub facilitating the transit of gas from the Caucasus, central Asia and Russia to Europe through the Trans-Anatolian natural gas pipeline.

    Turkey and Syria

    Turkey’s relationship with its neighbour Syria has also been pragmatic and shrewd. Turkey was able to pursue rapprochement with Syria in 2005, when Bashar al-Assad became the first Syrian president to visit Turkey since Syria gained its independence in 1946.

    But while Erdoğan maintained a relationship (to prevent Syria from moving even closer to Iran), he ultimately chose to abandon this relationship when it no longer suited him. He hosted anti-Assad figures in Turkey from time to time, and created a safe zone on its border which housed displaced Syrians and armed fighters. He gave rebels the go-ahead to oust Assad in 2024.

    Just as the war in Syria provided Turkey with opportunities, so too has the conflict in Ukraine. Ankara has strengthened its bargaining position and pushed for greater diplomatic and economic concessions from western allies. Turkey is taking advantage of the US’s retreat from Nato to push for closer cooperation with Europe.

    Turkey also is taking advantage of Donald Trump’s more lenient policies towards Russia to improve its relationship with the US. This is primarily based on wanting to improve defence cooperation. During the cold war, Turkey relied on the US for arms, funding and equipment, but was not able to use these weapons without US authorisation.

    After 1989, Turkey carved out different markets for its weapons imports and faced US sanctions for buying S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia in 2020. Turkey would like to purchase F-35 supersonic fighter jets from the US, and is hoping that the US will move away from sanctioning third countries that have engaged with Russia.

    Whose critical ally?

    Turkey has made sure that it is not seen by the US as a junior partner in the Middle East region. For example, when Turkey launched operations in north-east Syria in 2019, where it repeatedly fired close to US forces, the US offered no military response.

    The US sees Turkey as a key ally in spite of some different strategic goals. In addition to its geopolitical importance, Turkey also hosts US and Nato military forces at several of its bases and US nuclear weapons (20 B61 nuclear bombs) at its Incirlik Air Force Base.

    Turkey now wants to expand its diplomatic and military footprint. As a member of the G20, with one of the 20 biggest economies in the world and the second largest and second most powerful military force in Nato after the US, it has a lot of power. And in geopolitical juggling, currently Turkey is in the luxurious position of everyone wanting Ankara to be on their side.

    Natasha Lindstaedt 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. Turkey is an incredibly powerful broker in the current world crisis, and a masterful negotiator – https://theconversation.com/turkey-is-an-incredibly-powerful-broker-in-the-current-world-crisis-and-a-masterful-negotiator-253084

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What users need to know about privacy and data after 23andMe’s bankruptcy filing

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Aileen Editha, PhD Candidate in Law, Queen’s University, Ontario

    News of 23andMe’s bankruptcy has reignited concerns about data privacy, particularly what happens to customers’ personal and genetic information. (Shutterstock)

    23andMe, one of the first companies to provide direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits, has filed for bankruptcy. Since its founding in 2006, it has sold over 12 million DNA kits, with high-profile users including Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffett.

    The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23 under the United States Bankruptcy Code. This means 23andMe — now considered a debtor-in-possession — will start restructuring its finances and operations under court supervision.

    Despite the bankruptcy filing, 23andMe said it’s not shutting down. Having secured US$35 million in financing for the restructure, 23andMe has stated in an open letter that it will continue operating. Customers still have full access to their accounts, reports and data.

    News of the bankruptcy has reignited concerns about data privacy, particularly what happens to customers’ personal and genetic information. Considering 23andMe’s past challenges and controversies, these concerns are understandable.



    Read more:
    The 23andMe data breach reveals the vulnerabilities of our interconnected data

    In 2023, hackers exploited old passwords to gain access to the personal information of 6.9 million people. While 23andMe said no genetic data was compromised, information like family trees, birth years and geographic locations were. Some of the stolen data was later put up for sale on a hacking forum.

    In addition to the breach and resulting legal suits, the company has been in financial trouble since 2021. In 2024, 23andMe laid off 40 per cent of its workforce and saw all its independent directors resign unanimously in response to CEO Anne Wojcicki’s decision to take the company private. Wojcicki has since stepped down.

    Data as assets

    A key concern now is what will happen to customer data during the bankruptcy process. The possibility of new ownership has some customers concerned about how their sensitive genetic information will be handled in the future.

    23andMe’s privacy policies say the following:

    “If we are involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your Personal Information may be accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction and this Privacy Statement will apply to your Personal Information as transferred to the new entity.”

    This means 23andMe could technically sell customer information as part and parcel of the company to ensure competitive bids. This information includes both individual-level data, such as genotypes, diseases and traits, as well as de-identified data that doesn’t include names or addresses.

    23andMe is one of the first companies to provide direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits.
    (Shutterstock)

    The company could also expand licensing agreements with pharmaceutical companies, which would allow them to use customer information for research. For instance, 23andMe’s “discovery collaboration” with GlaxoSmithKline allows consumer data to be used for research on novel drugs.

    23andMe has stated customer data will remain protected during the bankruptcy process, since any buyer “will be required to comply with applicable law with respect to treatment of customer data.”

    It is also important to note, however, that 23andMe may emerge successful from its restructuring. Filing for bankruptcy doesn’t mean a company will necessarily cease to operate. Many companies, including rental car company Hertz, General Motors and Red Lobster, all filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but eventually recovered and continued business operations. 23andMe could follow a similar path.

    How privacy laws affect consumer data

    In commercial spheres, an individual’s genetic information is treated the same as their personal information under privacy laws. The extent to which customers should be concerned also depends on where they are located.

    For instance, the European Union and United Kingdom’s General Data Protection Regulation will provide additional protections to customers.

    Customers in Canada have some protection under the Personal Information and Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), as they are legally permitted to withdraw consent to the use of their personal information so long as they provide reasonable notice. However, this may still be limited by legal or contractual agreements.

    A 23andMe user’s ancestry results are displayed beside a saliva collection kit in Wilmington, Del. in 2018.
    (Shutterstock)

    In the U.S., however, the situation is much more complicated as there continues to be a lack of a harmonized legal approach to consumer privacy. Some U.S. states have enacted laws to better protect consumer privacy, like California’s Consumer Privacy Act and the Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act.

    However, U.S. federal legislation like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, better known as HIPAA, doesn’t apply because 23andMe isn’t classified as a health-care agency or an associate of a health-care organization.

    What should consumers do?

    There are numerous uncertainties surrounding the situation, like whether or not 23andMe will eventually cease to operate and who it might sell to. Additionally, regardless of whether or not 23andMe is sold, its privacy policies can change anytime.

    In light of these uncertainties, concerned customers should err on the side of caution and delete their accounts. It is, however, important to note that 23andMe and its laboratory partners may still retain some consumers’ personal and genetic information, even after accounts are deleted.

    Concerned customers should make sure to withdraw their consent and request the deletion of both their individual-level and de-identifed data from the database. California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta and Ontario’s Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim have also given this advice.



    Read more:
    With 23andMe filing for bankruptcy, what happens to consumers’ genetic data?

    The anxiety and concern surrounding 23andMe’s future is an indicator that a harmonized and effective framework is needed to regulate consumer privacy.

    As legal scholars Sara Gerke, Melissa B. Jacoby and I. Glenn Cohen aptly stated in their recent research article, “a legal system that relies heavily on privacy statements to protect customer data leaves customers vulnerable to unexpected uses of their data, with limited remedies.”

    Without clear regulations, consumers are forced to rely on the word of companies. With genetic data at stake, it’s imperative that policymakers take action to protect consumer privacy in the face of uncertainty.

    Aileen Editha 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 users need to know about privacy and data after 23andMe’s bankruptcy filing – https://theconversation.com/what-users-need-to-know-about-privacy-and-data-after-23andmes-bankruptcy-filing-253012

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have you seen Phoenix?

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police are asking for the public’s help finding Phoenix, who has been reported missing from his Ranui, Porirua home.

    He was last seen about 3.30pm yesterday at home, wearing a black T-shirt with moths on front and back, dark trackpants and black workboots. 

    Police and Phoenix’s family have concerns for his welfare and want to see him return home. 

    If you have seen him or have any information on his whereabouts, please call 111 and quote reference number 250328/2132.

    ENDS 

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have you seen Raumiria?

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are asking for the public’s help finding Raumiria, who has been reported missing from her Grandview Heights, Hamilton home. 

    Raumiria was last seen yesterday wearing a dark grey Star Wars T-shirt with “Mandalorian” written on it, light grey trackpants, and white New Balance sneakers. 

    Police and her family are concerned for her welfare and would like to find her as soon as possible. 

    If you have seen her or have information that might help us find her, please call 111 and quote reference number 250328/2012.

    ENDS 

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Memphis Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Tennessee man was sentenced today to over seven years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Memphis area.

    According to court documents, Courtney Davis, 28, of Memphis, also known as Geo and Geo Grape, conspired with co-defendant Brian Lackland, also known as Stupid Duke, Spooky Duke, Duke, and Homework, and others, in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. This investigation targeted a Memphis-based gang Young Mob, also known as Young Mob Military, and its involvement in the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in March 2024, investigators and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Multiagency Gang Unit began court-authorized wiretaps in which Davis was intercepted multiple times discussing with Lackland the acquisition and distribution of “blues,” which are fentanyl pills that resembled blue 30mg oxycodone pills. Davis was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of approximately 90 grams of fentanyl and 1360 grams of methamphetamine.

    Davis is one of 18 defendants charged as part of this ongoing investigation and the first to be sentenced. In December 2024, Davis pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.

    The ATF and the Memphis Multiagency Gang Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced To Over 11 Years In Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore,Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Querida Moran, age 53, of Owings Mills, to 135 months’ imprisonment in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.  Moran pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute two kilograms of fentanyl and over 50 kilograms of cocaine recovered from a storage unit and from her purse in August 2023.  Moran was on federal supervised release at the time.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, made the announcement with Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA”) Washington Division.

    According to the guilty plea, in 2023, the DEA identified Moran as a source of supply for numerous drug traffickers in the Baltimore region.  During the investigation, agents watched Moran conduct numerous drug transactions.  For example, on July 26, 2023, Moran drove her SUV to a restaurant parking lot in Arundel Mills, Maryland.  While in the parking lot, a Subaru arrived and parked.  Moran walked over to the Subaru, gave the driver a bag, and returned to her SUV.  Both vehicles drove away in different directions.  Agents followed the Subaru and initiated a traffic stop.  A probable cause search followed, and they recovered 100 grams of fentanyl from the driver.

    A week later, on August 1, 2023, agents were monitoring the GPS tracking device on Moran’s SUV as she drove to a Travel Plaza and parked near the area where tractor trailers park.  From there, Moran drove directly to a storage center.  Agents watched the video footage from the storage center and saw Moran transport two large duffle bags and a cardboard box to her storage unit.     

    The next day, Moran returned to her storage unit and left with a black suitcase.  After leaving the storage unit, agents watched Moran conduct multiple drug transactions.  In response, they obtained search warrants, which included Moran’s storage unit and her residence.

    On August 3, 2023, agents searched Moran’s storage unit and recovered fifty kilograms of cocaine and two kilograms of fentanyl.  After the search, Moran was arrested at a separate location from the storage unit.  Agents searched Moran’s purse and recovered two additional kilograms of cocaine.  A forensic analysis of the drugs recovered confirmed two kilograms of fentanyl and fifty kilograms of cocaine was in Moran’s storage unit and two kilograms of cocaine was in her purse.  On the same date, agents searched Moran’s residence, located in Owings Mills, Maryland.  Agents seized approximately $56,000 in U.S. currency from the apartment. The seized currency constituted proceeds of Moran’s drug trafficking activity or was used, or intended to be used, to facilitate Moran’s drug offense.   

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Calvin C. Miner, who is prosecuting the case.

    For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 23 Lubbock-Area Defendants Charged in Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking Cases

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Twenty-three alleged methamphetamine and fentanyl traffickers in Lubbock, Texas, have been federally charged with drug crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

    The defendants, charged in nine indictments, were apprehended on Wednesday, March 26th.  Initial appearances began today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch.

    This investigation began in March 2023.  Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 43 kilograms of methamphetamine, 285.4 grams of fentanyl (approx. 1,902 pills), 335.5 grams of cocaine, 2,296.7 grams of marijuana, and six firearms.  The 285.4 grams of seized fentanyl equals potentially 21,662 lethal doses of fentanyl.

    Those charged in the indictments include:

    •    Vida Tamor Overstreet, 49, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Patrick Wayne Frazier aka Pat Pat, 38, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Juantay Dewayne Frazier aka Broadway, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    David Wayne Frazier aka Dinky, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Santiago Daniel Baltazar aka Chago, 26, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl

    •    Walter Wood, 36, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl

    •    Santos Moncada aka Tos, 28, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Jessie Franco, 41, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Shondra Christine Walker, 40, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Orian Emanuel Garcia, 35, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Rudolfo Luna aka Roy Luna, 43, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Adam Lee Arredondo, 37, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Justin Lee Dominguez, 37, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Anthony James Lockett, 44, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, distribution of     methamphetamine

    •    Rita Adelita Castillo, 44, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Paul Wayne Frazier, 38, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Charles Andre Sykes, 41, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Heather Jane Whitehead, 40, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Henry Tienda, Jr., 35, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Gary Dewayne Bolton aka Bay Bay, 36, charged with distribution of fentanyl

    •    Arhmad Rashad Fountain aka Ra Ra, 47, charged with distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Rubith Diaz Rodriguez, age 24, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Tyler Kristian Piseno, 37, charged with distribution of fentanyl.

    “Cooperation of local, state and federal law enforcement led to success in disrupting a drug trafficking organization,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “These arrests will have a considerable impact on the distribution of methamphetamine in the greater-Lubbock area, and law enforcement will continue work together to ensure the safety and security of our communities.”

    “This operation sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the flow of illegal drugs into our neighborhoods,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA.  “By working together at every level of law enforcement, we are leveraging all available resources to destroy these criminal networks and commit to safeguard our communities from drug trafficking and violent crime.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    If convicted, some of the defendants face up to life in federal prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham praised the joint efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Office, the Caprock HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Anti-Gang Center, the Levelland Police Department, and the Hockley County Sheriff’s Office.  The cases are being prosecuted by the West Texas Branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

    This prosecution stems from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transitional criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.  

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Trump Administration is once again gutting workers’ rights

    Source: US National Education Union

    By: Celeste Fernandez

    Published: March 28, 2025

    On Thursday the Trump Administration signed an executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining for government employees whose work include national security aspects. The expansive order applied to workers across many federal agencies.

    The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:

    “The Trump Administration is once again gutting workplace protections, diminishing the voice of working people, and attacking collective bargaining rights. It is stripping away rights from workers across various federal agencies, including the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and Health and Human Services.

    “When you take away collective bargaining, you take away workers’ voices. This is a slap in the face to men and women who serve our country, and the 7,000 educators who have dedicated their lives to helping students from military-connected families thrive.

    “It is cruel and unforgivable to sacrifice the needs of military students and families around the globe to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Educators and parents won’t be silent in our advocacy.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Tennessee man was sentenced today to over seven years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Memphis area.

    According to court documents, Courtney Davis, 28, of Memphis, also known as Geo and Geo Grape, conspired with co-defendant Brian Lackland, also known as Stupid Duke, Spooky Duke, Duke, and Homework, and others, in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. This investigation targeted a Memphis-based gang Young Mob, also known as Young Mob Military, and its involvement in the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in March 2024, investigators and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Multiagency Gang Unit began court-authorized wiretaps in which Davis was intercepted multiple times discussing with Lackland the acquisition and distribution of “blues,” which are fentanyl pills that resembled blue 30mg oxycodone pills. Davis was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of approximately 90 grams of fentanyl and 1360 grams of methamphetamine.

    Davis is one of 18 defendants charged as part of this ongoing investigation and the first to be sentenced. In December 2024, Davis pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.

    The ATF and the Memphis Multiagency Gang Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Memphis Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A Tennessee man was sentenced today to over seven years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Memphis area.

    According to court documents, Courtney Davis, 28, of Memphis, also known as Geo and Geo Grape, conspired with co-defendant Brian Lackland, also known as Stupid Duke, Spooky Duke, Duke, and Homework, and others, in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. This investigation targeted a Memphis-based gang Young Mob, also known as Young Mob Military, and its involvement in the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in March 2024, investigators and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Multiagency Gang Unit began court-authorized wiretaps in which Davis was intercepted multiple times discussing with Lackland the acquisition and distribution of “blues,” which are fentanyl pills that resembled blue 30mg oxycodone pills. Davis was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of approximately 90 grams of fentanyl and 1360 grams of methamphetamine.

    Davis is one of 18 defendants charged as part of this ongoing investigation and the first to be sentenced. In December 2024, Davis pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.

    The ATF and the Memphis Multiagency Gang Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Arizona, multiagency case results in Nogales man sentenced to 10 years in prison for methamphetamine possession, intent to distribute

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    TUCSON, Ariz. – A Nogales man was sentenced last week to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

    “Storing to distribute deadly drugs requires a person lacking a moral compass,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge for Arizona, Francisco B. Burrola. “HSI and our federal partners are committed to weeding out people that look to plague our communities with drugs, we will not stand for it. The defendant in this case will have a decade in prison to think of his actions that cost him his freedom.”

    Sergio Humberto Ramos, 73, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, admitting that he was paid to store the drugs at a trucking yard near Nogales until they could be transported.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney, David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Diopsys Inc. Agrees to Pay up to $14.25 Million to Resolve Alleged Federal False Claims Act and State Law Violations Relating to Vision Testing

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Diopsys Inc., a medical device company based in Middletown, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay up to $14.25 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the federal False Claims Act and various state laws by knowingly submitting or causing others to submit false claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid in connection with certain vision testing services.

    The settlement resolves allegations relating to Diopsys’ NOVA device, an electrophysiological device that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared for visual evoked potential (VEP) testing. The United States alleged that, during the period from Jan. 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2021, Diopsys caused healthcare providers to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services in which the NOVA device was utilized for medically unnecessary uses, specifically electroretinography (ERG) vision testing, a substantially different vision test for which the NOVA device lacked FDA clearance. The government further contended that Diopsys made substantial changes to the NOVA device that it never submitted to FDA for clearance or approval despite knowing that such a submission was required.

    “Today’s resolution reaffirms our commitment to protect the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” said U.S. Attorney John Giordano for the District of New Jersey. “Health care companies must not encourage doctors to submit claims for payment for medically unnecessary tests.”

    Under the terms of the settlement, Diopsys will make guaranteed payments of $1,225,000 and contingent payments of up to $13,025,000. The settlement is based on Diopsys’ financial condition.

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Dr. Atul Jain, a California ophthalmologist. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  Approximately $1,120,000 of the guaranteed payment and up to approximately $11,900,000 of the contingent payments constitute the federal portion of the recovery. Dr. Jain will receive at least approximately $207,000 as his share of the federal recovery in this case.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Trial Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.

    The case is captioned United States ex rel. Jain v. Diopsys Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 21-18151 (D.N.J.).

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    Source: US State of Vermont

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced To 20 Years For Illegally Possessing A Pistol And Ammunition Used In Two Murders

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

    Savannah, Georgia – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida and Acting United States Attorney Tara M. Lyons for the Southern District of Georgia announce that Chief U.S. District Judge R. Stan Baker has sentenced Victor McMillar (33, Savannah) to 20 years in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Judge Baker also recommended that McMillar serve his prison sentence at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility as far from Savannah as possible. A federal jury found McMillar guilty on October 24, 2024. 

    According to court documents and trial testimony, on November 3, 2018, McMillar fired eleven .40 caliber rounds from a Smith & Wesson pistol into the vehicle driven by a husband and wife down a residential street in Savannah. The couple was shot multiple times, and both were both transported to a hospital. The husband died from his gunshot wounds. His wife survived but suffered permanent injury. Two days later, McMillar shot and killed an acquaintance who had witnessed the first murder. This time McMillar used a Glock .40 caliber pistol and fired eleven times. The acquaintance was found dead in the street, struck by at least three bullets to his head. McMillar planted the Smith & Wesson pistol on the body of the second victim. DNA swabs taken from the Smith & Wesson pistol would later match to McMillar. 

    Following the murders, McMillar was arrested by the Savannah Police Department and later indicted for the murders. McMillar was acquitted in Chatham County Superior Court on October 17, 2023. Following the acquittal, McMillar was indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

    Prosecutors from the Middle District of Florida were assigned as Special Assistant United States Attorneys to prosecute McMillar. During preparation for trial, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discovered that McMillar had attempted to erase a cellphone left at the first murder scene. The ATF agents obtained a search warrant for McMillar’s iCloud account, which McMillar failed to delete. McMillar’s iCloud account had several pictures of firearms taken on October 22, 2018, including a photograph of a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, identical to the murder weapon. Additional cellphone forensic evidence placed McMillar at the scene of both murders.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Savannah Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lasry and Frank Talbot.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lawler Leads Bipartisan Group Urging State Department to Enforce Military Assistance Prohibitions on Azerbaijan

    Source: US Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17)

    Washington, D.C. – 3/27/2025… Today, a bipartisan coalition of representatives, led by Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), and Gabe Amo (RI-01), sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressing for the continued enforcement of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act. Section 907 pauses U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan until Baku stops its ongoing aggression against Armenia, occupation of Armenian territory, and human rights violations, including the detention and abuse of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs). While assistance remains paused at the moment, conditions in Azerbaijan and Armenia necessitate a continuation of this. 

    The letter highlights Azerbaijan’s 2023 military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), which forcibly displaced 120,000 Armenians in an act that is widely recognized as ethnic cleansing. The letter also condemns Azerbaijan’s destruction of ancient Armenian Christian heritage and its deepening ties with Russia and Iran, which run counter to U.S. national security interests.

    “Amid the persistent threat of authoritarian expansionism throughout the region and across the world, it is imperative that the Trump Administration makes clear to governments that undermine U.S. interests that their actions will not be met with impunity – much less material financial support,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    The Armenian Assembly of America praised the effort, stating: “The Assembly welcomes this bipartisan initiative spearheaded by Congressman Lawler. As long as Azerbaijan continues unjustly to hold Christian Armenian hostages and evade accountability for its hostile acts against Armenians, including the violent ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, it is imperative that Section 907 remain firmly in place,” said Mariam Khaloyan, Congressional Relations Director of the Armenian Assembly of America. 

    “The ANCA welcomes this bipartisan Congressional call on Secretary Rubio to enforce Section 907 – ending U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan,” stated Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America. “In the wake of Azerbaijan’s genocidal ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian Christians of Artsakh – amid its ongoing occupation of sovereign Armenian territory and illegal detention of Armenian hostages – we cannot ask U.S. taxpayers to subsidize this oil-rich, violent, and corrupt foreign dictatorship.  We thank Representatives Lawler, Pallone, Bilirakis, and Amo – and each of the Representatives who joined with them – for their moral clarity and strong pro-peace leadership.”

    The letter garnered 60 bipartisan signatures and specifically urges the Secretary to enforce Section 907 and refrain from using waiver authority to send aid to Azerbaijan while the government continues to engage in this malign behavior. This letter also serves as a follow-up to the leading members’ Armenian Protection Act of 2024, which aimed to prevent the Executive Branch from exercising this waiver authority.

    Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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    A copy of the full letter can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –