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Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Cambodia: Government allows slavery and torture to flourish inside hellish scamming compounds – new report

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Apparent police collusion is allowing trafficking and enslavement of huge numbers of people

    More than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified continue to operate after police raids

    First-hand testimony exposes massive and extremely violent criminal operation

    ‘They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up’ – Survivor Siti*

    ‘The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to’ – Montse Ferrer

    The Cambodian government is deliberately ignoring human rights abuses including slavery, human trafficking, child labour and torture that are being carried out by criminal gangs on a vast scale in more than 50 scamming compounds located across the country, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.

    Survivors interviewed for the 240-page report, I Was Someone Else’s Property, believed they were applying for genuine jobs but were instead trafficked to Cambodia, where they were held in prison-like compounds and forced to conduct online scams in a billion-dollar shadow economy defrauding people around the world.

    Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said.

    “Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government.

    “Jobseekers from Asia and beyond are lured by the promise of well-paid work into hellish labour camps run by well-organised gangs, where they are forced to scam under the very real threat of violence.

    “Amnesty’s research reveals the horrifying magnitude of a crisis the Cambodian authorities are not doing enough to stop. Their failures have emboldened a criminal network whose tentacles extend internationally, with millions of people impacted by the scams.” 

    Amnesty’s findings suggest there has been coordination and possibly collusion between Chinese compound bosses and the Cambodian police, who have failed to shut down compounds despite the slew of human rights abuses taking place inside.

    Held by force

    In the most comprehensive documentation yet of the issue, Amnesty’s report identified at least 53 scamming compounds in Cambodia and interviewed 58 survivors of eight different nationalities, including nine children. Amnesty also reviewed the records of 336 other victims of Cambodian compounds. Those interviewed had either escaped from compounds, been rescued or had a ransom paid by their families. 

    The interviewees’ testimony gives a detailed insight into a sprawling, violent criminal operation that is taking place often with the full knowledge of the Cambodian authorities, whose woefully ineffective – and at times corrupt – response to the scamming crisis demonstrates its acquiescence and points towards state complicity in the human rights abuses taking place.

    One survivor, Lisa*, who was 18 and looking for work during a break from school in Thailand when she was trafficked, said:

    “[The recruiters] said I would work in administration… they sent pictures of a hotel with a swimming pool… the salary was high.”

    Instead, Lisa was taken across a river at night into Cambodia, where she was held for 11 months against her will by armed security guards and forced to work on scams. When she tried to escape, she was severely beaten. She said:

    “There were four men… three of them held me down while the boss hit me on the soles of my feet with a metal pole… They told me that if I don’t stop screaming, they’re going to keep hitting [me] until I stop.” 

    Sold into slavery

    As part of its 18-month-long research, Amnesty visited all but one of the 53 scamming compounds located in 16 towns and cities across Cambodia, as well as 45 similar sites also strongly suspected to be scamming compounds. Many of the buildings were formerly casinos and hotels repurposed by criminal gangs – mostly from China – after Cambodia banned online gambling in 2019.

    Compounds appeared designed to keep people inside, with features such as surveillance cameras, barbed wire around perimeter walls and large numbers of security personnel, often carrying electric shock batons and in some cases firearms. Survivors reported that “escape was impossible”.

    Most victims had been lured to Cambodia by deceptive job advertisements posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. After being trafficked, survivors said they were forced to contact people using social media platforms and begin conversations aimed at defrauding them. These included fake romances or investment opportunities, selling products that would never be delivered, or building trust with victims before financially exploiting them – known as “pig-butchering”. 

    All but one of the survivors interviewed were victims of human trafficking, while everyone had been subjected to forced labour under the threat of violence. In 32 cases, Amnesty concluded the survivors were victims of slavery as defined under international law, with compound managers exerting a level of control over them that amounted to de facto ownership. Survivors also reported being sold into compounds or witnessing the sale of other people. Many others were told they owed a debt to the compound which they had to work to repay.

    Forty of the 58 survivors interviewed had suffered torture or other ill-treatment – almost always carried out by compound managers. Some compounds had specific rooms – often known as “dark rooms” – which were designated places for torture of people who did not or could not work or meet work targets, or who contacted the authorities.

    Survivors frequently mentioned deaths inside the compounds or nearby; one survivor described hearing a body hitting the roof of a building. Amnesty also confirmed the death of a Chinese child inside a compound.

    Survivor Siti* described seeing a Vietnamese person beaten by compound bosses for around 25 minutes. He said:

    “They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up…then the boss tell me that they wait until another compound want to buy him.”

    Of the nine children interviewed, five were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment. Sawat*, a 17-year-old Thai boy, was beaten by several managers before being told he would be stripped and forced to jump off the building. 

    Police in league with compound bosses

    Amnesty’s report found that the Cambodian government has failed to adequately investigate widespread human rights abuses at scamming compounds despite being repeatedly made aware of them.

    The Government has claimed to be addressing the scamming crisis through its National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and a number of ministerial task forces, which have overseen a series of police “rescues” of victims from compounds. However, more than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified in the report continued to operate even after police raids and “rescues”. At one compound in Botum Sakor, human trafficking has been widely reported by media and police have intervened multiple times to rescue victims, yet the site remains open.

    Police failings stem from their collaboration or coordination with compound bosses. For example, in many of the “rescues”, instead of entering the compounds and investigating, police would simply meet a manager or security guard at the gate, where they would be handed the individual(s) who had called in for help. Business then continued as usual.

    In other instances, several survivors said they were beaten after their secretive efforts to contact police for help were somehow uncovered by bosses. One Vietnamese survivor told Amnesty that police “work for the compound and will report requests for help back to the compound bosses”.

    Those “rescued” from compounds were often subsequently detained in immigration detention centres in poor conditions for months at a time – the Cambodian authorities having failed to recognise them as victims of human trafficking and provide them with the support required under international law.

    Meanwhile, the authorities have targeted others speaking out about scamming compounds. Several human rights defenders and journalists working on the issue have been arrested, while the news outlet Voice of Democracy was closed in 2023, apparently in retaliation for its reporting on the scamming crisis.

    Amnesty sent its findings to the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, which responded by sharing vague data on interventions at compounds, none of which clarified whether the Government has identified, investigated or prosecuted individuals for human rights abuses other than deprivation of liberty. It also did not respond to Amnesty’s list of scamming compounds or suspicious locations.

    Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director, said.

    “The Cambodian authorities know what is going on inside scamming compounds, yet they allow it to continue.

    “Our findings reveal a pattern of state failures that have allowed criminality to flourish and raises questions about the Government’s motivations.

    “The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to. The police interventions documented appear to be merely ‘for show’.

    “Cambodia’s authorities must ensure no more jobseekers are trafficked into the country to face torture, slavery or any other human rights abuse. They must urgently investigate and shut down all scamming compounds and properly identify, assist and protect victims. Slavery thrives when governments look away.”

    Survivors interviewed for Amnesty’s report were from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ethiopia, but Amnesty also had access to records of hundreds of others from India, Kenya, Nepal and the Philippines and many more.

    Press conference

    Amnesty will be presenting the findings of the report in a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday 26 June. For further information or to register for the event, visit https://forms.office.com/e/tZivUqtUv4

    *All survivors using pseudonyms for security reasons

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: In Dialogue with Chad, Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend the 2023 Constitution, Ask about Low Birth Registration Rates and Harmful Cultural Practices

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the fifth periodic report of Chad on its implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, with Committee Experts welcoming the adoption of the 2023 Constitution, and raising questions about low birth registration rates and harmful cultural practices, including female genital mutilation and child marriage.

    Several Committee Experts, including Brenda Akia, Committee Rapporteur for Chad, commended the passing of the 2023 Constitution, which promoted the elimination of discrimination against women and girls, prohibited harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, and gave women and men the equal right to confer nationality to their children.

    A Committee Expert expressed concern about the extremely low rate of birth registration – over four million women and children in the State were not registered.  How was the State party addressing barriers that prevented civil registration, and ensuring that registration services remained affordable?

    The prevalence of female genital mutilation was alarmingly high, one Committee Expert said, noting that the rate was higher in urban areas, at over 40 per cent, than in rural areas.  How was the State party working to eliminate female genital mutilation?

    Another Committee Expert said Chad had one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world; 60 per cent of girls were married before the age of 18 and 30 per cent before the age of 15.  How did the State party reintegrate girls who were married into the school system?

    Introducing the report, Youssouf Tom, Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals and Human Rights of Chad and head of the delegation, said the 2023 Constitution guaranteed equality before the law for all, and required the State to ensure the protection of women’s rights in all areas of private and public life, and promote better representation of women in elected assemblies, institutions and public administrations.

    On birth registration, the delegation said Chad had created birth registration centres nationwide with the support of United Nations agencies.  Magistrates could go to refugee camps to issue replacement birth certificates, and the Government was considering making these free of charge.

    The Government had taken several measures to combat harmful practices and drive change in communities, the delegation said.  It had trained 1,500 traditional and religious leaders on women’s rights. These leaders had signed an agreement to eradicate traditional harmful practices, including female genital mutilation.

    The delegation also reported that, in 2015, the Government adopted legislation outlawing child marriage.  The State party was working on strengthening awareness raising campaigns in remote areas to deter parents and community leaders from marrying children off.  As soon as the Government became aware of child marriages, prosecutors acted to penalise facilitators.

    In closing remarks, Mr. Tom said that since ratifying the Convention in 1995, Chad had worked tirelessly to eradicate discrimination against women, adopting laws, plans and strategies toward this aim.  Despite facing issues that hindered the socio-economic development of women, the Government would exert further efforts to ensure the full implementation of the Convention domestically.

    In her concluding remarks, Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, said that the dialogue had enabled the Committee to better understand the situation of women in Chad.  The Committee thanked the State for its efforts and called on it to implement its recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls in the country.

    The delegation of Chad consisted of representatives from the Office of the President; Office of the Prime Minister; National Assembly; Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Women and Children; Ministry of Health; General Directorate for the Promotion of Gender and the Empowerment of Women; General Directorate for the Protection and Promotion of Women’s Rights; Directorate for Girls’ Education Development and Gender Promotion; and the Permanent Mission of Chad to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Chad at the end of its ninety-first session on 4 July.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, 27 June to consider the fifth periodic report of Botswana (CEDAW/C/BWA/5).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the fifth periodic report of Chad (CEDAW/C/TCD/5).

    Presentation of Report

    YOUSSOUF TOM, Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals and Human Rights of Chad and head of the delegation, expressed gratitude to the various agencies of the United Nations system based in N’Djamena for their support, which had contributed to the country’s return to constitutional order with the organisation of legislative and provincial elections.  Chad was committed to implementing the Convention.

    The Government of Chad had established a Ministry of Women, which worked to guarantee gender equality and protect women’s rights, mainstreaming women’s affairs into all Government policies and programmes.  The Ministry was committed to protecting women and children from all forms of violence and discrimination; contributing to the promotion of reproductive health and education; conducting awareness-raising campaigns on the rights of women and children; and devising and implementing national policies and strategies on gender, child protection, and the socio-economic development of women, children and the family.

    Since ratifying the Convention in 1995, Chad had taken legislative and administrative measures to improve the conditions of women and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against them.  The 2023 Constitution guaranteed equality before the law for all, and required the State to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, ensure the protection of their rights in all areas of private and public life, and promote better representation of women in elected assemblies, institutions and public administrations. 

    In this spirit, the February 2024 law on the Electoral Code set a quota of at least 30 per cent women on the lists of candidates for legislative, provincial and communal elections. As a result, more than 30 per cent of members of the fourth legislature were women.  This was a major step for the Government towards achieving the desired objective of parity.

    The January 2025 ordinance on the prevention and punishment of violence against women and girls was a formidable weapon for the protection of Chadian women against all forms of violence.

    Over the past five years, primary level curricula had been adapted to the educational realities of the country, with the inclusion of themes related to peace, human rights and democracy.  To effectively combat gender stereotypes, initiatives had been put in place to improve teacher training and promote girls’ access to education and their retention in school.  The women’s empowerment and demographic dividend in the Sahel project was strengthened in 2024 to improve girls’ access to education and fight gender-based violence. This programme had enabled 127,000 vulnerable adolescents to benefit from educational support, including tuition fees and school kits.

    Chad currently hosted more than one million refugees and displaced persons, who were pouring into Chadian territory in large numbers.  The Government was working to provide care, particularly to the women and children within this group, but economic and financial difficulties made this challenging.

    Through the dialogue with the Committee, the Government aimed to present its efforts to combat all forms of discrimination against women in Chad, as well as the difficult economic conditions and crises related to climate change that the country faced.  Recommendations and guidance from Committee Experts would help the State to achieve its objectives.

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    BRENDA AKIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Chad, said that the dialogue was an important opportunity to assess efforts to advance the rights of women and girls in Chad. The State party had made progress in this regard.  The Committee congratulated the State party on passing the 2023 Constitution, which expressly required equality before the law and promoted the elimination of discrimination against women and girls.  However, humanitarian and climate crises were undermining the Government’s efforts.

    What progress had the State party made in eliminating discriminatory legal provisions and aligning the legislation with the Convention?  Legislation did not address discrimination based on disability.  What progress had been made in adopting the draft Family Code, which would address this issue?  What awareness raising campaigns on the Convention had been carried out? Had the Convention been translated into local languages?

    What was the State party doing to promote access to justice for women and girls affected by conflict-related violations?  The Committee welcomed the State party’s national action plan on women, peace and security.  How were women and non-governmental organizations involved in developing the women, peace and security agenda?  How was the State party ensuring security around displacement sites and refugee camps, reducing the circulation of firearms, and promoting security in the country?  How did the State party ensure that customary laws did not take precedence over common law? Why had it not yet ratified the Maputo Protocol?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Family Code had been submitted to the Council of Ministers, where it was being debated.  A national mechanism for the promotion of the rights of women had been set up to help the State party draft reports on the subject.  It was made up of State and non-State actors.

    Awareness raising campaigns were being held to help civil society actors and religious leaders promote women’s rights. Chad had set up centres that provided care to victims of gender-based violence, offering various counselling services.  It had also set up an information tool that supported decision-making on policies for women.  The Government adopted an ordinance in January that allowed for the punishment of all types of gender-based violence committed against women in the State.

    Chad was in the process of ratifying the Maputo Protocol.  It had implemented several measures to support access to justice for women, including establishing justice offices in rural areas.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert said that Chad had established comprehensive gender machinery, including the National Observatory for Gender Equality.  The State party had also adopted a national action plan on gender equality.  However, the national machinery was significantly constrained by inadequate resources.  What resources had been allocated to the national machinery? What measures were in place to strengthen the effective coordination of national and regional mechanisms on gender equality?  Had the State party assessed the achievements of the national action plan on gender equality? How did it ensure that the plan’s objectives were incorporated into all State policies?

    Chad’s data collection system was insufficient.  What efforts were being made to strengthen data systems, including to monitor the progress of the national machinery for women’s rights?

    It was disappointing that the National Human Rights Commission’s accreditation by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions had recently been deferred.  What strategies would the Commission implement to enhance the accessibility of its complaints’ mechanisms for women?

    One Committee Expert asked if the State party had considered implementing special measures to tackle poverty and food insecurity affecting women and girls.  Were women involved in designing policies on climate change and land use?  How was the State party training peasant women to improve their access to livelihoods? Did it have measures promoting access to nutrition for pregnant women?  What programmes were in place to eradicate illiteracy amongst women and promote access to education?  Were there affirmative actions aimed at refugee and migrant women?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Chad had an Observatory for the Promotion of Gender Equality attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, which had allowed the State to collect data on women’s representation in decision-making.  The Observatory was run by a civil society representative.

    Within the National Assembly, 38 per cent of members were women, and over 30 per cent of members of national councils were women.  Four national commissions were run by women.

    The Government planned to carry out an assessment of its national action plan on gender equality in the coming days, in preparation for a second iteration of the plan.  Progress had been made in the implementation of the plan. A first action plan on child marriage and female genital mutilation was implemented from 2019 to 2023, and a related roadmap from 2023 to 2027 was now being implemented.

    Chad was promoting gender equality in education, including through programmes supporting girls’ access to education.  Under these programmes, school fees were paid, school and hygiene kits were provided to girls, and the capacity of education providers to support girls was strengthened.  A strategy to expedite education for girls from 2024 to 2028 was currently being implemented.

    The National Human Rights Commission’s complaints mechanisms was introduced in the first half of this year; it had received over 3,000 complaints thus far.  The Commission was independent in terms of its activities and resources.  Work was being done to update it from “B” to “A” status under the Paris Principles by October of this year.

    Civil society organizations had set up legal clinics to deal with complaints related to violence against women. The State party was working to make the transitional justice system operational.  Customary justice did not take precedence over the modern justice system.

    There was no legal discrimination against women in terms of access to resources, but there were some communities in which women were in practice given less access to land than men. Awareness raising campaigns were being carried out in these communities to promote women’s access to land.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    BRENDA AKIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Chad, asked how the State party trained duty bearers responsible for assessing complaints filed with the National Human Rights Commission. Reportedly, many cases involving women and girls were handled in the customary justice system.  Were religious and traditional leaders trained on the Convention?

    Another Committee Expert asked if there were affirmative actions that ensured women’s participation at all levels of the State administration, including in bodies developing transitional justice measures.

    One Committee Expert welcomed Chad’s efforts to reform its legal framework, including its 2023 Constitution, which prohibited harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. However, harmful traditional practices and patriarchal attitudes continued to harm women’s rights, and discriminatory gender stereotypes persisted in the media, education and the justice system.  What steps had been taken to address harmful gender stereotypes and norms?  Was the State party considering a national action plan to eliminate such stereotypes?  The prevalence of female genital mutilation was alarmingly high, and was higher in urban areas, at over 40 per cent, than in rural areas.  How was the State party working to eliminate female genital mutilation?

    Chad had yet to adopt a law on gender-based violence.  There was limited access to support services for survivors of violence, particularly in rural areas.  What measures were in place to ensure access to support services in these areas?  How was the State party training officials that supported victims of gender-based violence?  Gender-based violence was widespread in internally displacement camps, which had limited access to support services.  What measures were in place to protect women in such camps?

    Another Committee Expert said Chad was experiencing instability, with the ongoing war in Sudan leading to a massive influx of refugees.  In this context, it was welcome that the State party had adopted an ordinance on combatting trafficking in persons, amended the Criminal Code to make trafficking an offence, and trained public officials to combat trafficking. However, criminal networks exploited women and girls in sex trafficking networks in Chad, and victims of trafficking were at risk of being recruited in armed groups.  How many shelters had been established for victims of trafficking? Were anti-trafficking measures effective?  How many non-governmental organizations were working on trafficking issues?  How many court cases had been heard that related to trafficking?  The Committee welcomed that the State party had ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Government had taken several measures to combat harmful practices and drive change in communities.  It had trained 1,500 traditional and religious leaders on women’s rights. These leaders had signed an agreement to eradicate traditional harmful practices, including female genital mutilation.

    “Dia” was a civil reparation system used for friendly settlement of disputes.  If friendly settlements could not be reached, parties turned to the justice system.  Victims and their relatives could lodge complaints with the courts directly.

    Chad was a haven of peace surrounded by States at war.  The Government had passed laws defining the rights of refugees in response to the influx of refugees.  Refugees enjoyed similar rights to those of Chadians.  Land was given to refugee women.

    Chad had become a country of transit for trafficking in persons.  The State criminalised trafficking in 2018 and validated an ambitious national action plan to combat trafficking in persons this year.  It called for support in implementing this plan.

    The Government had launched the “positive parenthood programme” which aimed to combat harmful social norms, and there were also national strategies to combat gender stereotypes. Multi-sectoral centres for victims of gender-based violence provided medical care, legal aid, and social reintegration services in many areas of the State.  The Government sought to cover the entire territory of the State with these centres.  Victims of rape were provided with medical treatment free of change and the Government was working to ensure accountability for acts of rape.

    Chad had taken measures to address all forms of violence against persons with disabilities.  A 2019 law implemented protection measures for persons with disabilities and exempted such persons from paying education fees.  A 2023 policy created a national protection system for persons with disabilities.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert commended Chad’s progress in promoting the representation of women.  Chad’s Electoral Code guaranteed equality between men and women in terms of the right of vote and stand for election.  Minimum quotas of 30 per cent women candidates in all regional and national elections had been in place since 2018.  However, there was a lack of parity in decision-making systems.  What awareness raising campaigns were in place that promoted women’s participation in decision-making?  How many women were appointed to senior positions in the public service and in private sector companies?  What was the timeline for adoption of a 50 per cent quota for women in all decision-making systems?  The State party needed to implement the Committee’s general recommendation 40 on women’s representation.

    One Committee Expert commended that the 2023 Constitution gave women and men the equal right to confer nationality to their children.  The Committee was concerned by the extremely low rate of birth registration – over four million women and children in the State were not registered.  The lack of legal identity documents significantly increased women’s vulnerability.  Would the Government’s next migration plan include measures to promote women’s access to identity rights and birth registration?  How was it addressing barriers, including in conflict and refugee settings, that prevented civil registration, and ensuring that registration services remained affordable?  Were there awareness raising campaigns informing women of their rights to registration and nationality?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said women participated in decision-making positions in Chad.  The Senate had 32 per cent women representatives, and 45 per cent of members of the National Human Rights Commission were women.  Chad was developing a law that promoted the recruitment of women in the civil service.  A high number of women health workers had been trained, many non-governmental organizations in Chad were headed by women, and an increasing percentage of university students were women.  The State was moving towards gender parity in decision-making bodies.

    Chad had created birth registration centres nationwide with the support of United Nations agencies.  Magistrates could go to refugee camps to issue replacement birth certificates, and the Government was considering making these free of charge.  The Government organised exceptional birth registration campaigns.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    BRENDA AKIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Chad, said that the Committee looked forward to the State party’s work to make birth registration free.

    Another Committee Expert welcomed that Chad’s Constitution provided for free and compulsory primary education, and that the Government had criminalised refusal to enrol girls in school due to pregnancy.  The secondary school enrolment rate was less than 30 per cent for girls, and many schools lacked sufficient hygiene facilities for girls.  Corporal punishment was prevalent in schools and there was a lack of reporting mechanisms.  Educational instruction was largely in French and Arabic, which were not the first languages of many girls in rural communities.  What budget allocations were earmarked for girls’ education?  How did the State party ensure equal access to education and promote access to education for girls from minority language communities and girls with disabilities? How was it addressing the shortage of women teachers?

    Chad had one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world; 60 per cent of girls were married before the age of 18 and 30 per cent before the age of 15.  How did the State party reintegrate girls who were married into the school system?

    One Committee Expert welcomed the Government’s efforts to promote women’s right to equal employment. Labour laws prohibited gender discrimination in both the public and private sectors and the Criminal Code prohibited workplace sexual harassment.  However, the female labour participation rate was 44 per cent for women in 2022, compared to over 70 per cent for men, and there was a lack of formal recruitment channels for women.  There was an absence of provisions ensuring access to social protection for marginalised women. 

    Were there targeted programmes aiming to enhance women’s participation in the labour market?  What measures would the State party take to ensure equal pay for equal work?  Were there laws or policies that protected women’s right to paid maternity leave, and the rights of women working in informal sectors?  Were there mechanisms for victims of workplace sexual harassment to file complaints?

    A Committee Expert said the gender equality action plan strengthened women’s access to sexual and reproductive health rights.  However, child and maternal mortality rates remained high, as did the prevalence of infectious diseases.  Over 50 per cent of maternal deaths were due to unsafe abortions.  There was also a high rate of early pregnancy and a low rate of use of modern contraceptives.  What measures were in place to address these issues? 

    How would the State party improve health infrastructure and the skills of health personnel?  How was it strengthening family planning programmes and education on sexual and reproductive health rights?  How would it increase access to emergency obstetric care? When would abortion be decriminalised? What steps were being taken to ensure the financial sustainability of the health sector for the next three to five years, given cuts in international aid?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Department for the Development of Education of Girls sought to improve access to education and promoted gender parity.  Much progress had been made in improving school enrolment rates for girls through Government policies.  In 2024, girls’ primary enrolment rate rose to 83 per cent.  School and hygiene kits had been made available to all girls. The State party had a partnership agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund on boosting girls’ access to education.  Schools that refused to enrol girls who were pregnant were penalised.  In 2025, enrolment in universities and public schools had been made free through an investment by the Government of three billion CFA francs.

    There were many female teachers in urban areas, but it was difficult to send women to rural areas in the north, where conditions were harsh, and separate them from their husbands and children. The Government had adopted strategies to encourage newly qualified women teachers to work in remote provinces.

    The State party organised awareness raising campaigns in schools nationwide to prevent violence against children.  School clubs referred complaints of violence to the authorities.

    In 2015, the Government adopted legislation outlawing child marriage.  This legislation was being applied but its effects were not yet sufficient.  The State party was working on strengthening awareness raising campaigns in remote areas to deter parents and community leaders from marrying children off.  As soon as the Government became aware of child marriages, prosecutors acted to penalise facilitators.  In one case, a member of parliament who was involved in a child marriage was penalised.

    The State party was reviewing the Labour Code to strengthen protections for the rights of women workers.  The national office for the promotion of employment and other bodies supported women in rural areas, and programmes were in place that promoted the social empowerment and employment of women in the Sahel.  Women business owners who created employment were exempt from paying taxes for five years. Women earned the same salaries as men in the same level positions in the civil service.  Complaints of workplace sexual harassment were passed on to the justice system by labour inspectors, who visited businesses periodically. Free legal aid was provided to victims of workplace harassment.

    Chad took health matters seriously. HIV transmission rates had significantly dropped and Chad had modernised healthcare centres.  Health establishments had been provided with significant resources to ensure access to quality healthcare for all women.  The State party sought to promote universal access to healthcare and to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates, allocating significant resources to these aims.  The universal healthcare scheme was currently in the pilot phase, which focused on providing healthcare to women free of charge.

    Chad was not able to decriminalise abortion overnight.  This would be a long and hard process.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert called on the State party not to delay the decriminalisation of abortion for too long. Women needed to be free, including to decide for themselves regarding abortion. 

    BRENDA AKIA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Chad, said that the State party needed to urgently prioritise bringing down the high maternal mortality rate.  Conditions in prions in Chad were reportedly poor.  How was the State party implementing the Nelson Mandela Rules, the Bangkok Rules and the Tokyo Rules?  How were women human rights defenders protected from threats, including from terrorism?

    Another Committee Expert applauded the five-year tax moratorium for women-led businesses, as well as strategies such as the microfinancing policy for women entrepreneurs.  However, social and cultural prejudices inhibited women’s access to sufficient living conditions, nutrition, housing and social life. Did the national systems assign value to women’s unpaid labour, particularly domestic work?  Was there a database on entrepreneurship grants which would allow for tailoring of support projects for women?  How was the State party supporting access to venture capital and startup funds at low interest rates for women?  How were different categories of women supported to participate in agricultural industries, access formal work, and exit poverty?

    How was the State party supporting women’s access to the internet?  Some 44 per cent of the population was living in poverty.  What national policies addressed poverty?  Could the delegation provide data on social safety net policies? What plans were in place to encourage women’s leadership and participation in sports activities, and to bolster sports infrastructure for women?

    One Committee Expert said women constituted more than 60 per cent of Chad’s agricultural workforce; 2026 had been declared the year of the woman farmer.  The women of Chad were responsible for up to 80 per cent of food production but owned only 30 per cent of the land.  Could women become chiefs?  How could the State party scale up women’s collectives?  How were e-vouchers for seeds employed, and what other agri-tech measures were being pursued?  Were women engaged in cross-border trade in Africa? 

    Land disputes in southwestern Chad last week had resulted in the deaths of seven women and children.  There had recently been an increase in armed violence between farmers and herders, which affected women.  Chad’s women walked miles to collect water.  Refugee populations were highly exposed to extreme weather events.  How did the State party implement the Kampala Convention, which addressed protection and assistance for internally displaced persons?

    Chad’s Vision 2030 called for the implementation of wealth redistribution policies for women and persons with disabilities.  What steps had been taken to actualise this vision?

    The shrinking of Lake Chad was a global tragedy.  Its surface had decreased by 90 per cent since 1960.  How were women involved in climate adaption policies that were integral to fighting desertification?

    Would the State party consider decriminalising homosexuality?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Chad had created an information gathering system that collected data on women and children, and was preparing to conduct a national survey.  A project granting loans with zero interest to rural women was in place and a consultation framework for rural women had been set up. The Government had assisted many villages to dig wells to prevent women from travelling long distances to obtain water. Credit programmes provided funding to women in all of Chad’s provinces.  The State needed support in developing the water and electricity infrastructure.

    Chad was providing various forms of support for widows and orphans.  Awareness raising campaigns and workshops were being carried out that promoted sharing of domestic chores, and involving women in conflict resolution processes. 

    Chad had created a sports federation for women, which had promoted the participation of girls in sports.  Stadia and other sports infrastructure were being constructed in major neighbourhoods to encourage the development of sport.

    The State party had organised the operationalisation of women in the agriculture chamber.  Most women worked in the agricultural sector.  The State party had adopted a national social security scheme that covered all vulnerable persons.

    This month, the Government submitted a draft revision to the Land Code that promoted women’s access to land. This law addressed the issue that many women in rural areas struggled to access land.

    An agency that was dedicated to women with disabilities had been set up.  The law on the protection of persons with disabilities exempted persons with disabilities from paying enrolment fees.  Women with disabilities had been assisted in accessing employment and loans. Some women with disabilities had been elected as members of parliament.  Training workshops had been organised to support the manufacturing of mobility devices that enabled women with disabilities to travel to work and school.

    The Lake Chad region was an area of conflict where the Boko Haram terrorist organization operated.  Global warming reduced resources, creating disputes between the populations.  Climate change adaption plans included measures to prevent related conflicts. Weapons were circulating across the country, which was surrounded by zones of tension.  The Government had taken measures to address this issue, including in the United Nations Security Council and through disarmament programmes.

    The Ministry of the Environment led reforestation activities in the “green belt” to combat deforestation, and many women contributed to these activities through Government funding, planting thousands of trees per year.  Chad had a gender action plan on climate change that would soon be evaluated. The Ministry of Education had updated the school syllabus to address climate change.

    The Government had addressed the issue of access to drinking water, setting up a Water Ministry that was leading the construction of wells and pumps.  Some 52 per cent of the population now had access to drinking water.

    The State party was considering devising a law on the protection of human rights defenders and setting up an alert system regarding violence against human rights defenders.

    Efforts had been made to humanise places of deprivation of liberty and protect the rights of women in detention. A nationwide survey of detention conditions would be carried out in coming days.  The State party was working to raise awareness of the Nelson Mandela Rules, the Bangkok Rules and the Tokyo Rules.  The Ministry of Justice worked to protect health conditions of detainees.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said there were high levels of forced marriage and polygamy in Chad, and women had unequal access to property in cases of divorce and inheritance.  How was the State party preventing forced marriage and polygamy?  How did it ensure the equal distribution of inheritance to widows?  Were there legal protocols protecting women and children from domestic violence?  Was mediation used in cases of domestic violence?  How did the State party ensure that family court proceedings were in line with the Convention?  What efforts had been made to strengthen laws on marriage and family relations?

    NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, said that there was societal resistance to certain civil laws in several countries due to differing religious beliefs.  The State party needed to address this resistance through awareness raising campaigns that directly targeted traditional and religious leaders.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Chad was speaking out against child and forced marriage and implementing measures to support victims.  It had a roadmap for eliminating child and forced marriage, which included awareness raising measures targeting traditional and religious leaders.  Chad had adopted a law that punished perpetrators of child and forced marriages, and there were cases in which people were prosecuted for facilitating such marriages.  Polygamy was illegal but still existed in some communities.  The Government was liaising with the public to achieve the goal of eradicating polygamy.

    Issues of succession and inheritance were typically determined following traditional law, but where a conflict emerged between traditional and modern law, modern law prevailed, and the case was brought to a civil court.

    Bodily harm was a crime under the Criminal Code.  Persons who were the victims of such acts, including in their homes, were entitled to press charges against perpetrators, and the public prosecutor was also empowered to launch proceedings in such cases.

    Concluding Remarks 

    YOUSSOUF TOM, Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals and Human Rights of Chad and head of the delegation, said that the dialogue had been constructive.  The Government, since ratifying the Convention in 1995, had worked tirelessly to eradicate discrimination against women, adopting laws, plans and strategies toward this aim.  The Committee had shown that it was committed to the well-being of women in Chad.

    Despite facing issues that hindered the socio-economic development of women, the Government would further invest in including women at all levels of decision-making bodies and would exert further efforts to ensure the full implementation of the Convention domestically. The Committee was welcome to conduct a working visit to assess conditions on the ground in Chad.  Chad was committed to fulfilling its international human rights obligations.

    NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, thanked the delegation for the answers they had provided in the dialogue, which had enabled the Committee to better understand the situation of women in the country.  The Committee thanked the State for its efforts and called on it to implement its recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls in the country.  The Committee keenly awaited Chad’s next periodic report.

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

     

    CEDAW25.018E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2025 of the European Union for the financial year 2025 entering the surplus of the financial year 2024 – A10-0116/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

    on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2025 of the European Union for the financial year 2025 entering the surplus of the financial year 2024

    (09619/2025 – C10‑0125/2025 – 2025/0091(BUD))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    – having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

    – having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union[1], and in particular Article 44 thereof,

    – having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2025, as definitively adopted on 27 November 2024[2],

    – having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[3],

    – having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resource[4] (Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020),

    – having regard to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 EU of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom[5],

    – having regard to Draft amending budget No 1/2025, which the Commission adopted on 09 April 2025 (COM(2025)0350),

    – having regard to the position on Draft amending budget No 1/2025, which the Council adopted on 16 June 2025 and forwarded to Parliament on 18 June 2025 (09619/2025 – C10-0125/2025),

    – having regard to Rules 96 and 98 of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0116/2025),

    A. whereas the purpose of Draft amending budget 1/2025 is to enter in the 2025 budget the surplus resulting from the implementation of the financial year 2024, which amounts to EUR 1 345 million;

    B. whereas the main components of that surplus are a positive outturn on revenue of EUR 1 072 million and an under-spend of EUR 272,5 million;

    C. whereas, on the revenue side, the primary driver for the volume of the surplus is an amount of EUR 1 211 million in financial revenue, default interest and fines; whereas the outturn of the own resources in title 1 remains very close to the budgeted amounts in 2024 budget (including Amending budgets No 1-5);

    D. whereas, on the expenditure side, under-implementation in payments by all institutions, including cancellations of appropriations carried over, totalled EUR 273 million (equalling 0,02% of authorised payment appropriations);

    1. Takes note of Draft amending budget 1/2025 as submitted by the Commission, which is to budget the 2024 surplus, for an amount of EUR 1 345 million, in accordance with Article 18(3) of the Financial Regulation;

    2. Welcomes the fact that the 2024 surplus is driven primarily by an increase in the variation in Title 4 (Financial revenue, default interest and fines), while the surplus of expenditure remains very modest at EUR 273 million;

    3. Regrets that the budgeting of the surplus reduces the total GNI-based own resources contribution of Member States to the financing of the 2025 budget by a commensurate amount; stresses that, at a time when financing needs remain high, in particular for the EURI ‘overrun’ costs, and room for manoeuvre within the Union budget remains extremely limited, the budget should retain a sufficient level of flexibility to enable the Union to cope with unforeseen events and new emerging priorities; underlines that the flexibility of the Union budget is one of the key issues to be addressed in the negotiations for the post-2027 multiannual financial framework;

    4. Calls, also, on the Commission to design a sound and durable architecture for the next multiannual financial framework that enables sustainable management of all non-discretionary costs and liabilities, fully preserving Union programmes and the budget’s flexibility and response capacity, in particular as regards natural disasters and health emergencies, with the view to fully implementing the Union’s Preparedness Strategy;

    5. Recalls its long-standing position that windfall gains stemming from fines and fees, or equivalent amounts thereof, should be used as supplementary revenue for the Union budget for purposes of crisis response or unexpected needs and should not lead to a corresponding decrease in GNI-based contributions;

    6. Takes note of the negative income item under the new Article 425, amounting to EUR 534 million and welcomes this method of incorporating costs for the budget stemming from payment made under settlement agreement entailing compensatory interest and default interest compensation related to the repayment of annulled or reduced competition fines in accordance with the pertinent judgements of the Court of Justice; recalls that the Parliament, when negotiating the recast of the Financial Regulation, had insisted on the application of this approach since the alternative solution would have been additional expenditure appropriations in the already overstretched Heading 7; recalls that this solution comes to an end on 31 December 2027; invites the Commission to propose a definitive solution for the next MFF that achieves the same objective of avoiding any impact on the expenditure side of the budget;

    7. Emphasises the need for sustainable revenue for the Union budget; deplores, therefore, the complete absence of progress in the Council on the reform of the own resources system in line with the spirit of the legally binding roadmap in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020; recalls its position in support of the amended Commission proposals and urges the Council to adopt those proposals as a matter of urgency in order to diversify and consolidate the own resources available to the Union budget;

    8. Calls furthermore on the Commission to continue efforts to identify additional innovative and genuine new own resources and other revenue sources beyond those specified in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020; stresses that new own resources are essential not only to enable repayment of NGEU borrowing, but to ensure that the Union is equipped to cover its the higher spending needs, in particular in the context of the multiple challenges the Union is currently facing, including the new geopolitical context; considers that all new Union policies and challenges must involve new financial means and additional fresh resources;

    9. Approves the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2025;

    10. Instructs its President to declare that Amending budget No 1/2025 has been definitively adopted and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

    11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the other institutions and bodies concerned and the national parliaments.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Commission action in connection with Denmark’s transposition of the Enforcement Directive – 2014/67/EU – follow-up to Question P-000460/2024 – E-001880/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Following letters of formal notice sent to 24 Member States in July 2021 and reasoned opinions sent to 17 Member States in January 2023, including Denmark, for the non-conformity of their national measures with the Enforcement Directive on the Posting of Workers[1], the Commission closed infringement proceedings concerning 18 Member States[2] between March 2024 and May 2025.

    At this stage, the ongoing infringement proceedings concern six Member States (A ustria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands).

    Main issues identified in those infringements relate to administrative requirements and control measures (Article 9), penalties (Article 20), as well as cross-border enforcement of penalties and fines (Chapter VI) of the directive.

    The Commission is currently assessing the measures at issue in the context of the ongoing infringement procedures, including the one against Denmark.

    In determining the appropriate next steps, the Commission is mindful of the need to ensure equal treatment among all Member States for which it has identified similar concerns, in accordance with the principles of fairness and consistency in enforcement.

    If the Commission deems national measures not to be in line with the directive, it will continue to follow the stages of infringement proceedings, including possible referral to the European Court of Justice.

    • [1] Directive 2014/67/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the enforcement of Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the internal market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’), OJ L 159, 28.5.2014, p. 11-31.
    • [2] Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.
    Last updated: 26 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final Member Sentenced in Tennessee Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana Trafficking Ring

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Caricus Hendrix, 38, of Bolivar, Tennessee to 25 years in federal prison for his role in an organized drug trafficking scheme that spanned the state of Tennessee. Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced the sentence today.

    According to evidence presented in court, in July 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bolivar Police Department began an investigation into the illegal distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana by members and associates of the rap label “FFG” in the Western District of Tennessee. By using controlled purchases of narcotics, search warrants, wiretaps, and other investigative tactics, agents determined Hendrix and others were responsible for transporting and distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout the state of Tennessee, especially the Western District of Tennessee. During the investigation, agents seized approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of fentanyl, 4.5 pounds of marijuana, and 13 firearms.

    On October 22, 2024, Hendrix pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. On May 16, 2025, United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Hendrix to 25 years in federal prison and ordered Hendrix to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of the prison term.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    “This investigation represents the strength of federal and local partnerships in taking down complex drug trafficking organizations that poison our communities. The Bolivar Police Department remains committed to working alongside our federal partners to protect the citizens of our community from dangerous drugs and violent crime. This case demonstrates what is possible when agencies unite toward a common goal.”, said Bolivar Police Department Chief Michael Jones.

    The following co-conspirators have already pled guilty and have been sentenced:            

    • Shannon Wilder, 28, of Jackson, TN: 130 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Eula Morris, 56, of Bolivar, TN: 87 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Jarrett Wilson, 27, of Henderson, TN: 144 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Joshua Fields, 29, of Lexington, TN: 204 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Sheneka Waller, 37, of Bolivar, TN: 12 months and one day and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Myreon Woods, 42, of Bolivar, TN: 120 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
    • Montrez Brown, 29, of Bolivar, TN: 42 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Charmaine Beauregard, 42, of Bolivar, TN: 15 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Cordarvin McNeal, 36, of Bolivar, TN: 120 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Danielle Boyd, 37, of Bolivar, TN: 12 months and one day and a three-year period of supervised release maintaining a drug premises.
    • Jaylen Sain, 29, of Bolivar, TN: 50 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and aiding and abetting the possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Shumarcus Cross, 40, of Bolivar, TN: 27 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
    • Cameron Mickens, 26, of Henderson, TN: 100 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Alfredia Atkins, 54, of Bolivar, TN: 36 months and a three-year period of supervised release for maintaining a drug premises.
    • Tavares Atkins, 47, of Selmer, TN: 36 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Shalonda Bills, 36, of Bolivar, TN: 30 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
    • Curtis Brown, 33, of Selmer, TN: 60 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Michael Douglas, 32, of Lexington, TN: 130 months and a three-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
    • Correy Brown, 41, of Bolivar, TN: 5 years of probation through the State of Tennessee.

    This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational 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.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Resident Agency, Bolivar Police Department, Jackson Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Chester County Sheriff’s Department, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, the Selmer Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons.

    Assistant United States Attorney Christie Hopper prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.   

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Utah Man Indicted after Allegedly Shooting a Stolen Semi-Automatic Pistol at Two Victims in Salt Lake City

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned and indictment charging a restricted person with multiple firearm crimes after he allegedly possessed a stolen semi-automatic pistol and shot at two victims in Salt Lake City.

    Hiram Bokadrik, 29, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was charged by complaint on June 11, 2025.

    According to court documents, on June 7, 2025 at approximately 4:18 p.m., officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department responded to a call of “shots fired” at a residence in Salt Lake City. Upon arrival, officers met with two individuals who reported a male suspect, later identified as Bokadrik, had fired a single round at them when confronted about trespassing on their property. During this time, officers recovered an expended 9mm casing from the scene. Additional officers quickly located Bokadrik, who fled from the officers on foot, but was subsequently located in a construction area hiding underneath a tarp. On construction materials, officers also recovered a loaded Glock 43X and a hat described to be worn by Bokadrik at the time of the crime.

    Additionally, the investigation revealed the firearm, which was manufactured outside the state of Utah, was stolen during a vehicle burglary at a nearby residence at approximately 12:00 a.m. on the same day. Bokadrik is prohibited from possessing, purchasing, transferring, or owning firearms or ammunition under both state and federal law.

    Bokadrik is charged with being a restricted person in possession of a stolen firearm and ammunition, and possession of a stolen firearm. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 26, 2025, at 2:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

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

    The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department, Robbery and Violent Crimes Unit. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    Assistant United States Attorney Victoria K. McFarland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Castor, Sen. Luján Introduce Legislation to Expand Access to Affordable, Clean Solar Energy

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) introduced legislation to expand a Department of Energy initiative that encourages community solar projects nationwide and increase accessibility to energy produced by lower-cost solar power. The Community Solar Consumer Choice Act of 2025 will increase access to solar energy throughout the Tampa Bay area for all residents, regardless of their income. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (NM) has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    “Clean, affordable energy should be within reach for everyone—especially in Florida, the Sunshine State. Unfortunately, nearly half of all households and businesses can’t install rooftop solar because they rent, share buildings or can’t afford the upfront costs.

    “That’s where community solar comes in. It allows neighbors to share the benefits of nearby solar projects—saving them money on their electric bills without needing solar panels on their own roof.

    “This bill helps expand these initiatives, especially for working families. It supports states and local governments, creates jobs, and helps cut harmful pollution. By boosting access to shared solar energy and investing in storage, each community solar project creates $14 million in local economic investment and over 90 jobs.

    “I’m proud to stand with my Congressional partners and dedicated advocates in fighting for a cleaner, healthier and more affordable energy future for all,” said Rep. Castor.

    “As the climate crisis intensifies and Republican lawmakers push to cut clean energy funding, fighting for practical solutions like community solar is more critical than ever,” said Sen. Luján. “I’m proud to reintroduce the Community Solar Consumer Choice Act to expand access to solar power through community solar projects for all Americans and create more good-paying, clean energy jobs. This bill is a step forward in combating the climate crisis, and I look forward to working with Representative Castor to get this bill passed.”

    A full list of supporting quotes can be found here.

    House Cosponsors: Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and Paul Tonko (NY-21).

    Supporting Organizations: Coalition for Community Solar Access, Evergreen Action, GreenLatinos, League of Conservation Voters, Moms Clean Air Force, Natural Resources Defense Council, New Mexico Climate Investment Center, Sierra Club, Solar Energy Industries Association, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

    View the legislative text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 15th NG, 12th NGD and 9th NSOG in Hong Kong to receive sponsorship from Hong Kong Jockey Club

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    15th NG, 12th NGD and 9th NSOG in Hong Kong to receive sponsorship from Hong Kong Jockey Club 
    The signing ceremony to announce the HKJC’s support for the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG for the Hong Kong competition region was held at the Central Government Offices today. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, with the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, and the Chief Executive Officer of the HKJC, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, representing the Government and the HKJC, respectively.
     
    Speaking at the signing ceremony, Miss Law emphasised that the successful hosting of the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG is a major priority for Hong Kong this year. She highlighted that the staunch support and sponsorship from the HKJC would significantly boost event preparations in Hong Kong, particularly in supporting volunteer service programme, territory-wide community and school promotional activities, and initiatives enabling underprivileged groups and youth to attend the events as spectators. She expressed gratitude for the HKJC’s contribution and reaffirmed Hong Kong’s commitment to co-hosting with Guangdong and Macao a simple, safe and wonderful Games.

    Other attending guests included the Chairman of the HKJC, Mr Michael Lee; the Deputy Director-General of the Co-ordination Department for Hong Kong and Macao affairs of the Organising Committee of the 15th NG, Mr Zhang Zhihua; the Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum, and the Head of the NGCO, Mr Yeung Tak-keung.
     
    The HKJC has been ardently supporting mega sports events hosted by the country, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. For the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG to be held this year, in addition to the financial support, the HKJC will deploy around 100 members from its volunteer team to provide voluntary services in various areas of the events to be held in the Hong Kong competition region.
     
    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government looks forward to collaborating with the HKJC to further promote sports development in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. 
    Issued at HKT 19:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal alien sentenced to 60 months for illegally reentering the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Honduran national who resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally entering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Denis Hernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty April 11.

    U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Hernandez-Cruz to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Cruz needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.

    Hernandez-Cruz has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for burglary of a habitation. He has three prior removals from the United States, most recently in April 2020.

    He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Prison Inmates Sentenced for the Death of Fellow Inmate

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jonathan Guillory, 45, and Anthony Bell, 44, both federal inmates at the U.S. Penitentiary-Florence, Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado, were sentenced for their roles in the death of a fellow inmate.

    According to the plea agreements, on December 6, 2021, a violent altercation occurred inside a cell at ADX involving Guillory and the victim. During the confrontation, Guillory repeatedly stabbed the victim with a homemade weapon, including a fatal wound to the base of the throat. While the assault unfolded, Bell exited the cell and deliberately held the door shut, preventing the victim from escaping or receiving assistance.

    Guillory was sentenced to 88 months for voluntary manslaughter and Bell was sentenced to 27 months for involuntary manslaughter.

    “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to safety within the federal prison system,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Acts of violence, even behind bars, will be met with serious consequences. These defendants now face significant additional time to reflect on the gravity of their actions and the reach of the law.”

    “The FBI does not give felons a free pass to commit crimes because they are already serving federal time,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Violence behind bars – whether committed against prison staff or fellow inmates – brings consequences, as this case demonstrates.”

    United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez sentenced Bell on June 12, 2025, and sentenced Guillory on June 18, 2025.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

    Case Number: 1:23-cr-00391-RMR 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Members of Violent ‘21st and Vietnam’ Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Shooting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON –  Jamiek Bassil, 32, and Charles Manson, 34, of the District of Columbia, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison and 175 months, respectively, for their roles in the violent 21st and Vietnam drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other drugs in Northeast Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, and, in Manson’s case, for a March 2024 shooting near 19th and I Streets NE. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

                Bassil, aka “Onion,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 135-month prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Bassil to serve five years of supervised release.

                Manson, aka “Cheese,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to multiple counts: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 170-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Manson to serve five years of supervised release.

                According to court documents, Bassil and Manson were members of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, which controlled an open-air drug market and distributed narcotics in the area of the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.

                Bassil repeatedly sold significant quantities of fentanyl – as much as roughly 80 grams at a time — to undercover law enforcement between January and March 2024.

                Manson sold narcotics directly to customers and was captured on surveillance video engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions. During the conspiracy, Manson also participated in multiple controlled drug sales to law enforcement.

                In a March 7, 2024, Manson was the gunman in a shooting. Manson was with several co-conspirators adjacent to an apartment building on the 1900 block of I Street that was the base of the conspiracy’s operations. A person walked by with their dog. Members of the crew had a verbal altercation with the dogwalker. Manson then went into the crew’s stash house in the apartment building. A crew member handed Manson a ski mask. Manson exited the apartment building wearing the mask and armed with a gun. Manson fired several rounds in the direction of the dogwalker. Neither the dogwalker nor the dog were hit.

                On May 15, 2024, investigators arrested Manson at his residence on the 1900 block of I Street, NE. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 17 pistol loaded with 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition. They also recovered a handgun magazine, a box of ammunition, about 50 grams of fentanyl analogue, about 13.88 grams of cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

                This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational 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.

                This investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Violent Crime Investigations Team of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross-Border Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the District of Columbia National Guard Counter Drug Program, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel of the Violent Crime Reduction and Narcotics Trafficking Section.

    24cr226

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Police Officer Sentenced to Prison and 20 Years of Supervised Release for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Samuel Joseph Weimer, 46, of Show Low, Arizona, was sentenced on June 24, 2025, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa, to 42 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Weimer previously pleaded guilty to Possessing Child Pornography. 

    Between August and November of 2022, Weimer used a social media chat room to contact an individual he believed to be a father living in Pennsylvania who was willing to provide his 11-year-old daughter for sex. Weimer sent two images and one video of child pornography to this individual. In an interview with law enforcement, Weimer admitted to possessing and sending the pornographic files. At the time of the offense, Weimer was employed as a police officer with the Show Low Police Department.

    “Police officers swear an oath to uphold the law and protect our citizens” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This makes Mr. Weimer’s possession of child pornography even more appalling. Child pornography humiliates and degrades our most vulnerable members of society and will never be tolerated.”

    “The conduct of this former police officer was beyond shocking and a gross betrayal of public trust,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “When someone in a position of authority commits such a revolting crime, the damage extends beyond the youthful victims— it shakes the very foundation of our communities’ trust. No matter their badge or title, the FBI will always aggressively pursue cases like this one.”

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

    The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-08089-PCT-DJH
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-100_Weimer

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbian National Indicted, Accused of Assaulting Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A man from Columbia was indicted Wednesday and accused of assaulting an officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Yefferson Josue Pinzon Suarez, 31, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with one felony count of assaulting a federal employee.

    In March, an immigration judge ordered Pinzon Suarez removed from the country, according to a motion to have Pinzon Suarez held in jail until trial. On June 20, he was picked up from the St. Louis County Jail, where he was serving a sentence. After being taken to the Robert A. Young Federal Building in downtown St. Louis, Pinzon Suarez refused to cooperate during fingerprinting. Pinzon Suarez bit a deportation officer’s forearm and hit him in the chest, the motion says.

    Pinzon Suarez had been living in Maryland Heights.

    A charge set forth in an indictment is merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Department of Homeland Security investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Felon Who Sold Fentanyl and Heroin Causing Two Marion Overdose Deaths Convicted by Jury

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A convicted federal felon who sold fentanyl and heroin that resulted in two overdose deaths in 2023 was convicted by a jury on June 25, 2025, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

    Cody Kinzie Dittmar, age 34, originally from Dubuque, Iowa, but who was living Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at the time of the crimes, was convicted of distributing and conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl, resulting in two deaths.  The verdict was returned yesterday afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.

    Court records show that Dittmar was sentenced to 64 months in federal prison for a 2017 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The evidence at trial showed that Dittmar was released to federal supervised release on that conviction in June 2023.  Dittmar immediately began selling heroin and fentanyl with his girlfriend, then wife, Alysha (Gould) Dittmar.  On July 1, 2023, the Dittmars sold a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and xylazine to a customer in Marion, Iowa.  The customer and his wife used the drugs shortly thereafter.  Both then died of overdoses.  The Dittmars continued to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Cedar Rapids area until July 2024.  Alysha Dittmar previously pled guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in the two deaths.

    Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Dittmar remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Dittmar faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each count and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, $2,000,000 in fines, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by the Marion Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff’s Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Nagin and Dan Chatham.

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 25‑CR‑00001‑CJW‑MAR.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Bullard High School Teacher Charged with Federal Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ray Anthony Waller, 37, of Fresno, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child sexual abuse images, and sending obscene material to a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, between mid-November 2024 and mid-February 2025, Waller communicated with a minor by sending text, voice, and iMessages designed to have the minor create and transmit to Waller images of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Waller sent obscene images of himself to the victim and convinced the victim to reciprocate with images of the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Waller is currently detained pending trial. A detention hearing to determine his federal custody status has been scheduled for June 30, 2025. Waller has also been charged in Fresno County Superior Court with crimes relating to this conduct.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, specifically the Fresno Police Department, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted of the sexual exploitation of a minor offense, Waller faces a prison term of between 15 and 30 years and a fine up to $250,000. If convicted for receipt of child sexual abuse images, he faces a prison term of between 5 and 20 years and fine up to $250,000. If convicted for transmitting obscene material to a minor, he faces a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bennington Man Sentenced to 50 Months for Possessing Bomb

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 24, 2025, Tyler Hayes, 43, of Bennington, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph LaPlante to a term of 50 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Hayes was previously convicted by a jury on February 13, 2025, of unlawfully possessing an unregistered bomb and possessing a bomb as an unlawful drug user after a 5-day trial.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, a bomb was discovered in Hayes’s former Bennington residence days after he abandoned the property in February of 2023. The property manager contacted law enforcement, who defused the bomb. Witnesses at trial described how Hayes had been discussing and constructing bombs for months, and had offered to trade a bomb for fentanyl. Other witnesses described Hayes making admissions after the bomb was discovered, including that he was “on the run” after a bomb had been found at his residence. An explosives expert from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives testified that, although the homemade bomb was rudimentary and simplistic (constructed from a combination of a pipe bomb and flammable liquids stored in plastic water bottles), it was nonetheless capable of causing substantial destruction and injury had it been detonated.

    The jury convicted Hayes of possessing an unregistered destructive device, in violation of the National Firearms Act (“NFA”), and of possessing a destructive device while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, in violation of the Gun Control Act (“GCA”). Hayes faced up to 10 years in prison on the NFA violation, and up to 15 years on the GCA violation.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and the Bennington Police Department.  

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne Smith and Nicole Cate. Hayes was represented by James Valente, Esq., and Chandler Matson, Esq.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Mexican national unlawfully residing in New Bedford has pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

    Bernardo Lorenzo-Guatemala, 38, pleaded guilty on July 24, 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in May 2025.  

    Lorenzo-Guatemala was deported from the United States on June 4, 2019. Sometime after his removal, Lorenzo-Guatemala unlawfully reentered the United States. immigration officials became aware of Lorenzo-Guatemala’s unlawful presence in the United States following his arrest on July 2, 2024 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sun Prairie Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Javaris Nunn, 33, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was sentenced June 24, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 30 months in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Nunn pleaded guilty to this charge on March 26, 2025.

    On December 28, 2023, Nunn was a rear passenger in a vehicle that was stopped because it did not have a license plate. Next to Nunn, officers found a backpack containing an unloaded Glock 42 .380 caliber handgun and a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .45 caliber handgun with the serial number scratched off. While Nunn denied knowledge of the handguns, the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory found evidence of Nunn’s DNA on both guns.

    Nunn has prior felony convictions for theft from a person, felon in possession of a firearm, and robbery. As a convicted felon, Nunn cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

    At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that he was considering not only Nunn’s traumatic past and positive characteristics, but also his significant criminal history and the severity of the offense.  Judge Peterson noted that Nunn carrying firearms was a recipe for disaster. Judge Peterson imposed the sentence to run concurrently with a state revocation sentence and ordered that Nunn serve three years of supervised release.

    The charge against Nunn was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consisting of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies representing the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.

    This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Newsletters – June 2025 – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

    Source: European Parliament


    June 2025 | Newsletters | Home | LIBE | Committees | European Parliament


















    Among the topics:

    • Structured Dialogue with Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection
    • Exchange of views on Child-Friendly Justice in Criminal Matters – Children as Victims, Witnesses and Offenders
    • Mid-term review of the “Strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU”

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – TikTok and EU regulation: Legal challenges and cross-jurisdictional insights – 26-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    While Europeans are adopting TikTok at a remarkable pace, recent headlines on addictive design, data protection violations, election interference, incendiary content and child sexual exploitation incidents are casting a shadow over its success. This briefing maps the key issues associated with the platform and outlines the European Union’s (EU) legal framework to facilitate parliamentary discussions on recent developments, inform debates on future legislation such as the digital fairness act, and support the European Parliament’s scrutiny of regulatory enforcement. EU investigations into TikTok are ongoing, yet few final decisions are available, and reliable information is sparse. A review of incidents and initiatives in the United States and the United Kingdom provides relevant insights on topical issues relating to TikTok. For instance, hearings and lawsuits linked to the US divest-or-ban law reveal possible national security risks arising from TikTok granting Chinese affiliates access to user data. Lawsuits from at least 16 US attorneys general demonstrate TikTok’s potentially addictive features. Parliament will review the results and formulate its position once EU enforcement actions and regulatory preparations conclude. More than 10 EU laws regulate social media operations and services. For instance, rules in the Artificial Intelligence Act, the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation on non-manipulation can be invoked to mitigate risks like addictive design. However, precise legal applications remain unclear without established case law. This creates broad enforcement possibilities, but it also suggests a need for clearer guidelines or additional regulation. While enforcement actions may escalate geopolitical tensions with China, these issues could be eased through collaboration on shared priorities such as child protection, enhancing strategic and operational interdependence, and exploring privacy-enhancing middleware solutions.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Suspension of extraditions to Hungary and return of Maja T. following German court ruling – E-000830/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    As already indicated in the reply to Parliamentary Question E-001970/2024, the European arrest warrant is a judicial procedure between judicial authorities in the Member States based on the particular circumstances of each individual case where surrender is requested.

    Neither the Commission nor the Member States’ governments can interfere or influence decisions taken by judicial authorities. The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) is tasked to facilitate the execution of requests for, and decisions on, judicial cooperation, including requests and decisions based on the European arrest warrant.

    Last updated: 26 June 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Stigmatisation of civil society groups in Greece – E-001113/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a key role in upholding fundamental rights, democracy and the Rule of Law. The Commission is committed to defending the core values which the EU is founded upon, and to ensuring a safe and enabling environment for civil society can freely defend and uphold these core values in their day-to-day work.

    To carry out their functions, CSOs must be protected, supported and empowered. The Commission has a dedicated policy work strand on a thriving civic space[1], which includes the 2023 Recommendation to Member States on civic engagement[2].

    Under the Citizen Equality Rights and Values programme[3], it has also supported almost 1 500 CSOs in all 27 Member States. During its current mandate, the Commission will further step up its engagement with civil society, which will include the development of an EU Civil Society Strategy and further engagement with civil society through a Civil Society Platform.

    The Commission also monitors significant developments concerning the situation of civic space in the context of its annual Rule of Law Report.

    The 2024 chapter on Greece reports that concerns regarding the space for civil society remain. It also refers to the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases[4] decided by the European Court of Human Rights, which have been pending implementation for more than 15 years.

    The Commission will continue to monitor developments in this area and will provide an up-to-date assessment in its 2025 Rule of Law Report.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/aid-development-cooperation-fundamental-rights/your-fundamental-rights-eu/eu-charter-fundamental-rights/application-charter/thriving-civic-space-protect-fundamental-rights_en?prefLang=es.
    • [2] Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/2836 of 12 December 2023 on promoting the engagement and effective participation of citizens and civil society organisations in public policy-making processes, C/2023/8627.
    • [3] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/programmes/cerv.
    • [4] https://hudoc.exec.coe.int/eng#{%22execidentifier%22:[%22004-15567%22]} .
    Last updated: 26 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement at the Executive Compensation Roundtable

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Good afternoon. I’m sorry that I can’t be with you for today’s roundtables, which I’m certain will generate some thought-provoking ideas and conversations.

    Executive compensation never fails to be a hot topic. It is an issue consistently and prominently invoked in discussions of corporate responsibility and governance. And, it stands out among those topics that marry capital formation to shareholder rights and engagement.

    A Brief History

    The legal history on executive compensation runs deep. Indeed, disclosure of director and officer compensation was first required of issuers in the Securities Act of 1933.[1] Fast forward to more modern times . . . as Chairman Atkins highlighted in his public statement calling for today’s roundtable, in 1992, the Commission issued a new compensation disclosure rule, which sought to institute digestible and tabular formats. The Commission made further amendments to refine those tables in 2006. Recognizing the “widespread support for enhanced disclosures,” then-Commissioner Atkins noted that “[s]tockholders as the owners of the corporation ought to have a window into the compensation decisions made by the boards of directors that represent their interests.”[2]

    Congress has also, in more recent times, weighed in on the discourse relating to executive compensation. In the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008,[3] and again in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Report and Consumer Protection Act,[4] Congress observed that executive compensation practices encouraged risk taking in a manner that exacerbated many of the problems underlying the 2008 financial crisis, and called for comprehensive reform.[5] In particular, legislation required (among other things):

    • Shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation and golden parachutes (“say-on-pay”);
    • Enhanced independence for board compensation committees and their advisers;
    • Disclosures about the compensation actually paid to executives compared to the issuer’s financial performance, and pay ratios between the median annual total compensation of all employees to the annual total compensation of the CEO; and
    • Policies regarding the recovery by the issuer of erroneously awarded compensation.[6]

    Since that time, the Commission has promulgated rules aimed at effectively implementing these provisions. For example, in 2022 the Commission implemented “pay versus performance” rules,[7] and rules controlling listing standards for clawback policies.[8]

    The disclosure regime set up by both rule and statute is multi-faceted. It is each principles-based and prescriptive. For example, the CD&A discussion encourages companies to a provide meaningful narrative to shareholders about the objectives and philosophy driving their compensation decisions as to all named executive officers. Issuers also have the ability to include non-financial metrics that the company has deemed important in setting incentive-based pay in its pay-versus-performance tables. On the other hand, more prescriptively, issuers must disclose specific quantitative data in the Summary Compensation and other tables about both base and incentive compensation, calculated in a manner consistent with our rules.

    Principles

    Throughout this long history, again and again, certain deeply rooted principles reveal themselves.

    It is a fundamental shareholder right – as the owner of a company’s equity – to obtain full and fair disclosure around the compensation of corporate executives. That disclosure should be easy to understand and analyze; and it should be granular and consistent to allow for comparability across peer companies and filings. It should provide critical information to shareholders, not only for proxy say-on-pay and director votes, but also in capital allocation decisions.[9] Good disclosures will drive capital formation.

    Shareholders are further entitled to a fulsome, detailed and fair picture of the process of how executive compensation is set:

    • Who is involved in the decision-making?
    • What information do those decision-makers utilize, and what factors go into their process?
    • What level of independence do they bring to bear?
    • What are their relative incentives, and are incentives to simply “go-along” with management’s demands sufficiently mitigated?[10]

    Disclosures should further allow investors to understand and evaluate the corporate incentives at play:

    • Do compensation packages foster long term business strategies and economic growth as opposed to “short-termism”?
    • Are the fates of corporate executives sufficiently aligned with relevant performance metrics? Is compensation tied to both “upsides” and “downsides”?
    • Do compensation packages promote corporate investments in operations, human capital, innovation, or other areas that shareholders may feel are critical to a company’s success?[11] What targets are being used in incentive-based calculations and are those targets aligned with shareholder goals?
    • Are companies sufficiently responsive to shareholder feedback?

    These are lofty principles to keep in mind during today’s session.

    Questions for Discussion

    Compensation Trends.The Chairman has posed a number of questions in advance of these roundtables. Many focus on how compensation is set today. I’m also interested in hearing about compensation trends. Long-term data on executive compensation can be both decision-useful for shareholders writ large and can help us evaluate potential weaknesses in the market. For example, we’re just starting to realize the data from our pay versus performance rulemaking in 2022. And, the figures on “compensation actually paid” metrics are potentially revealing. The data show that the highest paid CEO in 2024, using compensation actually paid metrics, made over $6.9 billion.[12] The ratio of CEO to median employee pay at S&P 500 companies rose to approximately 192:1, and at the companies of the 100 highest paid CEOs, that ratio is 348:1.[13] Do larger data sets reveal compensation trends or practices that may foretell problems down the road?[14]

    Material Information. Looking further into the roundtables, the Chair has posed a number of questions on what information is material to shareholders. Feedback from investors on the materiality of executive compensation disclosures has been consistently strong, from comment files in our rulemakings, to everyday conversations, to testimony in the leadup to the seminal Dodd-Frank legislation.

    I nonetheless encourage all shareholders to continue to comment on what is the most decision-useful information in response to the questions posed in connection with this forum. In addition, I hope commenters will discuss how data quality can be improved and made more comparable, for example, potentially by reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to comparable GAAP measures.[15] I hope we see shareholder and issuer input alike, which goes not only for the preeminent panelists on the dais today, but also market participants of all stripes. Please use the opportunity to make your voices heard in the comment file.

    Additionally, staff (at the behest the Commission) has recently taken steps to limit shareholder engagement with management, in the executive compensation and other contexts, by amending staff guidance on 13D and 13G filings.[16] This may put more pressure on the proxy process. How can we strengthen transparency and the quality of disclosures, both in general and specifically in light of these regulatory changes that tend to discourage shareholder communications?

    Cost. The Chairman has also posed questions relating to cost. I would encourage panelists to consider all costs in their comments, and not just those incurred by issuers (which, of course, are ultimately borne by the shareholders). Oftentimes, shareholders expend substantial sums analyzing compensation data disclosed in filings. Are there ways to use technology to lower the costs of the entire ecosystem, without sacrificing the quality of data provided to shareholders – and perhaps even improving data quality?[17]

    Conclusion

    Thank you to all of the participants involved in today’s roundtables, and to the SEC staff who undoubtedly put many hours into the preparation and operations behind today’s event.

    [1] Section 7(a) [15 U.S.C. 77g(a)] and Schedule A, Paragraph 14 [15 U.S.C. 77aa(14)].

    [3] 110th Congress, Pub. Law 110-343 (Oct. 3, 2008).

    [4] 111th Congress, Pub. Law 111-203 (July 21, 2010) (“Dodd-Frank”).

    [6] See Dodd Frank Sections 951-955.

    [7] Final Release, Pay Versus Performance, Rel. No. 34-95607 (Aug. 25, 2022).

    [8] Final Release, Listing Standards for Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation (Oct. 26, 2022); see also Final Release, Pay Ratio Disclosure, Rel. Nos. 33-9877, 34-75610 (Aug. 5, 2015).

    [9] See, e.g., Florida’s State Board of Administration – Corporate Governance: Core Beliefs (“Executive compensation is performance-based using leading pay-for-performance metrics, with all compensation plans subject to shareowner approval; [f]ull disclosure to shareowners of all assumptions used to value the awards of options or other compensation plan items; [d]irectors and senior management own significant amounts of company stock, and the company has adopted detailed stock ownership guidelines.”).

    [10] See Lucien Babchek and Jesse Fried, Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem, 3 (2003) (discussing how agency problems pervade in the public issuer context, not only between managers and shareholders, but also between directors and shareholders; “Because a CEO’s influence over the board gives her significant influence over the nomination process, directors have an incentive to ‘go along’ with a CEO’s pay arrangement.”).

    [14] I agree with certain of my colleagues who have pointed out that our regime is a disclosure-based one, not intended to mandate compensation practices. Nonetheless, the disclosures themselves—individually and taken in a broader context—have proven material to investors, legislators and rule-makers alike.

    [15] See, e.g., June 25, 2025 Letter from the Council of Institutional Investors to Vanessa Countryman, File No. 4-855, at 6-7.

    [16] See SEC Division of Corporation Finance, Exchange Act Sections 13(d) and 13(g) and Regulation 13D-G Beneficial Ownership Reporting, Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 103.12 (updated Feb 11, 2025) (“Shareholders filing a Schedule 13G in reliance on Rule 13d-1(b) or Rule 13d-1(c) must certify that the subject securities were not acquired and are not held ‘for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer.’. . . A shareholder who exerts pressure on management to implement specific measures or changes to a policy may be ‘influencing’ control over the issuer. For example, Schedule 13G may be unavailable to a shareholder who recommends that the issuer . . . change its executive compensation practices.”).

    [17] See, e.g., June 25, 2025 Letter from the Council of Institutional Investors to Vanessa Countryman, File No. 4-855, at 5; June 25, 2025 Letter from xBRL US to Vanessa Countryman, File No. 4-855.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Leader Schumer, Wyden Urge Republicans to Halt Health Care Cuts, Spare Small Businesses from Skyrocketing Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Lawmakers raise concerns with Republican health care and food security cuts
    Letter Text (PDF)
    Washington (June 26, 2025) – Small Business Committee Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today wrote to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) with concerns that the proposed cuts in the Republican budget reconciliation bill to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or allowing the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits to expire for 3 million small businesses, including more than 34,000 Massachusetts small businesses, would be a disaster for families and small businesses across the country.
    More than 40 percent of small business owners surveyed by Small Business For America’s Future (SBAF) are concerned that health care cuts would make it harder to compete with large companies, hurt local economies, and result in higher employee turnover and lower productivity. Small business owners are working entrepreneurs who fuel local economies and create jobs. Gutting these lifelines to give more tax breaks to billionaires is an insult to the workers and business owners who keep our communities going.
    The lawmakers write, “It is no surprise that small business owners across the country do not support Republicans’ health care and nutrition cuts: 7 in 10 small business owners oppose cutting healthcare programs while extending tax breaks for the wealthy. As a small business owner in Pennsylvania stated, ‘These cuts don’t solve problems – they shift costs from government programs onto the businesses least able to absorb them, all while extending tax breaks for corporations that already pay lower effective rates than the corner store.’ Small businesses succeed when their owners and employees are healthy, secure, and financially stable. Policies that strip away basic support systems in favor of giveaways for the ultra-wealthy don’t just hurt families, they stifle entrepreneurship and economic growth. The Senate reconciliation bill should recognize this and support America’s small business owners and employees. If this bill is enacted, small businesses would lose while big corporations and the ultra-wealthy win.”
    “Small businesses cannot afford to be shut out of access to affordable healthcare. Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, and enhanced ACA premium tax credits are lifelines for small business owners, their families, and their workers. If Republicans gut these programs or allow them to expire, health care costs for small businesses and their families will skyrocket, employees will lose coverage, and entrepreneurs will be stifled,” said Senator Markey. “We must expand access to health coverage for all, especially small businesses.”
    “The GOP plan will destroy Main Street just to give more tax cuts to Wall Street. Republicans’ healthcare cuts will cripple the ability of small businesses to provide affordable health insurance for their employees and raise costs to make it even harder for small businesses to stay afloat, especially when so many are already being crushed by the higher prices of Trump’s tariffs,” said Leader Schumer. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of this country and the staggering healthcare cuts could cause Main Street businesses to shutter in every corner of the country. Republicans are dead set on continuing their billionaire tax giveaway, but Senate Democrats will not stop fighting to expose the cruelty at the heart of this legislation.”
    “The Republican prescription to cut lifeline health care programs will clobber small businesses making every ounce of effort to keep their lights on,” said Senator Wyden. “I’ve heard firsthand from Oregonians in red and blue communities alike that losing health care coverage will mean one more extra cost that’s hard to afford. As ranking member of the Finance Committee, I am fighting tooth and nail so working families in Oregon and across our country have the coverage they need to put food on the table and care for their loved ones.”
    “We can’t compete with the benefits that large companies offer, and losing good employees because they need healthcare elsewhere would crush us. Small businesses are the heart of our communities—we deserve better than being forced to choose between our workers and our survival,” said Shaundell Newsome, Co-chair of Small Business for America’s Future and owner of Sumnu Marketing, Las Vegas, Nevada.
    “The only reason my three sons have healthcare is Medicaid. It’s literally our lifeline. Now Congress wants to gut these programs to pay for tax cuts for wealthy corporations. The proposed work requirements? They’re a disaster waiting to happen for businesses like mine,” said Dr. Alexia McClerkin, Owner of The Wellness Doc, Houston, Texas.
    “Instead of cutting programs that Main Street depends on, we need policies that help small businesses provide health plan options, support expanding the ACA premium tax credits or quite simply protect Medicaid. Taking away Medicaid will create a snowball effect of other resources such as affordable housing and most recently, the snatching of grant funding opportunities that supported my Tutoring School with a Clean ‘INNERGY’ Program,” said Dr. Latoya Parker, Owner of INNERGY Educational Consulting Company, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
    “What’s particularly frustrating is that we’re talking about cutting programs that work to fund tax breaks for large corporations that are already our competitors for talent and contracts. These big companies have advantages we simply can’t match. Cutting healthcare programs just widens that gap,” said Doug Scheffel, President of ETM Manufacturing, Littleton, Massachusetts.
    “The enhanced premium tax credits are an essential tool that helps my employees afford coverage. Without these credits, many of my 35 workers would face an impossible financial situation. But those enhanced premium tax credits expire this year, and HR 1 fails to extend them while cutting other healthcare programs to fund tax breaks for large corporations,” said Walt Rowen, Small Business for America’s Future Co-chair, President of Susquehanna Glass Company, Columbia, Pennsylvania.
    Small businesses owners surveyed by SBAF expressed fears that the Republican tax scam will impact their ability to compete and retain employees, squeeze their bottom lines, and ultimately threaten the survival of their businesses and their access to essential health care. The SBAF survey also found that:
    Over half of small businesses surveyed have owners, employees, or family members who rely on Medicaid, CHIP coverage, or use the ACA premium tax credits.
    A majority of those surveyed stated that small businesses would face financial pressure if health care program cuts were enacted.
    55 percent of surveyed businesses have owners, employees, or families who rely on premium tax credits offered on the ACA Marketplace to afford coverage
    70 percent oppose cutting vital health care programs to pay for tax breaks for wealthy

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Recapture of inmate from Stony Mountain Institution – minimum security unit

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 26, 2025 – Stony Mountain, Manitoba – Correctional Service Canada

    At approximately 8:30 p.m.on June 25, 2025, inmate Jason Vanwyck was apprehended by the Winnipeg Police Service.

    This inmate had been unlawfully at large from the minimum security unit at Stony Mountain Institution, since June 23, 2025.

    The Correctional Service of Canada and Stony Mountain Institution are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

    Ensuring the safety and security of its correctional institutions, staff, and the public remains the highest priority of the Correctional Service of Canada.

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Topeka man indicted for alleged assault on Tribal land

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

    TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with committing an assault on Tribal land.

    According to court documents, Wesley Reel Bennett, 23, of Topeka was indicted on one count of assaults within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. 

    In June 2025, Bennett is accused of assaulting and seriously injuring a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation within the confines of its Tribal territory. 

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Police Department are investigating the case. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case.

    OTHER INDICTMENTS

    Hector Alvarado, 55, of Topeka was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case. 

    Kenneth Norman Baker, 41, of Baxter Springs was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona to Evansville Fentanyl Trafficking Operation Dismantled, Landing Two in Federal Prison

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

    EVANSVILLE— Two men have been sentenced to a combined 16 years in federal prison for their roles in a drug trafficking operation responsible for pumping thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills from Arizona into Evansville.

    Deriontai Mathis, 31, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

    Ernest Gilbert, 38, of Arizona, was sentenced in July of 2024 to five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

    According to court documents, between September and November of 2022, Mathis and Gilbert conspired together to buy and sell thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. Gilbert, who resided in Arizona, would obtain the pills, ship or otherwise transport them to Indiana, and then fly to Indiana and drive the pills to Mathis in Evansville.

    On November 10, 2022, during a search of Mathis’s residence, investigators recovered nine plastic bags containing ten thousand counterfeit M-30 fentanyl pills hidden inside of a child’s toy car, a camouflaged backpack that contained $56,800.00 in cash, a body armor vest and nine firearms. During a search of another residence Mathis used to store his contraband, officers recovered three additional handguns and a 12-gauge shotgun.

    In 2015, Mathis was convicted for being a drug abuser in possession of a firearm, thereby prohibiting from ever legally possessing a firearm again.

    This investigation also led to the discovery that Jeremial Leach was a customer of Mathis, purchasing counterfeit fentanyl pills for $10 per pill. In May of 2024, Leach was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for dealing fentanyl resulting in at least three overdoses and a teen’s death. See: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/evansville-snapchat-fentanyl-dealer-responsible-least-three-overdoses-and-teens-death

    “The sentences imposed here should serve as a warning: these poisons kill—and selling them will earn you decades in federal prison,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners in order to keep our communities safe, hold drug traffickers accountable, and stop the flow of deadly substances into our neighborhoods.”

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott Announces 30-Year Sentence for Burley Man Who Produced Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom AG Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott Announces 30-Year Sentence for Burley Man Who Produced Child Sexual Abuse Material

    POCATELLO – Michael Allen Montoya, 40, of Burley, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
    According to court records, the investigation began when the FBI became aware that a person, later identified as Montoya, was distributing child sexual abuse material through an online social media platform. The FBI also learned that during online chat conversations, Montoya had discussed his sexual interest in children and had exchanged child sexual abuse material with other offenders. The FBI referred the investigation to the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). ICAC obtained a federal search warrant for Montoya’s Burley residence. During a forensic examination of Montoya’s electronic devices, ICAC located numerous files of child sexual abuse material. ICAC also discovered that Montoya had produced explicit images and videos of himself sexually abusing an infant and an 8-year-old child in his care.
    “Our commitment to protecting children from abuse is unwavering,” said Idaho Attorney General Labrador. “I am grateful for our ICAC Task Force and the partnership we have with Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott’s office. By working together, we can continue making Idaho safer by investigating, arresting, and prosecuting one bad guy at a time.”
    “Law enforcement in Idaho has zero tolerance for those that target children for abuse and exploitation,” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “As this case illustrates, images of child sexual abuse material are not just images – they are evidence of sexual abuse committed by predators like this defendant. I am thankful that we have outstanding professionals in the ICAC, the FBI, and our office that are dedicated to protecting Idaho’s children and ensuring this type of abhorrent conduct results in significant prison sentences.”
    Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Montoya to lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution to his victims. Montoya will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
    Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rupert Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charge. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: PDAAG Roger P. Alford Delivers Remarks to the International Association of Privacy Professionals

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Good afternoon. I am pleased to be here today. It is an honor to represent the United States and work with the Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and the amazing attorneys, economists, and staff and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. I also want to thank the IAPP for inviting me to participate in this 2025 Digital Policy Leadership Retreat and Jonathan Zittrain and David Sanger for joining this discussion on such an important and timely topic.

    The world today has indeed become a digital world. Almost every company has some digital presence and almost every product sector is touched by digital platforms. Every day, platforms are connecting users and consumers in new and exciting ways. They are introducing novel commercial relationships with ever sophisticated algorithms. While we welcome these changes, we also recognize that these innovations introduce a range of competition issues. At the Department of Justice, we are watching these developments closely, scrutinizing the competitive implications of digital conduct.

    The topic for my speech today is where we go from here in applying antitrust law and policy in the digital world. I won’t bury the lede. We are heading towards a better future for the American people that maximizes their consumer welfare in digital markets through the vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws. In fact, thanks to recent enforcement efforts, we are already beginning to see that world unfold.

    Many doubted that would ever be possible. When digital markets first emerged, enforcers had for decades been accustomed mostly to smokestack industries. Products rolled off assembly lines with similar features and prices year after year. These things could be measured and scrutinized quantitatively. We came to think that’s all antitrust enforcers should do.

    In contrast, digital markets offered zero price goods, with consumers trading their time and data for services. They were often defined by innovation and dynamism. Those looked like square pegs that didn’t fit the round holes of traditional antitrust analysis.

    We had become so used to smokestack industries that many assumed consumer welfare should always be measured in the prices and outputs of the goods that rolled off the assembly line. Privacy, attention, choice, and innovation were afterthoughts. And so some suggested that there could be no antitrust enforcement in many digital markets because traditional measures of consumer welfare were difficult to apply.

    Others accepted that premise, but pushed for a divorce between antitrust enforcement and the consumer welfare standard. They thought that to adequately protect competition in digital markets, antitrust needed to abandon its core focus on consumer welfare and have an essentially unlimited lens on its mission to include citizen welfare or a nebulous public interest standard.

    We now know that there is a third way. Consumers’ welfare is not merely about the price they pay. Consumers benefit when their privacy is better protected. They pay for digital services in time, attention, and data. Consumer welfare rises when companies innovate, and new technologies disrupt incumbent technologies.

    The answer was not to abandon antitrust in digital markets, or to abandon consumer welfare. The answer was to recognize the many dimensions of the competitive process that maximizes consumer welfare online.

    I’d like to spend my time today talking about how that principle has played out in recent cases and will continue to inform our work in digital markets in the years to come.

    First, our recent successes in protecting consumers from monopoly abuse in digital markets unequivocally demonstrate the continued vitality of the consumer welfare frame in protecting the American people online.

    As many of you are aware, the Department of Justice has been vigorously enforcing the antitrust laws against the exclusionary and unlawful conduct of Big Tech for some time now, going back to the first Trump Administration. The DOJ currently has two large, ongoing litigations against Google in particular.

    These are historic monopolization cases in which the DOJ earned landmark wins in federal district courts in Washington D.C. and Virginia, finding that Google is a serial monopolist — in general search, in search text advertising, and in multiple segments of the ad-tech stack. These rulings recognize that Google has abused its monopoly status by controlling how digital advertisements are placed on the free and open internet.

    The DOJ has proven that Google repeatedly broke the law against monopolization. In response, we have proposed remedies tailored to restore competition and address the competitive harms of Google’s monopoly abuses.[1] In the Google Search case, a decision is expected by the end of the summer, following a three-week remedy hearing this spring. In Google Ad Tech, a remedies hearing is scheduled for early fall. We are hopeful that the federal courts in both cases will issue strong rulings that adopt structural and behavioral remedies to restore competition. Historic monopolization cases call for historic remedies, and our digital freedoms deserve nothing less.

    The Google cases represent a bipartisan consensus in favor of vigorous antitrust enforcement. Beginning in the first Trump Administration, these cases reflect an historic commitment by both Republican and Democratic Administrations and almost every State Attorney General to protect consumers from monopoly abuse.

    Both of these cases were won with evidence presented within a consumer welfare frame, expanded to account for the unique properties of digital markets. We defined consumer welfare broadly to include not only price, but also quality, output, innovation and anything else that impacts consumers. And we recognized that consumer welfare impacts do not always need to involve the kind of quantitative evidence available in a price-focused case, but that qualitative non-price evidence can be equally valuable.

    Judge Mehta’s opinion in Google Search is a great example of the modern approach to addressing all of the determinants of consumer welfare. It mentions privacy 55 times. For example, when assessing the relevant market, it notes how Google compares its privacy to Duck Duck Go.[2] And its overall market definition approach appropriately takes account for the full range of qualitative evidence that bears on defining competition in search. Meanwhile, the Google Ad Tech opinion reminds its readers that the antitrust laws are a “consumer welfare prescription,” and then goes on to examine the many unique attributes of consumer welfare, beyond price and output, in the ad tech markets Google monopolized there.[3]

    While we assess the full range of determinants of consumer welfare, that does not mean our analysis is unlimited. The ultimate question for antitrust law remains economic competition in a relevant market. The law does not permit an untethered overall public interest analysis that asks courts to weigh effects across markets or to include non-competition values.

    For that reason, we consistently reject arguments that we should excuse harm to competition in order to protect a national champion firm on the theory that this will somehow benefit national security. We don’t accept the premise that shielding our businesses from competition somehow makes us stronger. That’s the Chinese and Russian way. The American way of winning the global economic competition is with strong competition in our domestic firms that makes our companies stronger to compete abroad. That premise has served us well for centuries, and we do not intend to abandon it now.

    Let me offer a word of thanks to those who prosecuted these cases. The incredible attorneys, economists, and staff at the Antitrust Division that prosecuted the Google Search case deserve particular mention. Following a ten-week liability trial in 2023 and then a three-week remedies trial in 2025, they outlawyered the other side by presenting strong legal theories in support of critical remedies designed to ensure that our digital spaces will be free and open. No matter what the federal court orders in the remedies phase, the leadership at the Division is incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of the public servants who have litigated that case.

    As Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater has said, “The Google Search case matters because nothing less than the future of the internet is at stake here. Are we going to give Americans choices and allow innovation and competition to thrive online? Or will we maintain the status quo that favors Big Tech monopolies? If Google’s conduct is not remedied, it will control much of the internet for the next decade and not just in internet search, but in new technologies like artificial intelligence.”[4]

    As for the Google Ad Tech case, the extraordinary attorneys have won a landmark liability ruling and we anticipate that they will present a strong case for robust remedies in the digital ad tech space. As Attorney General Pam Bondi has said, the ruling in the Antitrust Division’s favor in April in that case was “a landmark victory in the ongoing fight to stop Google from monopolizing the digital public square.”  I could not agree more. We are fortunate to have such quality attorneys working to protect the American public.

    Let me now turn to some of our thinking about how we will protect consumer welfare in digital markets in the future. Digital technologies have significant implications for virtually all the monopoly conduct and cartels that the DOJ analyzes today. The DOJ has an obligation to husband our resources to enforce the laws where it matters most, to protect markets that most directly impact the average American, markets such as healthcare, housing, agriculture, education, and insurance. Let me focus on just a few of those digital markets.

    In healthcare, in particular, we have a mandate to use our resources to ensure American markets in health sectors are more competitive, innovative, affordable, and provide higher quality to patients and consumers. For years, we have witnessed consolidation across healthcare leading to higher prices and lower wages for healthcare workers. We see pharmacy benefit managers and brand name monopolies driving up prescription drug prices. Consolidation and roll-ups of physician practices and hospitals often increase health care costs, raising prices for services, and deteriorating patient outcomes. And algorithms and data increase complexity by playing an ever-larger role in health care markets and practices. We are even seeing algorithmic management technologies gaining a foothold in the health care labor sector, one of the largest labor sectors in the country.[5]

    Our recent Las Vegas nursing case is an example of the Department of Justice protecting Americans’ pocketbooks in the health sector. In that case, the Division successfully prosecuted a three-year conspiracy to fix the wages of nurses — capping their wages. As AAG Slater has stated: “Wage-fixing agreements are nakedly unlawful attempts at unjustly profiting off American workers…. The nurses here deserved better, and under President Trump’s leadership, they will be protected.”[6]

    The DOJ is committed to combatting monopoly abuse and collusion in the health care sector. This includes collusion that is accomplished by digital algorithms. Our recent statement of interest in the In re Multiplan Health Insurance Provider Litigation is an example.[7] In that case, competitors used a common pricing algorithm to share confidential information to set prices. Such algorithmic sharing of confidential information on digital platforms should be challenged as a violation of the antitrust laws.

    The DOJ is focused on algorithmic collusion in housing markets as well. The Division is litigating an ongoing case against RealPage and large landlords for algorithmic collusion affecting the rental prices for millions of Americans.[8] In this case, RealPage has introduced a digital platform that made it easier for landlords to coordinate to dramatically increase rental prices for the average American. RealPage and large landlords actively participated in the illegal pricing scheme, setting their rents by using each other’s competitively sensitive information via common pricing algorithms.[9]

    These cases are examples of a growing trend. If we do not take a strong stand now against algorithmic collusion, we will see this new form of price fixing destroying effective competition across a whole range of digital markets.

    And still there is more. Algorithmic collusion is only a subset of the issues that algorithms raise for antitrust enforcement. We can see on the horizon new concerns that will be extremely difficult for enforcers to address using traditional antitrust law. Academic work is already exploring how artificial intelligence can be instructed to profit maximize and learn to set prices in a manner consistent with collusion. We are on the verge of autonomous algorithmic collusion.

    Regardless of the digital sector, we at the DOJ will follow the facts and apply the law in connection with algorithmic pricing and potential collusion. These issues provide an opportunity for our enforcers to engage critically with the practical realities of how complex technologies are affecting Americans’ lives today and in the future. Artificial intelligence holds so much promise, but it also presents unique challenges. Will these technologies empower anticompetitive behavior targeted at unsuspecting digital citizens?  The DOJ must meet this moment and fulfill its mandate to protect competition for the American people.

    Let me conclude with a few thoughts about the Antitrust Division’s agenda with respect to mergers in the digital space.

    When President Trump announced that Gail Slater would lead the Antitrust Division, he reiterated that Big Tech has stifled Little Tech innovation and competition. We are pro Little Tech and welcome Little Tech innovation. We will bring the antitrust laws to bear on Big Tech to answer for their abuses, but we are open and receptive to procompetitive mergers, especially in Little Tech. We want innovative start-ups to see exit opportunities other than acquisitions by the largest, most dominant players, whose acquisition strategies are often driven as much by their desire to entrench their existing power as they are to drive innovation. The enforcers at the DOJ work tirelessly to promote a competitive landscape to ensure that new ideas get funding, so that startups can compete on the merits and disrupt incumbents.

    An embrace of Little Tech recognizes the benefits of venture capital and digital mergers. We want to see venture capital funds flowing to support innovative companies. In healthy, competitive markets, venture capital funds should flow freely.

    During AAG Slater’s tenure at the Division, we will challenge anticompetitive mergers. That is already evident in these early months. But the vast majority of mergers do not raise competition concerns, and those that do often can be resolved through negotiation, settlements, and consent decrees. We are committed to providing clear guidance to merging parties on their proposed transactions, welcoming most mergers and only challenging the problematic ones.

    In conclusion, let me state what an honor it is for me to return to the Antitrust Division and serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General to AAG Slater. As part of the Republican realignment, President Trump and Assistant Attorney General Slater have a clear vision for robust antitrust enforcement over the next four years. Our paramount focus will be to put consumer welfare first, accounting for the wide range of harms and benefits to consumers and workers that can arise in modern markets.

    Yes, competition brings lower prices. But it also brings better quality, improved privacy options, lower advertising loads, greater data portability, more choice, and increased innovations. Competition maximizes consumer welfare by driving businesses to deliver everything consumers want. That makes it the critical tool to protect consumers in our free market system, even in a changing world.

    Thank you. 

    [2] See United States v. Google LLC, 747 F. Supp. 3d 1, 54-55 (D.D.C. 2024).

    [3] See United States v. Google LLC, 23-cv-108, 2025 WL 1132012 (E.D. Va. Apr. 17, 2025) (“Google AdTech”).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Second Owner of Fuel Truck Supply Company Incarcerated for Bid Rigging, Market Allocation, and Wire Fraud Conspiracies

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Second Owner of Fuel Truck Supply Company Incarcerated for Bid Rigging, Market Allocation, and Wire Fraud Conspiracies

    The owner of a fuel truck supply company, Kris Bird, 62, was sentenced today in Boise, Idaho, to three months in prison and a $24,000 fine for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Further, Bird was ordered to forfeit to the federal government $1,542,387 as proceeds of his wire fraud offenses. The conspiracies Bird participated in related to contracts to provide fuel trucks that assist the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to battle wildfires in Idaho and the mountain west.

    MIL OSI USA News –