Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Schengen Information System (SIS) reporting on returns – E-001100/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The statistical data collected by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) and by the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat) have different scope and cover different time periods[1].

    The data collected by eu-LISA include return alerts entered in the Schengen Information System (SIS)[2]; Member States may refrain from entering such alerts in some cases[3].

    The statistics on SIS hits only cover the cases where the person subject to a SIS return alert left the territory of the Member States through a different Member State than the one that issued the alert.

    Teams composed of Commission and Member States’ experts evaluate the application of the Schengen acquis by Member States in accordance with Council Regulation (EU) 2022/922[4], including in the areas of return and of the large-scale information systems supporting the application of the Schengen acquis, such as SIS.

    While, according to eu-LISA’s annual statistics for 2023, all Member States that participate in Regulation (EU) 2018/1860 created return alerts, some experienced delays and, in some cases, return decisions were not systematically followed by a SIS alert.

    As follow-up to the Schengen evaluations, the Commission is working with Member States to ensure a seamless connection between return case management systems and the SIS to avoid delays and inconsistencies.

    The Commission does not collect statistics on the number of cases where a Member State executes the return decision issued by another Member State.

    • [1] Eurostat statistics cover the period between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023 while the eu-LISA statistics cover the period between 7 March 2023 and 31 December 2023.
    • [2] Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1860 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the use of the Schengen Information System for the return of illegally staying third-country nationals, OJ L 312, 7.12.2018, p. 1-13.
    • [3] Article 3(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1860.
    • [4] Council Regulation (EU) 2022/922 of 9 June 2022 on the establishment and operation of an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013, OJ L 160, 15.6.2022, p. 1-27.
    Last updated: 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE conducts worksite inspections at Baton Rouge massage parlors

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    June 11, 2025Baton Rouge, LA, United StatesWorksite Enforcement

    On June 11, 2025, HSI Baton Rouge conducted a worksite enforcement operation at nine (9) illicit massage businesses in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana metropolitan area. Agents obtained entry to the premises based on state criminal search warrants for prostitution and pandering. As a result of the operation, ten (10) Chinese-national females were detained by HSI for further identification and removal processing. Interviews are currently being conducted to determine removability. Bulk cash and other evidence was seized during the operation and is actively being counted and analyzed. The Attorney General of Louisiana, Liz Murrill, and the District Attorney of East Baton Rouge Parish, Hillar Moore, participated in the operation and remain on scene at the HSI Baton Rouge command post.

    This is a joint investigation between HSI and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office with support from Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Louisiana Attorney General, the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, the Baton Rouge Police Department, the Zachary Police Department, Baton Rouge Fire Department, and the St. George Fire Department.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grand Jury Indicts Two Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and Mutilation

    Source: US State of California

    A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

    The indictment alleges that Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos.

    According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

    The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

    The FBI and USFWS investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Ernst Legislation to Stop Billions in Bogus Payments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is codifying one of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) largest cost savings actions to identify and stop fraudulent and improper payments after more than $160 billion occurred in Fiscal Year 2024.
    The Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act enacts a strict anti-fraud process before the government is allowed to spend a dime to effectively eliminate improper payments and safeguard tax dollars. The bill also requires annual verifications of payment accuracy for ongoing transactions and increases transparency by requiring the public disclosure of every payment on the USASpending.gov website.
    Here is some of the coverage:
    New York Post | GOP senators push to cement core Musk-inspired DOGE savings at Treasury
    “A group of Republican lawmakers is pushing to cement some of the core reforms enacted at the Treasury by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”
    Fox News | DOGE will go on: Hill pork hawk says rooting out government waste will continue after Elon
    “The bill’s name also signaled that the Senate, too, would continue its Musk-inspired work long after the mogul has left.”
    Politico | GOP senators look to codify DOGE operations of Treasury payment systems
    “Congressional DOGE Caucus Chairs Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) will introduce legislation next week to codify changes that the cost-cutting operation once led by Elon Musk made to the Treasury Department’s payments system.”
    Breitbart | Sen. Joni Ernst: Bureaucrats ‘Asleep at the Wheel,’ Let Fraudsters Take $79 Billion in Coronavirus Aid Without Using Basic Safeguard to Prevent Fraud
    “Following the release of the report, Ernst introduced a bill, the DOGE in Spending Act, on Friday that would require basic questions to be asked to eliminate improper payments government-wide.”
    Daily Wire | DOGE Caucus Introduces Bill Aimed At $162 Billion In ‘Improper Payments’
    “The bill comes the same week that the government’s COVID watchdog released a report titled “Pre-Award Vetting Using Data Analytics Could Have Prevented Over $79 Billion in Potentially Fraudulent Pandemic Relief Payments.’”
    Daily Caller | Joni Ernst Introduces First Major DOGE Bill That Could Save Taxpayers
    “The legislation, the Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act, would mandate compliance provisions from a March 25 executive order by President Donald Trump that instituted new procedures to prevent fraudulent payments, including validating recipients of payments and also by coding the payments with information linking them to budget items.”
    Washington Examiner | Congressional DOGE Republicans move to codify protections against fraudulent payments
    “Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) introduced the Delivering On Government Efficiency in Spending Act, which would codify reforms by the DOGE, forcing the Treasury Department to implement a new system providing more information for payments.”
    Townhall | Ernst and Bean Unleash DOGE Spending Act to Crack Down on Waste, Support Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill
    “DOGE Caucus Chairs Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) are teaming up to introduce a commonsense bill that would codify one of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) most significant cost-cutting measures.”
    National Review | Republican Lawmakers Introduce DOGE Legislation to Combat Billions in Wasteful Spending
    “Ernst and Bean’s legislation codifies sections three and four of President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Waste, Fraud, and Abuse,” designed for Treasury to verify agency payment information and implement the verification process.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castor, Evans, Baldwin and Shaheen Intro Bill to Reverse Trump’s Cuts to Key ACA Program That Helps More Americans Sign Up for Health Insurance

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

    As President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans work to gut the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Dwight Evans (PA-03) and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Jeanne Shaheen (NH) introduced legislation today in the House and Senate to restore a key initiative of the health care law that helps American families navigate the ACA marketplace and connect them with high quality, affordable health care plans. The Expand Navigators’ Resources for Outreach, Learning and Longevity (ENROLL) Act would ensure the Navigator program, established under the ACA to help Americans navigate, shop and enroll in affordable health care plans, will continue despite the Trump Administration cutting funding by 90 percent in February. 

    “Florida families value and appreciate affordable health coverage.  In fact, over 4.7 million Floridians selected an affordable marketplace plan for 2025—almost one-fifth of the nation’s 24.2 million enrollees. Robust outreach and assistance by Navigators is vital to families so they can evaluate options and choose a health plan that is right for them.  Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has slashed Navigator support and complicated the lives of families who need advice on lifesaving health coverage,” said Representative Castor. “President Trump and Congressional Republicans appear dead set on making Affordable Care Act coverage more expensive, driving up premiums and putting hardworking families at risk. I am proud to work with Senators Baldwin and Shaheen and Representative Evans to protect American’s health, well-being and pocketbooks by ensuring Navigators stay on the job.”

    “The Affordable Care Act Navigators program provides free, objective, expert advice and information to Americans in red, purple and blue states alike to help them find affordable health coverage that meets their needs. A similar cut to the program in President Trump’s first term resulted in more people being uninsured, and letting his new cut stand is likely to raise costs for working-class Americans at a time when the cost of living is already high,” said Representative Evans. “One of the ways the Navigators program has helped American families is by helping hundreds of thousands of eligible consumers in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. President Trump recently promised not to touch Medicaid, and keeping people who qualify for Medicaid from getting covered breaks that promise, as far as I’m concerned.”

    “We have seen this movie before: when he doesn’t get his way to fully repeal it, Donald Trump tries every which way to chip away at the Affordable Care Act and kick Wisconsin families off their health care, and sadly, it works. At a time when Wisconsinites are worried their care is on the chopping block under Republicans’ plan to give tax breaks to the wealthy, the Trump Administration is also gutting a key program that helps our neighbors find health care coverage that they can afford,” said Senator Baldwin. “Wisconsin’s Navigator has connected thousands of families with good health care coverage, ensuring more Wisconsinites can access the care and treatment they need to stay healthy. We should be investing in bringing the cost of care down for Wisconsinites, not jacking up costs and eliminating proven resources that connect more families with affordable insurance.” 

    “We’ve seen this before: When the first Trump administration slashed funding for the Navigator program, ACA health care enrollment shrank by more than 2.5 million – and when that funding was restored, enrollment rose and reached historic levels. Despite the hard facts that it helps everyday Americans access critical health care, the administration is gutting the Navigator program again and leaving Granite Staters in rural and underserved areas behind,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our ENROLL Act is urgently needed to restore this funding so Granite Staters—and all Americans—have access to the help they need to make informed decisions about their health insurance coverage.”

    In 2017 and 2018, the first Trump Administration cut funding for the Navigator program by 84 percent, contributing to 2.5 million fewer people accessing healthcare through the ACA Marketplace over the course of the first Trump Administration. Navigator funding was restored in 2021, and enrollment reached historic levels for the 2025 plan year. In February 2025, the Trump Administration slashed nearly 90 percent of funding for the Navigator program, threatening to leave millions of Americans without critical assistance to access health insurance at a time of increased uncertainty due to Congressional Republicans’ sabotage of the ACA. 

    The ENROLL Act would:

    • Ensure that Navigators have the resources they need to assist Americans in finding affordable health care coverage by restoring funding for the program to $100 million annually;
    • Promote public education and assistance that helps consumers, including those who may need extra help signing up, find coverage rather than prioritizing application numbers;
    • Clarify that Navigator responsibilities include enrolling consumers in lifesaving Medicaid and CHIP coverage;
    • Provide Americans with information on comprehensive health insurance that protects individuals with pre-existing conditions.

    The ENROLL Act is supported by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Federation of Teachers American Heart Association, American Public Health Association, Community Catalyst, Epilepsy Foundation MomsRising, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, National Health Council, National Immigration Law Center, National Kidney Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Psoriasis Foundation and Young Invincibles.

    “Marketplace Navigators are a crucial resource for the more than 24 million people who access their health coverage through the ACA Marketplace and anyone who has questions about their coverage options. Appropriately funding health care Navigators is essential for making sure consumers—especially those with complex medical conditions like cancer—can get access to the most appropriate health insurance coverage that will meet their needs. We commend Senator Baldwin, Senator Shaheen, and Representative Castor for acting to reverse the significant and damaging funding cuts that were enacted earlier this year and urge the Senate and House to pass this legislation quickly,” said Lisa Lacasse, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

    “At a time when health care is under relentless attack, advancing the ENROLL Act is a clear signal that there are leaders in Congress committed to putting people over profit. The current administration has gutted funding for Navigators, trusted community members who guide people through the daunting, complex process of enrolling in coverage. Restoring that funding is essential to ensuring everyone, especially those facing the greatest barriers, can enroll in the most affordable, comprehensive options for their families. We thank Senator Baldwin and Representative Castor for their leadership and for standing with communities who depend on this trusted, unbiased help,” said Mona Shah, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy, Community Catalyst.

    A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Full bill text of this legislation is available

    here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appeal for information on missing woman in Tuen Mun (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appeal for information on missing woman in Tuen Mun Issued at HKT 21:44

    Police today (June 11) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Tuen Mun. Tsui Yiu-ling, aged 56, went missing after she was last seen at Light Rail Town Centre Station on June 3 afternoon. Her family made a report to Police yesterday (June 10). She is about 1.65 metres tall, 60 kilograms in weight and of medium build. She has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short black hair. She was last seen wearing a red and white striped shortsleeved shirt, black trousers, a grey cap, a grey mask, carrying a blue bag and a blue shopping cart. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3127 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station Ends/Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Issued at HKT 21:44 NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Jury Indicts Two Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and Mutilation

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

    The indictment alleges that Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos.

    According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

    The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

    The FBI and USFWS investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard, Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, British Virgin Islands Royal Marine Police assist mariner aboard demasted sailing vessel

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    06/11/2025 02:15 PM EDT

    US Coast Guard, British Virgin Islands Royal Marine Police, and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard air and surface units rescued a sole mariner aboard demasted sailing vessel in Eastern Caribbean waters northeast of Anegada, British Virgin Islands, Tuesday. Rescued was French citizen Frank Rouvray, 58, who reportedly was on a voyage to the island of Saint Martin when the vessel became demasted, and the distress signal was transmitted to the Coast Guard.

    For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Waters Introduce CLASS Act To Give Students Cheated By For-Profit Colleges Their Day In Court

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    June 11, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) today reintroduced bicameral legislation designed to strengthen students’ ability to hold for-profit colleges accountable in court for their misconduct.  The Court Legal Access and Student Support (CLASS) Act would enhance accountability for for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving Title IV federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or otherwise restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court.
      
    “For decades, for-profit colleges have used the fine print in student enrollment agreements to force students to give up their rights to go to court over the predatory behavior of these institutions,” said Durbin.  “Students should have the right to hold for-profit colleges responsible for defrauding them in court.  I’m reintroducing the CLASS Act with Congresswoman Waters to end the for-profit college industry’s ability to use this shady practice to evade accountability.”
    “I am proud to reintroduce the CLASS Act with Senator Durbin to hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable when they defraud students,” said Waters, the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee.  “The for-profit college industry is rife with bad actors that lure potential students into expensive academic programs, while knowingly and fraudulently misrepresenting the quality of the programs.  These unscrupulous schools then use mandatory arbitration clauses to prevent students from taking them to court, thereby shielding themselves from being held responsible for wrongdoing.  Our legislation will ensure that defrauded students retain the right to sue predatory schools and have their day in court.”
    Specifically, the CLASS Act would enhance the accountability of for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by:
    Prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court;
    Ensuring that the Federal Arbitration Act, which governs the enforcement of arbitration proceedings, would not apply to student enrollment agreements;
    Taking effect one year after enactment to allow schools to make any necessary changes; and
    Exempting legitimate non-profit colleges and universities because these institutions do not include mandatory arbitration clauses in their enrollment agreements.  The CLASS Act thus squarely focuses on schools that might seek to profit off of students while hiding from accountability in a court of law.
    Along with Durbin, the CLASS Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). 
    The bill has earned the endorsement of Consumer Action; The Institute for College Access and Success; National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients); National Association forCollege Admission Counseling; Veterans Education Success; National Association of Consumer Advocates; American Association for Justice; Center for Justice and Democracy; Woodstock Institute; Public Justice; Earthjustice; Public Citizen; The National Employment Lawyers Association; Americans for Financial Reform; National Consumers League; Consumer Federation of America; Young Invincibles; and Center for Responsible Lending.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: London — Ontario-based RCMP candidates: Get three years of hands-on policing experience in Saskatchewan and be guaranteed a spot in the RCMP’s Federal Policing Program in Ontario

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Saskatchewan RCMP and the RCMP’s Federal Policing Program based in Ontario are working together to provide prospective RCMP officers from Ontario a unique opportunity that gets them hands-on experience and sets them up for an interesting and exciting career!

    How exactly does the agreement work?

    New and prospective RCMP officers who have a desire to work in Central Region (the RCMP in Ontario) will have a three-year posting with the Saskatchewan RCMP to gain essential training and experience to thrive in their future role as an officer in the Federal Policing Program.

    Upon completion of the new officer’s three-year posting with the Saskatchewan RCMP, it is mutually agreed upon that the new member will have the opportunity to work in Central Region (Ontario), unless the participant wishes to remain in Saskatchewan or has expressed another career preference.

    “We have a unique opportunity here for RCMP officers starting their careers. Saskatchewan – or, as we call it internally, F Division – is a very busy province when it comes to policing. It allows new officers to gain lots of hands-on experience early on, which also means they get lots of training to be able to carry out those duties. Working here sets new RCMP officers up with the tools they need to be successful elsewhere and helps them to progress their careers. I encourage anyone interested in joining the RCMP to consider getting their start in F Division.”
    – Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, Commanding Officer, Saskatchewan RCMP

    What’re the perks?

    Working with the Saskatchewan RCMP, new officers can expect a unique policing experience. The RCMP provides services to 99.9% of the geographic area of the province – so, as one can imagine, there’s never a shortage of work! This means new officers will get the experience of a life-time. It’s a challenge that comes with many benefits – learn fast, make money, take advantage of exciting training opportunities and enjoy the life that Saskatchewan offers!

    In Saskatchewan, new officers can expect a low cost of living – it can be a great place to grow your savings or raise a family! It’s also the ideal spot for outdoor enthusiasts. The province is home to more than 100,000 lakes, which means there’s plenty of places to fish, go boating or have fun doing other water sports. The fun doesn’t stop when summer’s over here – the province boasts a wealth of year-round activities like cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, camping, hunting, biking, and much, much more! Want to learn more about what Saskatchewan has to offer? Check out Tourism Saskatchewan.

    Those who take part in this agreement will come out of their posting in Saskatchewan with knowledge and skills that new officers may not get in other jurisdictions. After three years, these officers are guaranteed the choice to go back to Ontario with a spot in the RCMP’s Federal Policing Program – unless, of course, they wish to stay in Saskatchewan!

    How can prospective or new RCMP officers sign up for this?

    For those who haven’t yet applied to the RCMP:
    When you apply, express to your RCMP recruiter or contact that you’re interested in taking part in this agreement. They will provide you further information about the next steps!

    For those already in the Cadet Training Program at Depot:
    If you haven’t yet been assigned your posting (Division/Detachment), it’s not too late to contact your Resourcing Advisor to request taking part in this agreement.

    How do I learn more?

    If you would like more information about this opportunity, please contact RCMP.CRrecruiting-recrutementRC.GRC@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

    To learn more generally about a policing career with the RCMP, visit: https://www.rcmp.ca/careers

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, Professor of Theater, Temple University

    Local residents sitting on the steps in the shade at 3106 N. Broad St. in North Philadelphia in 1986.
    Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections

    To celebrate Father’s Day, The Conversation U.S. asked Philadelphia anthropologist, playwright and poetic ethnographer Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon to reflect on a poem she recently performed to accompany a 1986 photograph by Philadelphia photographer Joseph V. Labolito.

    Williams-Witherspoon, who also serves as senior associate dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts at Temple University, shares how the collaboration came about, and why one of Labolito’s photos in particular brought back a rush of cherished memories of being a little girl hanging out with her dad.

    Local residents sitting on the steps in the shade at 3106 N. Broad St. in North Philadelphia in 1986.
    Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections

        There Are Black Fathers 
        To Daddy, Father’s Day, June 19, 1983
    
        I’ve known men 
        Who rise at dawn 
        To run a sort of race; 
        Working through sleep 
        Stopping long enough to yawn
        Providing for their families Just a little      
        place. 
        Black men going, going, going 
        (sometimes, till their gone.) 
    
        I’ve known men 
        Who trudge home after long hours 
        And an even longer pain, 
        And still manage to smile, 
        Warmed by the voice of a child. 
        "Hi, Daddy!" 
        "How was your day?" 
    
        I’ve known men Who take care 
        Even when Mommy can’t. 
        And, even though they can only 
        Cook hamburgers really good, 
        They put band-aids on awfully well. 
    
        I’ve known men 
        Who loving replace lost teeth 
        With shiny new dimes; 
        Remember birthdays and Christmas’. 
        Dutifully repair 
        Old, broken toys And, even, sometimes, 
        Wipe away salty tears. 
    
        I’ve known men 
        Who reprimand, 
        Teach us values 
        And, if we’re lucky, 
        Along with Mom, 
        Help us take a stand. 
        Who calm us when we’re frightened; 
        Scare us when we’re bad — Hold our hands. 
    
        I’ve known men, 
        Not just as Fathers; 
        But, more so, as "Dads" — 
        Who give us what we get 
        And gave us what we had. 
        Loving and kind; 
        Stern, yet strong, 
        I’ve known men 
        Who’ve guided generations along 
        As provider, supporter, parent — Pop, Dad! 
    
        There are Black fathers 
        Who would gladly do it again 
        Parenting future generations. 
        Yes, I have known These men. 
    
        © 2025 Kimmika L. H. Williams-Witherspoon
    

    What do you want people to take away from the poem?

    The whole poem is a tribute to my father, Samuel Hawes Jr., who lived from 1920 to 1989, and the many men like him who were always present and participatory in the parenting of their children and the providing for their families.

    Because of stereotypes and popular culture – media, movies, news stories – that tend to demonize and pathologize Black men, there’s a myth that men in our communities are all cut from the same cloth.

    For me, the poem discounts that stereotypical narrative and celebrates the African American men that I knew growing up – Daddy, my uncles, the deacons in our church, the neighborhood dads on my block.

    The men in this photograph represent men like Daddy, who at one point worked two jobs to provide for his family. He drove a yellow cab and worked the graveyard shift as a presser at the U.S. Mint. He took me to school every morning when I was in high school. He made it to every school function or occasion, drove me to and from parties so I could hang out with friends, took me to church every Sunday morning and on those special road trips to Cleveland, Akron, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, throughout my life.

    Tell us about your collaborator for this piece

    Joe Labolito is a Philadelphia photographer whose work, I believe, is visual ethnography at its best. Throughout the ‘80s, ’90s and 2000s, he documented the people, streets and neighborhoods of Philadelphia. His photographs are housed in several public and private collections, including the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University and the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Print and Picture Collection.

    About a year ago, I saw an exhibit of Joe’s work at Temple. Since that time, I have been using some of his photographs as a visual prompt for my students, while he and I talked about doing something together down the road.

    When I was asked to participate in Temple University President John Fry’s investiture events in March 2025, I asked Joe if he wanted to do something with me. Right away he said “Yes … whatever it is.” I asked him to send me maybe 25 of his favorite photos, and instead, he sent me about a hundred. When I got a minute to sift through them, there were 11 that, as soon as I looked at them, immediately prompted lines of poetry.

    This photograph of the two men and the little girl, however, made me remember an old poem, “There Are Black Fathers,” I had written a long time ago – on Father’s Day on June 19, 1983 – for my father before he passed away from prostate and bone cancer. I went digging through my old journals until I found the poem that I had written for Daddy, and I performed that poem to this photograph at the event.

    What stood out to you about this photograph?

    The juxtaposition between the men and the little girl – their beautiful, bright smiles, the joy they seemed to radiate – it all made me think about and remember how much I loved Daddy my entire life but especially as a little girl.

    That’s the power in these kinds of artistic, material and visual artifacts. This photograph transported me right back to my childhood, filled with the warmth of a summer’s day, hanging out with my dad, and the promise of a banana Popsicle later in the afternoon.

    What is your process for writing a poem to accompany a photograph?

    Whatever the prompt – a photograph, a landscape, a person I’ve passed on the street, a word or phrase – the first draft is a free-write sensory download dump. I ruminate and then write down everything that comes to me in whatever order it comes.

    And then with each subsequent draft or pass at it, I start reading the poem out loud and tweaking it, making edits, moving and changing things while crafting lines that frame and build the story. I read the piece aloud over and over and over again until the poem tells me when I’ve got it right. I don’t know how, but my ear will tell me when it’s done and right with my spirit.

    What is poetic ethnography?

    Ethnography is an area of anthropology. From the Greek word “ethnos,” ethno simply means people or culture, and graphy, from the Greek word “graphia,” is the writing about said people or culture.

    Traditional ethnographies are usually written in a diarylike journal form. You end up jotting things down – thoughts, feelings, expressions, verbatim texts from interview participants – alongside bits and pieces of theory that correlate. Field notes are a combination of prose and scientific inquiry. I am a proponent of compiling poetic ethnographies – turning my observation and investigation of cultures, communities, and my field notes, into poetic form.

    Growing up in Philadelphia and a product of Philadelphia public schools, my primary language is mainstream U.S. English, but I tell people that my actual language is poetry. I see the world through poetry, and through the medium of poetry, I think I am better able to articulate the world I see.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

    Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon has received funding from Lumena Foundation’s Fund for Racial Justice and Equity (2018-19) and PEW Charitable Trusts Arts Grant (2020).

    Joseph V. Labolito owns the copyright to Philadelphia Collections. Philadelphia Collections research and operations is supported and partially funded by the Bridge award; an internal grant provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at Temple University for the 2024 – 2025 year.

    ref. A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father – https://theconversation.com/a-portrait-taken-in-north-philly-in-the-1980s-reconnects-poet-with-cherished-memories-of-her-own-beloved-father-255810

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Court Orders Michigan Man, California Man, and Two Nevada Companies to Pay Over $25 Million for Digital Asset Fraud

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a final default judgement against Mark Gillespie of Michigan, John Roche of California, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., and My Big Coin, Inc., both of Nevada. 
     
    The order requires Gillespie, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., My Big Coin, Inc., and Roche to pay, jointly and severally a $19,326,324 civil monetary penalty and $6,442,108 in restitution to defrauded victims in connection with their role in a digital asset fraud scheme. The order also imposes a permanent injunction against the defendants and bans them from trading in any CFTC-regulated markets; entering into any transactions involving commodity interests or digital asset commodities; and registering with the CFTC. 
     
    Case Background
     
    The default order finds from at least January 2014 through June 2017, Gillespie, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., My Big Coin, Inc., and Roche, together with co-defendant Randall Crater, one of the other co-defendants named in the CFTC’s amended complaint, operated a digital asset scheme in which they fraudulently offered the sale of a fully-functioning virtual currency, My Big Coin (MBC), a commodity in interstate commerce. The CFTC dismissed its enforcement action against named co-defendant Michael Kruger because of his death.
     
    The defendants obtained more than $6 million from at least 28 customers through fraudulent solicitations, including false and misleading claims and omissions about MBC’s value, usage, and trade status, and that MBC was backed by gold. Crater misappropriated virtually all the money solicited from customers, using those misappropriated funds wrongfully.
     
    The order resolves the claims against Gillespie, Roche, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., and My Big Coin, Inc., in the CFTC’s enforcement action. [See CFTC Press Release 7678-18] The court had previously entered a consent order resolving the CFTC’s claims against Crater, who is currently imprisoned for his role in the scheme. [See CFTC Press Release 9051-25]
     
    The CFTC cautions that orders requiring repayment of funds to victims may not result in the recovery of any money lost because the wrongdoers may not have sufficient funds or assets. The CFTC will continue to fight vigorously for the protection of customers and to ensure the wrongdoers are held accountable.
     
    Parallel Criminal Action
     
    On January 18, 2022, a grand jury returned an eight-count superseding indictment charging Crater with wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business based on the same conduct alleged in the CFTC’s amended complaint. [United States v. Randall Crater, No. 1:19-cr-10063-DJC (D. Mass. Jan. 18, 2022)).] Crater was found guilty of those charges on July 21, 2022, and was sentenced to 100 months in prison and ordered to pay $7,668,317.50 in restitution to defrauded customers and to forfeit $7,668,317.50, which represented the proceeds he received from his violations.
     
    The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the FBI.
     
    Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are Traci Rodriguez, Daniel Ullman II, Chrystal Gonnella, Dmitriy Vilenskiy, Paul G. Hayeck, and former Division staff members Jonah E. McCarthy, Jason Mahoney, John Einstman, Hillary Van Tassel, Patricia Gomersall, and Kyong J. Koh.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thousands Turn Out For DHS Career Expo, Defying Politicians’ Anti-Cop Rhetoric

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The Trump Administration’s Support for Law Enforcement Sparks More Record Recruitment

    CHANTILLY, VA – The Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 Career Expo for Law Enforcement was a record-breaking success.

    The large-scale hiring event was held in Chantilly, VA, last week, and it focused on recruiting American citizens eager to fill mission-critical law and immigration enforcement, border security, and national security roles across the department. The event drew more than 3,000 candidates and led to more than 1,000 tentative job offers given. These numbers nearly doubled the numbers from DHS’s last 2-day law enforcement hiring event in 2023, at which only 564 tentative job offers were given.

    The record turnout for the event proves that President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem have inspired a new generation of Americans to serve their country in law enforcement. These numbers were possible even despite doxing threats, increased assaults and the recent wave of politicians’ anti-cop rhetoric. Under their leadership, more Americans are willing to answer the call to protect and serve their fellow citizens.

    At the Expo, applicants met with representatives of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Protective Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as other DHS components and Offices. Exceptional candidates met recruiters, received interviews, tentative job offers and undertook steps for security and background check purposes.

    President Trump’s and Secretary Noem’s mission to restore excellence across federal agencies and ensure law enforcement has the resources they need, has sparked historic recruiting success. For example, between January – May 2025, more Americans applied to the Border Patrol than over any similar time frame in its history. U.S. Secret Service recruitment is up 200%.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to UK Ministry of Defence’s expression of concern over cross-strait peace and stability in Strategic Defence Review

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to UK Ministry of Defence’s expression of concern over cross-strait peace and stability in Strategic Defence Review

    • Date:2025-06-03
    • Data Source:Department of European Affairs

    June 3, 2025  

    On June 2, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) of the United Kingdom published its Strategic Defence Review, which stressed that the Indo-Pacific was strategically important to the United Kingdom and that growing Chinese assertiveness was a key driver of regional and global instability. The report also emphasized that China’s military exercises around Taiwan risked dangerous escalation in the Taiwan Strait and that its aggressive actions were fueling tension in the South China Sea. Moreover, the review stated that the MOD would continue strengthening regional partnerships and protecting freedom of navigation so as to further defend and shape international rules and norms. 

     

    At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, Admiral Tony Radakin, UK Chief of the Defence Staff, publicly stated that upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the principles of freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific mattered greatly to the United Kingdom. He added that Royal Navy ships had therefore been exercising the right of freedom of navigation in the region, including in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. The fact the MOD’s Strategic Defence Review once again expressed grave concern over the Taiwan Strait and clear opposition to China’s provocative military actions demonstrates the United Kingdom’s consistent stance regarding the need to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly affirms and appreciates the UK statements. 

     

    The United Kingdom, a like-minded partner, shares with Taiwan such universal values as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. It also plays a key role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan will continue to engage in close cooperation with the United Kingdom and other democratic countries, taking concrete action to uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, defend the rules-based international order, and jointly advance security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and throughout the world. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE-led investigation leads to repeat offender’s guilty plea for possessing child sexual abuse material

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey man admitted to possessing images of child sexual abuse material following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.

    John Mangan, 78, of Lanoka Harbor, pleaded guilty June 10 to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Trenton.

    “Mangan is a prior convicted sex offender with depraved desires that fuel the hideous market of online child sexual exploitation and abuse ICE Homeland Security Investigations vows to dismantle,” said ICE HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel. “The success in this investigation is the tips we received led to the justice that will now be served on behalf of all the innocent minors who are targeted by these disturbed predators. Anytime a person suspects that someone is exploiting or abusing a child, they should notify law enforcement authorities as soon as possible.”

    According to the investigation, on Oct. 29, 2024, ICE HSI special agents executed a search warrant at Mangan’s residence in Lanoka Harbor and discovered an electronic device containing over 250 images of children being sexually abused. Mangan was previously convicted of sexual offenses involving minors, including a New Jersey conviction for sexual assault against a minor for conduct that occurred while Mangan was a school principal, and a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.

    The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Lacey Township Police Department assisted HSI Newark in the investigation.

    Because Mangan has been previously convicted of certain qualifying offenses, the count of possession of child pornography carries an enhanced mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21.

    HSI is at the forefront of the U.S. government’s efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse through its investigations, victim assistance programs, intelligence and analysis, policy development, and training and awareness programs.

    For any child, parent, guardian of New Jersey, searching for resources and information on how to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation, go to Know2Protect.gov. If you suspect a child might be a victim, please call the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).

    Know2Protect is a national public awareness campaign from the Department of Homeland Security. K2P’s aim is to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults, and policymakers to prevent, combat, and report online child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, please visit our YouTube playlists at Know2Protect Campaign PSA Playlist and Know2Protect Digital Safety Series Playlist on the DHS main channel. Additional resources are available at Know2Protect.gov, Instagram, Facebook and X.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department and FTC to Host Listening Sessions on Lowering Americans’ Drug Prices Through Competition

    Source: US State of California

    Sessions to Discuss Generic and Biosimilar Availability, Prescription Drug Formularies and Benefits, and Regulatory Barriers

    As part of implementing President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission, along with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services, will jointly host listening sessions to discuss ways to make prescription drugs more affordable for Americans by promoting competition. The three listening sessions will occur under the direction of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.

    The listening sessions will focus on improving the affordability of pharmaceuticals by increasing generic and biosimilar availability and promoting competition through drug formularies and benefits. The sessions, which will feature remarks by practitioners and scholars, will cover anticompetitive practices as well as eliminating regulatory barriers and rent seeking. The listening sessions will inform the FTC and DOJ’s joint report on combatting anticompetitive practices in pharmaceutical markets, as mandated by President Trump’s Executive Order.

    The dates for the sessions are as follows:

    • Monday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET – Anticompetitive Conduct by Pharmaceutical Companies Impeding Generic or Biosimilar Competition

    • Thursday, July 24 at 2 p.m. ET – Formulary and Benefit Practices and Regulatory Abuse Impacting Drug Competition

    • Monday, August 4 at 2 p.m. ET – Turning Insights into Action to Reduce Drug Prices

    The listening sessions will be streamed on the FTC and DOJ websites, with videos and transcripts posted after the events. Additional information will be posted to the event page to each session

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department and FTC to Host Listening Sessions on Lowering Americans’ Drug Prices Through Competition

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Sessions to Discuss Generic and Biosimilar Availability, Prescription Drug Formularies and Benefits, and Regulatory Barriers

    As part of implementing President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission, along with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services, will jointly host listening sessions to discuss ways to make prescription drugs more affordable for Americans by promoting competition. The three listening sessions will occur under the direction of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.

    The listening sessions will focus on improving the affordability of pharmaceuticals by increasing generic and biosimilar availability and promoting competition through drug formularies and benefits. The sessions, which will feature remarks by practitioners and scholars, will cover anticompetitive practices as well as eliminating regulatory barriers and rent seeking. The listening sessions will inform the FTC and DOJ’s joint report on combatting anticompetitive practices in pharmaceutical markets, as mandated by President Trump’s Executive Order.

    The dates for the sessions are as follows:

    • Monday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET – Anticompetitive Conduct by Pharmaceutical Companies Impeding Generic or Biosimilar Competition

    • Thursday, July 24 at 2 p.m. ET – Formulary and Benefit Practices and Regulatory Abuse Impacting Drug Competition

    • Monday, August 4 at 2 p.m. ET – Turning Insights into Action to Reduce Drug Prices

    The listening sessions will be streamed on the FTC and DOJ websites, with videos and transcripts posted after the events. Additional information will be posted to the event page to each session

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Man of Trafficking Multiple Rifles in Chicago

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man of trafficking six rifles, including AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, and a handgun in Chicago.

    CEDRIC CURTIS, 32, of Chicago, sold the six rifles and handgun to a buyer in 2018 and 2019.  Unbeknownst to Curtis, the buyer was cooperating with federal law enforcement.  Curtis was not a licensed firearms dealer and, having been previously convicted of a felony offense, could not legally possess a firearm.

    The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago last week convicted Curtis on one count of dealing firearms without a license and six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

    The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn D. McCarthy and Margaret A. Steindorf.

    A co-defendant, DEONTA MOORE, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty prior to trial to a charge of illegal firearm possession by a previously convicted felon.  Moore was sentenced to three years and a month in federal prison.

    Holding illegal firearm dealers accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Trafficking 17-Year-Old Female to Perform Commercial Sex Acts

    Source: US FBI

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DOMINIQUE PEEPLES (“PEEPLES”), age 28, from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced on May 28, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1), 1591(b)(2), 1594(a), and 2.

    According to court documents, PEEPLES brought a seventeen-year-old female (“Minor Victim”) from Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Houston, Texas, and required her to engage in commercial sex acts.  During this time, PEEPLES was aware of Minor Victim’s age.  PEEPLES advertised Minor Victim on websites commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money and kept all or most of the proceeds from her work.   PEEPLES waited in a vehicle and watched Minor Victim while she solicited commercial sex “dates.”  Minor Victim worked under PEEPLES’ supervision between August of 2020 and her escape in mid-January 2021.  After Minor Victim ran away, PEEPLES posted a video on social media in which he boasted about exploiting Minor Victim and pointed firearms at the screen.

    U.S. District Court Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced PEEPLES to seventeen (17) years in prison.  PEEPLES was also sentenced to ten (10) years of supervised release after release from prison. Judge Vance further ordered PEEPLES to pay $120,000 in restitution to Minor Victim, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  PEEPLES will also have to register as a sex offender.

    This case was part of a broader investigation involving defendants JEREMY TALBERT and MACEO ROBERTS, both of whom have pleaded guilty for related sex trafficking crimes.  In February 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBERTS to 22.5 years of imprisonment for conspiring to traffic three minors and two adults.  In March 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Africk sentenced TALBERT to 18 years for trafficking a fourteen-year-old minor to New Orleans.

    These cases were 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.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals 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.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán, Rep. Gomez, Sen. Schiff Lead Bicameral Effort Demanding President Trump Withdraw National Guard and Marines from LA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    For Immediate Release

    Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov

    Date: June 11, 2025

    Rep. Barragán, Rep. Gomez, Sen. Schiff Lead Bicameral Effort Demanding President Trump Withdraw National Guard and Marines from LA

    Lawmakers say Trump’s deployment of troops is plainly unlawful and violates constitutional limits

    WASHINGTON, DC – Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), and 39 other California Delegation Representatives are demanding President Donald Trump immediately withdraw the National Guard and U.S. Marines from Los Angeles, California. In a bicameral letter sent yesterday, the lawmakers condemn the deployments as an unlawful overreach that bypassed state and local authority and urge the immediate withdrawal of the National Guard and Marines.

    “We are writing to express grave concern regarding the deployment of the National Guard and the activation of 700 Marines to Los Angeles. These actions were taken without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom and over the objections of local law enforcement. It constitutes a clear violation of constitutional principles and law, and a grave overreach of executive authority,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “This deployment does not appear to be motivated by any public safety emergency that could not be dealt with successfully by local authorities. Instead, it coincides with a broader federal enforcement escalation involving mass ICE raids, militarized immigration tactics, and the use of tear gas and riot control methods in civilian areas. These actions undermine civil liberties, destabilize communities, erode public trust in government institutions, and violate the law,” continued the lawmakers.

    On June 7 and June 9, Rep. Jimmy Gomez was illegally denied access to the Roybal Federal Building, where ICE is reportedly detaining migrant families—including moms and kids—under inhumane conditions. Rep. Gomez called for a formal DHS investigation and submitted a written inquiry demanding answers and accountability from Secretary Kristi Noem. As protests erupted in Los Angeles in response to the raids and detentions, the Trump administration escalated the situation by authorizing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines—without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom and over the objections of local elected and community leaders. They argue the legal authority Trump cited doesn’t apply—making the deployment plainly unlawful.

    “As federal officials we must prioritize de-escalation and adherence to the constitutional principles that govern the balance of power between federal and state and local governments. For these reasons, we urge you to immediately withdraw the National Guard and U.S. Marines from Los Angeles and to refrain from further deployments of any military personnel in circumstances that violate constitutional boundaries and escalate domestic tensions,” concluded the lawmakers.

    In addition to Representative Barragán, Representative Gomez, and Senator Schiff, the bicameral letter was signed by Representatives Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Ami Bera (CA-6), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros Jr. (CA-31), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-8), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Huffman (CA-2), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-7), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Scott Peters (CA-50), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Mike Thompson (CA-4), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and George Whitesides (CA-27).

    You can read the full letter HERE.

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: SWALWELL INTRODUCES BICAMERAL BILL TO REPEAL THE GUN INDUSTRY’S LEGAL LIABILITY SHIELD

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15)

    Legislation would give victims of gun violence their day in court & enable them to hold manufacturers accountable for negligence

    Legislation would give victims of gun violence their day in 

    court & enable them to hold manufacturers accountable for negligence

    Video of a virtual press conference announcing 

    the bill is available here

     

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – During the first week of Gun Violence Awareness Month, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Dwight Evans (D-PA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA) led a group of 81 Members of Congress in introducing the bicameral Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Actlegislation to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety. The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed by Congress in 2005, which gives the gun industry a unique and unjustifiable legal liability shield that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits.  

    Blumenthal, Swalwell, Schiff, Murphy, Evans, and Thompson announced the legislation this week during a virtual press conference joined by leading gun violence prevention advocates: Kris Brown, President of Brady; Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action; and Adam Skaggs, Chief Counsel and Vice President of GIFFORDS Law Center. Video of the press conference is available here.

    “PLCAA is the ultimate sweetheart deal – legal immunity afforded to basically no other industry for a product that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year,” Blumenthal said. “Despite the strength and perseverance of the Sandy Hook, Uvalde, and Highland Park families – and the tenacity of their legal teams – this is a problem that cannot be solved only through the courts. PLCAA must be repealed by Congress.”

    “No industry in American has a liability shield like gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers,” said Swalwell. “The NRA and their GOP stooges made sure that the gun industry has a unique immunity from accountability. This bill ends that ridiculous carve out. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) once and for all, allowing victims of gun violence to bring civil suits against gun producers and sellers. The time has long since come for Congress to be clear – if you put the most dangerous weapons in the hands of the most dangerous people, you will be held accountable.”

    “More than a 100 Americans are killed by a gun every single day in America. And yet, Congress does nothing to hold the gun industry accountable when the negligence of gun makers and dealers is responsible for the tragic consequences their products have on our kids, our families, and our communities. As long as gun violence continues to take the lives of so many in California and across the nation, I will fight to repeal the liability shield that wrongly protects negligent gun industry actors from liability,” said Schiff.

    “There’s absolutely no reason why the gun industry should get special treatment when it comes to negligence. Their immunity from lawsuits effectively gives them a license to kill. It’s past time for Congress to repeal PLCAA and allow gun violence victims their day in court,” said Murphy. 

    “Victims and survivors should be able to hold the gun industry accountable in court for negligent behavior. But right now, the gun industry is shielded from any liability when they disregard public safety. That’s wrong,” said Crow. “I’m introducing this bill so we can finally hold the gun industry responsible.”

    “As someone who’s advocated for this concept in Pennsylvania’s legislature and now in Congress, I’m proud to be a co-lead on this bill to restore this basic right of victims and survivors – a right that a heavy-handed federal government took away 20 years ago. So many American gun deaths could be avoided if we held companies accountable for things like illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing. State attorneys general were able to hold Big Tobacco accountable in the 1990s, and they should be able to hold gun manufacturing companies accountable in the 21st century since thousands of lives depend on it. This legislation would be an important tool in the toolbox to protect our citizens from gun violence,” said Evans. 

    “In the 20 years since PLCAA was passed, it’s become clear that negligent gun manufacturers and dealers have taken advantage of the law. Responsible manufacturers and dealers don’t need this legal protection – and irresponsible ones are hiding behind it. As a hunter, combat veteran and responsible gun owner, I’m proud to work with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell to introduce this sensible legislation,” said Thompson, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. 

    When Congress passed PLCAA, its supporters argued that it was necessary to protect the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits, and that victims of gun violence would not be shut out of the courts. In reality, numerous cases around the nation have been dismissed on the basis of PLCAA, even when the gun dealers and manufacturers acted in a fashion that would qualify as negligent if it involved any other product. Victims in these cases were denied the right to even discover or introduce evidence. This legislation allows civil cases to go forward against irresponsible bad actors.

    In 2005, the National Rifle Association (NRA) identified PLCAA as their “number one” legislative priority, and the NRA celebrated the passage calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Letting courts hear these cases would provide justice to victims and their families, while creating incentives for responsible business practices that would reduce injuries and deaths. Effectively, the gun industry would once again be subject to the same laws as every other industry, just as it was prior to 2005.

    The legislation is endorsed by Brady, GIFFORDS Law Center, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Guns Down America, Newtown Action Alliance, Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, and Equality California.

    “PLCAA gives the gun industry a free pass to put profits over people—legally. When defective firearms or irresponsible gun sellers cause harm, victims are left powerless and justice is delayed or denied. No other industry gets this kind of special treatment,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady. “The gun industry has made it clear: they won’t change on their own, no matter how much devastation they leave behind. So the law must change. Brady is proud to endorse Senator Blumenthal’s bill to end the gun lobby’s stranglehold on accountability and remove the option of hiding behind PLCAA to dodge responsibility. The gun industry shouldn’t get special protection while communities suffer.”

    “For too long, gun lobby CEOs have operated above the law, shielded from accountability while families of gun violence victims are denied their day in court. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the gun lobby’s sweetheart deal and restore Americans’ right to seek justice. When companies can be held responsible for harm, they have a reason to act more safely—it’s time to hold the gun industry accountable and put people over profits. We applaud Senator Blumenthal for championing this critical legislation and for his commitment to reducing gun violence and improving public safety,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director of GIFFORDS and GIFFORDS Law Center. 

    “The gun industry has a long track record of putting profits over public safety – and it’s the American people who are paying the price,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We’re proud to stand with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell as they work to hold the gun industry to the same rules as every other industry.” 

    “Every student in America goes to school wondering if today will be the day they don’t come home. They practice lockdown drills while gun manufacturers hide behind PLCAA, a law that shields them from any accountability,” said Jackie Corin, Executive Director of March For Our Lives. “The families of Parkland victims fight for justice while gun companies profit from illegal gun sales and reckless marketing practices that fuel mass shootings, all while being protected from consequences. When grieving families are denied their day in court because of special protections for gun manufacturers, that is not justice. That is cruelty. Every family shattered by gun violence deserves a system that protects them, not the companies profiting off their pain. That’s why March For Our Lives is proud to support the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act and ensure the gun industry finally has to answer to us.”

    “The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act restores the rights of the American people to seek justice from negligent corporations. People, families, and communities have been systematically denied access to valid litigation against the gun industry since President George W. Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act in 2005. This legal shield has privileged the gun industry with sweeping immunity, leading them to lean into more aggressive, more deadly, and ever more avaricious corporate actions that endanger every American,” said Hudson Munoz with Guns Down America. “We commend Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell for their dedication to seeing that shield fall so every person impacted by gun violence has the ability to pursue justice again.”

    “As a neighbor of the Sandy Hook shooter and many victims, I carry the heartbreak of that day every single moment,” said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance. “I’m grateful to Senator Blumenthal for reintroducing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act—because no industry that profits from death should be shielded from accountability. The gun industry’s unique civil legal protection has allowed it to market weapons of war and other deadly firearms and accessories with impunity, fueling an epidemic that steals thousands of lives each year. The families impacted by gun violence from Sandy Hook to Chicago to Monterey Park—and every family member shattered by gun violence—deserve their day in court.”

    “The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) provides a pathway for the firearms industry to continue irresponsible practices in ways that no other industry is permitted to conduct. Under this legislation, the rights of victims – some of whom have been irrevocably harmed by these deadly products – are shown to be less important than the special interests of manufacturers, distributors, and dealers. This cannot be allowed to continue. We applaud Senator Blumenthal and his team for their leadership in re-introducing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, and call upon Congress to pass this bill,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

    The legislation is also co-sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Don Beyer (D-VA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Shontel Brown (D-OH), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Sean Casten (D-IL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Danny Davis (D-IL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Betty McCollum (D-MN), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Joe Morelle (D-NY), Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), David Scott (D-GA), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Jill Tokuda (D-HI).

     

    Text of the legislation can be found here

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: PASSED THE SENATE: Senators Hassan, Ernst, Slotkin, and Banks’s Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Foreign Adversaries Directing Violent Crimes in the U.S.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Jim Banks (R-IN) to increase criminal penalties for individuals who commit, or attempt to commit, violent crimes in the United States on behalf of foreign adversaries. The DETERRENCE Act would both hold offenders accountable and deter criminals, including criminal organizations, from taking money from foreign adversaries in exchange for committing crimes on American soil. 
    “It is a direct assault on our national security when foreign adversaries recruit criminals to commit violence on American soil,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will strengthen criminal penalties on gangs and criminals who engage in violent behavior on behalf of a foreign government. The Senate has sent a clear message that such behavior will be met with severe consequences, and I urge my colleagues in the House to quickly pass this bill to strengthen our national security.” 
    “America will not allow foreign adversaries, like Iran, to finance violent crimes on our soil,” said Senator Ernst. “Peace through strength is back and that includes right here at home. I look forward to the House swiftly passing this commonsense bill to create severe consequences for those who wish to harm our citizens.”
    “If you commit crimes in America on behalf of foreign adversaries, you must face serious consequences,” said Senator Slotkin. “The bipartisan Deterrence Act helps strengthen penalties for these crimes and sends a clear message about how seriously we take our national security and how we will hold accountable those who commit crimes against our nation.”
    Under the DETERRENCE Act, criminals working for foreign adversaries can be sentenced to longer prison sentences. The bill specifically increases criminal penalties for the following federal crimes when the crimes are committed under U.S. jurisdiction on behalf of foreign governments: 
    Engaging in a murder-for-hire scheme 
    Murdering or attempting to murder certain federal officials, including the President
    Murdering or attempting to murder certain former federal officials, or their families, because of their official actions 
    Assaulting certain former federal officials, or their families, because of their official actions 
    Kidnapping or attempted kidnapping 
    Threats of violence using a dangerous weapon against certain current and former federal officials, as well as their families, because of their official actions 
    Stalking 
    This legislation follows reports that foreign adversaries are increasingly turning to criminals to commit violent crimes against their critics, including those who reside in the United States. In November, the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged an Iranian asset and two members of his criminal network for their alleged involvement in a plot to murder a U.S. citizen who has spoken out against the Iranian regime. Senators Hassan, Ernst, and a bipartisan group of colleagues previously wrote to DOJ calling for more information – and discussing the need for increased criminal penalties – to address this troubling trend of foreign-directed violence. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: ICE Arrests Illegal Alien for Molotov Cocktail Attack on Law Enforcement Caught on Video

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    This illegal alien has been charged with attempted murder

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Emiliano Garduno-Galvez—an illegal alien from Mexico—for attempted murder after he threw a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement during the Los Angeles riots.  

    On June 9, 2025, ICE agents in Los Angeles arrested Garduno-Galvez after he was identified as a suspect who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement during the Los Angeleriot on Saturday, June 7. Last night, he was charged with attempted murder.

    “Emiliano Garduno-Galvez is a criminal illegal alien from Mexico who threatened the lives of federal law enforcement officers by attacking them with a Molotov cocktail during the violent riots in Los Angeles. ICE arrested Garduno-Galvez, and he is now being charged with attempted murder. These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “The Los Angeles rioters will not stop us or slow us down. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

    Garduno-Galvez had previously been deported. He has a previous criminal record: In 2024, Garduno-Galvez was arrested by the Anaheim Police Department in California for grand theft and by the Long Beach Police Department for a DUI.

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Drug Trafficker Convicted by Federal Jury

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted an Elizabeth City man Tuesday on one charge of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Charles Gregory, 36, was stopped for a traffic violation in Elizabeth City on August 7, 2022.  An Elizabeth City police officer observed Gregory, the sole occupant of the car, toss an item out the window before coming to a stop. Officers recovered the tossed item from the street and found it to be a bag containing multiple smaller baggies of crack cocaine. Officers placed Gregory under arrest and searched the vehicle, where they found a stolen pistol in the glovebox. Gregory later made statements on recorded jail phone calls about the drugs and gun. Gregory is a convicted felon who has multiple prior felony drug convictions, including possession of cocaine and sell/deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

    Charles Gregory faces a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment and a statutory maximum of life imprisonment when sentenced on a later date.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office and the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Jermaine Sellers prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-CR-14.

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Puerto Rican Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison For Trafficking Fentanyl into Maine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Maine: A Bayamon, Puerto Rico man was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Rafael Omar Ojeda Lopez, 44, to a term of imprisonment of 57 months, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

    According to court records, in September 2023, at the direction of agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a confidential source negotiated the purchase of a kilogram of fentanyl from Lopez for $40,000, following several smaller “test” buys. While Lopez and the source were working to finalize the transaction in Rockland, Maine, HSI agents arrested Lopez and seized the fentanyl, which was later lab confirmed to contain a mixture of fentanyl, caffeine, heroin, and xylazine, a powerful tranquilizer. The mixture of fentanyl and xylazine is particularly dangerous to drug users: because xylazine is not a narcotic, its effects cannot be reversed by naloxone, which serves to heighten the risk of overdose death.

    HSI and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) investigated the case.

    Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is 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.

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Condemns Three Anti-D.C. Bills Ahead of Rules Committee Consideration

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    The bills will be before the Rules Committee at 4:00 p.m. today, and the House is expected to vote on all three this week.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of today’s Rules Committee consideration of three anti-D.C. home rule bills, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that the bills’ advancement is another example of paternalistic, undemocratic incursions by Congress on the democratically expressed will of more than 700,000 D.C. residents. The Committee will consider a bill introduced by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) to prohibit D.C. residents who are not citizens from voting in local D.C. elections, a bill introduced by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) that would repeal parts of D.C.’s 2022 local police accountability and transparency law, and a bill introduced by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) to nullify locally-enacted D.C. laws, policies and practices regarding D.C. exchanging information about the citizenship and immigration status of individuals. Higgins’ bill would require D.C. to comply with requests by the Department of Homeland Security regarding immigration detainers.

    “Republicans introduced 14 bills or amendments to prohibit noncitizens from voting in D.C. or to repeal, nullify or prohibit the carrying out of D.C.’s law that permits noncitizens to vote last Congress,” Norton said. “Despite being fixated on the subject of D.C. elections, Republicans refuse to make the only election law change D.C. residents have asked Congress to make, which is the right to hold elections for voting members of the House and Senate by passing my D.C. statehood bill.

    “It is always wrong and never the right time for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters, but I’ll address Rep. Garbarino’s bill to repeal parts of D.C.’s police transparency law. This bill was introduced three days after House Republicans passed a continuing resolution that cut D.C.’s local budget by one billion dollars. That was an act of fiscal sabotage, which did not save the federal government any money. It’s been almost three months since the Senate passed the D.C. Local Funds Act to reverse the cut and over two months since President Trump called for an immediate House vote on it. The D.C. Local Funds Act is still just sitting in the House. Like President Trump and the National Fraternal Order of Police, I call on the House immediately to pass the D.C. Local Funds Act.

    “Like states, cities and counties across the country, D.C. has passed laws to support and protect the safety of all its residents, regardless of immigration status. In passing those laws, D.C. followed its values, the evidence on the benefits of such laws for the entire city, and the democratic process to enact policy consistent with its goals. Congress has no business overturning D.C.’s democratically enacted local laws and should keep its hands off D.C.”

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brookfield — RCMP Northeast Traffic Services arrests a man for Flight from Police

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Northeast Traffic Services (NETS) has arrested a man involved in a flight from police in Brookfield.

    On June 5, at approximately 11:15 a.m. an RCMP officer from NETS attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle travelling on Hwy. 2 in Brookfield, for an expired plate. The driver of the Volkswagen Jetta refused to stop, accelerated and fled from police at a high rate of speed. In the interest of public safety, a pursuit was not initiated.

    RCMP officers later located the Jetta abandoned on an isolated dead-end road in Pleasant Valley.

    A search of the area, assisted by RCMP Police Dog Services, Colchester Country District RCMP, the Department of Natural Resources Air Services and an RCMP remotely piloted aircraft system operator, was successful in locating the driver and passenger fleeing the area on foot.

    The 24-year-old male driver from Dutch Settlement was subsequently safely arrested.

    He was later released on conditions and will appear in Truro Provincial Court at a later date to face charges of Flight from Police (two counts) and Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance.

    The driver was also issued summary offence tickets under the Motor Vehicle Act for:

    • Driving a Motor Vehicle Without a Motor Vehicle Liability Policy
    • Operating and Unregistered Vehicle
    • Failing to Display Number Plates for Current Registration Year
    • Operator of Vehicle Operating Vehicle Without a Valid Inspection Sticker in Place or Possession Valid Certificate for Vehicle

    File # 2025-777295

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    • Date:2025-06-09
    • Data Source:Department of European Affairs

    June 9, 2025  

    No. 204  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on June 9 to welcome a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, Chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. He extended appreciation to the French Parliament for its staunch support and close friendship with Taiwan.

     

    In his speech, Minister Lin congratulated Ms. Battistel on her election as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group earlier this year and thanked the French Parliament for its long-standing and cross-party support of Taiwan, including the overwhelming endorsement in a resolution in 2021 supporting Taiwan’s international participation, the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023 supporting freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and its enthusiastic response to sending a joint letter to the director-general of the World Health Organization in May backing Taiwan’s bid. Minister Lin noted that Europe’s support for Taiwan was crucial, that Taiwan-France relations continued to grow and thrive, and that there was great potential to deepen collaboration between Taiwan and France in key technological domains and innovative industries. He expressed hope that the two sides would further contribute to global prosperity and development through closer exchanges and cooperation in the future.

     

    In her speech, Chair Battistel said that she was honored to serve as chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and emphasized that she would continue to lead the group in its steadfast support of Taiwan, in line with French values and global common interests. She indicated that China’s threats and attempts to suppress Taiwan had had wide-ranging impacts on the world and urged democratic countries to jointly support Taiwan. She added that she believed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations was pivotal and that the entire international community stood to benefit from Taiwan’s knowledge and experience.

     

    This is the second delegation from the French National Assembly to visit Taiwan this year, following a visit in May by Guillaume Kasbarian, former French Minister of Civil Service and member of the National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. 

     

    At the invitation of Minister Lin, Professor Lee Hahn-ming of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, along with Wu Min-hsuan, CEO of Doublethink Lab, attended the luncheon and exchanged views with the delegation on such issues as how Taiwan and France could jointly cope with the use of artificial intelligence by foreign forces to manipulate information. (E)

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scalise: Democrats’ Vote Against OBBB is a Vote for More Riots in LA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congressman Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) to discuss how the One Big Beautiful Bill would directly address the violent riots in Los Angeles by providing funding for more ICE and Border Patrol Agents. Leader Scalise also highlighted the Office of Management and Budget’s report detailing how the One Big Beautiful Bill will unleash economic growth for hardworking Americans through no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and the largest tax cuts in history, and also reduce the national deficit by over $1.4 trillion.

    Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
    On the need for the One Big Beautiful Bill to help address the lawlessness in California:“Anybody who watched these just inflammatory scenes roll out in Los Angeles over the weekend sees one more example why we need to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill and why we need to get it to President Trump’s desk as soon as possible. One of the many great provisions in this bill that we came together to pass through the House are provisions that allow our ICE agents and our Border Patrol Agents to get more resources, to get more support hiring more Border Patrol Agents and more ICE agents. Frankly, it’s one of the reasons that every single Democrat voted no on the bill. Because they want open borders, they want the chaos and the mayhem that comes with sanctuary cities and sanctuary states that we’ve been standing up against. They had the opportunity to join us, and they deliberately chose to vote no because they want higher taxes, they want open borders, they want to close off our energy resources, all the things that were in that bill.“So we’re going to continue moving forward. The Senate is doing their work now, and I’m confident the Senate is going to move through quickly to get that bill through the Senate, ultimately back to the House for any minor changes, and then to the President’s desk so that we can hire those additional Border Patrol Agents, hire those additional ICE agents to keep Americans safe. And by the way, if you’re a citizen of the state of California while your governor is failing you miserably, at least we have a president, Donald Trump, who is willing to say that he will step up and try to protect those same people. Law-abiding people who are sick and tired of the lawlessness. They are disgusted by a foreign flag being waved in an American city and their governor defending the people that are actually burning down the city, trying to call it a peaceful protest. Don’t insult the intelligence of the American people. They see what’s happening. They know why it’s happening. The far-left Democrat Party wants open borders. There was an election run on this. The American people said enough is enough, we want secure borders, and that’s why they sent Donald Trump and a Republican House and Senate to Washington. And we’re going to keep fighting for those families who are sick and tired of what they’re seeing in cities like Los Angeles and other lawless cities in America. So we’re going to deliver on our promise.”On OMB’s projection of massive economic growth:“One more really positive thing that came out just a few days ago, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget did their assessment on the House’s version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, and confirmed what we knew, that with the economic growth you’ll get, with the job creation, the increased wages for families, we will end up seeing about a trillion and a half dollar reduction in the national deficit over the next 10 years – trillion and a half dollar reduction because of the growth we’ll get from this bill, because workers will have more money in their pockets when the government doesn’t have a four and a half trillion dollar tax increase that every Democrat voted to impose upon them. Waiters and waitresses at all of your local restaurants will have more money in their pockets because of no taxes on tips. Your blue-collar workers who go to work and sometimes have the opportunity to work overtime and maybe wonder if they should do it because of all the taxes that they’ll end up paying on that overtime to be away from their family, will no longer have to worry about paying taxes on overtime. And that’s going to spur investment. It’s going to spur more job creation. It’s going to spur more money in the pockets of those blue-collar workers. So that’s going to be another really big, important aspect, so that OMB report coming out really underscores one more reason why this bill is so important to the people of the United States.”On Leader Scalise’s rescissions package that will codify DOGE cuts:“And then, of course, this week, we’re taking up the rescissions package. Thursday, we will vote on that. We’ve been answering questions from our members, but our members are ready to go lock in some of those DOGE cuts. DOGE identified waste, fraud, and abuse in so many areas of the federal government. This is a start. It’s a good start. It’s an important first step, and we’re going to take it on Thursday.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pickleball Company Owner Waives Discharge of Over $47M in Unsecured Debt After USTP Investigation

    Source: US State of California

    A pickleball entrepreneur who was forced into bankruptcy by investors he lured with promises of generous returns recently agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge after an investigation by the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), preventing the discharge of more than $47 million in unsecured debt.

    On May 14, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved a voluntary waiver of discharge by debtor Rodney Grubbs, owner of All About Pickleball LLC, an apparel and equipment company that did business as Pickleball Rocks. As a result, Grubbs remains personally liable for his debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed.

    Grubbs solicited investments from pickleball players and fans from across the United States, usually in the form of promissory notes with purportedly guaranteed interest rates of 10 percent or higher. In December 2023, several unpaid investors filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against Grubbs under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Grubbs opposed the petition, but after a hearing in which he testified to using new investors’ funds to pay back previous investors, the bankruptcy court granted the involuntary petition and ordered the case to proceed. Grubbs eventually disclosed nearly $1.6 million in assets and more than $47 million in liabilities, the vast majority of them unsecured debts owed to hundreds of individuals.

    As part of its extensive investigation, the USTP’s Indianapolis office obtained Grubbs’ personal and business financial records and examined him under oath. Ultimately, Grubbs — who also faced allegations from multiple creditors consistent with a Ponzi scheme — elected to waive his bankruptcy discharge.

    “The USTP is committed to addressing fraudulent and abusive conduct that threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said U.S. Trustee Nancy J. Gargula for Region 10, which includes the Southern District of Indiana. “Our commitment to protecting consumers and those who fall victim to various schemes that come to light in bankruptcy is unwavering.”

    The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust. 

    MIL OSI USA News