NewzIntel.com

Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI USA: Man Charged in Connection With CARES Act Loan Fraud

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Joseph Ronald Trenkle, 54, formerly of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado and currently of Dorado, Puerto Rico, has been charged in a criminal information with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering.

    According to the information, between April 30, 2020, and February 25, 2022, Trenkle applied for and received $1,850,000 in COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and $2,999,995 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds from an SBA-approved lender.  The information alleges that after first obtaining an EIDL loan in March 2020, Trenkle made two requests to increase the amount of his EIDL and made false representations as part of each of request.  The information further alleges that Trenkle submitted two fraudulent PPP loan applications, and also submitted fraudulent applications for PPP loan forgiveness for each PPP loan.

    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans dealing with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The CARES Act created the PPP, a program administered by the SBA that provided loans to small businesses to retain workers, maintain payroll, and certain other expenses consistent with PPP rules.  Additionally, the CARES Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The defendant made his initial appearance on May 22, 2025, in Denver in front of Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung.

    The charges contained in the information are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Fansler.

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

    Case Number: 25-cr-00150-RMR

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: International Arrest of Sexual Offender

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Abingdon, VA – The United States Marshal in the Western District of Virginia is pleased to announce the arrest of fugitive Corey Parton in Mexico and his subsequent deportation to the United States on May 26, 2025. Parton is charged with violations of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, resulting from alleged interstate or foreign travel after having been convicted as a sex offender and being required to register pursuant to the law.

    On March 12, 2024, 36 year old Corey Parton, Bristol, Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Abingdon, Virginia, for violations of the Adam Walsh Act, or Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act, pursuant to an investigation by the United States Marshals Service. He remained a fugitive, presumably in Mexico, since said time. On May 25, 2025, members of the Federal Police of Mexico, acting on information provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, located and arrested Parton, an American citizen, and promptly deported him to the United States. On arrival back on American soil, members of the U.S. Marshals Service assumed custody of Parton and he is currently awaiting initial appearance and arraignment. He is presumed innocent until the resolution of his case.

    United State Marshal Thomas Foster stated, “This case is not only proof of the dedication of members of the U.S. Marshals Service to investigate and prosecute persons in violation of federal law, but an example to all that regardless of how far one may flee, the U.S. Marshals Service, with our partners, will apprehend them. I express appreciation to all participating branches of the U.S. Marshals Service and to the Mexican Federal Police in bringing this person back to face his crimes.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sheshatshiu — Arrest warrant issued for Peter Nuke

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Sheshatshiu RCMP is seeking public assistance in locating 32-year-old Peter Nuke.

    Nuke is wanted by police in relation to changes of assault and forcible confinement. Police believe he frequently travels between Sheshatshiu and Goose Bay.

    A photo of Nuke is attached.

    Anyone having information about the current location of Peter Nuke is asked to contact Sheshatshiu RCMP at 709-497-8700. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, multiagency case results in Mexican national sentenced to 88 months in prison for role in drug conspiracy

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    TUCSON, Ariz. — A Mexican national was sentenced May 12 to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a drug conspiracy. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the DEA conducted the investigation in this case.

    “The defendant will have over seven years in prison to think of the drugs he sought to peddle into our communities,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are firmly committed to stopping criminals from peddling dangerous drugs in the Tucson area — drugs destroy neighborhoods and rip families apart — this criminal activity must stop.”

    Following his prison term, German Montano-Peralta, 33, of Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, will also be on three years of supervised release. Montano-Peralta previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    On April 30, 2024, in Tucson, Montano-Peralta and others possessed approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl and more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to others later that day.

    This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Arizona Strike Force located in Tucson. 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.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston removes fugitive convicted of armed robbery in Brazil

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WOONSOCKET, R.I. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s removed a 29-year-old illegal Brazilian fugitive wanted by authorities to serve more than five years in prison for an armed robbery conviction in his native country. Officers with ICE Boston removed Juliano Araujo Dos Santos Silva from the United States to Brazil March 27 and turned him over to Brazilian authorities.

    “Rhode Island is not a safe haven for the world’s criminal element,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Mr. Araujo was convicted of armed robbery in his native country and attempted to subvert justice by hiding out in New England. Now he is in the hands of Brazilian authorities. ICE Boston will not tolerate alien criminals threatening the law-abiding residents of our communities. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our neighborhoods.”

    A Brazilian criminal court convicted Araujo of armed robbery with a firearm Oct. 2, 2017, and sentenced him to five years and four months in prison.

    U.S. Border Patrol arrested Araujo July 3, 2019, after he illegally entered the United States near near El Paso, Texas. USBP issued Araujo a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

    On Sept. 12, 2024, Brazilian authorities issued a warrant for Araujo’s arrest or failure to serve a sentence after conviction.

    Officers with ICE Boston located and arrested Araujo in Woonsocket Jan. 13, 2025.

    On Feb. 18, a DOJ immigration judge ordered Araujo removed from the United States to Brazil. Officers with ICE Boston effectuated the removal March 27 and turned Araujo over to Brazilian authorities.

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

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Offers Reward up to $20,000 for Arrest and Conviction of Jesus Jose Astorga

    Source: US FBI

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Jesus Jose Astorga, who allegedly fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution for murder in the first degree in Kern County, California. Anyone with information regarding the location of Astorga is urged to contact the local FBI office, nearest United States embassy, or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. All information can be submitted anonymously.

    Astorga has ties to the cities of Durango and Sonora in Mexico. He is described as a Hispanic male standing five-feet, seven-inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. Photos and additional identifying information about Astorga, including known aliases, are noted on the FBI wanted poster.

    The Shafter Police Department alleges Astorga was involved in the fatal stabling of a man at a Shafter apartment on October 15, 1999. On November 2, 1999, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office charged Astorga with one count of murder in the first degree in the Bakersfield Municipal Court District in Kern County, California. On June 20, 2000, a federal arrest warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued for Astorga in the United States District Court in the Eastern District of California.

    All charges are mere allegations. Individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    “The FBI has a long-standing commitment to aiding our law enforcement partners and ensuring defendants face the charges brought against them—no matter how far they may run,” said Sid Patel, special agent in charge of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Every family deserves an opportunity to seek justice for their lost loved ones.”

    Additional posters featuring fugitives and cases in need of additional information from the public are available on the FBI Sacramento Division’s Most Wanted page: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sacramento/wanted. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Aid Recovery of Nazi-Confiscated Art

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    AUSTIN – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, which would aid in the recovery of Nazi-looted art and deliver justice for Holocaust survivors and their families:
    “The artwork wrongfully ripped from Jewish hands during the Holocaust bears witness to a chapter in history when evil persisted and the worst of humanity was on full display,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation to support the Jewish people and Holocaust survivors by helping them recover art confiscated by the Nazis that they are rightfully owed and give them the justice and restitution they deserve.”
    “The theft of art by the Nazi regime was more than a pilfering of property—it was an act of inhumanity,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “Our bipartisan effort seeks to strengthen measures to bring long overdue justice to families whose cherished art was brazenly stolen by the Nazis.”
    “This legislation helps to right a historic wrong committed during one of the darkest chapters in history,” said Sen. Tillis. “By eliminating unnecessary legal obstacles, the HEAR Act establishes a clear path to restitution for Holocaust survivors and their families, ensuring that art and cultural property stolen by the Nazis can finally be returned to their rightful owners.”
    “Despite decades’ long efforts by the United States and allies to return Nazi-looted art to Holocaust victims and their heirs, over 100,000 works of art have yet to be recovered and returned to their rightful owners,” said Sen. Booker. “I’m proud to join Senator Cornyn in introducing this important bill that updates federal law to ensure that survivors and their heirs finally regain possession of their stolen art.”
    “Hundreds of thousands of pieces of artwork were taken from the Jewish people during the Holocaust, and survivors in the United States should not be unfairly barred from claiming artwork that is theirs,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act would ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs have a fair opportunity to recover artwork stolen from them by resolving claims based on merits.”
    “Eighty years after the Holocaust, we have a moral responsibility to do right by the victims of these atrocities and their families,” said Sen. Fetterman. “I’m grateful to join my colleagues from both sides of the aisle in introducing the HEAR Act to help return artwork stolen by the Nazis to its rightful owners.”
    “Stealing artwork from Jewish families during the Holocaust wasn’t just an act of thievery, it was meant to dehumanize the victims,” said Sen. Schmitt. “Decades later many families are still seeking justice, and it’s time we help Holocaust survivors and their families recover the cherished art that is rightfully theirs.”
    “The HEAR Act of 2025 empowers Holocaust survivors and their families to continue to be heard in court and to reclaim their part of history,” said Sen. Britt. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan bill that would clarify the intent of the original legislation — honoring and dignifying the families of individuals whose property was stolen or sold by the Nazi regime over 80 years ago.”
    Background:
    Nazi Germany’s campaign of annihilation and genocide against the Jewish people in the Holocaust included massive theft of property, including hundreds of thousands of works of art. Despite post-war efforts by the United States and allies to return Nazi-looted art and renewed efforts since the late 1990s, more than 100,000 works of art have not been returned to their rightful owners.
    In 2016, Congress unanimously passed the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, spearheaded in the Senate by Senator Cornyn, to ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs could access U.S. courts to pursue claims for the recovery of Nazi-looted art, allowing cases to be decided on their factual merits rather than dismissed on time-based technical defenses. Congress found that the circumstances of the Holocaust imposed extraordinary obstacles to survivors and heirs to locate and recover stolen art, necessitating a national six-year statute of limitations that only begins when the owner actually discovers the location of the stolen artwork.
    Unfortunately, many museums, governments, and institutions have contradicted Congress’ intent and obstructed justice by stonewalling legitimate claims, obscuring provenance, and employing aggressive legal tactics designed to exhaust and outlast survivors and their families. Rather than embracing transparency and reconciliation, too many have chosen to entrench and litigate, effectively preserving possession of stolen works rather than returning them to their rightful owners. Moreover, some court cases have interpreted the law narrowly, leaving survivors without recourse.
    The original HEAR Act includes a sunset provision and is set to expire December 31, 2026. This legislation would amend and reauthorize the original law to ensure victims of the Holocaust are not denied justice by legal loopholes, institutional intransigence, or the mere passage of time. As another insidious wave of antisemitism hits society, this legislation would reaffirm our commitment to the Jewish people and Holocaust survivors by sending a clear message that the United States will not allow looting to be legitimized, justice to be denied, or Holocaust profiteering to be tolerated.
    The HEAR Act would:
    Eliminate the sunset date, recognizing that the challenges of restitution remain urgent and unresolved;
    Clarify and strengthen procedural protections to ensure that claims are considered on their merits and not dismissed due to time-based technical defenses or other non-merits discretionary defenses;
    And fortify victims’ remedies and access to the courts.
    The legislation is endorsed by Art Ashes, Agudath Israel of America, American Jewish Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Bet Tzedek, House of Justice, Christians United for Israel (CUFI Action Fund), Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), Holocaust Survivors Foundation USA, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Jewish Women International (JWI), Justice for Atrocities Clinic, LMU Loyola Law School, Simon Wiesenthal Center, StandWithUs, The 1939 Society, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, and World Jewish Congress.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada has a chance to lead on AI policy and data governance at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By E. Richard Gold, Professor of intellectual property and innovation, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

    The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit will be held in Kananaskis, Alta., from June 15 to 17. As host of the G7, Canada has a chance to shape rules that will govern AI globally. (Shutterstock)

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming sectors from health care to climate science. But amid the global scramble to lead this technological revolution, one truth is becoming clearer: data, its platforms and its circulations, have become critical infrastructure. And Canada, poised to host this year’s G7 Leaders Summit, has a rare opportunity to shape the rules that will govern AI globally.

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the federal government elevated AI and digital innovation to a central pillar of national policy, and appointed Evan Solomon as minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation. But ambition is not enough — Canada must now back its rhetoric with action that resonates at home and abroad.

    Infrastructure intelligence

    While AI headlines often focus on breakthroughs in generative models and robotics, the real engine of progress lies in less glamorous terrain: computing infrastructure and data systems.

    Canada’s proposal to build “next-generation data centres” is about creating the backbone for globally competitive and ethically governed AI. Without these facilities, modern AI systems cannot be trained, validated or deployed responsibly.

    AI models — like those used in medicine for developing new drugs and health services, clean technologies such as clean energy and carbon-capture or materials science — require enormous computational power and massive datasets. That data must be structured, validated and — to the extent possible — open to those who can use it.

    Quality assurance

    Our recent study underscores that the future of AI depends less on algorithmic cleverness and more on data quality and accessibility. Poorly labelled or fragmented datasets can introduce bias, reduce model performance or even endanger lives when used in health or safety applications.

    Yet across many domains, useful data remains siloed and locked in proprietary formats, lacking documentation or inaccessible due to legal and technical barriers. This status quo serves monopolies, not society.

    Canada holds the G7 presidency in 2025, and can provide leadership in data governance and AI innovation. A central priority should be to rally partners around a framework for ethical, accessible and well-designed datasets, especially in fields like health, climate science and materials research.

    Tailored data

    Our call for open data isn’t one-size-fits-all. It must be tailored to the needs of specific sectors:

    • Health-care AI requires anonymized patient data, genomic sequences, protein structure data, toxicology and carcinogen data, and drug response datasets.

    • Climate AI needs long-term environmental records, satellite imagery, power and water use information and real-time emissions data.

    • Materials science AI demands chemical interaction data, physical testing results, structural data and thermodynamic properties.

    What binds these fields is a common challenge: ensuring data is ethically sourced, high-quality, and useable across borders and institutions. Canada’s role should be to help build the platforms — digital, legal and diplomatic — that make this possible.

    A G7 mandate

    As host of the G7 in June, Canada can push for a transformative international commitment. At a minimum, this should include:

    1. Common standards for open datasets, co-designed with input from AI developers, health professionals, climate researchers, materials scientists and legal experts.
    2. Trusted data hubs, managed by public-private or non-profit entities, ensuring secure storage, privacy safeguards and public access.
    3. Legal and diplomatic co-ordination, addressing cross-border data sharing, intellectual property constraints and ethical governance frameworks.

    These steps would position the G7 — and Canada in particular — as a champion of AI that serves democratic values on top of commercial and geopolitical interests.

    Canada’s risks and opportunities

    Canada is not starting from scratch. The country boasts leading AI research institutions, including the Vector Institute and Mila, and has pioneered open science partnerships such as the Montreal Neurological Institute’s Tanenbaum Open Science Institute and the Toronto labs of the Structural Genomics Consortium.

    Dataset platforms such as AIRCHECK(for AI-based chemical knowledge) and the CACHE competition (evaluating drug discovery models using open data), show how Canada is already putting together the building blocks of responsible AI. But the country risks squandering this advantage if it cannot scale these efforts or retain innovation domestically.

    The stalled Artificial Intelligence and Data Act is a case in point. While the European Union moved forward with its AI Act, the General Data Protection Regulation and the European Health Data Space Regulation, Canada’s legislative framework remains in flux.

    Without clear domestic rules, and a proactive global agenda, Canada could end up as an incubator for innovations that end up developed and applied elsewhere.

    Global stakes

    The AI race is not just about who builds the most powerful models. It’s about who defines the technical, ethical and geopolitical standards that shape the digital future.

    The G7 offers Canada a moment of strategic clarity. By investing in AI infrastructure and leading an international agenda on open, trustworthy AI, Canada can lead in shaping the rules.

    E. Richard Gold receives funding from TRIDENT: TRanslational Initiative to DE-risk NeuroTherapeutics, a project funded by the New Frontiers in Research Fund, application NFRFT-2022-00051. Gold is also the Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer of Conscience, a Canadian non-profit focused on enabling drug discovery and development in areas where open sharing and collaboration are key to advancement and where market solutions are limited, such as rare or neglected diseases, pandemic preparedness, and antimicrobial resistance.

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

    – ref. Canada has a chance to lead on AI policy and data governance at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit – https://theconversation.com/canada-has-a-chance-to-lead-on-ai-policy-and-data-governance-at-the-2025-g7-leaders-summit-256296

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bay Roberts — Driver arrested for impaired operation by Bay Roberts RCMP

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 32-year-old man was arrested for impaired operation by Bay Roberts RCMP during a traffic stop that was conducted in Bay Roberts on May 27, 2025.

    Shortly after 12:30 a.m. today, police stopped a vehicle on Conception Bay Highway in Bay Roberts. The officer noted a smell of alcohol coming from the driver and administered a roadside breath test, which resulted in a failure. The driver was arrested and transported to the detachment where he provided further breath tests that were one and half times the legal limit.

    The man’s licence was suspended and the vehicle was seized and impounded.

    He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation.

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    If you suspect a driver is operating a vehicle while impaired, please immediately call your local police or 911 and be prepared to provide a description of the vehicle, including a licence plate if possible, and the vehicle’s current location.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hebron — Yarmouth Rural RCMP seeking information after shots fired in Hebron

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Yarmouth Rural RCMP Detachment is seeking information in relation to shots fired in Hebron.

    On May 27 at approximately 2:40 a.m., Yarmouth Rural RCMP Detachment received a report of shots fired at a residence on Greenville Rd. The incident resulted in damage to the home.

    There were no reports of injuries.

    As part of the ongoing investigation, officers would like to hear from anyone with surveillance video or doorbell cameras showing Hwy. 1 (south from Greenville Rd.) and Main St. in Yarmouth between 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on May 27. The investigation is being led by Yarmouth Rural RCMP Detachment with support from the RCMP Forensic Identification Section and RCMP Police Dog Services.

    Anyone with information about this incident or video surveillance is asked to contact police at 902-742-9106. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Zinke Nominates 15 Western Montana Projects for Federal Funding totaling $64,619,833

    Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)

    Zinke prioritizes infrastructure, law enforcement, and rural development across 13 Counties

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke announced that he requested federal funding for 15 projects in Western Montana to improve infrastructure, economic development, and law enforcement capabilities. The requests were submitted to the House Appropriations Committee of which he is a member. The projects would benefit communities in the following counties: Beaverhead, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Lake (2), Lincoln (2), Missoula (2), Mineral (2), Powell, Ravalli (3), and Sanders (3). The projects are posted on Congressman Zinke’s website for public inspection here and listed below.

    “Rural America’s infrastructure needs have been ignored for too long, as a member of the Appropriations Committee I can ensure our tax dollars are spent on projects that directly support our communities,” said Zinke. “With the help of county commissioners, mayors, and sheriffs, we’ve identified and nominated strong, shovel-ready projects that reflect real community needs and deliver the highest return to Montana taxpayers. These investments will support our law enforcement, expand access to clean water, repair failing infrastructure, and spur economic growth across Western Montana. This is about building a stronger Montana by making sure our families have access to housing, clean water, and safe streets for generations to come.”

    The submissions were made through the U.S. House of Representatives Community Project Funding program, which allows Congress to direct appropriations from specific grant accounts to eligible projects. All projects must meet the published grant requirements and pass a series of legislative hurdles. Every project must be approved by the House Appropriations Committee, the full House of Representatives and be included in the joint funding package approved by the House and Senate and signed by the President. In Fiscal Year 2024, Zinke successfully secured $35 million in funding for Western Montana.  

     

    Proposed projects include:

    *Projects listed by county in alphabetical order 

    Beaverhead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders Counties, $2,889,500 – Five-County Law Enforcement Resilience Project

    Provides a funding level of $2,889,500 for Mineral County, located at P.O. Box 99, 310 River Street, Superior, MT 58972. To reduce cost to the taxpayer and promote equipment continuity in the event of a multi-county response to an incident, Mineral, Lake, Beaverhead, Lincoln, and Sanders counties have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to purchase much needed vehicles and equipment in bulk for bolstered law enforcement and public safety. The 2021-2025 crisis at the southwest border turned every state into a border state -including Montana. Five rural counties with a combined population of less than 80,000 are experiencing the lingering effects of the border crisis with criminal aliens still at large. These five counties have formed a joint purchasing agreement to purchase desperately needed equipment and vehicles in bulk to save tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per county. The funding will purchase patrol vehicles, body scanners, radios and telecom equipment, rifles, vests, and fund safety upgrades.

    Flathead County, $1,936,170 – North Fork Road Guardrails

    The significance of the North Fork Road cannot be overstated. It provides crucial access for residents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations along the Canadian border, year-round recreational activities, and timber industry operations. It also serves as the route for approximately 150,000 annual visitors to Glacier National Park that access the park through the Camas and Polebridge entrances. The North Fork Road plays a pivotal role in the economic and recreational vitality of the region. Despite its significance, the North Fork Road poses safety concerns. Composed of a mostly gravel surface and winding in nature, it has numerous roadside hazards, including sections of roadway with steep side slopes descending to the river below. The existing guardrail along this section of road have surpassed their service life and due to their poor condition, have reduced ability to function as intended. The project will add or replace guardrail to improve safety along 3.71 miles of roadway.

    Gallatin County, $906,660 – Sheriff’s Office Rapid DNA Capabilities and Patrol Vehicles

    Provides a funding level of $906,660 for Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, located at 615 South 16th Street, Bozeman, MT 59715. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department and Belgrade Police Department have formed an MOU to combine their purchasing power and coordinate complementary technology. This funding request will fund the purchase of all necessary equipment, software, warranties, consumables, and technical DNA support for the county sheriff’s office and all other municipal law enforcement agencies. This comprehensive Rapid DNA program will be open to all law enforcement agencies within the county, and hopefully beyond. The state crime lab is facing an overwhelming number of DNA evidence items awaiting processing. To manage this caseload, they have created strict guidelines prioritizing certain crimes and limiting the number of DNA samples that can be processed. To help ease the burden on the state crime lab and enable them to focus on more complex and high-priority cases, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office will be able to process DNA samples that can lead to immediate investigative leads. Additionally, the Belgrade Police Department will acquire fully outfitted patrol sport utility cruisers to enhance the safety of the citizens of Belgrade. Belgrade is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Western Montana and budgets are stretched thin across city government to support that growth.

    Granite County, $5,000,000 – Clean Water Infrastructure Project “Phase 1”

    Provide a funding level of $5,000,000 for the town of Phillipsburg, Montana, located at 104 South Sansome St. Philipsburg, MT 59858, to construct a new water transmission line. The town of Phillipsburg derives over 82% of its municipal water supply from the Fred Burr Reservoir, a high mountain lake located approximately 7 miles from the town. The dependability of the Fred Burr supply hinges on the reliability of the 7-mile-long transmission main that connects the lake to the town. The transmission line recently experienced a catastrophic failure. The pipeline traverses through rugged, forested, mountainous terrain at high elevations. Replacement of this transmission line is critical for the community to ensure clean and plentiful drinking water.

    Lake County, $730,000 – Ronan Volunteer Fire Department Replacement of 30 Year Old Type 1 Fire Truck 

    Support $730,000 for the purchase of a Type 1 Structure Engine to replace the current vehicle which is over 30 years old. The purchase would replace aging equipment and improve emergency response capacity. This funding will directly strengthen emergency response capacity in Montana’s First Congressional District, where many rural and tribal communities face long response times and limited firefighting resources. By equipping the Ronan Fire Department with a modern, NFPA-compliant Type 1 engine, we not only enhance local fire protection but also regional mutual aid support across Lake County and surrounding areas. This project promotes public safety, supports rural infrastructure, and aligns with congressional priorities to invest in underserved communities. Additionally, it strengthens partnerships between local, tribal, and federal entities in protecting critical infrastructure and natural resources.

    Lincoln County, $820,319 – Rural Airport Reconstruction and Emergency Services Expansion  

    The Troy Airport runway is in poor condition at-best, requiring extensive runway restoration and repair. This rural airport is vital to search and rescue, wildland firefighting efforts and medical flights within Northwest Montana. With the wildland fire trend in NW Montana, the need for a central location for deploying firefighting aircrafts and for a well-maintained runway is essential and cannot be overstated. The Troy Airport is situated close to many forested regions that are susceptible to wildland fire allowing for quick response time to extinguish fires before they spread further. A poorly maintained runway can have significant negative effects on airport operations and safety including the delay of firefighting efforts. Additionally, the 797 residents of Troy rely on the airport for air ambulance service as the closest trauma center is located more than 2 hours away in Kalispell.

    Missoula County, $1,400,000 – Lolo Wastewater Treatment Plant

    The community of Lolo is deficient in the water supply requirements for having the largest well out of service and meeting the max day water demand for the system. The community currently operates a public water supply system through an RSID and requires an upgrade to Well No. 1 and Well No. 2, to increase the water supply for the community. The water rights exist, and the wells can easily be upgraded to increase their capacity. The project was bid last year, and the community didn’t have enough money to award the bid. The benefit is that the project is shovel-ready and already approved by DEQ to move forward as soon as funds are available for the community to use.  The community is concerned about having enough water for the citizens, but particularly concerned during the summer months when the fire season is imminent.  The lack of redundancy for the water system is a great concern for the community and upgrading these two wells would provide that necessary capacity and surety.

    Missoula County, $21,134,250 – Seeley Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant  

    The largest employer in Seeley Lake and one of the largest in Missoula County announced it was closing after 75 years in business citing it was “crippled” by labor shortages driven by a lack of affordable housing, inflation, and lumber prices. The mill employed roughly 250 employees. The town of Seeley Lake is very rural and unable to build additional housing because it does not have a municipal water system to support additional housing and the existing septic system is at capacity and contaminating the groundwater. Building a water system will allow developers to invest in affordable workforce housing to support reopening the mill and growing jobs and economic activity in the region.

    Mineral County, $1,000,000 – Alberton Water Tower 

    Currently, the storage volume for Alberton is inadequate. The proposed Water Storage Improvements Projects will add 200,000 gallons of drinking water storage in order to provide adequate water volume to satisfy maximum day demands and also to deliver sufficient fire flow/volume. The Town is implementing a major improvements project to its distribution system in ’24-’25 and the storage tank project is the next highest priority project according to the Town’s 2020 Preliminary Engineering Report. 

    Powell County, $1,009,934 – Equipment for Volunteer Fire Departments

    Provides a funding level of $1,009,934 to Powell County, Montana located at 409 Missouri Ave, Suite 203, Deer Lodge, MT 59722. Powell County is larger than the entire state of Delaware, and large sections of the County are very remote. First responders are responsible for responding to more than 800 miles of county road, 90 miles of state highway, and 36 miles of Interstate. Volunteer departments respond to hundreds of interstate accidents every year in addition to countless search and rescue operations on millions of acres of rugged wilderness. This request would fund the acquisition of equipment for EMS, fire department and search and rescue operations. This will help both Granite and Powell Counties, as both Gold Creek and Drummond’s Valley Fire work together per a mutual aid agreement, which further extends the impact of this request. 

    Ravalli County, $1,143,000 – Bridge Replacement, Groff Lane 

    Ravalli County is one of the fastest growing counties in Montana. Groff Lane provides access to larger agricultural tracts in Ravalli County and a future potential public access.  The narrow bridges need to be replaced to allow for safer passage and also to ensure that irrigation water delivery can continue to some larger agricultural water users in the Bitterroot Valley.

    Ravalli County, $5,500,000 – Old Corvallis Road Repair 

    The funding would be used for repair of the Old Corvallis Road in the critical north-south transportation corridor of the greater Hamilton area. The Project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Old Corvallis Road serves as a crucial transportation artery in the greater Hamilton area, connecting the Corvallis community with essential services and employment opportunities in the City of Hamilton, notably a large pharmaceutical facility as well as a soon-to-be residential development that will consist of 140 units. The road suffers from poor pavement conditions and lacks dedicated non-motorized facilities, making walking hazardous. Traffic counts from 2023 reveal an average daily traffic of 2,705 vehicles with an anticipated increase of nearly 50% once the residential development is completed. Addressing these infrastructure challenges is crucial to ensuring safe and efficient travel along Old Corvallis Road. 

    Ravalli County, $10,000,000 – Wastewater Treatment Plant 

    Ravalli county is currently one of the most rapidly developing counties in Montana and one of the greatest in need of affordable housing. One of the greatest barriers to that is the lack of water and sewage treatment capacity. Ravalli county until recently has been forced to send its raw sewage by truck to Missoula county for disposal and treatment. Recently this arrangement was terminated due to Missoula counties own issues with sewage treatment capacity. Currently all sewage pumped from septic tanks in Ravalli county is being deposed of on National Forest lands. This is a concern both environmentally and economically due to the capacity barriers this creates. Septic seepage levels are reaching a dangerous level and because of this the county is limited in new septic permits it can issue to build new homes and dwellings. This new facility if funded would protect drinking water, ease capacity restrictions inhibiting development, and protect environmental quality by keeping septic seepage and human waste out of critical groundwater siphons and the Bitterroot river.

    Sanders County, $10,000,000 – Noxon Bridge Replacement Project Phase 1

    This funding would replace a failing 102-year-old bridge that is on an important emergency service, school bus, and commodity transportation route. The 102-year-old structure is now facing serious structural concerns, leading to its indefinite closure. This is the only bridge which links Highway 200 to the town of Noxon, and has developed cracks in its foundation and holes in the roadbed have opened, prompting urgent safety evaluations. The Sanders County Commissioners commissioned a study to assess the bridge’s condition, with findings recommending full replacement rather than rehabilitation. The closure has already disrupted daily life, affecting food deliveries, emergency services, and local businesses. School busses fully loaded are unable to traverse the bridge. Due to budget constraints of a small taxbase, the county is unable to fund the project alone. With its historical significance and essential role in local infrastructure, restoring the Noxon Bridge remains a top priority for both county and state officials. Securing the necessary funding remains a challenge, leaving the community in limbo as they await further action.

    Sanders County, $1,150,000 – Repaving Marten Creek Road 

    This project aims to rehabilitate and upgrade a surface transportation asset that if left unimproved threatens the mobility of people, delivery of services to residents, economic growth from tourism and vital national forest access. This project will improve the lifespan of Marten Creek Road, reduce future maintenance costs and allow more time, money and resources to be spent on other roads in the county. Sanders County proposes to hire a contractor to overlay 4.5 miles of Marten Creek Road with 2.5″ thick asphalt 22′ wide. Estimated cost of the project is $1,150,000.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lexington woman arrested on Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Child Sexual Abuse Material* chargesRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Maria Grace Seipel, 21, of Lexington, S.C., on five charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Lexington Police Department made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Secret Service, all also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with this investigation.

     

    Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Seipel. Investigators state Seipel engaged in criminal sexual conduct with a minor and distributed and possessed files of child sexual abuse material.  

     

    Seipel was arrested on May 22, 2025. She is charged with one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, first degree (§16-3-655(A)(1)); three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count; and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

     

     

    The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

     

    Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

     

     

     

    * Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant.  Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Capital Area Task Force Continues to Put Gang Members Behind Bars

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Baltimore, MD – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) and the Prince George’s County Police Department May 12 arrested a gang member wanted for multiple violent felonies.

    Jose Guardado-Orellana, 33, was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of an individual who was found deceased on the side of a road in Riverdale, Maryland, in October 2024.  

    Guardado-Orellana was also charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, use of a firearm during a violent crime, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and multiple weapons violations. 

    Guardado-Orellana, a member of the 18th Street Revolutionary Gang, also has existing warrants in El Salvador charging him in a separate homicide and association to a terrorist organization. 

    CARFTF investigators developed information May 12 that Guardado-Orellana was in a residence on Liberty Road in Windsor Mill.  On the same day, Guardado-Orellana was taken into custody without incident and turned over to Prince George’s County Police Department.  

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also placed an immigration detainer for Guardado-Orellana.

    Since 2004, the USMS Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force has focused resources and efforts on the enhancement of public safety and the reduction of violence within the Capital Region, through the identification, investigation, and apprehension of fugitives wanted for egregious crimes against the community, while ensuring the equal application of Justice, Integrity, and Service for all.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Harvie questions Scottish Parliament controversial campus rules

    Source: Scottish Greens

    27 May 2025 Equality Trans Rights are Human Rights

    Our Parliament must ensure it always has clear and fully inclusive practices.

    More in Equality

    Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie MSP has asked an Urgent Question to the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB) to hear their response to an open letter from MSPs and staff following the publication of new parliamentary campus rules that ban trans people from using gendered facilities.

    The Presiding Officer received the open letter signed by 17 MSPs and over 30 staff, with the support of the Good Law Project. It calls on the SPCB to overturn their recent controversial decision to ban trans people from using gendered toilets in the Scottish Parliament.

    In the chamber at Holyrood, Patrick Harvie MSP asked:

    “To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its response is to the open letter to the Presiding Officer, signed by cross-party MSPs and staff, regarding the interim position on the use of facilities in the Parliament building.”

    Mr Harvie stated that Lord Sumption, a former Supreme Court judge, says the ruling has been misunderstood and that nobody is obliged to exclude trans women from public spaces based on this ruling. 

    Mr Harvie also asked for more than warm words like ‘inclusivity’ for those who have been made to feel unwelcome in their workplace, and assurance that nobody would be required to show paperwork if they are suspected of being transgender to use facilities.

    Responding, SPCB member Christine Graham claimed that the Scottish Parliament wishes to remain an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who work and visit Holyrood. Ms Graham reiterated that the current response is based on interim guidance while they await further information from the EHRC. 

    Ms Graham also went on to say that use of the facilities will not be monitored by the Corporate Body, but that any complaints would be considered.

    Speaking afterward, Mr Harvie said: 

    “The situation now seems even more confused than before. If the intention is to maintain an inclusive and welcoming environment, I have to say that has not been achieved. If the SPCB is saying the new rule will never be enforced, then they must accept that it’s for every individual to choose the facilities that they consider appropriate for them.

    “I would urge the Parliamentary authorities to think again, and to return to clear and fully inclusive practices. But far more urgently, the UK Government must clarify the law to recognise the equality and human rights of trans and non-binary people, and face down the forces of prejudice which have been stirred up in recent years.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McKees Rocks Resident Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Coerce Minor for Sex and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Ryan Peters, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on August 6, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Peters’ residence based on tips reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children regarding online activity involving child sexual abuse material. During the search, investigators located and seized numerous electronic devices, including a cell phone found in a cat litterbox in the hallway as well as Peters’ laptop. A forensic review of these devices revealed child sexual abuse material, including five videos and 11 images that involved the use of minors, including prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

    A few weeks later, Peters used a social networking and dating application to contact and attempt to persuade and entice an individual he believed was a 12-year-old girl from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to engage in sexual activity. The purported minor was in fact an undercover FBI agent. During their online conversations over the following weeks, Peters discussed sex with the purported child and solicited the minor to send him sexually explicit images of herself. Peters then suggested they meet in person and, following a failed attempt to do so in late-August, again arranged to meet the purported minor on September 13, 2021. Peters was arrested upon his arrival at the predetermined meeting place.

    Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for November 12, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Peters remain detained.

    Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Peters.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Roanoke Man, Who Posed as Baseball Prospect, Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register, False Statement Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Virginia man, who used burner phones to pose as officials from both Major and Minor League baseball teams, pled guilty today in federal court to failing to register as a convicted sex offender and making false statements.

    Janike Dunbar Holt, 29, a.k.a. “Nike,” a.k.a. “Janike Tagovailoa” a.k.a. “Keanu Tagovailoa,” a.k.a. “Trey Tagovailoa,” pled guilty today to one count of failure to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement.

    According to court documents, in August 2018, Holt was convicted of four counts of taking indecent liberties with a child in North Carolina after he had sexual relations with a fifteen-year-old. Holt was released from custody in October of 2018 and, after initially complying with his required sex offender registration requirements, Holt failed to report an address change in June 2022.

    In March 2022, Holt began dating a woman (Individual 1) who had a minor child (Minor A). Holt was not the father of Minor A, but he told others that he was. In addition, Holt was asking several other women for money that he claimed was to support Minor A, to visit Minor A, or to help obtain custody of Minor A. However, Holt did not actually use the money for these stated purposes or otherwise provide this money to Individual A or Minor A.

    Around October 2022, Holt began dating Individual 2. Holt falsely told Individual 2 that he had a child (Minor A) and got Individual 2 to give him $65 for diapers for the child and for gas to go visit her.  Individual 2 gave Holt access to her bank accounts, and Holt stole $5,000 from her. Individual 2 was able recover this money from her bank.

    At other times in 2022, Holt also dated Individual 3 and Individual 5. While living with Individual 3, Holt stole at least three checks from her, which he subsequently made out to himself. Holt filled out one of these checks and asked Individual 5 to cash it for him. Holt made out another of these stolen checks for $225,000, with the memo line reading “Lawsuit Refund.” The check was never cashed. Holt later made out another of these stolen checks for $75,000, with the memo line reading “Law-suit settlement.” He asked Individuals 7 and 8 to cash this check for him, but they refused.

    On February 6, 2023, Holt asked a friend to drive him from North Carolina to Virginia, where he was planning to move. Holt lived with his brother in Roanoke for a few days before moving in with a new girlfriend, Individual 6. Holt continued living with his new girlfriend until March 14, 2023. While living in Roanoke, Holt never registered as a sex offender in Virginia, despite being required to under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

    Despite living with Individual 6, Holt also spent a significant amount of time at a house where the mother of two of his brother’s children (Individual 7) lived with her mother (Individual 8). Holt falsely told his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that he had been recruited to play for a Major League Baseball team. Holt used burner phones to send text messages to his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 while pretending to be actual individuals affiliated with a Major League Baseball team and a Minor League Baseball team. Holt used the names of these individuals without their knowledge.

    Holt told his brother, Individual 6, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that they would all be moving as a result of his purported Major League Baseball career. In preparation, and at Holt’s urging, Individual 7 and Individual 8 sold some of their vehicles and gave Holt the proceeds. Holt also attempted to sell Individual 6’s vehicle without her knowledge. 

    On March 14, 2023, Holt was arrested on a warrant out of North Carolina. While being interviewed by a deputy marshal, Holt made several false statements, including that he had a child (Minor A), that he had not been living in Roanoke, Virginia but had been driving back and forth between Roanoke and North Carolina every other day, and that his probation officer was aware that he was habitually traveling between Roanoke and North Carolina.

    The United States Marshals Service is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Borders and orders: How settler-government occupations violate Kashmiri sovereignty

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Binish Ahmed, PhD Candidate, Policy Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University

    The recent attack in Pahalgam and military exchanges between India and Pakistan have renewed international focus on a nearly 80-years-long conflict over Kashmir.

    But a preliminary review of both North American and Indian media reveals only surface-level analyses.

    North American news outlets primarily framed this as a territorial dispute between two nuclear-armed nations. Indian media presented it as a “war on terror.”

    Missing from the coverage — and much academic analysis — is the story of Kashmiris as Indigenous Peoples. Their divided territory has been under multiple occupations since 1947, with other colonial rulers prior to that. International human rights groups have raised alarms about Kashmiris facing intensive repression by the Indian and Pakistani governments.

    As a policy PhD scholar of Indigenous studies and governance, I can help fill in the gaps. I have developed an Indigenous policy research framework for how to more fully study situations around the world, particularly in Kashmir. This includes identifying familiar settler-colonial patterns: legalized land control, resource extraction and criminalization of the native population and resistance.

    Patterns of colonial nation-building and settlement have produced orders and borders that have been controlling Kashmir since the 1947 British partition of India and Pakistan. The repressive Indian and Pakistani settler-colonial laws operate through interconnected legal, cultural and military mechanisms.

    These methods eliminate Kashmiri self-determination, land rights and self-government.

    Applying an Indigenous rights framework to Kashmir

    Kashmir is among the world’s most militarized regions, home to vital but depleting water resources. Kashmiri territories are divided and controlled by India, Pakistan and China.

    Its diverse, multi-faith communities include a Muslim majority and Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Christian minorities. An Indigenous rights framework recognizes Kashmiris as the first peoples of the land with cultural rights, inherent sovereignty, economic rights and collective rights to ancestral lands.

    I have observed Indians and Pakistanis claiming Kashmiri identity through religious affiliation. This self-indigenizing erases actual Kashmiris by conflating religious and Indigenous identities.

    According to the United Nations: “Indigenous refers to peoples of long settlement and connection to specific lands who have been adversely affected by incursions by industrial economies, displacement and settlement of their traditional territories by others.” In my peer-reviewed work, I have argued this definition applies to Kashmiri people.

    Cultural criminalization of Kashmiri population

    In popular and political ongoing anti-Kashmiri racist narratives, Kashmiris are cast as perpetual “security threats” and “terrorists.”

    Post-Sept. 11 false “war on terror” narratives by media and academics has been deliberately manipulated against the Muslim-majority Kashmiris. For example, mainstream Indian media and popular Bollywood films have demonized Kashmiri-Muslims and delegitimized Indigenous resistance. This framing has especially been advanced by the Hindu-nationalist BJP and RSS under Indian leader Narendra Modi.

    This framing allows for cultural dispossession through restricting religious practices by India, and extends to the marginalization of Kashmiri language and histories by India and Pakistan. Media restrictions are standard and limit self-representation.

    Anti-Muslim profiling, surveillance, communication blockades and the criminalizing of dissent are regular occurrences in Kashmir.



    Read more:
    In India, film and social media play recurring roles in politics

    Repressive control and rights violations in India

    Suppression of dissent and restrictions on freedom of information and expression prevent Kashmiris from voicing grievances to advance collective rights.

    Since 2019, the human rights group Genocide Watch has issued multiple “genocide alerts” for Kashmir. Al Jazeera has recently reported patterns of enforced disappearances of dissenters. In 2012, The Guardian reported on “mass graves in Kashmir.”

    Journalists face attacks and exile. Fahad Shah, editor of the Kashmir Walla, was imprisoned for 600 days.



    Read more:
    Call the crime in Kashmir by its name: Ongoing genocide

    Internet shutdowns and media censorship function as what one human rights group has called “digital apartheid.”

    Indian government administrators conduct physical and digital surveillance in Kashmir, collecting personal data and monitoring connections.

    Kashmiri rights defenders like Khurram Parvez and Irfan Mehraj face arbitrary imprisonment.

    Sexual violence has been documented as a weapon of control.

    Military forces have destroyed infrastructure, including homes, businesses, schools and orchards. Rights defenders face imprisonment.

    These human rights violations continue on both sides of the border — by both India and Pakistan — with minimal scrutiny or accountability.

    Indian legal and military control in Kashmir

    Article 370 functioned as an interim treaty between India and Kashmir since 1949 until its 2019 revocation. It granted Kashmir a constitution and some legal autonomy.

    Its removal eliminated remaining Indigenous Kashmiri rights protections, enabled new colonial laws on Kashmir and allowed non-Kashmiris to own land and hold public office.

    The Indian Domicile Act has allowed demographic engineering whereby more than 80,000 non-Kashmiris were given Kashmiri membership rights between 2022-2024.

    The Domicile Act is a typical colonial strategy and works to undermine Indigenous presence and resistance capacity.

    Pakistan side of the border

    On the Pakistani side, the Interim Constitution for Kashmir forbids political expression that challengs Pakistan’s control of and claim to Kashmir.

    This constitution also established a governance system that initially included the Kashmir Council, with Pakistani officials holding significant power over legislation and appointments.

    Following the 2018 13th amendment, many legislative powers transferred from the Kashmir Council to the Pakistani government rather than to the Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) Assembly. This means Pakistan retains exclusive control over many areas.

    The elected AJK government remains structurally subordinate to Pakistan’s Ministry of Kashmir Affairs. Non-Kashmiri officials hold key executive powers in Islamabad. This gives Pakistan administrative oversight over Kashmir.

    The United Nations has documented rights violations in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, including restricted expression and anti-terrorism law abuse to suppress dissent. Enforced disappearances have also been reported as journalists face threats.

    Mining and resource extraction

    Extractive settler-colonial government economies dispossess Kashmiris from their land through control of water, energy projects, lithium mining and deforestation.

    India expedites mining operations that exploit Kashmir’s significant lithium deposits. They sideline environmental and community displacement concerns.

    Extensive deforestation transforms Kashmir’s landscapes, displacing wildlife, destroying habitats and threatening traditional Kashmiri ways of life.

    Indian and Pakistani control of Kashmir’s vital waterways has led to the creation of hydroelectric power projects on rivers like Chenab, Neelum and Jhelum, generating substantial energy through dams (Kishanganga, Baglihar dam, Mangla dam and the Azad Pattan Hydropower project).

    Hydroelectric power generated from Kashmir is predominantly exported to outsiders. Cities in India and Pakistan benefit, while Kashmiris face high energy bills and electricity shortages.

    Justice for peace

    A sustainable peace requires undoing settler-colonial borders and orders across Kashmir. It requires reuniting Kashmiris across the colonial divide. Colonizers need to surrender governance power back to Indigenous Kashmiris.

    Kashmiri self-government — without colonial oversight — would respect Kashmiri freedoms, sovereignty and self-determination over ancestral lands, waterways and resources. This would bring peace to the region.

    Binish Ahmed is affiliated with Kashmir Gulposh, a Kashmiri rights education collective.

    – ref. Borders and orders: How settler-government occupations violate Kashmiri sovereignty – https://theconversation.com/borders-and-orders-how-settler-government-occupations-violate-kashmiri-sovereignty-256411

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clarenville — Clarenville RCMP conducts speed enforcement on TCH, twenty drivers ticketed for speeding

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Clarenville RCMP conducted speed enforcement on the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) on May 25, 2025 and ticketed 20 drivers under Highway Traffic Act for traveling at excessive speeds.

    Over a six-hour period on Sunday, police officers conducted traffic enforcement on the TCH between Southern Harbour and Port Blandford. During that time, the 20 drivers were ticketed for traveling at speeds between 25 km/h to 49 km/h over the posted speed limit.

    RCMP NL reminds motorists as the summer season approaches to expect increased traffic along roadways throughout the province, much of which will be comprised of tourists who may be unfamiliar with the area. Motorists are expected to travel within the posted speed limit and can expect that RCMP NL will be on patrol, checking for violations.

    Roadway safety is everyone’s responsibility. Those who travel at excessive speeds, while impaired or otherwise in a dangerous manner, place themselves as well as all others who share the roadway at increased risk of serious injury or death. Please immediately report these incidents to your local police detachment or call 911.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: El Salvador National Charged with Illegal Possession of Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON, N.J. – An El Salvador national was arrested and charged with possessing firearms as an illegal alien, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Jose Manuel Menjivar Viera, a/k/a Jose Manuel Mejiva, 35, a citizen and national of El Salvador and most recently of Long Branch, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. Viera made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Brendan Day in Trenton federal court and was detained.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    On December 11, 2024, at approximately 3:00 a.m., law enforcement officers in Long Branch responded to multiple calls for service regarding gunshots fired in a suburban neighborhood. Shortly after officers arrived, they observed an individual, later identified as Jose Manuel Menjivar Viera, riding a bicycle and carrying a large black bag. Officers followed Viera before he dismounted from the bike and fled into the exterior property of a nearby residence. Officers searched the area where Viera fled and eventually recovered his bicycle and the bag he was carrying. The bag contained two firearms, a semiautomatic rifle and a loaded handgun, firearm magazines, ammunition, and a machete. A short time later, officers discovered Viera hiding in the truck-bed of a pickup truck parked in the driveway next to the residence. Viera was subsequently identified by agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as being an El Salvador national and citizen and without any legal status to be in the United States.

    The alien in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited deportation officers of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, the Long Branch Police Department, under the direction of Officer-in-Charge Jorge Silverio, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, for their assistance in the investigation.

    The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Benjamin West, Federal Public Defenders

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kanawha County Man Sentenced for Withholding Information in Bankruptcy Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Eugene Wells, 73, of Marmet, was sentenced today to one year of federal probation for withholding records relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy from an officer of the court or a United States Trustee entitled to its possession.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, a Charleston business solely owned by Wells’ wife filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Wells helped with the business’ day-to-day management, including by overseeing many of its financial affairs, but was never an employee of the business or a registered owner or manager. As part of his guilty plea, Wells admitted that he applied for and obtained five loans in the business’ name from February 2023 through February 2024, knowing that the business had filed for bankruptcy protection. Wells further admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the loans to the United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.

    On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court held a hearing on the U.S. Trustee’s motion to dismiss the business’ bankruptcy case. That day, the bankruptcy lawyer for the business informed the U.S. Trustee of the existence of one of the four loans that Wells had obtained by that time in the business’ name. When the bankruptcy court confronted Wells about the loan, Wells lied under oath about the circumstances surrounding its origins. As part of his guilty plea, Wells admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the other three active loans while the bankruptcy judge questioned him under oath. Wells further admitted that the fifth loan, obtained on February 8, 2024, was not approved by the bankruptcy court or disclosed to the U.S. Trustee. On February 21, 2024, the bankruptcy court dismissed the business’ bankruptcy case.

    A total of $68,000 was obtained in proceeds from the five loans and used for the business’ operations or to pay down debt. The lender charged the business $9,750 in fees. Wells’ agreement with the lender gave the lender priority status over other creditors, including by granting the undisclosed lender direct access to the business’ bank account. This arrangement allowed the lender to withdraw funds directly from the business’ account without court oversight.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.

    United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-7.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Local Rapper Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Keynon Frazier, a/k/a “Green Eyez,” 29, of Shreveport, has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 78 months followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.

    Frazier a/k/a “Green Eyez” was found guilty by a jury on January 15, 2025, for Felon in Possession of Firearm. On April 15, 2024, officers with the Shreveport Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle being driven by Frazier in the downtown Shreveport area, which ended with his vehicle crashing into a telephone pole and another vehicle. Officers approached the crashed vehicle and found Frazier, who was the sole occupant and driver of the vehicle. Also, inside the vehicle on the front passenger floorboard, officers found two firearms, a Glock 17 firearm, and a Glock 45 firearm, along with an expended shell casing stuck within the chamber of the Glock 45. In addition, there was a bullet-size hole found in the front driver’s side windshield of the vehicle.

    Officers determined that Frazier had prior felony convictions for aggravated battery and second degree robbery, and he was arrested at the scene and taken into custody. As a convicted felon, Frazier was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. 

               The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron Crawford and Cheyenne Wilson.          

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced in Alpine to 20 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALPINE, Texas – A Colorado man was sentenced in a federal court in Alpine to 240 months in prison for distributing fentanyl to a Texas resident.

    According to court documents, Douglas Christopher Steele, 54, of Denver, engaged in a text message conversation with a man living Alpine on Jan. 29, 2024. Steele agreed to mail 20 fentanyl pills to the man’s work address. Steele notified the man that he’d mailed the package of fentanyl on Feb. 2 and, on Feb. 5, the man’s co-worker received the FedEx delivery. Through additional text message exchanges, Steele and the man discussed how strong the fentanyl was and, just after midnight on Feb. 6, 2024, the man messaged Steele telling him that he nearly overdosed. Later that morning, the man was found unresponsive in the restroom at this place of work. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

    A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Texas Department of Public Safety (TX DPS) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) investigation revealed the envelopes at the man’s residence that had been mailed from Steele’s Colorado residence, and eventually the cell phone messages between the man and Steele.

    Steele was indicted on May 9, 2024 in Pecos for two counts related to fentanyl distribution and was arrested in Denver on May 11. He pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2024.

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

    HSI and TX DPS CID investigated the case with assistance from the Alpine Police Department, Brewster County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Iranian Man Pleaded Guilty to Role in Robbinhood Ransomware

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Robbinhood Ransomware Scheme Caused Tens of Millions of Dollars in Losses and Major Disruption of Public Services in U. S. Cities

    Note: see indictment here.

    An Iranian national pleaded guilty today to participating in an international ransomware and extortion scheme involving the Robbinhood ransomware.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Sina Gholinejad, 37, and his co-conspirators compromised the computer networks of cities, corporations, health care organizations, and other entities around the United States, and encrypted files on these victim networks with the Robbinhood ransomware variant to extort ransom payments. These cyber attacks caused significant disruptions and tens of millions in losses, including to the City of Greenville, North Carolina, and the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore lost more than $19 million from the damage caused to their computer networks and the resulting disruption to several essential city services, including online services for processing property taxes, water bills, parking citations, and other revenue-generating functions, which lasted many months. The conspirators used the damage they caused these cities to threaten subsequent victims.

    “Gholinejad and his co-conspirators — all of whom were overseas — caused tens of millions of dollars in losses and disrupted essential public services by deploying the Robbinhood ransomware against U. S. cities, health care organizations, and businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The ransomware attack against the City of Baltimore forced the city to take hundreds of computers offline and prevented the city from performing basic functions for months. Gholinejad’s conviction reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to bringing cybercriminals who target our cities, healthcare system, and businesses to justice no matter where they are located. There will be no impunity for these destructive attacks.”

    “Cybercrime is not a victimless offense — it is a direct attack on our communities, as seen in this case. Gholinejad and his co-conspirators orchestrated a ransomware scheme that disrupted lives, businesses, and local governments, and resulted in losses of tens of millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims and institutions,” said acting U. S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The announcement today marks a significant step towards justice for the countless victims impacted by the defendant’s malicious scheme. Cases like these act as a reminder that cybercriminals who seek to exploit our digital infrastructure for personal gain will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable.”

    “These ransomware actors leveraged sophisticated tools and tradecraft to harm innocent victims in the United States, all while believing they could conduct their illegal activities safely from overseas,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office. “This case demonstrates the capability and resolve of the FBI and our partners to find and impose consequences on cybercriminals no matter where they attempt to hide.”

    Beginning in January 2019, Gholinejad and others gained and maintained unauthorized access to victim computer networks and then copied information from the infected victim networks to virtual private servers controlled by the conspirators. The conspirators also deployed Robbinhood ransomware to encrypt the victims’ files and extort Bitcoin from victims in exchange for the private key required to decrypt the victims’ computer files.

    Gholinejad and his co-conspirators attempted to launder the ransom payments through cryptocurrency mixing services and by moving assets between different types of cryptocurrencies, a practice known as chain-hopping. They also hid their identities and activities through a number of technical methods, including the use of virtual private networks and servers that they operated. The indictment identifies multiple additional victims of Robbinhood ransomware, including, but not limited to, the City of Gresham, Oregon and the City of Yonkers, New York.

    Gholinejad pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud and abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced in August. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Baltimore Field Office. The Justice Department extends its thanks to international judicial and law enforcement partners in Bulgaria for providing valuable assistance with the collection of evidence.

    Senior Counsels Aarash A. Haghighat and Ryan K. J. Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U. S. Attorney Bradford DeVoe for the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney Alexandra Cooper-Ponte of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the collection of evidence.

    Additional details on protecting networks against ransomware are available at StopRansomware. gov. 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Iranian Man Pleaded Guilty to Role in Robbinhood Ransomware

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Robbinhood Ransomware Scheme Caused Tens of Millions of Dollars in Losses and Major Disruption of Public Services in U. S. Cities

    Note: see indictment here.

    An Iranian national pleaded guilty today to participating in an international ransomware and extortion scheme involving the Robbinhood ransomware.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Sina Gholinejad, 37, and his co-conspirators compromised the computer networks of cities, corporations, health care organizations, and other entities around the United States, and encrypted files on these victim networks with the Robbinhood ransomware variant to extort ransom payments. These cyber attacks caused significant disruptions and tens of millions in losses, including to the City of Greenville, North Carolina, and the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore lost more than $19 million from the damage caused to their computer networks and the resulting disruption to several essential city services, including online services for processing property taxes, water bills, parking citations, and other revenue-generating functions, which lasted many months. The conspirators used the damage they caused these cities to threaten subsequent victims.

    “Gholinejad and his co-conspirators — all of whom were overseas — caused tens of millions of dollars in losses and disrupted essential public services by deploying the Robbinhood ransomware against U. S. cities, health care organizations, and businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The ransomware attack against the City of Baltimore forced the city to take hundreds of computers offline and prevented the city from performing basic functions for months. Gholinejad’s conviction reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to bringing cybercriminals who target our cities, healthcare system, and businesses to justice no matter where they are located. There will be no impunity for these destructive attacks.”

    “Cybercrime is not a victimless offense — it is a direct attack on our communities, as seen in this case. Gholinejad and his co-conspirators orchestrated a ransomware scheme that disrupted lives, businesses, and local governments, and resulted in losses of tens of millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims and institutions,” said acting U. S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The announcement today marks a significant step towards justice for the countless victims impacted by the defendant’s malicious scheme. Cases like these act as a reminder that cybercriminals who seek to exploit our digital infrastructure for personal gain will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable.”

    “These ransomware actors leveraged sophisticated tools and tradecraft to harm innocent victims in the United States, all while believing they could conduct their illegal activities safely from overseas,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office. “This case demonstrates the capability and resolve of the FBI and our partners to find and impose consequences on cybercriminals no matter where they attempt to hide.”

    Beginning in January 2019, Gholinejad and others gained and maintained unauthorized access to victim computer networks and then copied information from the infected victim networks to virtual private servers controlled by the conspirators. The conspirators also deployed Robbinhood ransomware to encrypt the victims’ files and extort Bitcoin from victims in exchange for the private key required to decrypt the victims’ computer files.

    Gholinejad and his co-conspirators attempted to launder the ransom payments through cryptocurrency mixing services and by moving assets between different types of cryptocurrencies, a practice known as chain-hopping. They also hid their identities and activities through a number of technical methods, including the use of virtual private networks and servers that they operated. The indictment identifies multiple additional victims of Robbinhood ransomware, including, but not limited to, the City of Gresham, Oregon and the City of Yonkers, New York.

    Gholinejad pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud and abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced in August. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Baltimore Field Office. The Justice Department extends its thanks to international judicial and law enforcement partners in Bulgaria for providing valuable assistance with the collection of evidence.

    Senior Counsels Aarash A. Haghighat and Ryan K. J. Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U. S. Attorney Bradford DeVoe for the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney Alexandra Cooper-Ponte of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the collection of evidence.

    Additional details on protecting networks against ransomware are available at StopRansomware. gov. 

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Knife-Wielding Passenger Charged in Random Stabbing on Metro Bus

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Ankintola Olowofoyeku, 43, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was indicted for threatening to kill two strangers and stabbing one of them on a metro bus in July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department.

    View copy of indictment here.

                A Superior Court grand jury indicted Olowofoyeku on May 21, 2025, on two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and two counts of felony threats.

                According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2024, Olowofoyeku was aboard a 70 route bus, in the vicinity of Georgia Avenue NW and Jefferson Street NW, when he began screaming at two strangers and demanding that they exit the bus. Olowofoyeku threatened to kill the two victims while holding a knife behind his back and forcing the victims to retreat into a corner of the bus. Olowofoyeku struck one of the victims and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, Olowofoyeku stabbed one of the victims in his leg, arm, and hand. Eventually, Olowofoyeku was forced off the bus, where he continued to brandish the knife and threaten to kill. Subsequently, Olowofoyeku fled the area and was arrested on February 7, 2025.

                Trial is scheduled for June 16, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld.

                This case is being investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

                It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Dal Lago.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger Fly-By: May 23, 2025

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Pfluger Fly-By: May 23, 2025

    Washington, May 23, 2025

    May 23, 2025

    Friend,

    Welcome back to the weekly Pfluger Fly-By, a roundup of events and updates to keep you informed on everything I am doing week by week to represent you in Congress.

    I am thrilled to report that after months of hard work, we officially passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act this week to advance President Trump’s America First Agenda. This bill is headed to the Senate and includes historic tax cuts for American families, funding to reimburse Texas for the border crisis, support for our farmers and ranchers, and much more.

    In addition to passing this historic legislation this week, I attended the signing of the TAKE IT DOWN Act at the White House, hosted the National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett at this week’s RSC members meeting, participated in an Energy & Commerce hearing with EPA Administrator Zeldin, spoke with Midland Classical Academy students, and more.

    I have included some photos and highlights from the week. You’ll also find information on how my office can assist you with any federal issues you may be facing. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can ever be of assistance.

    Best,

    One Big Beautiful Bill Act Passes Out of the U.S. House

    I am proud that House Republicans united to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act this week. In November, 77 million Americans demanded change, and this vote will go down in history as promises made, promises kept. This legislation reverses four years of failed Democrat policies – restoring American energy dominance, delivering vital support to our farmers and ranchers, securing historic tax cuts for hardworking families, reining in wasteful government spending, and making the strongest investment in border security in decades. This legislation delivers all that – and more – for every American.

    It also includes $12 billion to reimburse the great state of Texas for costs it should never have had to bear during the previous administration’s border crisis. For four years, Texas was forced to protect its border when the federal government failed to. Those days are now over, and I was proud to spearhead this effort. You can read about my efforts to secure this win in San Angelo LIVE HERE.

    Immediately following its passage, I joined ‘Wake Up America’ on Newsmax. Watch my full interview HERE.

    RSC Members Meeting with National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett

    As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), I had the pleasure of hosting National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett at this week’s RSC members meeting. Hearing from Director Hassett was critical and timely as Republicans worked tirelessly to finalize negotiations on the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    E&C Hearing With EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin

    This week, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin appeared before the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee for a hearing titled, “The Fiscal Year 2026 Environmental Protection Agency Budget.” During the hearing, I thanked Administrator Zeldin for coming to West Texas, commended his efforts to rein in the EPA’s regulatory overreach, and asked about the status of several key policies.

    Under the previous administration, the EPA was weaponized against American energy producers in the Permian Basin and across the country. In stark contrast, the Trump Administration and Administrator Zeldin are rolling back burdensome regulations and ensuring that the EPA works with Congress and industry leaders to advance commonsense policies. These policies aim to protect our environment while supporting robust energy production.

    Watch my full exchange with Administrator Zeldin here or by clicking the image below.

    TAKE IT DOWN Act Signed into Law

    I was honored to join President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House this week to witness the TAKE IT DOWN Act signed into law. As a father to three young girls, I join many parents in being deeply concerned about the rise of deepfakes and nonconsensual intimate images.

    I was proud to co-lead this legislation in the U.S. House to protect victims of this harmful act while restoring online accountability. You can read more about the TAKE IT DOWN Act here.

    Discussing the One Big Beautiful Bill and the Golden Dome on Fox Business

    I joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business this week to discuss the One Big Beautiful Bill Act before its passage in the House, and President Trump’s push for the “Golden Dome.”

    Watch my full interview HERE or by clicking the image below.

    2025 Congressional Art Competition Winner

    This week, I was also proud to announce Korbin Jastrow, a Senior at San Angelo Central High School, as the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for her piece titled ‘The Exception.’ Her winning piece will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for the next year.

    For yet another year, I was completely blown away by the incredible talent of students across Texas’s 11th Congressional District. In a blind selection process, the committee selected Korbin’s piece for its unique take on Texas agriculture.

    In her submission, Korbin explained how she created the piece, stating, “The cow was drawn with pencil, then stamped with handmade stamps representing the Indian paintbrush and bluebonnets. The background was done with acrylic paint, and the shadows behind the cow were done with tissue paper.”

    Congratulations, Korbin!

    2025 Congressional Art Competition Winner: Korbin Jastrow’s ‘The Exception’

    Midland Classical Academy Students in Washington

    I had a fantastic time speaking with students from Midland Classical Academy during their trip to Washington, D.C. this week. Gaining an understanding of our legislative process is invaluable for students, which is why visiting with them when they come to D.C. is a top priority of mine. I am always inspired by the next generation of leaders, and want to thank the chaperones, parents, and teachers who made their visit possible.

    If you are visiting Washington, D.C. this summer, my office would be thrilled to book a tour of the U.S. Capitol building for you and your group. My office can also assist in requesting White House tours and tours of other iconic buildings around DC.

    Visit https://pfluger.house.gov/forms/tourrequest/to book your tour today. The earlier you can get your request in the better.

    REMINDER: If you are in need of assistance with a federal agency, my office is here to help. For more information, please visit our website HERE.

    Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) for daily updates.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain’s Statement on the TAKE IT DOWN Act Signed Into Law

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    Chairwoman McClain’s Statement on the TAKE IT DOWN Act Signed Into Law

    Washington, May 19, 2025

    WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) joined President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the signing ceremony of the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks (TAKE IT DOWN) Act:

    “In America, we will not tolerate the exploitation of our children. This law will protect our children and families from becoming targets of digital predators,” Chairwoman McClain said. “I’m proud to have stood alongside President Trump when he signed this important legislation into law. I look forward to continuing to support his administration and the First Lady’s efforts to hold those who create harmful content accountable, ensure that platforms take responsibility, and keep our children safe in the digital age.”

    Chairwoman McClain has expressed her support for this bill, including during a roundtable discussion with the First Lady in April.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces Reopening of East Haddam Swing Bridge Following Major Rehabilitation

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HADDAM, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today joined Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto and Congressman Joe Courtney at a news conference to announce the completion of the East Haddam Swing Bridge rehabilitation project.

    The historic, 112-year-old bridge, which carries Route 82 over the Connecticut River between Haddam and East Haddam, has been upgraded with new mechanical and electrical systems, substructure repairs, and roof replacement to enhance structural performance and reliability for the 12,000 vehicles that cross this bridge every day.

    A new sidewalk on the south side of the bridge is connected to newly constructed sidewalks on both sides of the river, offering a safe, accessible crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

    Administered and overseen by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, this $88.8 million project was funded through a mix of 80% federal and 20% state funds. Construction spanned from September 2022 through May 2025 and was completed on time.

    “The East Haddam Swing Bridge is both a transportation lifeline and a state landmark,” Governor Lamont said. “Thanks to this investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re preserving a key piece of infrastructure for the next generation while making it safer and more accessible for everyone who uses it.”

    “We’re no longer applying a ‘band-aid’ fix. This full rehabilitation ensures the East Haddam Swing Bridge will continue serving Connecticut for many decades to come,” Commissioner Eucalitto said. “We’re grateful to the Haddam and East Haddam communities for their patience and partnership during construction, and we’re proud of the improvements made.”

    “The modernization of the iconic East Haddam Swing Bridge is a stellar example of how federal infrastructure dollars are supposed to work,” Congressman Courtney said. “Thanks to over $70 million from the federal infrastructure law, we were able to deliver a long-overdue, full-scale rehabilitation of a 112-year-old bridge that is safer for both motorists and pedestrians, while retaining its unique design. Congratulations to the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the contractors who swiftly executed this complex project, which will endure for decades to come.”

    Originally built in 1913 by the American Bridge Company, the East Haddam Swing Bridge has now been fully rehabilitated by that same company, bringing the bridge into the 21st century while preserving its historic integrity.

    The East Haddam Swing Bridge consists of four spans, including a moveable swing span that required upgrades to address operational issues identified during inspections. Previous repairs were completed in 1988, 1998, 1999, 2007, and 2016.

    Tuesday’s news conference at Eagles Landing State Park in Haddam was capped by a special appearance from the Riendeau family, whose ancestors brought oxen to the original ribbon cutting for the East Haddam Swing Bridge in June 1913. More than a century later, the family returned to the bridge on Tuesday, this time with a new generation of oxen to help mark the bridge’s reopening.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE investigation results in former child, family services caseworker sentenced to prison for sexually abusing children

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEWARK, N.J. — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation led to the sentencing of a former New Jersey Department of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Protection and Permanency caseworker for the transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.

    Trent Collier, 58, of Kearny, New Jersey, was sentenced May 22 at the U.S. District Court in Newark to 109 months for one count of possession of child pornography and one count for the transportation of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to these charges on May 21, 2024, following his August 2022 indictment.

    “Collier’s sentencing shows the strength and resolve of HSI and our law enforcement partners in the State of New Jersey to purse justice and uphold our commitment to protect children,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “We’ve sworn an oath to protect those who have been victimized by perpetrators like Collier and serve in positions of trust. Instead of caring for New Jersey children, he sexually exploited them for his own perverse pleasure.”

    According to the investigation, on or about Sept. 28, 2021, Collier arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport aboard a flight from the Dominican Republic. Upon his arrival, law enforcement searched Collier’s cellular phone and identified at least two images of child sexual abuse material. In a statement to law enforcement, Collier admitted that he had previously sent child sexual abuse material to at least one other individual via cell phone and that individual sent child sexual abuse material to Collier. A further search of Collier’s cell phone uncovered multiple additional videos of child sexual abuse material, including videos depicting the sexual exploitation of toddlers.

    Collier’s federal sentence will run consecutively to any future state sentencing. He has been remanded to the custody of the State of New Jersey since May 2024.

    HSI Newark also assisted the New Jersey State Police in garnering state charges against Collier in a seven-count indictment with sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, attempted aggravated sexual assault, and official misconduct, based on Collier’s alleged sexually abusive conduct toward the two minor victims. Those charges were announced by the Division of Criminal Justice and NJSP Oct. 3, 2024.

    According to the New Jersey State Attorney General, the investigation by HSI Newark and NJSP revealed that Collier had sexually abused two minors. The first victim was allegedly sexually assaulted while Collier served as the DCPP caseworker for the victim’s family. Collier allegedly verbally and physically threatened the victim that they would be removed from their family if they disclosed the abuse. Several instances of the alleged abuse occurred inside a DCPP office as well as a DCPP vehicle. As to the second victim, it is alleged that Collier leveraged his position as a DCPP caseworker to facilitate the sexual abuse, including use of his DCPP vehicle to facilitate an assault. It is also alleged that Collier offered financial incentives to the second victim to thwart disclosure.

    The state charges and allegations are merely accusations, and they do not constitute proof of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

    In addition to the federal prison term, Collier was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

    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 1-866-347-2423.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Supporting homegrown policing solutions

    [. That’s why the province is supporting the City of Grande Prairie with an additional $7 million in funding as it transitions to a municipal police service, helping to advance a homegrown solution that meets the needs of the community.

    This new funding reinforces and builds on the province’s initial $9.7 million two-year commitment to help the City of Grande Prairie meet its policing and public safety needs, following the city council’s decision in March 2023 to transition from the RCMP to a municipal police service.

    “Alberta’s government will do whatever it takes to keep people safe. The City of Grande Prairie is pursuing a policing solution that’s right for the community and its residents, and Alberta’s government is behind them throughout the transition process. Albertans, regardless of where they live, deserve fast and reliable law enforcement where and when they need it. Our government remains committed to ensuring Alberta municipalities have their choice of policing provider.”

    Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

    Since 2023, Grande Prairie has made significant progress in hiring officers and civilian staff, procuring equipment, and beginning the development of essential IT infrastructure for a municipal police service. This support from the province ensures that the city can keep the momentum of its transition going as it lays critical groundwork for the Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS).

    The funding will support the projected start-up costs associated with building and implementing the new service, including salaries, benefits, recruitment, equipment and training. The GPPS is expected to become the primary police service of jurisdiction for Grande Prairie in 2026.

    Once provincial startup funding through the Grande Prairie Police Service Grant agreement ends, the city will absorb all operational costs associated with its new police service. The annual operating budget of the GPPS is projected to be less than those associated with policing services contracted through the RCMP.

    “The City of Grande Prairie is thankful for this announcement and the ongoing funding and support from the provincial government as we transition to a municipal police service. The transition is on budget and on schedule and has already provided a positive impact on our community safety and valuable insights on the modernizations that will be achieved with a stand-alone municipal police service model.”

    Jackie Clayton, mayor, City of Grande Prairie

    “With the ongoing support and funding from the Alberta government, we are creating a modern, community-oriented police service that reflects the unique needs of Grande Prairie. The Grande Prairie Police Service is quickly proving that a policing transition can be both effective and efficient.”

    Dwayne Lakusta, chief, Grande Prairie Police Service

    Key facts

    • The projected total cost of establishing and implementing the GPPS is $19 million.
    • The GPPS is expected to become the primary police of jurisdiction for Grande Prairie in 2026.
    • Through the Indigenous and Municipal Police Transition Study Grant program, Alberta’s government delivered more than $2.2 million in funding to help 35 municipalities, 23 First Nations and eight Metis Settlements to explore ways to enhance their existing policing models as well as alternate options such as self-administered First Nations policing or standalone police services.
    • Under Alberta’s Police Act, towns and cities with populations greater than 5,000 are responsible for their own policing and can form their own municipal police service, be part of a regional policing arrangement or contract with the federal government for RCMP policing services to meet their public safety needs.

    Related news

    • Alberta funds community policing in Grande Prairie (Feb 22, 2023)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –