Category: Law

MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Participating in International Money Laundering Scheme Involving More Than $3 Million in Fraud Proceeds

Source: US FBI

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 9, 2024

SAN DIEGO – Juan Pablo Prada Bernal of Colombia was sentenced in federal court today to 40 months in prison for participating in an international money laundering conspiracy involving more than $3 million in proceeds obtained through phone scams.

At today’s hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew G. Schopler also ordered Bernal to pay $327,040.72 in restitution to 27 victims of the offense.

According to his plea agreement, between June 2018 and March 2020, Bernal was a member of an international conspiracy that laundered large amounts of money. The conspiracy involved two sides: Those responsible for contacting victims by phone and tricking them into sending thousands of dollars to U.S.-based bank accounts, and those responsible for laundering the proceeds through those bank accounts. The money launderers received and transferred the ill-gotten gains to their co-conspirators in Colombia and the United States, and in the process concealed the nature, source, location, ownership and control of the proceeds.

The money launderers opened bank accounts at various financial institutions using false mailing addresses. Shortly after the accounts were opened, the phone scammers – many of whom lived in Colombia – made unsolicited phone calls to victims in the United States using spoofed phone numbers. This allowed callers to conceal their identity and make it appear as if the calls originated from locations in the United States, such as a police station where the victim lived or had lived in the past.

During calls with victims, the scammers impersonated federal and local law enforcement officers and made the victims believe they were implicated in a crime. Using this as leverage, the conspirators coerced victims to make large wire transfers or other payments to purportedly resolve their criminal liability. The scammers instructed victims to wire funds to the various bank accounts opened by the money launderers. Once the money was deposited into the accounts, the money launderers quickly moved to withdraw the funds, purchase cashier’s checks to send to other conspirators, and drain the balance of the accounts before the funds could be frozen.

According to the United States’ sentencing memorandum, Bernal opened bank accounts at 10 different financial institutions to carry out the money laundering scheme. In many instances, Bernal received the fraud proceeds shortly after he opened the bank accounts and drained the balance of the accounts in a matter of days. After banks stopped allowing Bernal to open new accounts, he began to receive and launder cashier’s checks sent from his co-conspirators that were purchased with fraud proceeds obtained from other victims. To carry out this new role, Bernal and his co-conspirators traveled to multiple Moneytree locations in the same day for the purpose of laundering large amounts of fraud proceeds over a short period of time.

Over the course of approximately two years, Bernal received and laundered fraud proceeds more than 30 times from 27 different victims, including varying amounts of cashier’s checks from 14 of his co-conspirators, totaling an amount of $327,040.72.

“These scammers are sophisticated and will prey on emotion and fear,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This defendant turned deceit into profit, so we turned his profit into a conviction.”

“FBI Los Angeles works closely with our law enforcement partners to combat money laundering in our communities. Mr. Bernal’s sentence should serve as a deterrent to those who seek to prey on innocent victims” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI reminds the public to be vigilant and never send money, gift cards, or share personal identifying information with a caller and to verify that the caller is a legitimate business or organization. The public is urged to report these calls to 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.”

“The U.S. Border Patrol is an all-threats agency, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our citizens from any and all threats,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “I couldn’t be prouder of the work done by these agents to secure a significant and successful prosecution.”

This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.

DEFENDANT Case Number 23-cr-1483-AGS

Juan Pablo Prada Bernal Age: 24 Columbia

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)

Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Border Patrol

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force

U.S. Secret Service

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: FBI San Diego Seizes Cryptocurrency Recovery Websites
Source: US FBI

SAN DIEGO — Special Agents with the FBI San Diego Field Office have seized websites belonging to three cryptocurrency recovery services. The seizures come as the FBI continues to crack down on an emerging scam tactic aimed at further defrauding cryptocurrency scam victims.

The web domains were from the following cryptocurrency recovery services: MyChargeBack, Payback LTD, and Claim Justice. These companies claim to provide cryptocurrency tracing and promise the ability to recover lost funds. Representatives of these companies often advertise strong success in recovering victim funds but have no track record in doing so. They often charge significant upfront fees and ask for a commission should funds be recovered. These companies use extensive social media advertising, including false reviews, to convince victims of the legitimacy of their services.

Potential ways to identify this type of scheme:
- Recovery scheme fraudsters charge an up-front fee and either cease communication with the victim after receiving an initial deposit or produce an incomplete or inaccurate tracing report. They may also request additional fees to recover funds.
- Fraudsters may claim affiliation with law enforcement or legal services to appear legitimate.
- Scammers may reference actual financial institutions and money exchanges to build credibility and further their schemes.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim:
- Be wary of advertisements for cryptocurrency recovery services. Research the advertised company and beware if the company uses vague language, has a minimal online presence, and makes promises regarding an ability to recover funds.
- If an unknown individual contacts you and claims to be able to recover stolen cryptocurrency, do not release any financial or personal identifying information, and do not send money.
- Law enforcement does not charge victims a fee for investigating crimes. If someone claims an affiliation with the FBI, contact the FBI San Diego Field Office at 858-320-1800 to confirm.
Individuals who believe they may have been a victim of this type of scheme should file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

MIL Security OSI –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Court-Authorized Operation Disrupts Worldwide Botnet Used by People’s Republic of China State-Sponsored Hackers

Source: US FBI

Note: View the affidavit here.

The Justice Department today announced a court-authorized law enforcement operation that disrupted a botnet consisting of more than 200,000 consumer devices in the United States and worldwide. As described in court documents unsealed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, the botnet devices were infected by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers working for Integrity Technology Group, a company based in Beijing, and known to the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.”

The botnet malware infected numerous types of consumer devices, including small-office/home-office (SOHO) routers, internet protocol (IP) cameras, digital video recorders (DVRs), and network-attached storage (NAS) devices. The malware connected these thousands of infected devices into a botnet, controlled by Integrity Technology Group, which was used to conduct malicious cyber activity disguised as routine internet traffic from the infected consumer devices. The court-authorized operation took control of the hackers’ computer infrastructure and, among other steps, sent disabling commands through that infrastructure to the malware on the infected devices. During the course of the operation, there was an attempt to interfere with the FBI’s remediation efforts through a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeting the operational infrastructure that the FBI was utilizing to effectuate the court’s orders. That attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the FBI’s disruption of the botnet.

“The Justice Department is zeroing in on the Chinese government backed hacking groups that target the devices of innocent Americans and pose a serious threat to our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As we did earlier this year, the Justice Department has again destroyed a botnet used by PRC-backed hackers to infiltrate consumer devices here in the United States and around the world. We will continue to aggressively counter the threat that China’s state- sponsored hacking groups pose to the American people.”

“Our takedown of this state-sponsored botnet reflects the Department’s all-tools approach to disrupting cyber criminals. This network, managed by a PRC government contractor, hijacked hundreds of thousands of private routers, cameras, and other consumer devices to create a malicious system for the PRC to exploit,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today should serve as a warning to cybercriminals preying on Americans – if you continue to come for us, we will come for you.”

“This dynamic operation demonstrates, once again, the Justice Department’s resolve in countering the threats posed by PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “For the second time this year, we have disrupted a botnet used by PRC proxies to conceal their efforts to hack into networks in the U.S. and around the world to steal information and hold our infrastructure at risk. Our message to these hackers is clear: if you build it, we will bust it.”

“The disruption of this worldwide botnet is part of the FBI’s commitment to using technical operations to help protect victims, expose publicly the scope of these criminal hacking campaigns, and to use the adversary’s tools against them to remove malicious infrastructure from the virtual battlefield,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI’s unique legal authorities allowed it to lead an international operation with partners that collectively disconnected this botnet from its China-based hackers at Integrity Technology Group.”

“The targeted hacking of hundreds of thousands of innocent victims in the United States and around the world shows the breadth and aggressiveness of PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This court-authorized operation disrupted a sophisticated botnet designed to steal sensitive information and launch disruptive cyber attacks. We will continue to work with our partners inside and outside government, using every tool at our disposal, to defend and maintain global cybersecurity.”

“The FBI’s investigation revealed that a publicly-traded, China-based company is openly selling its customers the ability to hack into and control thousands of consumer devices worldwide. This operation sends a clear message to the PRC that the United States will not tolerate this shameless criminal conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office.

According to the court documents, the botnet was developed and controlled by Integrity Technology Group, a publicly-traded company headquartered in Beijing. The company built an online application allowing its customers to log in and control specified infected victim devices, including with a menu of malicious cyber commands using a tool called “vulnerability-arsenal.” The online application was prominently labelled “KRLab,” one of the main public brands used by Integrity Technology Group.

The FBI assesses that Integrity Technology Group, in addition to developing and controlling the botnet, is responsible for computer intrusion activities attributed to China-based hackers known by the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.” Microsoft Threat Intelligence described Flax Typhoon as nation-state actors based out of China, active since 2021, who have targeted government agencies and education, critical manufacturing, and information technology organizations in Taiwan, and elsewhere. The FBI’s investigation has corroborated Microsoft’s conclusions, finding that Flax Typhoon has successfully attacked multiple U.S. and foreign corporations, universities, government agencies, telecommunications providers, and media organizations.

A cybersecurity advisory describing Integrity Technology Group tactics, techniques and procedures was also published today by the FBI, the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force, and partner agencies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The government’s malware disabling commands, which interacted with the malware’s native functionality, were extensively tested prior to the operation. As expected, the operation did not affect the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, the infected devices. The FBI is providing notice to U.S. owners of devices that were affected by this court-authorized operation. The FBI is contacting those victims through their internet service provider, who will provide notice to their customers.

The FBI’s San Diego Field Office and Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the National Security Cyber Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division led the domestic disruption effort. Assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. These efforts would not have been successful without the collaboration of partners, including French authorities, and Lumen Technologies’ threat intelligence group, Black Lotus Labs, which first identified and described this botnet, which it named Raptor Train, in July 2023.

If you believe you have a compromised computer or device, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or report online to CISA. You may also contact your local FBI field office directly.

The FBI continues to investigate Integrity Technology Group’s and Flax Typhoon’s computer intrusion activities.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Security – Sensible Sentencing Trust Slams Police for Dangerous Shift in Shoplifting Investigations

Source: Sensible Sentencing Trust

The Sensible Sentencing Trust is appalled by the disturbing reports that New Zealand Police have issued a directive to staff to avoid investigating shoplifting cases under $500, or online fraud under $1,000, among other crime thresholds.

Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesperson Louise Parsons condemned the directive as “an outrageous and dangerous move,” saying it sends the wrong message at a time when retailers are struggling under rising crime rates and financial pressure.

“The past five or six years, retailers have been hit with an onslaught of crime, and now they’re being told that crimes under certain thresholds are essentially not worth investigating. This is a green light to criminals,” Parsons said.

The directive, which could well include ram raids, has sparked widespread outrage. Parsons pointed out that in a climate where petrol drive-offs under $150 have effectively been decriminalised, this move could further embolden offenders. “This is an absurd, reckless approach that puts businesses and communities at risk. It’s madness!” she stated.

She added, “Do the Police not realise that the Government changed 18 months ago? We have a new Police Commissioner, and the era of ‘policing by consent’ is over. We need strong leadership and a zero-tolerance approach to all crime, particularly when retail crime is spiralling out of control.”

Parsons also drew attention to the disastrous effects of similar policies in other cities, such as San Francisco, which recently raised the shoplifting threshold to $950, only to witness an explosive rise in retail crime. “The chaos in San Francisco was swift and devastating. Retailers had to shut down because they couldn’t operate safely or profitably. We cannot afford to let that happen here.”

She also warned that this directive undermines critical efforts being made by the Ministerial Advisory Group on Retail Crime. “This approach flies in the face of their work to combat retail crime and protect local businesses. If we let this stand, it could undo all the progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve.”

While Parsons acknowledged the frustration of frontline Police officers who are overwhelmed by repeat offenders and lenient judicial outcomes, she firmly stated that setting “de-facto legal theft thresholds” is unjustifiable. “It’s unacceptable. Criminals cannot be allowed to operate with impunity just because the Police aren’t investigating their crimes.”

The Sensible Sentencing Trust is calling on the Government to step in and reassert a tough stance on crime, ensuring that no theft—no matter the size—is left unpunished.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kelly, Colleagues Reintroduce Critical Prior Authorization Reform Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16) reintroduced H.R. 3514, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act along with Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01),and Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) and Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Mark Warner (VA).

“With nearly 33 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage, modernization of the prior authorization process is long overdue. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, hundreds of health care organizations, and Americans from all corners of the country agree – streamlining this process will allow our Nation’s seniors to receive the care they are entitled to more efficiently. I am proud to reintroduce the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025, which would move the health care sector into the 21st century by giving doctors and Medicare Advantage plans the tools to make health coverage decisions in a timely manner. I thank my House and Senate colleagues for their years of hard work and for joining me on the reintroduction of this critical legislation,” said Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16).

“We’ve made important incremental headway in helping seniors get the medical care they deserve with the administration’s prior authorization regulations. However, we must go further and enshrine these advancements into law. By passing the bipartisan, bicameral Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, we can make it much easier for seniors to receive the care they’re entitled to while also alleviating unnecessary burdens on physicians and hospitals,” said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01).

“When decisions on patient care are made by bureaucrats with no experience treating patients, care is often delayed or denied altogether, which results in worse outcomes for patients,” said Rep. John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13). “By streamlining the prior authorization process through the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, we can ensure that American patients receive the care they need without unnecessary barriers.”

“As a doctor, I’ve seen firsthand how the broken prior authorization process delays needed care and frustrates both seniors and their physicians,” said Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06). “The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act cuts through red tape and makes it easier for seniors on Medicare Advantage to access the treatments and services they need, when they need them. This bipartisan legislation is a common-sense fix that puts patients over paperwork, restores trust in the system and helps physicians focus on delivering quality care. I’m proud to reintroduce this bill alongside my colleagues and am grateful for the broad coalition of support behind it.”

BACKGROUND

Prior authorization is a tool used by health plans to reduce unnecessary care by requiring health care providers to get pre-approval for medical services. But it’s not without fault. The current system often results in unconfirmed faxes of a patient’s medical information or phone calls by clinicians which takes precious time away from delivering quality and timely care. Prior authorization continues to be the #1 administrative burden identified by health care providers, and three out of four Medicare Advantage enrollees are subject to unnecessary delays due to prior authorization. In recent years, the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) raised concerns after an audit revealed that Medicare Advantage plans ultimately approved 75% of requests that were originally denied. More recently, HHS OIG released a report finding that MA plans incorrectly denied beneficiaries’ access to services even though they met Medicare coverage rules.

Health plans, health care providers, and patients agree that the prior authorization process must be improved to better serve patients and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens for clinicians. In fact, leading health care organizations released a consensus statement to address some of the most pressing concerns associated with prior authorization.

Specifically, the bill would:

– Establish an electronic prior authorization process for MA plans including a standardization for transactions and clinical attachments.
– Increase transparency around MA prior authorization requirements and its use.
– Clarify HHS’ authority to establish timeframes for e-prior authorization requests including expedited determinations, real-time decisions for routinely approved items and services, and other prior authorization requests.
– Expand beneficiary protections to improve enrollee experiences and outcomes.
– Require HHS and other agencies to report to Congress on program integrity efforts and other ways to further improve the e-PA process.
– Previously, Rep. Kelly led similar legislation in the 118th Congress. The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act unanimously passed the House in the 117th Congress and was cosponsored by a majority of members in the Senate and House of Representatives.

The bill text can be found here and a section-by-section can be found here.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Colchester County / Fall River — RCMP Southeast Traffic Services and Colchester County District RCMP investigations lead to arrest

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Multiple RCMP investigations from two regions of the province have led to charges against a Dartmouth man.

On May 5, Colchester County District RCMP responded to a report of a theft from a business in Onslow. Investigators learned that a lawn tractor had been stolen from the yard in the early morning of May 4. Review of surveillance video showed a vehicle of interest, believed to be a black Ford Ranger, accessing the yard.

On May 10, Colchester County District RCMP responded to a report of a theft from a business in Stewiacke where a lawn tractor was stolen from an enclosed yard overnight.

On May 15, a third similar incident was reported to Colchester County District RCMP from a business in Brookfield. In this third incident there was damage to gates and locks in the business’s enclosed yard, but no items taken. Based on items left behind at the scene and surveillance video, officers identified a person of interest from Dartmouth.

Later that day at approximately 10:30 a.m., officers with RCMP Southeast Traffic Services in Fall River were approached by a member of the public who reported a suspected impaired driver. Officers located the vehicle, a black Ford Ranger, on Hwy. 2 at Fletchers Lake and attempted a traffic stop. Due to significant safety concerns, officers used their police vehicles to direct the truck into the ditch when the driver attempted to flee the traffic stop.

The driver, Ryan Fleet, 40, of Dartmouth, was safely arrested at the scene and is facing nine charges related to the Colchester County investigations, including Theft Over $5000 (two counts) and Break and Enter (two counts). He is charged with Flight from Peace Officer, Dangerous Operation, Failure to Comply with Probation Order, and Forcible Confinement associated to his arrest in Fletchers Lake. In addition, he was issued summary offence tickets for offences under the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act and Revenue Act. Fleet had a first court appearance on May 16 at Dartmouth Provincial Court and remains in custody.

Fleet was assessed for impairment and passed the tests for alcohol and drugs administered by officers.

A passenger who was in the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop was arrested and released without charges.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Colchester County District RCMP at 902-893-6820 or police of jurisdiction in your area. 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 –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: North Dakota Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Mandan, North Dakota, man convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place on May 19, 2025.

Carlin Mellette, age 29, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit the firearm, pay a $1,000 fine, and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Mellette was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 30, 2024.

This conviction stemmed from events that occurred during the early morning hours of February 26, 2023, when the victim and friends were socializing with a co-defendant and others at a residence in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Mellette arrived at the residence and provided the co-defendant with three pills containing fentanyl. The co-defendant took the pills inside the residence where the pills were then ingested by the co-defendant and the victim, who ingested only half of a pill, resulting in the fentanyl overdose death of the victim. Later that day, Walworth County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to conduct an unrelated traffic stop of Mellette’s vehicle for speeding in an area west of Aberdeen. Mellette led law enforcement on a 26-mile pursuit with speeds in excess of 100 mph. Mellette was apprehended after getting his vehicle stuck in a snowbank. A search of his vehicle revealed 99 grams of methamphetamine, additional fentanyl pills, drug ledgers, scales, other drug paraphernalia, and a Ruger .45 caliber pistol.

This case was investigated by the FBI Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Aberdeen Police Department, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gettysburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

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

Mellette was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Harvard Morgue Manager Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Stolen Human Remains

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cedric Lodge, age 57, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, pled guilty yesterday before Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann to interstate transport of stolen human remains.

According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, Lodge admitted that, from 2018 through at least March 2020, he participated in the sale and interstate transport of human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School morgue, located in Boston, Massachusetts. Lodge, who was then employed as the manager of the Harvard Medical School Morgue, removed human remains, including organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads, and other parts, from donated cadavers after they had been used for research and teaching purposes but before they could be disposed of according to the anatomical gift donation agreement between the donor and the school. Lodge took the remains without the knowledge or permission of his employer, the donor, or the donor’s family, and transport the remains to his home in New Hampshire. After he and his wife Denise Lodge sold the remains, they would ship the remains to the buyers in other states or the buyer would take possession directly and transport the remains themselves. Remains stolen and sold by Lodge were transported from the morgue in Boston to locations in Salem, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

Lodge admitted to having sold remains to Joshua Taylor and Andrew Ensanian, among others. Many of the remains purchased from Lodge were resold for a profit, including to Jeremy Pauley, who previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen human remains.

Several other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in related cases, including Lodge’s wife, Denise Lodge, Joshua Taylor, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, and Angelo Pereyra. Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison and Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months. Denise Lodge and Joshua Taylor are still awaiting sentencing. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the East Pennsboro Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan Martin is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Watertown Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse of a Minor within the Lake Traverse Reservation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Gokoh Frank Brown, age 29, from Watertown, South Dakota, of one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on May 21, 2025.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, and up to a lifetime term of supervised release.

Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024.

From January 2023 to August 2023, Brown sexually assaulted a 12–13-year-old girl while living in Red Iron Housing on the Lake Traverse Reservation. Brown was 26-27 years old at the time.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Law Enforcement, and the DCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has been set for August 18, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn Center Woman Pleads Guilty for Her Role in a Black-Market Travel Agent Fraud Scheme

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MINNEAPOLIS – Reginae Calhoun of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota has pleaded guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identify theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

According to court documents, from at least April 2024 to June 2024, Reginae Calhoun, 23, operated as a black-market travel agent. She purchased credit card information—including name, address, card numbers, expiration date, and CV2 code—of approximately 216 different victims on the dark web, which she used to book hotel rooms and rental cars for others. Calhoun’s customers paid her a fraction of the actual booking costs through peer-to-peer payment applications or in cash.

According to court documents, on June 2, 2024, Calhoun attempted to purchase airline tickets by using several different credit cards until the purchase was successful. Due to the several attempts, the airline reported suspected credit card fraud to the airport police. Airport police confirmed with the credit card owners that Calhoun was not authorized to use their cards.

“The ingenuity of Minnesota’s fraudsters seems to know no bounds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Calhoun stole hundreds of victim identities and used them to conduct a black-market travel agent fraud scheme—stealing from others to enrich herself. She will now be held accountable in federal court.”

“Criminals who turn to the dark web to buy and sell stolen information are part of a growing threat to our digital security,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “This defendant built a business by exploiting the stolen identities and financial information of over 200 of innocent victims. The anonymity of the internet does not protect offenders from detection. The FBI and our partners will continue to find and expose these schemes and hold offenders accountable.”

Calhoun pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025, in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the MSP Airport Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Shakopee Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession of a Firearm

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MINNEAPOLIS – Yancy Hall of Shakopee, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 144 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

According to court documents, in October 2023, a search warrant was executed at Hall’s two apartments and vehicle. The execution of the search warrant resulted in the seizure of three guns, over $75,000 in cash, and a large amount of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

In August 2024, Hall, while dealing drugs near a mosque, got into an argument with a mosque congregant who had just left prayer services. Hall escalated the argument by shooting the congregant multiple times, as well as at another mosque congregant. Though Hall fled the scene, he was quickly apprehended by law enforcement.

“Everyone in Minnesota deserves the ability to practice their religion, free from violence and threats of violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “The attack by Hall on two congregants was vicious, violent, and unacceptable. I appreciate the hard work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department in bringing Hall to justice.”

On January 2, 2025, Hall pleaded guilty to one count of discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and one count of felon in possession. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge David S. Doty.

This case is a result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Massage Therapist Indicted for First Degree Sexual Abuse of a Client

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Andrew Ramirez, 42, of Jefferson, MD, was arraigned in Superior Court yesterday on one count of first-degree sexual abuse of a client and one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a client, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

The case is currently scheduled for a status hearing on July 11, 2025.

According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 12:15 p.m. on July 2, 2023, the victim arrived at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, D.C. to receive spa services. The victim met the defendant, who was a masseuse at the hotel, in the spa room. During the massage and with a towel covering his back, the defendant asked him to turn around. As the victim turned over, the towel fell off, leaving the victim naked on his back, with a towel covering his head. Ramirez continued the body oil massage. The victim reported feeling what he believed to be the defendant performing oral sex on him. He reported what had happened to members of the hotel team and called 911. The defendant as linked to the alleged sexual assault of the victim through DNA testing and other investigative tools.

This case is being investigated by the MPD. Anyone with information on this matter, or who believes they were assaulted by the defendant, can call the MPD Sex Assault Unit at 202-727-3700.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts South Boston Man on Drug and Gun Charges

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

ROANOKE, Va. – A federal jury sitting in Roanoke convicted a man from South Boston, Virginia, yesterday of federal drug and gun charges.

Following a two-day trial, the jury found Richard Elijah Jacobs, 27, guilty of possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute it, possessing machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, police received a report that two men brandished guns from a newer white Jaguar in downtown South Boston. An officer saw the Jaguar park in a shopping center, and he approached as Jacobs exited the driver’s side of the car. Meanwhile, the passenger, James Alexander Hiett, evaded the officer and quickly walked away. Hiett was later identified by store surveillance cameras.

Other officers arrived on scene and spotted a gun protruding from the backseat of the car, prompting them to search it. Ultimately, officers found three loaded guns: a Glock 21 pistol with a 40-round drum magazine beneath the driver’s floormat; a Radical Firearms RF-15 pistol behind the driver’s seat; and a Glock 19 pistol under the passenger seat. The Glock 21 and RF-15 pistols were equipped with machinegun conversion devices that allowed for fully automatic fire.

Inside the Jaguar’s trunk, officers also found thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine powder, cocaine base, and marijuana, as well as paraphernalia for packaging and selling the drugs.

Hiett previously pled guilty to related charges and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.

Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The South Boston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Drew Inman and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case for the United States.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Charged in $227M Medicare Fraud Scheme

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

WASHINGTON — An Illinois man and a foreign national were arrested yesterday on criminal charges related to their alleged submission of more than $227 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.

According to court documents, Syed Murtuza Kablazada, 34, of Arlington Heights, and Syed Mehdi Hussain, 32, of Carol Stream, owned and operated purported medical laboratories that submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for the reimbursement of over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits allegedly provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The defendants allegedly installed foreign nationals to act as nominee owners at the laboratories to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for the provision of over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits, with the understanding the nominee owners would flee the United States when they learned that their laboratory was under investigation.

“As alleged, the defendants used straw owners at multiple laboratories to cause the submission of more than $200 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Health care fraud harms Americans by squandering taxpayer money and diverting limited resources from those who need them most. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to hold fraudsters accountable, protect victims, and recover financial losses.”

“The overwhelming fraud uncovered in this investigation details a blatant disregard for America’s critical health care program, Medicare, and puts all patients at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate anyone who abuses the health care system for personal gain and will aggressively pursue justice on behalf of both patients and taxpayers.”

As alleged in the indictment, the defendants rarely provided Covid-19 test kits to Medicare beneficiaries but instead submitted reimbursement claims on behalf of beneficiaries who had not requested COVID-19 test kits, including individuals who were deceased. Further, the defendants allegedly paid a marketing company to provide the names of hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries that the defendants used to submit fraudulent claims. In total, between September 2022 and June 2023, the defendants’ labs billed Medicare approximately $227 million in fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid approximately $136 million in reimbursements.

Kablazada and Hussain are both charged by indictment with four counts of health care fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the four counts.

The FBI Chicago Field Office and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Andres Q. Almendarez of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic for the Northern District of Illinois.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa’s oceans – how to resolve them

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, Lecturer in Sustainable Futures, University of St Andrews

Africa has 38 coastal and island nations. Their maritime industries – including energy, tourism, maritime transport, shipping and fishing – play a crucial role in developing these nations.

Key to harnessing these resources are Africa’s maritime boundaries – lines on a map showing the legal divisions of the ocean between neighbouring coastal states.

Some of these boundaries were created by colonial powers and kept after independence. Their purpose was to achieve territorial security and ensure the exclusive exploitation of resources and to maintain navigational freedom.

But Africa’s maritime boundaries sometimes lead to conflict, prevent cooperation on resource management and create room for maritime crimes, like illegal fishing. This is because they are often contested. Countries have overlapping claims and varying interests in resource exploration. This is common in maritime areas rich in oil, gas and fisheries, and deep seabed resources.

In our recent paper we found that using international law to resolve maritime boundaries does not always bring peace, especially when it results in ceding the disputed area to one party. It can result in animosity between countries and breed room for continued distrust among peoples.

Today, Africa has the most unresolved maritime boundary disputes in the world and the lowest number of settled boundary disputes.

As more ocean resources are discovered, climate change may heighten disputes. Rising sea levels can gradually submerge maritime zones, potentially affecting the baselines from which these zones are measured. This could create uncertainty or trigger new conflicts.

In our paper, we suggest a collaborative approach to resolving maritime disputes. We hope that this will help prevent many African countries from missing out on the benefits of their oceans.

Price of disputed boundaries

Disagreements over maritime boundaries can have many negative effects.

Research has shown that criminal activities tend to increase in disputed maritime boundaries. For instance, illegal fishers are aware that because there is dispute over a border, there will also be enforcement gaps.

Countries in dispute will also not work together and will not be sending patrols to contested areas. For instance, in 2016, a Chinese vessel escaped into Sierra Leone to avoid capture. When Guinean naval forces boarded the vessel for enforcement, there was an exchange of fire and 11 Guineans were detained by Sierra Leone.

When boundaries are disputed, it also means that local fishers are likely to encroach into neighbouring waters, often unknowingly, in search of better catches. Given the significance of fisheries to coastal livelihoods and the extent of depletion, this threatens peace and security. It fuels tension between communities and countries over access to dwindling resources.

Disagreements over maritime boundaries also diminish maritime security cooperation, complicate joint patrols, and divert attention from tackling shared threats such as piracy.

Colonialism never ended

Unfortunately, resolving maritime boundary disputes is complicated by a principle in international law known as uti possidetis juris – “as you possess under law”.

The principle says that when countries argue over borders, international law, built around colonial-era boundaries, is used to decide who gets what. This creates a “winner-takes-all” approach – one side gains control over the disputed area and resources. International courts, like the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, follow the provisions of law reinforcing uti possidetis.

Our examination of maritime boundary disputes in west and central Africa found that the principle of uti possidetis juris had failed to alleviate maritime boundary tensions. In some cases, it has exacerbated them.

One example is a maritime dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria decided in 2002. The dispute was over who had control of Bakassi, an oil-rich region, and its maritime frontier.

The uti possidetis juris principle upheld the lines drawn at the time of Nigeria’s independence and resulted in the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon. The impact of the resolution lingers. To date, thousands of displaced Bakassi people that returned to Nigeria have yet to be resettled and reintegrated. Disputes also continue between fishers from Nigeria and Cameroonian law enforcement agents. In extreme cases, it results in death, like the alleged killing of 97 Nigerian fishers by Cameroonian marine police.

The way forward

In our paper, we recommend that courts, tribunals or disputing countries consider joint management agreements to resolve maritime disputes. Under such agreements, countries share and manage disputed maritime resources.

These agreements will allow for the joint management of shared resources. It will also encourage cooperation and collaboration in other areas, such as joint operations to combat illegal fishing and piracy. While international courts may apply uti possidetis juris as required by law, countries should be encouraged to negotiate special arrangements – such as joint development agreements – as part of the resolution process. Especially in cases where livelihoods and longstanding community ties risk being disrupted by unilateral decisions or the ceding of disputed areas to one party.

While not perfect, this approach has already improved cooperation on security and resource use at sea. It has worked in places like Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire also have a joint management framework in place for their shared boundaries to avoid future disputes.

Prolonged boundary disputes only enable criminal actors to exploit Africa’s resources, undermining collective progress. A shift towards collaborative solutions is essential for achieving a sustainable and prosperous future for the continent.

Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood receives funding from the PEW Charitable Trust and the Research Council of Norway. The St Andrews Research Internship Scheme (StARIS) supported the initial peer-reviewed research.

Elizabeth Nwarueze 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. Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa’s oceans – how to resolve them – https://theconversation.com/colonial-era-borders-create-conflict-in-africas-oceans-how-to-resolve-them-248577

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Lauds Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after voting in favor of passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

“Following the four disastrous years of the failed and corrupt Biden administration that created historic inflation, destroyed our economy and welcomed nearly 20 million illegal aliens into our country, I am very pleased to have voted in favor of legislation advancing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

This bill will secure our southern border and empower border patrol agents to deport the millions of illegal aliens welcomed into our country by Joe Biden. As a border state, Arizonans know all too well the heavy toll that Biden’s open border policy has taken on our great state. Crime has ravaged our neighborhoods, deadly drugs, especially fentanyl, have destroyed our families and our communities are withering under the economic strain on public resources needed to combat Biden’s border invasion.

Importantly, the One Big Beautiful Bill also strengthens and protects Medicaid by first helping those most in need of assistance – expectant mothers, our seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families while ending taxpayer-funded free health care for 1.4 million illegal aliens.

The bill eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, slashes taxes on Social Security for seniors, reduces wasteful spending by $1.6 trillion, updates our air traffic control system, halts taxpayer funds going to abortion clinics, ensures our military’s readiness and unlocks America’s full energy potential.

Lastly, the One Big Beautiful Bill cuts taxes for families and hard-working Arizonans. My constituents voted overwhelmingly for President Trump last November and their message was resoundingly clear: do not raise our taxes! Without this much-needed legislation, the average taxpayer in my district would see a 23% tax hike. To put that into perspective, a family of four making a median income of $75,000 would see a $1,555 tax increase. That is worth about seven weeks of groceries for my constituents. There is not a snowball’s chance in hell that I will ever to vote to raise taxes on hardworking families in Arizona.

With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, families can expect to receive $7,800 to $13,300 more in annual pay. I look forward to the Senate quickly passing and President Trump signing into law this historic legislation, so Americans can begin receiving the much-need relief this bill ensures,” concluded Congressman Paul Gosar.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Two Charged in $227M Medicare Fraud Scheme

Source: US State Government of Utah

WASHINGTON — An Illinois man and a foreign national were arrested yesterday on criminal charges related to their alleged submission of more than $227 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.

According to court documents, Syed Murtuza Kablazada, 34, of Arlington Heights, and Syed Mehdi Hussain, 32, of Carol Stream, owned and operated purported medical laboratories that submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for the reimbursement of over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits allegedly provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The defendants allegedly installed foreign nationals to act as nominee owners at the laboratories to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for the provision of over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits, with the understanding the nominee owners would flee the United States when they learned that their laboratory was under investigation.

“As alleged, the defendants used straw owners at multiple laboratories to cause the submission of more than $200 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Health care fraud harms Americans by squandering taxpayer money and diverting limited resources from those who need them most. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to hold fraudsters accountable, protect victims, and recover financial losses.”

“The overwhelming fraud uncovered in this investigation details a blatant disregard for America’s critical health care program, Medicare, and puts all patients at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate anyone who abuses the health care system for personal gain and will aggressively pursue justice on behalf of both patients and taxpayers.”

As alleged in the indictment, the defendants rarely provided Covid-19 test kits to Medicare beneficiaries but instead submitted reimbursement claims on behalf of beneficiaries who had not requested COVID-19 test kits, including individuals who were deceased. Further, the defendants allegedly paid a marketing company to provide the names of hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries that the defendants used to submit fraudulent claims. In total, between September 2022 and June 2023, the defendants’ labs billed Medicare approximately $227 million in fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid approximately $136 million in reimbursements.

Kablazada and Hussain are both charged by indictment with four counts of health care fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the four counts.

The FBI Chicago Field Office and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Andres Q. Almendarez of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic for the Northern District of Illinois.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa’s oceans – how to resolve them

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, Lecturer in Sustainable Futures, University of St Andrews

Africa has 38 coastal and island nations. Their maritime industries – including energy, tourism, maritime transport, shipping and fishing – play a crucial role in developing these nations.

Key to harnessing these resources are Africa’s maritime boundaries – lines on a map showing the legal divisions of the ocean between neighbouring coastal states.

Some of these boundaries were created by colonial powers and kept after independence. Their purpose was to achieve territorial security and ensure the exclusive exploitation of resources and to maintain navigational freedom.

But Africa’s maritime boundaries sometimes lead to conflict, prevent cooperation on resource management and create room for maritime crimes, like illegal fishing. This is because they are often contested. Countries have overlapping claims and varying interests in resource exploration. This is common in maritime areas rich in oil, gas and fisheries, and deep seabed resources.

In our recent paper we found that using international law to resolve maritime boundaries does not always bring peace, especially when it results in ceding the disputed area to one party. It can result in animosity between countries and breed room for continued distrust among peoples.

Today, Africa has the most unresolved maritime boundary disputes in the world and the lowest number of settled boundary disputes.

As more ocean resources are discovered, climate change may heighten disputes. Rising sea levels can gradually submerge maritime zones, potentially affecting the baselines from which these zones are measured. This could create uncertainty or trigger new conflicts.

In our paper, we suggest a collaborative approach to resolving maritime disputes. We hope that this will help prevent many African countries from missing out on the benefits of their oceans.

Price of disputed boundaries

Disagreements over maritime boundaries can have many negative effects.

Research has shown that criminal activities tend to increase in disputed maritime boundaries. For instance, illegal fishers are aware that because there is dispute over a border, there will also be enforcement gaps.

Countries in dispute will also not work together and will not be sending patrols to contested areas. For instance, in 2016, a Chinese vessel escaped into Sierra Leone to avoid capture. When Guinean naval forces boarded the vessel for enforcement, there was an exchange of fire and 11 Guineans were detained by Sierra Leone.

When boundaries are disputed, it also means that local fishers are likely to encroach into neighbouring waters, often unknowingly, in search of better catches. Given the significance of fisheries to coastal livelihoods and the extent of depletion, this threatens peace and security. It fuels tension between communities and countries over access to dwindling resources.

Disagreements over maritime boundaries also diminish maritime security cooperation, complicate joint patrols, and divert attention from tackling shared threats such as piracy.

Colonialism never ended

Unfortunately, resolving maritime boundary disputes is complicated by a principle in international law known as uti possidetis juris – “as you possess under law”.

The principle says that when countries argue over borders, international law, built around colonial-era boundaries, is used to decide who gets what. This creates a “winner-takes-all” approach – one side gains control over the disputed area and resources. International courts, like the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, follow the provisions of law reinforcing uti possidetis.

Our examination of maritime boundary disputes in west and central Africa found that the principle of uti possidetis juris had failed to alleviate maritime boundary tensions. In some cases, it has exacerbated them.

One example is a maritime dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria decided in 2002. The dispute was over who had control of Bakassi, an oil-rich region, and its maritime frontier.

The uti possidetis juris principle upheld the lines drawn at the time of Nigeria’s independence and resulted in the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon. The impact of the resolution lingers. To date, thousands of displaced Bakassi people that returned to Nigeria have yet to be resettled and reintegrated. Disputes also continue between fishers from Nigeria and Cameroonian law enforcement agents. In extreme cases, it results in death, like the alleged killing of 97 Nigerian fishers by Cameroonian marine police.

The way forward

In our paper, we recommend that courts, tribunals or disputing countries consider joint management agreements to resolve maritime disputes. Under such agreements, countries share and manage disputed maritime resources.

These agreements will allow for the joint management of shared resources. It will also encourage cooperation and collaboration in other areas, such as joint operations to combat illegal fishing and piracy. While international courts may apply uti possidetis juris as required by law, countries should be encouraged to negotiate special arrangements – such as joint development agreements – as part of the resolution process. Especially in cases where livelihoods and longstanding community ties risk being disrupted by unilateral decisions or the ceding of disputed areas to one party.

While not perfect, this approach has already improved cooperation on security and resource use at sea. It has worked in places like Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire also have a joint management framework in place for their shared boundaries to avoid future disputes.

Prolonged boundary disputes only enable criminal actors to exploit Africa’s resources, undermining collective progress. A shift towards collaborative solutions is essential for achieving a sustainable and prosperous future for the continent.

– Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa’s oceans – how to resolve them
– https://theconversation.com/colonial-era-borders-create-conflict-in-africas-oceans-how-to-resolve-them-248577

MIL OSI Africa –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Advances Legislation to Protect Small Businesses and Consumers

Source: US State of New York

EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined supporters to rally for the passage of the Fostering Affordability and Integrity through Reasonable Business Practices, or FAIR Business Practices Act, a program bill from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and sponsored in the state legislature by Senator Leroy Comrie and Assemblymember Micah Lasher. This legislation will strengthen New York’s consumer protection law, GBL §349, to protect New Yorkers from predatory lending, abusive debt collection, junk fees, artificial intelligence (AI)-based schemes, online phishing scams, hard-to-cancel subscriptions, data breaches, and other unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices. Forty-two other states and federal law already prohibit unfair practices, making New York’s current law both antiquated and inadequate.

“As the federal government steps back from protecting consumers and small businesses, New York must step up to help working families and Main Street businesses,” said Attorney General James. “The FAIR Business Practices Act will protect small businesses from predatory lenders, homeowners from bad mortgage servicers, patients from abusive debt collection, and much more. This legislation will strengthen New York’s consumer protection laws to stop businesses from taking advantage of New Yorkers. I look forward to working with my partners in the state legislature to get this legislation passed.”

The FAIR Business Practices Act would also help stop lenders, including auto lenders, mortgage servicers, and student loan servicers, from deceptively steering people into higher-cost loans. It would reduce unnecessary and hidden fees, stop unfair billing practices by health care companies, and prevent companies from taking advantage of New Yorkers with limited English proficiency. With the federal government rolling back protections for consumers and small businesses, the FAIR Business Practices Act authorizes OAG and victims to seek civil penalties and restitution against businesses that use unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices against vulnerable New Yorkers.

“New Yorkers deserve to be treated fairly, and this legislation helps ensure that,” said Senator Leroy Comrie. “The FAIR Business Practices Act gives our state stronger tools to hold bad actors accountable and protect everyday people from deceptive and abusive practices. I’m proud to sponsor this bill alongside Attorney General James and Assemblymember Lasher as we work to strengthen consumer protections and support small businesses across our state.”

“New York has one of the weakest consumer protection laws in the country. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are taking a hatchet to federal consumer protections, leaving New Yorkers even more vulnerable to abuse. The time to act is now,” said Assemblymember Micah Lasher. “Making sure that the Attorney General has the tools she needs to look out for New Yorkers is one of the best ways we can stop the damage Trump is trying to do. We must pass this bill this session to protect consumers from the high costs of unfair business practices. It is an honor to stand together in this fight with Attorney General James and Senator Comrie. Let’s get this done.”

“We applaud Attorney General James for developing the FAIR Business Practices Act and we thank Assemblymember Lasher for introducing this bill,” said Mario Cilento, President of the New York State AFL-CIO. “The NYS AFL-CIO strongly supports modernizing the state’s consumer protection laws, particularly because of rollbacks at the federal level, but also to address technological, legal, and other developments that have made our current laws less effective. This bill, which will improve the rights and protections of workers who have been victims of various fraudulent and unfair practices, including unreasonable terms and conditions for payday loans or payroll check-cashing schemes, is a crucial step towards a fairer and more just society.”

“The FAIR Business Practices Act will protect working families from abusive business practices that are making it hard for people to get a car, keep a roof over their heads, and put food on the table,” said Henry Garrido, Executive Director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, DC37. “Right now the federal government is stepping away from enforcing consumer protection laws that protect everyday people. I applaud Attorney General James, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Lasher for advancing this legislation to protect working families, small businesses, seniors, and much more. Let’s pass the FAIR Business Practices Act by the end of this session.”

“AARP New York thanks Attorney General James, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Lasher for their leadership on this legislation,” said Kristen McManus, Senior Associate State Director for Advocacy for AARP New York. “Scammers are targeting older adults more than ever, with the FBI reporting that New Yorkers 60 and older lost more than $254 million to fraud in 2024, a more than $50 million increase from the previous year. Now is the time for the Governor and legislature to step up for all New Yorkers by establishing a consumer protection law that will foil scammers and discourage con artists from targeting some of the most vulnerable among us.”

“Where New York was once a leader in protecting small businesses from bad loans, our neighboring states have all since passed laws to stop unfair, abusive, and deceptive behavior,” said Lindsey Vigoda, New York Director of Small Business Majority. “We cannot continue to fall behind on these common-sense protections, which is why New York must pass the FAIR Business Practices Act. This legislation would shield Main Street from abusive fees that all too often place enormous strain on small businesses. With predatory lending products more prevalent today than ever, it’s time for New York to step up once again and defend our most precious asset — our small business community.”

“In response to the Trump administration’s gutting of federal consumer protection agencies and financial regulators, states must step up to stop big businesses from ripping off working families,” said Winston Berkman-Breen, Legal Director at the Student Borrower Protection Center. “This is especially true in New York, where abusive student loan servicers and private student loan companies take advantage of our weak consumer protections and prey on low-income households and vulnerable communities seeking to achieve financial stability through higher education. We applaud Attorney General James, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Lasher for meeting this moment by introducing the FAIR Business Practices Act. The bill will finally catch New York up with the rest of the country by providing commonsense and timely consumer protections for households and small businesses.”

“The FAIR Business Practices Act strengthens New York’s core consumer protection law to ensure it is up to date and serves as an effective deterrent against wrongdoing,” said Chuck Bell, Advocacy Programs Director for Consumer Reports. “At a time when federal consumer protection initiatives are under attack, New York is stepping up to ensure consumers and small businesses will have the protections they need and deserve against financial ripoffs, fraud, and scams in the marketplace.”

“Every New Yorker should be able to work and invest in a prosperous future without fearing predatory lenders pulling the carpet out from under them,” said Diana Caba, Vice President for Community and Economic Development, Hispanic Federation. “It is deeply concerning how few protections consumers have in New York and how those protections are becoming even more limited because of the weakening of regulatory bodies at a national level. The FAIR Business Practices Act shows that New York is prioritizing the financial well-being of New Yorkers and catching state regulations up with the 42 other states who recognize why states must protect people’s financial future.”

“New York’s bedrock consumer protection law is intended to protect New Yorkers from new and evolving scams across all economic activity, but in practice it has fallen short, leaving gaps where scam victims have no recourse to get their money back, while making it profitable to continue abusing people,” said Ariana Lindermayer, Senior Staff Attorney of Mobilization for Justice. “The FAIR Business Practices Act would close these gaps and catch New York up with the 42 states that already ban unfair business practices. Honest businesses and everyday New Yorkers will welcome real protection from predatory businesses and competitors.”

“The FAIR Business Practices Act should be uncontroversial,” said Matthew Parham, Director of Litigation and Advocacy at the Western New York Law Center in Buffalo. “The unfair and abusive practices that it addresses are already illegal. It just does what most states have done for decades: lets individual consumers and state regulators enforce these rights, instead of relying on the federal government. This is vitally important now, when the federal government is completely abdicating its responsibility to protect consumers from scams and ripoffs.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: FBI Search Targets Darknet Drug Networks

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)

An FBI-led search in Los Angeles in April was related to Operation RapTor, a global effort to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking on the darknet. The operation–part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE)–included operations by law enforcement partners in Europe, South America, Asia, and the United States.

More at: www.fbi.gov/news/stories/global-operation-targets-darknet-drug-trafficking
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T10brrj8kPg

MIL OSI Video –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: What Makes Darknet Marketplaces So Dangerous

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)

An analyst in the FBI’s High-Tech Organized Crime Unit describes how the ease of using Darknet marketplaces is part of what makes them so dangerous. The unit manages the FBI’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, part of a global effort to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking on the Darknet.

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MIL OSI Video –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK secures future of vital Diego Garcia Military Base to protect national security
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

UK secures future of vital Diego Garcia Military Base to protect national security

The long-term agreement secures future of joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia.
Long-term agreement secures future of joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia

Vital capabilities protected to counter growing global threats, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad

Deal is backed by strong support from the US and key international allies

The UK has today (22 May) signed a landmark agreement with Mauritius to secure the future of the strategically critical UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, one of our most significant contributions to the transatlantic defence and security partnership.

The base has played a vital role in defending the UK and its allies for over 50 years. This new deal ensures its continued operation for at least the next century, protecting capabilities essential to UK intelligence and counter-terrorism.

The base plays a key role in operations that support UK forces and our allies across the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia.

Its deep-water port, airfield, and advanced communications and surveillance capabilities give the UK and its allies crucial strategic capabilities, which have played a key role in missions to disrupt high-value terrorists, including Islamic State threats to the UK.

The legal necessity of this deal has been recognised by successive governments. The previous government started these negotiations over two years ago, and they held 11 out of the 13 rounds of talks that underpin the deal, that this government has concluded.

Crucially, all Five Eyes partners – the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – back the agreement, along with India, recognising the critical role Diego Garcia plays in upholding global stability and deterring adversaries.

The base is a cornerstone of the Government’s Plan for Change, with operations there deterring threats to our nation and protecting our economic security.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:

As the world becomes more dangerous, our military base on Diego Garcia becomes more important. Today’s Treaty secures full operational control, strengthens our UK-US defence partnership and keeps British people safe at home for the next 99 years and beyond.

Without this base, our ability to deter terrorists, defend our interests and protect our troops around the world would be at risk. This agreement will safeguard our national and economic security for generations to come.

Critically, the deal ensures the UK retains full operational control of Diego Garcia, including management of the electromagnetic spectrum satellite used for communications – vital for countering hostile interference.

There will also be robust provisions to keep adversaries out, including:

A 24 nautical mile buffer zone where nothing can be built or placed without UK consent – meaning we can protect UK interests.

A rigorous process, including joint decision-making, to prevent any activities on the wider islands – some over 100 nautical miles away – from disrupting base operations. Joint decision-making means there can be no development unless we agree.

A strict ban on foreign security forces on the outer islands, whether civilian or military.

A binding obligation to ensure the base is never undermined.

Both countries have also agreed to a ban on the presence of foreign forces across the wider territory and a binding guarantee that base operations cannot be undermined.

Without this deal, international legal proceedings could have rendered the base inoperable, affecting UK national security in the process with our adversaries being allowed to capitalise on this – building outposts near the base.

Within a matter of weeks, with no deal, the UK could face legally-binding provisional measures through an Arbitral Tribunal under the Law of the Sea Convention – affecting the ability of the Armed Forces to patrol the waters around the base.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP said:

This treaty secures the Diego Garcia military base for generations to come, protecting national and global security.

Without this deal, the land, sea and air operations of the base would become inoperable – doing nothing was not an option.

The US, Australia, Canada and India all back this deal because they understand its importance for global security. This government has always been clear that we will act in the national interest, not gamble with our national security like those who oppose this deal.

It was clear that this agreement was the only route to securing the future of the base and preventing the UK’s adversaries from establishing a presence in the region.

It is a clear demonstration of the UK’s commitment to act decisively in defence of its interests and ensure that the base continues to support operations that keep British citizens safe, now and in the decades to come.

Notes to editors:

The cost per year is £101 million and the net present value of payments under the treaty is £3.4 billion. All costs have been verified by the Government Actuary’s Department.

Further details will be laid out in Parliament.

Diego Garcia Capabilities

Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago, located in the central Indian Ocean. The joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia has a strategic location which makes it vital to UK and US power projection in the Indian Ocean and beyond. The base provides a unique shared platform with irreplaceable security capabilities that enable a UK and US military presence across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific and Africa.

Strategic and operational importance:

Diego Garcia’s strategic location allows it to support a wide array of operational activity in a number of theatres, helping to combat some of the most challenging threats, including terrorism, and hostile states.

Diego Garcia is the only UK base in the region with guaranteed freedom of use. It is central to current UK and US emergency planning and operations, just as it was with Afghanistan and Iraq.

The base offers the UK and its Allies unique and vital capabilities that help us understand and anticipate those who would do us harm. This includes capabilities which have been used to support counter terrorism operations against high value Islamic State targets.

The base is a critical logistics hub at a strategic location, with a full range of facilities that acts as a key refuelling and resupply station for naval and air operations. This enables power projection and global reach, allowing for rapid and flexible deployment of our forces across the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia.

The base helps protect some of the most important shipping lanes in the world, while also remaining isolated enough to be protected from attack by adversaries.

The close collaboration between UK and US delivers shared real-world operational outcomes, in the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. The base has also hosted visits from Allies and partners such as Japan, France, Republic of Korea and Australia.

Base capabilities

Airfield: Location and infrastructure accommodate a broad range of military aircraft, with capability to support military requirements from strike operations, as seen through the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns, to humanitarian response.

Port: A multitude of berthing options for the UK and US navies to support various missions including Carrier Strike Group deployment. The UK maintains a Nuclear Emergency Response Organisation to permit nuclear powered submarines to safely berth at the port. The US uses Diego Garcia to strategically position equipment and supplies at sea for rapid deployment in various global theatres, including for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions over the years, across the Indo-Pacific.

Seismic monitoring: Permanent location of three pieces of critical Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty monitoring equipment, a network constantly monitoring for indicators of nuclear testing, vital in preventing nuclear proliferation.

Space capabilities: Hosts one of the monitoring stations and one of the four ground antennas for the Global Positioning System (GPS). Also hosts part of the Ground-Base Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) System. This provides situational awareness of objects in Earth’s orbit, helping to track space debris that pose a risk to space systems.

Government Legal Position – Diego Garcia

Mauritius’s legal claim of sovereignty over the island of Diego Garcia is supported by a number of international institutions, including the UN General Assembly.

The International Court of Justice considered this issue in an Advisory Opinion delivered on 25 February 2019. An Advisory Opinion of the ICJ carries significant weight; in particular it is likely to be highly influential on any subsequent court/tribunal considering the issues arising out of disputed sovereignty, and whose judgment would be binding in international law. The ICJ concluded that “the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible”.

The 2019 Advisory Opinion was followed in 2021 by a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (in a case about delimitation of the boundary between Mauritius and The Maldives) which ruled that Mauritius’ sovereignty was inferred from the ICJ’s determinations.

If a long-term deal is not reached between the UK and Mauritius, it is highly likely that further wide-ranging litigation would be brought quickly by Mauritius against the UK. This might, for example, include further arbitral proceedings against the UK under Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”). A judgment from such a tribunal would be legally binding on the UK.

The longstanding legal view of the United Kingdom is that the UK would not have a realistic prospect of successfully defending its legal position on sovereignty in such litigation. Even if the United Kingdom chose to ignore binding judgments made against it, their legal effect on third countries and international organisations would give rise to real impacts to the operation of the Base and the delivery of all its national security functions. International organisations have already adopted decisions based on Mauritian Sovereignty, and others would follow suit following such litigation.

These impacts could include: our ability to protect the electromagnetic spectrum from interference, to ensure access to the Base by air and by sea, effectively to patrol the maritime area around the Base, and to support the Base’s critical national security functions.

Further, the UK would likely face a Provisional Measures Order within a matter of weeks of Mauritius commencing proceedings, which would also be legally binding. That would mean facing the sorts of detrimental impacts set out above, with the effect of substantially disrupting the operation of the military Base, in very short order.

This deal is thus the only way to secure unfettered access to the Base for the long-term and to ensure its full contribution to national security.

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Published 22 May 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE, Europol, law enforcement partners, dismantle major illicit drug networks in global Darknet crackdown
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with Europol, the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement Team, and various national and international partners, announced the results of Operation RapTOR May 22. This historic takedown, led by Europol, resulted in the highest number of seizures in JCODE’s history.

The seizures, to which ICE Homeland Security Investigations significantly contributed, include more than $200 million in currency and digital assets, over two metric tons of drugs, comprised of 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and over 180 firearms. In addition, the United States and international law enforcement partners made 270 arrests of dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Led by Europol’s European Cyber Crime Centre Operation RapTOR united the FBI-led JCODE team — comprised of ICE HSI and law enforcement partners from the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia — to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as sale of other illicit goods and services on the Darknet. Building on the successes of prior years’ operations, Operation RapTOR furthered global efforts to dismantle darknet marketplaces, resulting in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets. These actions provided investigators across the globe with invaluable leads and evidence, strengthening the ongoing fight against cybercrime and illicit activities on the darknet.

“This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen — your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said ICE acting Director Todd Lyons. “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE HSI, Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals — they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”

The Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris, commented: “Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement. Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”

In furtherance of Operation RapTOR and in their first action as a JCODE member agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) additionally sanctioned Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian national, for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market following seizure of the market.

“This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web — this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”

“By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”

“These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” said DEA acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”

“This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date — seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable. This critical strike against dark web networks fueling the fentanyl crisis marks a proud moment in our ongoing effort to protect communities worldwide.”

“Operation RapTor shows what’s possible when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united. No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. Our commitment is unwavering,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale, United States Postal Inspection Service.

“The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Chad Menster, Deputy Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who misuse the internet in a quest for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”

The impact of Operation RapTOR builds on years-long legacy of dark web enforcement and the tireless work of HSI and our U.S. and international law enforcement partners, as seen in the following cases:
- “Incognito Market” Owner Pleads Guilty For Operating One Of The Largest Illegal Narcotics Marketplaces On The Internet
  - Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics — including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine as well as heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam, and misbranded prescription medication. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access and was designed to foster seamless narcotics transactions across the world. It incorporated many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. While concealing their identities users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Prescription medication was also listed that was advertised as being authentic but was not, as seen in November 2023, when an undercover federal agent purchased and received several tablets that purported to be oxycodone, but were in fact, fentanyl pills.
- Central District of California | Two Southern California Men Who Supplied Fentanyl Sold to Darknet Customers in All 50 States Sentenced to Federal Prison | United States Department of Justice
  - Ruiz of Orange County was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison, and Omar Navia of South Los Angeles was separately sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in January 2025 for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the Darknet Navia and Ruiz admitted that at least August 2021 to December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston, who used the Darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell more than 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other drugs directly to more than 1,000 customers in all 50 states, causing several fatal overdoses in the process.
- In February 2024, the Eastern District of Virginia issued a criminal complaint charging Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
  - Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. The defendants allegedly sold drugs on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency. Collectively, these prolific darknet vendors were responsible fulfilling over 13 thousand drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10 thousand pills. While executing search warrants in New Jersey and New York, Federal Law Enforcement officers seized more than $330 thousand, close to 80 thousand counterfeit Adderall pills, one firearm, and two industrial pill press machines. FBI, FDA, and USPIS investigated this matter with significant contributions from HSI and our law enforcement partners.
- Van Nuys Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine via Darknet Marketplaces and Possessing Guns
  - A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced to 20 plus years in federal prison for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide. He admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose. From at least April 2021 to May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via multiple darknet marketplaces. Specifically, McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed the activities of other coconspirators to carry out hundreds of drug sales involving the distribution of large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine, including hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills. The FBI and the DEA investigated this matter as part of JCODE.
“Cybercriminals think the Darknet makes them untouchable — we just proved they’re dead wrong,” said ICE HSI acting Executive Associate Director Robert Hammer. “HSI is on the front lines of a digital battlefield, deploying cutting-edge tech, relentless enforcement, and global coordination to hunt down these predators. Cybercrime is a global threat, and that’s why we’re committed to working hand-in-hand with our partners at Europol and across the world to dismantle these networks together. If you profit from pain online, we’re looking for you — and you’ll soon learn that no corner of the internet is beyond our reach.”

Operation RapTOR includes law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, to include ICE HSI; the DEA; FBI; FDA-OCI; IRS-CI; and USPIS; in addition to foreign partners listed below. Credible reporting from the referenced agencies, in addition to contributions from ATF; Army CID; CBP; Department of Treasury’s FinCEN and Office of Foreign Assets Control; and NCIS enabled domestic law enforcement actions in support of Operation RapTOR. Local, state, and other federal agencies also contributed to investigations through task force participation and regional partnerships. The investigations leading to Operation RapTOR were significantly aided by support and coordination from the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, with additional support from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces; multi-agency Special Operations Division; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section’s Digital Currency Initiative, and Fraud Section; the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; Europol and its Dark Web team; and international partners.

The international partners include Europol; Eurojust; Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Brazil’s Civil Police of the State of Pará (Polícia Civil do Estado do Pará) and Civil Police of the State of São Paulo (Polícia Civil do Estado do São Paulo); France’s French Customs (Douane), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany‘s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime), Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg) various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); The Netherlands’s National Police (Politie), Post Interventie Team; Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional); South Korea’s Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office – Darknet Investigations Unit; Switzerland’s Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II); and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs’ Council.

HSI is a worldwide law enforcement leader in Darknet and other cyber-related criminal investigations. The DHS Cyber Crimes Center (C3) combats cybercrime, online child sexual exploitation, and criminal exploitation of the internet with state-of-the-art forensic technology. The Center investigates large-scale cybercrime threats and provides expertise on cybercrime investigations to the field. It also uses global law enforcement networks, like Europol, to combat cybercrime threats.

C3 delivers computer and cyber-based technical services in support of HSI cases — including investigations into underground online marketplaces selling illegal drugs, weapons and other contraband; enabling the trade of images of child exploitation materials; and facilitating the theft of intellectual property, trade secrets, and export-controlled technology and data.

Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-DHS-2-ICE. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE.

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

MIL OSI USA News –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Law Enforcement Seize Record Amounts of Illegal Drugs, Firearms, and Drug Trafficking Proceeds in International Operation Against Darknet Trafficking of Fentanyl and Opioids; 270 Arrested Across Four Continents

Source: US State Government of Utah

WASHINGTON — Today, the Attorney General and the Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, and international law enforcement partners announced the results of Operation RapTor, including the arrests of 270 dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Operation RapTor resulted in the highest number of seizures of any JCODE operation, including more than $200 million in currency and digital assets, over two metric tons of drugs, 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and over 180 firearms.

Operation RapTor was a global, coordinated effort by law enforcement in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as the sales of other illicit goods and services, on the darknet, or dark web. Operation RapTor builds on the successes of prior years’ operations and takedowns of marketplaces, which resulted in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets, providing investigators across the world with investigative leads and evidence. JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to compile intelligence packages to identify entities of interest. These leads allow U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to identify darknet drug vendors and buyers, resulting in a series of coordinated, but separate, law enforcement investigations, reflected in the statistics announced today. In furtherance of Operation RapTor and in its first action as a JCODE member agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) additionally sanctioned Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market following seizure of the market. Parsarad was also indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges related to the illegal business he ran on the dark web.

“This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web – this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”

“By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”

“These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”

“Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement,” said Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris. “Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”

“This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date—seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable. This critical strike against dark web networks fueling the fentanyl crisis marks a proud moment in our ongoing effort to protect communities worldwide.”

“This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen—your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals—they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”

“Operation RapTor shows what’s possible when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. Our commitment is unwavering.”

“The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Deputy Director Chad Menster of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who misuse the internet in a quest for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”

The impact of Operation RapTor can be attributed to the tireless work of U.S. and international law enforcement partners. For example:

On Dec. 16, 2024, Rui-Siang Lin pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York of narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication for owning and operating Incognito Market, one of the largest narcotics marketplaces on the internet.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Incognito Market was an online narcotics bazaar that started on the dark web in October 2020. Until it shut down in March 2024, Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics—including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access using the Tor web browser on the “dark web” or “darknet.” Incognito Market was designed to facilitate seamless narcotics transactions, incorporating many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. Upon visiting the site, users were met by a splash page and graphic interface, which is pictured below:

Figure 1: Incognito Market homepage

While concealing their identities with a unique username or “moniker,” users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Incognito Market sold illegal narcotics including heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam, as well as misbranded prescription medication. An example of listings on Incognito market is below:

Figure 2: Listings for various drugs on the Incognito Market.

Listings included offerings of prescription medication that was falsely advertised as being authentic. For example, in November 2023, while operating in an undercover capacity on Incognito Market, a law enforcement agent purchased and received several tablets purported to be oxycodone. Testing revealed that these tablets were not oxycodone and were, in fact, fentanyl pills.

The FBI, HSI, DEA, FDA OCI, and the New York Police Department investigated the case.

In a second example, in January 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California secured a 17-year sentence for Adan Ruiz, of Orange County, and a 15-year sentence for Omar Navia, of Los Angeles, for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the darknet. In imposing the sentences, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter called this case “the most sophisticated fentanyl distribution ring that this court has seen.”

Navia and Ruiz admitted in their plea agreements that, from at least August 2021 to December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston, who used the darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell more than 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other drugs directly to more than 1,000 customers in all 50 states, causing several fatal overdoses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Srinivasan and Ta used the “redlightlabs” darknet account to advertise and sell counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Srinivasan also used the encrypted messaging application Wickr to communicate with and sell drugs to customers. Srinivasan received virtual currency as payment for the drugs and then routed that virtual currency through cryptocurrency exchanges.

The court record also shows that Ta communicated with Srinivasan about drug orders, obtained fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine from sources of supply, stored those drugs in his residence, and mailed out packages with drugs to customers who had ordered them from Srinivasan on the “redlightlabs” account.

Ta and Srinivasan admitted in their plea agreements to causing the fentanyl overdose deaths of three victims. Both defendants further admitted to distributing fentanyl-laced pills to two additional victims, both of whom suffered fatal drug overdoses shortly after they received the pills from Ta and Srinivasan. Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum, “The five victims of defendants’ crimes ranged in age from 19 to 51. They lived across the country, from California to Florida, Colorado to Arkansas. Each of the five victims leaves behind a family that has been forever and fundamentally changed by defendants’ actions. [Ta and Srinivasan] also victimized countless others as part of an epidemic of addiction and despair plaguing our district and our country.”

The FBI investigated this case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the DEA’s Fayetteville Resident Office, and the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force.

In a third example, in February 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia charged Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. The defendants allegedly sold drugs on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency under the monikers “NuveoDelux,” “Mrjohnson,” and “AllStateRx.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, these three prolific darknet vendors were collectively responsible for fulfilling over 13,000 drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10,000 pills. Joshua and Joseph Vasquez collectively ran the NuveoDeluxe and AllStateRx accounts. A fourth co-conspirator, Gregory Castillo-Rosario, who was arrested in October 2024, ran the Mrjohnson account. Roman assisted his co-conspirators by pressing counterfeit Adderall pills, packaging them, and distributing drug orders into the mail using the U.S. Postal Service. The conspiracy also laundered funds associated with darknet drug proceeds.

While executing search warrants in New Jersey and New York, federal law enforcement officers seized more than $330,000, close to 80,000 counterfeit Adderall pills, one firearm, and two industrial pill press machines. Additionally, two vehicles and several pieces of property were seized during the search warrants. An additional 30 kilograms of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills were seized on May 2, 2024, in New York. Photographs of some of the seized items are below:

Figure 3: Counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine stored in 5-gallon buckets

Figure 4: Bags ready to be shipped to customers nationwide.

Figure 5: Illegal pill press machines used by drug traffickers to make counterfeit pharmaceutical pills.

Figure 6: Trash bags full of counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine.

Joshua Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, and was sentenced on July 25, 2024, to 12 years in prison. Joseph Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024, and was sentenced on Aug. 8, 2024, to 10 years in prison. Roman pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, and was sentenced on Nov. 14, 2024, to 10 years in prison. They all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create a counterfeit substance and distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

The FBI, FDA, and USPIS investigated this matter with significant contributions from DEA, HSI, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Howell Township Police Department, the Lakewood Township Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Arlington County Police Department, and the New York Police Department.

In a fourth example, a San Fernando Valley man, Brian McDonald, 23, was sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison in the Central District of California for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide. He admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose.

From at least April 2021 until May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via multiple darknet marketplaces. McDonald operated under the monikers “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan.” McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled.

McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help package and ship the narcotics they sold on the darknet. McDonald directed and helped these accomplices package and ship the narcotics. McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed others to complete hundreds of drug sales involving large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine.

The FBI and DEA investigated this matter.

Operation RapTor involves law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, including the DEA, FBI, FDA OCI, HSI, IRS-CI, and USPIS. Credible reporting from the referenced agencies, in addition to contributions from ATF, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Customs and Border Protection, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and OFAC, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, enabled domestic law enforcement actions in support of Operation RapTor. State, local, and other federal agencies also contributed to Operation RapTor investigations through task force participation and regional partnerships, as well as the multi-agency Special Operations Division.

The investigations leading to Operation RapTor were significantly aided by support and coordination from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, with valuable assistance from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Fraud Section, and Office of International Affairs.

Key international partners include Europol; Eurojust; Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Brazil’s Civil Police of the State of Pará (Polícia Civil do Estado do Pará) and Civil Police of the State of São Paulo (Polícia Civil do Estado do São Paulo); France’s French Customs (Douane), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime), Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg) various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), and German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); the Netherlands’ Team High Tech Crime (National Investigations and Special Operations (NIS) and Post Interventie Team (PIT), National Intelligence, Expertise and Operational Support (NIEO); Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional); South Korea’s Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office – Darknet Investigations Unit; Switzerland’s Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II); and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Federal investigations spanned the United States, and 26 United States Attorneys’ Offices are prosecuting cases, including the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Connecticut, the District of Columbia, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Georgia, the District of Hawaii, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Massachusetts, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Western District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of New Jersey, the Southern District of New York, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Western District of Washington.

The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission File Statement of Interest on Anticompetitive Uses of Common Shareholdings to Discourage Coal Production

Source: US State Government of Utah

Today, the Justice Department, joined by the Federal Trade Commission (the “Agencies”) filed a statement of interest in the Eastern District of Texas in the case of Texas et al. v. BlackRock, Inc. The States’ lawsuit—led by the Texas Attorney General—alleges that BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard used their management of stock in competing coal companies to induce reductions in output, resulting in higher energy prices for American consumers. This is the first formal statement by the Agencies in federal court on the antitrust implications of common shareholdings.

On Jan. 29, President Trump issued Executive Order 14156, declaring a national energy emergency. On April 8, Executive Order 14261 called for “increase[d] domestic energy production, including coal.” As the Agencies’ statement makes clear, protecting competition for coal furthers these policies by enabling the free market to unleash America’s energy security and economic dynamism.

“The President has declared a national energy emergency, and we need competition in coal production now more than ever to help fuel American energy dominance,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail A. Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “American consumers suffer when institutional asset managers use shareholdings in competing companies to orchestrate output reductions. As the Supreme Court has held, ‘social justifications’ for anticompetitive conduct ‘do not make it any less unlawful.’ We will not hesitate to stand up against powerful financial firms that use Americans’ retirement savings to harm competition under the guise of ESG.”

Today’s statement of interest explains that while antitrust safe harbors for passive investment protect most index fund investing and beneficial corporate governance advocacy, they do not protect the use of commonly managed stock in competitors to encourage market-wide reductions in output. The statement explains how the law protects typical shareholder behavior, how the States’ complaint alleges an anticompetitive campaign, and how the law should properly be applied to the States’ claims.

The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so helps protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. A collection of these statements of antitrust and amicus filings is publicly available on the Division’s website.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Texas Doctor Who Falsely Diagnosed Patients Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment in Connection with $118 Million in Fraudulent Health Care Claims

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

A Texas rheumatologist was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for perpetrating a health care fraud scheme involving over $118 million in false claims and the payment of over $28 million by insurers as a result of him falsely diagnosing patients with chronic illnesses to bill for tests and treatments that the patients did not need. Jorge Zamora-Quezada M.D., 68, of Mission, also falsified patient records to support the false diagnoses after receiving a federal grand jury subpoena. Following a 25-day trial, Zamora-Quezada was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. In addition to his prison term, Zamora-Quezada was ordered to forfeit $28,245,454, including 13 real estate properties, a jet, and a Maserati GranTurismo.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Zamora-Quezada falsely diagnosed his patients with rheumatoid arthritis and administered toxic medications in order to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. The fraudulent diagnoses made the defendant’s patients believe that they had a life-long, incurable condition that required regular treatment at his offices. After falsely diagnosing his patients, Zamora-Quezada administered unnecessary treatments and ordered unnecessary testing on them, including a variety of injections, infusions, x-rays, MRIs, and other procedures—all with potentially harmful and even deadly side effects. To receive payment for these expensive services, Zamora-Quezada fabricated medical records and lied about the patients’ condition to insurers.

“Dr. Zamora-Quezada funded his luxurious lifestyle for two decades by traumatizing his patients, abusing his employees, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His depraved conduct represents a profound betrayal of trust toward vulnerable patients who depend on care and integrity from their doctors. Today’s sentence is not just a punishment—it’s a warning. Medical professionals who harm Americans for personal enrichment will be aggressively pursued and held accountable to protect our citizens and the public fisc.”

“Through the false diagnoses and excessive false billing, Dr. Zamora-Quezada abused both patient trust and public resources,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “It is imperative to investigate and address this form of fraud — not only to protect vulnerable individuals from harm but to uphold the integrity of the federal health care system and safeguard the use of public funds.”

“The FBI is dedicated to working with all of our partners to address health care fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “This case was not only a concern to us because of the financial loss — the physical and emotional harm suffered by the patients and their families was alarming and profound. We hope this significant sentence will help bring closure to the many victims in this case.”

Evidence at trial established that Dr. Zamora-Quezada falsely diagnosed patients in order to defraud insurers and enrich himself. Other rheumatologists in the Rio Grande Valley testified at trial that they saw hundreds of patients previously diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis by Zamora-Quezada who did not have the condition, prompting one physician to explain that for “most” it was “obvious that the patient did not have rheumatoid arthritis.” Zamora-Quezada’s false diagnoses and powerful medications caused debilitating side effects on his patients, including strokes, necrosis of the jawbone, hair loss, liver damage, and pain so severe that basic tasks of everyday life, such as bathing, cooking, and driving, became difficult. As one patient testified, “Constantly being in bed and being unable to get up from bed alone, and being pumped with medication, I didn’t feel like my life had any meaning.” One mother described how she felt that her child served as a “lab rat,” and others described abandoning plans for college or feeling like they were “living a life in the body of an elderly person.”

Former employees detailed how Zamora-Quezada imposed strict quotas for procedures, leading to a climate of fear. Zamora-Quezada referred to himself as the “eminencia” — or eminence, threw a paperweight at an employee who failed to generate enough unnecessary procedures, hired employees he could manipulate because they were on J-1 visas and their immigration status could be jeopardized if they lost their jobs, and fired those who challenged him. Testimony also revealed Zamora-Quezada’s obstruction of insurer audits by fabricating missing patient files, including by taking ultrasounds of employees and using those images as documentation in the patient records. Testimony at trial established that Zamora-Quezada told employees to “aparecer” the missing records — “to make them appear.” Former employees also recounted being sent to a dilapidated barn to attempt to retrieve records. There, files were saturated with feces and urine, rodents, and termites that infested not only the records but also the structure.

Zamora-Quezada’s patient file storage facility

Zamora-Quezada used proceeds from his crimes to fund a lavish lifestyle, replete with real estate properties across the country and in Mexico, a jet, and a Maserati.

One of Zamora-Quezada’s luxury properties

Zamora-Quezada’s jet

FBI, HHS-OIG, Texas HHS-OIG, and the Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Assistant Chiefs Rebecca Yuan and Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristine Rollinson handled asset forfeiture. Fraud Section Assistant Chief Kevin Lowell initially handled the prosecution. The prosecution team thanks the Fraud Section’s Data Analytics Team, whose work initiated the investigation, Victim Witness Specialist Olga De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and the Texas Department of Insurance.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Matt Jukes takes on role as Deputy Commissioner

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Matt Jukes has been confirmed as the Met’s new permanent Deputy Commissioner.

Assistant Commissioner Jukes is currently acting in the role since the retirement of Dame Lynne Owens earlier this month.

He will now formally step into the substantive role of Deputy Commissioner on Monday, 26 May.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jukes said: “I am honoured to be appointed as Deputy Commissioner. I’ve had the privilege of serving communities across the UK throughout my career, including here in London since 2020.

“I have seen the incredible difference local policing can make to communities, and in recent years, the progress we’ve made in ensuring the Met is an organisation our people and London can be proud of. I’ve seen first-hand the efforts of tens of thousands of dedicated officers and staff, all working day and night to continue building the public’s confidence in us.

“We have much more still to do, but I am looking forward to building on the work of my brave colleagues across the Met and building on the legacy of my predecessor Dame Lynne, who was pivotal in driving forward our mission of reform.”

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “I am delighted Matt has been formally appointed as Deputy Commissioner.

“He is an exceptional leader with a wealth of experience from his time across South Yorkshire, South Wales and of course here in the Met as head of National Counter Terrorism Policing.

“He has lived the realities of neighbourhood policing right through to some of the most complex counter-terror issues we’ve faced in decades. He has a proven track record of reducing crime and increasing confidence in communities right across the UK. His skills and experience will be pivotal in our ongoing work to reform our service to London.

“Matt is held in incredibly high esteem by all those who have already worked alongside him. I look forward to seeing how he shapes this role and continues to build on the legacy left by Dame Lynne.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I know how determined Matt Jukes is to help deliver a New Met for London, build on the progress we have achieved tackling crime in the capital and improve the confidence and trust London’s communities have in the police.

“His experience as an officer, detective and across a variety of senior roles will be invaluable as the Met continues to reform, modernise and improve the service it delivers. I’m looking forward to working with him and keeping the momentum of change going to deliver a safer London for all.”

Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention Dame Diana Johnson said: “The role of Deputy Commissioner is one of the most demanding and important in policing, so I am delighted that Matt has been appointed to take on that challenge.

“I also want to thank Matt for his vision and leadership as head of CT Policing since 2021.

“Matt’s experience, leadership and dedication to duty, which he has demonstrated throughout his career, proves he is the right person to help lead the charge in reducing crime, restoring confidence in policing and making our streets safer.

“His skills, track record of delivery and understanding of what’s needed to protect the public and keep communities safe, will be indispensable when it comes to policing the capital.”

After Dame Lynne announced her intention to retire in February, a process to recruit her successor was launched. That process concluded, with AC Jukes recommended as the successful candidate.

As is standard procedure, Home Secretary and Royal Household approval of that recommendation was required and has now been received.

Bio

Deputy Commissioner Jukes joined policing in 1995 as a constable with South Yorkshire Police.

From patrolling Sheffield’s East End, he worked as a detective, and in a variety of other roles, working his way up to the position of Chief Superintendent, Borough Commander.

He joined South Wales Police in 2010 as an Assistant Chief Constable leading on Specialist Crime and served as Deputy Chief Constable before being appointed Chief Constable in January 2018. He was awarded the Queen’s Policing Medal in that year’s Honours.

He held the post until November 2020 when he joined the Met as Assistant Commissioner, leading and overseeing transformation programmes, moving to the post of Head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing and the Met’s Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations (ACSO) in July 2021. This continued a longstanding focus on intelligence and security, that began with a first role in counter terrorism in 2001 and saw him perform the role of counter-terrorism Commander in a number of significant operations.

As ACSO and Head of CTP, his responsibilities included countering threats from domestic and international terrorism and the protection of the Royal Family, Ministers and Parliament. He oversaw the CTP investigation and response to the murder of Sir David Amess MP and contributed to security at the funeral of HM The Queen and HM The King’s Coronation. Most recently, he led responses to the recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

As the national lead on security policing, he oversaw a four-fold increase in operations emanating from espionage, foreign interference and war crimes over almost four years.

This 30-year career has been split between periods in specialist areas of policing, and others at the heart of local policing, delivering for communities and supporting frontline colleagues, including a focus on their wellbeing. He is a former Chair, and now Vice Chair, of Police Sport UK, and a Patron of the Police Roll of Honour Trust.

He became acting Deputy Commissioner in May 2025.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seize Record Amounts of Illegal Drugs, Firearms, and Drug Trafficking Proceeds in International Operation Against Darknet Trafficking of Fentanyl and Opioids; 270 Arrested Across Four Continents

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

WASHINGTON — Today, the Attorney General and the Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, and international law enforcement partners announced the results of Operation RapTor, including the arrests of 270 dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Operation RapTor resulted in the highest number of seizures of any JCODE operation, including more than $200 million in currency and digital assets, over two metric tons of drugs, 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and over 180 firearms.

Operation RapTor was a global, coordinated effort by law enforcement in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as the sales of other illicit goods and services, on the darknet, or dark web. Operation RapTor builds on the successes of prior years’ operations and takedowns of marketplaces, which resulted in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets, providing investigators across the world with investigative leads and evidence. JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to compile intelligence packages to identify entities of interest. These leads allow U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to identify darknet drug vendors and buyers, resulting in a series of coordinated, but separate, law enforcement investigations, reflected in the statistics announced today. In furtherance of Operation RapTor and in its first action as a JCODE member agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) additionally sanctioned Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market following seizure of the market. Parsarad was also indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges related to the illegal business he ran on the dark web.

“This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web – this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”

“By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”

“These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”

“Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement,” said Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris. “Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”

“This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date—seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable. This critical strike against dark web networks fueling the fentanyl crisis marks a proud moment in our ongoing effort to protect communities worldwide.”

“This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen—your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals—they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”

“Operation RapTor shows what’s possible when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. Our commitment is unwavering.”

“The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Deputy Director Chad Menster of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who misuse the internet in a quest for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”

The impact of Operation RapTor can be attributed to the tireless work of U.S. and international law enforcement partners. For example:

On Dec. 16, 2024, Rui-Siang Lin pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York of narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication for owning and operating Incognito Market, one of the largest narcotics marketplaces on the internet.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Incognito Market was an online narcotics bazaar that started on the dark web in October 2020. Until it shut down in March 2024, Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics—including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access using the Tor web browser on the “dark web” or “darknet.” Incognito Market was designed to facilitate seamless narcotics transactions, incorporating many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. Upon visiting the site, users were met by a splash page and graphic interface, which is pictured below:

Figure 1: Incognito Market homepage

While concealing their identities with a unique username or “moniker,” users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Incognito Market sold illegal narcotics including heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam, as well as misbranded prescription medication. An example of listings on Incognito market is below:

Figure 2: Listings for various drugs on the Incognito Market.

Listings included offerings of prescription medication that was falsely advertised as being authentic. For example, in November 2023, while operating in an undercover capacity on Incognito Market, a law enforcement agent purchased and received several tablets purported to be oxycodone. Testing revealed that these tablets were not oxycodone and were, in fact, fentanyl pills.

The FBI, HSI, DEA, FDA OCI, and the New York Police Department investigated the case.

In a second example, in January 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California secured a 17-year sentence for Adan Ruiz, of Orange County, and a 15-year sentence for Omar Navia, of Los Angeles, for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the darknet. In imposing the sentences, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter called this case “the most sophisticated fentanyl distribution ring that this court has seen.”

Navia and Ruiz admitted in their plea agreements that, from at least August 2021 to December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston, who used the darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell more than 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other drugs directly to more than 1,000 customers in all 50 states, causing several fatal overdoses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Srinivasan and Ta used the “redlightlabs” darknet account to advertise and sell counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Srinivasan also used the encrypted messaging application Wickr to communicate with and sell drugs to customers. Srinivasan received virtual currency as payment for the drugs and then routed that virtual currency through cryptocurrency exchanges.

The court record also shows that Ta communicated with Srinivasan about drug orders, obtained fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine from sources of supply, stored those drugs in his residence, and mailed out packages with drugs to customers who had ordered them from Srinivasan on the “redlightlabs” account.

Ta and Srinivasan admitted in their plea agreements to causing the fentanyl overdose deaths of three victims. Both defendants further admitted to distributing fentanyl-laced pills to two additional victims, both of whom suffered fatal drug overdoses shortly after they received the pills from Ta and Srinivasan. Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum, “The five victims of defendants’ crimes ranged in age from 19 to 51. They lived across the country, from California to Florida, Colorado to Arkansas. Each of the five victims leaves behind a family that has been forever and fundamentally changed by defendants’ actions. [Ta and Srinivasan] also victimized countless others as part of an epidemic of addiction and despair plaguing our district and our country.”

The FBI investigated this case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the DEA’s Fayetteville Resident Office, and the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force.

In a third example, in February 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia charged Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. The defendants allegedly sold drugs on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency under the monikers “NuveoDelux,” “Mrjohnson,” and “AllStateRx.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, these three prolific darknet vendors were collectively responsible for fulfilling over 13,000 drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10,000 pills. Joshua and Joseph Vasquez collectively ran the NuveoDeluxe and AllStateRx accounts. A fourth co-conspirator, Gregory Castillo-Rosario, who was arrested in October 2024, ran the Mrjohnson account. Roman assisted his co-conspirators by pressing counterfeit Adderall pills, packaging them, and distributing drug orders into the mail using the U.S. Postal Service. The conspiracy also laundered funds associated with darknet drug proceeds.

While executing search warrants in New Jersey and New York, federal law enforcement officers seized more than $330,000, close to 80,000 counterfeit Adderall pills, one firearm, and two industrial pill press machines. Additionally, two vehicles and several pieces of property were seized during the search warrants. An additional 30 kilograms of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills were seized on May 2, 2024, in New York. Photographs of some of the seized items are below:

Figure 3: Counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine stored in 5-gallon buckets

Figure 4: Bags ready to be shipped to customers nationwide.

Figure 5: Illegal pill press machines used by drug traffickers to make counterfeit pharmaceutical pills.

Figure 6: Trash bags full of counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine.

Joshua Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, and was sentenced on July 25, 2024, to 12 years in prison. Joseph Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024, and was sentenced on Aug. 8, 2024, to 10 years in prison. Roman pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, and was sentenced on Nov. 14, 2024, to 10 years in prison. They all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create a counterfeit substance and distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

The FBI, FDA, and USPIS investigated this matter with significant contributions from DEA, HSI, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Howell Township Police Department, the Lakewood Township Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Arlington County Police Department, and the New York Police Department.

In a fourth example, a San Fernando Valley man, Brian McDonald, 23, was sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison in the Central District of California for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide. He admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose.

From at least April 2021 until May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via multiple darknet marketplaces. McDonald operated under the monikers “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan.” McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled.

McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help package and ship the narcotics they sold on the darknet. McDonald directed and helped these accomplices package and ship the narcotics. McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed others to complete hundreds of drug sales involving large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine.

The FBI and DEA investigated this matter.

Operation RapTor involves law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, including the DEA, FBI, FDA OCI, HSI, IRS-CI, and USPIS. Credible reporting from the referenced agencies, in addition to contributions from ATF, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Customs and Border Protection, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and OFAC, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, enabled domestic law enforcement actions in support of Operation RapTor. State, local, and other federal agencies also contributed to Operation RapTor investigations through task force participation and regional partnerships, as well as the multi-agency Special Operations Division.

The investigations leading to Operation RapTor were significantly aided by support and coordination from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, with valuable assistance from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Fraud Section, and Office of International Affairs.

Key international partners include Europol; Eurojust; Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Brazil’s Civil Police of the State of Pará (Polícia Civil do Estado do Pará) and Civil Police of the State of São Paulo (Polícia Civil do Estado do São Paulo); France’s French Customs (Douane), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime), Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg) various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), and German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); the Netherlands’ Team High Tech Crime (National Investigations and Special Operations (NIS) and Post Interventie Team (PIT), National Intelligence, Expertise and Operational Support (NIEO); Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional); South Korea’s Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office – Darknet Investigations Unit; Switzerland’s Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II); and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Federal investigations spanned the United States, and 26 United States Attorneys’ Offices are prosecuting cases, including the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Connecticut, the District of Columbia, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Georgia, the District of Hawaii, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Massachusetts, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Western District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of New Jersey, the Southern District of New York, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Western District of Washington.

The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission File Statement of Interest on Anticompetitive Uses of Common Shareholdings to Discourage Coal Production

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

Today, the Justice Department, joined by the Federal Trade Commission (the “Agencies”) filed a statement of interest in the Eastern District of Texas in the case of Texas et al. v. BlackRock, Inc. The States’ lawsuit—led by the Texas Attorney General—alleges that BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard used their management of stock in competing coal companies to induce reductions in output, resulting in higher energy prices for American consumers. This is the first formal statement by the Agencies in federal court on the antitrust implications of common shareholdings.

On Jan. 29, President Trump issued Executive Order 14156, declaring a national energy emergency. On April 8, Executive Order 14261 called for “increase[d] domestic energy production, including coal.” As the Agencies’ statement makes clear, protecting competition for coal furthers these policies by enabling the free market to unleash America’s energy security and economic dynamism.

“The President has declared a national energy emergency, and we need competition in coal production now more than ever to help fuel American energy dominance,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail A. Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “American consumers suffer when institutional asset managers use shareholdings in competing companies to orchestrate output reductions. As the Supreme Court has held, ‘social justifications’ for anticompetitive conduct ‘do not make it any less unlawful.’ We will not hesitate to stand up against powerful financial firms that use Americans’ retirement savings to harm competition under the guise of ESG.”

Today’s statement of interest explains that while antitrust safe harbors for passive investment protect most index fund investing and beneficial corporate governance advocacy, they do not protect the use of commonly managed stock in competitors to encourage market-wide reductions in output. The statement explains how the law protects typical shareholder behavior, how the States’ complaint alleges an anticompetitive campaign, and how the law should properly be applied to the States’ claims.

The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so helps protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. A collection of these statements of antitrust and amicus filings is publicly available on the Division’s website.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Councillor Teresa Heritage elected as new Mayor of the City and District of St Albans

Source: St Albans City and District

Publication date: 22 May 2025

Councillor Teresa Heritage has been elected the new Mayor of the City and District of St Albans and will support two charities during her year in office.

She was made Mayor for 2025/26 at the Annual Meeting of the Council on Wednesday 21 May with Councillor Sue Griffiths becoming Deputy Mayor.

Mayor Heritage, who succeeds Cllr Jamie Day, will raise money for Community First Responders and Pancreatic Cancer UK.

She has also decided that the themes of her civic year will be encouraging volunteering and supporting small businesses.

Mayor Heritage has been a District Councillor since 2002 and represents Harpenden South ward. She is the City’s 481st Mayor with the first having been appointed in 1553.

She will chair Full Council meetings and represent the City at a variety of events, often involving voluntary and charity groups.

Mayor Heritage said:

It is an honour to be elected to this historic position and I am looking forward to an exciting year ahead.

During my time in office, I will be promoting volunteering, throwing some light on the selfless work people undertake to strengthen our communities. I will also seek to highlight our local businesses which provide so many jobs and services.

Pancreatic Cancer UK is a cause close to my heart as the illness recently took away my dear friend Brian Ellis, a former District Councillor.

Communities First Responders are volunteers, trained to attend local medical emergencies and save lives before an ambulance arrives.

I will be urging people to donate to these wonderful causes and will start my fund-raising efforts with a sponsored slim.

To charities and community groups across the District, I say please invite me to your events, so I can highlight your work in encouraging cohesion and inclusivity, so nobody feels left behind.

Mayor Teresa Heritage

Teresa has been a District Councillor for 23 years, serving on numerous Committees, and was formerly both a Town and County Councillor.

Hertfordshire born and bred, she grew up in Borehamwood and went to work for Lloyds Bank after leaving school at 18.

She later qualified as a Chartered Secretary and began a career in the City, rising to become Assistant Company Secretary and Investor Relations Manager for Lonrho.

Teresa spent 26 years with Lonrho, being involved in high-profile takeovers and other major business dealings, and later joined a consultancy.

She has also enjoyed a long career in public service, becoming a District Councillor in 2002 and a County Councillor six years later.

As a County Councillor, she served in many roles including Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Children’s Services.

In addition, she became a Mental Health Champion, joined the Royal British Legion and chaired Hertfordshire SSAFA, the armed forces’ charity.

Teresa has been heavily involved for many years in community and charity work in Harpenden and is currently President of Harpenden Village Rotary Club.

She has been a school governor and a founding member of Harpenden Connect and Harpenden Seniors Forum.

Her husband David, a retired businessman, is a District and Town Councillor. The couple have a son and three grandchildren.

Deputy Mayor Sue Griffiths

Sue, who is a District Councillor for Harpenden North ward, was born and raised in Liverpool where she attended university before going into banking.

Work took her south and she held senior positions with the former Midland Bank, reaching the final of the Young Businesswoman of the Year in 1989.

Sue later trained as a teacher in Business Studies and gained an MA in Education from the University of Hertfordshire while teaching at Marlborough Science Academy in St Albans.

She later moved to Sir John Lawes School in Harpenden, where she has lived since 1987, and became Head of Faculty for Business and Economics

She continues to work in education at Sir John Lawes and as a business lecturer at Oaklands College.

Sue is a supporter of Young Enterprise, a national charity to equip young people for the world of work, and has received their long service award.

She also supports the Open Door homeless shelter in St Albans, cooking regular evening meals as part of a team.

Her husband Roy is a retired banker and the couple have three children and two grandchildren.

Charity contacts

You can find out more information about Communities First Responders, including opportunities for volunteering, here.

More information about Pancreatic Cancer UK is available here.

Pictures: top, the Mayor, Cllr Teresa Heritage; bottom, the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Sue Griffiths.

Contact for the Mayor’s office: Alison Orde, the Mayor’s Civic Officer, 01727 819544, mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk.

Contact for the media: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, 01727-819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 27, 2025