NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Membership Updates for July 2025

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Membership Updates for July 2025

    IADC welcomes 8 new Members:

    • ASIATIC ENERGY – Mahesana, Gujarat, India

    • BASRA VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER – Al Hussien District, Basra, Iraq 

    • BETATEC HOP PRODUCTS – Malvern, Worcestershire, UK 

    • BRUNO SILVA CARNEIRO MAPURUNGA – Mojave, California, US

    • DUKE MARINE TECHNICAL SERVICES USA INC – Katy, Texas, US

    • FARSUND DRILLING SOLUTION AS – Farsund, Agder, Norway 

    • INTERNATIONAL UPSTREAM ENERGY CONSULTANTS LLC FC – Pecos, Texas, US

    • STEPWISE AS – Stavanger, Norway

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Richard R. Barker Concludes Service as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

     Spokane, Washington – On July 7, 2025, Richard R. Barker stepped down as the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. Barker will be returning to private practice in Spokane after a distinguished career in public service.

    Acting United States Attorney Barker has over a decade of experience as a career prosecutor, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney since 2014.  During his career, Barker has held the positions of First Assistant United States Attorney, Tribal Liaison, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Coordinator, Digital Asset Coordinator, and Public Affairs Officer.  From 2014 – 2019, Barker served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the nation’s capital, where he served as a dedicated homicide prosecutor.  In early 2019, Barker joined the Eastern District of Washington, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney (“AUSA”) in the Spokane office.

    Acting United States Attorney Barker has dedicated his career to serving victims of violent crime, while handling numerous homicide and violent crime cases. Late last year, Barker was lead counsel with AUSA Michael J. Ellis in the trial of Zachery Holt and Dezmonique Tenzsley for the double murder of two Tribal members and the attempted murder of a federal officer on the Colville Indian Reservation. In 2023, Barker successfully prosecuted Ronald Craig Ilg, who attempted to hire hitmen on the dark web to harm his wife and a former work colleague.  Earlier this year, Barker was lead counsel with AUSA Nowles Heinrich and Echo Fatsis in the successful trial of Luis Esquival Balonos, who was convicted on multiple drug trafficking charges stemming from more than one hundred pounds of illegal drugs being distributed on and around the Colville Indian Reservation and into Montana. Barker, who carried an active caseload while leading the office, was the first Eastern Washington U.S. Attorney in nearly two decades to try a case to a verdict while serving in the U.S. Attorney role.

    Throughout his career, Acting United States Attorney Barker also handled several significant drug trafficking prosecutions.  In 2023, Barker, with co-counsel AUSA Stephanie Van Marter, prosecuted the “Fetty Bros” Drug Trafficking Organization, which was distributing hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and other drugs into Eastern Washington and using extreme violence to insulate their organization. In his efforts to further address the fentanyl crisis, Barker worked with now former U.S. Attorney Waldref and the City of Spokane to create a Special U.S. Assistant Attorney position focused on prosecuting those responsible for illegal narcotics impacting the Spokane area.

    As First Assistant United States Attorney, Barker supervised the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s litigating units, which include the Criminal, Civil, and Appellate Divisions. As the Chief Deputy to the U.S. Attorney, Barker helped establish the District’s dedicated Appellate Division and worked closely with the Office’s administrative team to obtain additional DOJ resources for increasing public safety throughout Eastern Washington.

    Throughout his service, Former Acting U.S. Attorney Barker built strong relationships with Washington’s Native American communities and worked tirelessly to honor federal treaty rights with Tribal Nations in Eastern Washington and address the crisis of missing or murdered indigenous people. In early 2024, Barker played a key role in hiring the district’s first MMIP AUSA, who is fully dedicated to prosecuting cases of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People.  For Barker’s dedication to working with Native American communities and improving public safety, he received a Department of Justice Director’s Award in 2024.

    “Serving as a federal prosecutor has been the highlight of my career,” said Barker. “It has been an honor to represent the United States and seek justice for victims and their families. Spokane has truly become home for me and my family, and I look forward to remaining active in the legal community as I return to private practice right here in Eastern Washington.”

    Former U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated, “Acting U.S. Attorney Barker is an exceptional leader, a talented trial attorney, and a fearless advocate for justice. His service to the Department of Justice and dedication to protecting the communities of Eastern Washington is second to none. He led the District with distinction, focusing every day on doing the right thing for victims and the community and maintaining an unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law.”

    Outside the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Barker will continue to serve as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law, where he has taught courses in Trial Advocacy and Conflicts of Law. Barker also serves as a Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

    Stephanie Van Marter will be assuming the role of Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “I’m honored to pass the torch to Acting U.S. Attorney Van Marter,” said Barker. “Steph has dedicated her career to the Department of Justice, and she will lead this office with the same honor, integrity, and commitment to justice as those who have served before her.” A formal announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding Ms. Van Marter’s new role will be issued in the coming days.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fairbanks man sentenced to 22 years for distributing fentanyl resulting in a fatal overdose

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    The defendant is one of over 60 charged in large-scale drug trafficking ring targeting Alaska.

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Fairbanks man was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and, upon release, will serve five years on supervised release for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a local man in 2022.

    According to court documents, beginning in May 2022 and continuing to July 2022, Edward Ginnis, 39, agreed with co-conspirators to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances in the Fairbanks area. Specifically, Ginnis distributed controlled substances to a co-conspirator, who then sold the substances to others. Ginnis’ actions were a small part of a larger drug trafficking enterprise allegedly being directed by an inmate in a California prison.

    On June 7, 2022, Ginnis sent an overnight package containing money to a co-conspirator in California, paying in advance for a shipment of drugs intended for a co-conspirator in Fairbanks. On June 11, a package arrived for the co-conspirator in Fairbanks. Ginnis and the alleged leader of the enterprise had orchestrated this shipment. Drug ledgers found in the alleged leader’s prison cell indicate that the shipment contained “chocolate,” which was a term that members of the enterprise used for heroin. The alleged leader also arranged to have additional packages containing heroin sent to Alaska, and Ginnis received more packages on June 16 and 21, 2022.

    Later in the day on June 11, 2022, Ginnis sent text messages to several distributors asking if they had potential purchasers. One of the distributors, the co-defendant in this case, allegedly offered to help sell drugs. On June 25, Adam Sakkinen, 32, an individual who struggled with heroin usage, messaged the co-defendant asking to purchase drugs. Around noon, the co-defendant allegedly agreed to sell drugs to Sakkinen and he sent the co-defendant $50.00 before messaging that he was on his way.

    Later, at 12:58 p.m. that same day, local fire and emergency medical services responded to a single car accident on the side of a road in Badger. First responders found Sakkinen unconscious behind the wheel of a car with drug paraphernalia in his hands and near him. Law enforcement officials tested the paraphernalia, and it tested positive for fentanyl.

    First responders administered six doses of Narcan to Sakkinen and he regained a pulse. Sakkinen was transported to two hospitals and was put on life support at a hospital in Anchorage. Sakkinen spent 11 days in the intensive care unit before he passed away. A sample of Sakkinen’s blood was sent for testing and lab results found that he had 20 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl in his bloodstream at the time of his death. Reports show that the average lethal level of fentanyl in the bloodstream is eight nanograms per milliliter.

    On July 14, 2022, Ginnis was arrested in Fairbanks based on a violation of his state probation. He was in possession of fentanyl that he intended to distribute to others in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. He also possessed over $13,000 in cash.

    On Jan. 18, 2025, Ginnis and a co-defendant were indicted on federal drug trafficking charges. On April 3, 2025, Ginnis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substance resulting in death. His co-defendant is awaiting trial.

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the law enforcement agencies that came together to investigate this crime and help bring justice to the family of the victim,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William Narus for the District of Oregon.

    “Fentanyl traffickers choose profit over people when they sell drugs that lead to addiction and death,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This sentence holds Mr. Ginnis accountable for this choice and sends a clear message that the DEA and our partners will bring to justice those who seek to poison and destroy our communities.”

    “The Alaska State Troopers are committed to working with our federal and local partners to bring dangerous drug traffickers to justice,” said Colonel Maurice Hughes, Director of the Alaska State Troopers. “Drug dealers have no place in our great state. This sentencing sends a clear message: if you traffic dangerous drugs in Alaska, law enforcement will find you, and you will face serious consequences for your actions.”

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases.  He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or Acting U.S. Attorney Narus in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office, Alaska State Troopers, North Slope Borough Police Department, North Pole Police Department and Fairbanks Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins, Chris Schroeder and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fairbanks man sentenced to 22 years for distributing fentanyl resulting in a fatal overdose

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    The defendant is one of over 60 charged in large-scale drug trafficking ring targeting Alaska.

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Fairbanks man was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and, upon release, will serve five years on supervised release for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a local man in 2022.

    According to court documents, beginning in May 2022 and continuing to July 2022, Edward Ginnis, 39, agreed with co-conspirators to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances in the Fairbanks area. Specifically, Ginnis distributed controlled substances to a co-conspirator, who then sold the substances to others. Ginnis’ actions were a small part of a larger drug trafficking enterprise allegedly being directed by an inmate in a California prison.

    On June 7, 2022, Ginnis sent an overnight package containing money to a co-conspirator in California, paying in advance for a shipment of drugs intended for a co-conspirator in Fairbanks. On June 11, a package arrived for the co-conspirator in Fairbanks. Ginnis and the alleged leader of the enterprise had orchestrated this shipment. Drug ledgers found in the alleged leader’s prison cell indicate that the shipment contained “chocolate,” which was a term that members of the enterprise used for heroin. The alleged leader also arranged to have additional packages containing heroin sent to Alaska, and Ginnis received more packages on June 16 and 21, 2022.

    Later in the day on June 11, 2022, Ginnis sent text messages to several distributors asking if they had potential purchasers. One of the distributors, the co-defendant in this case, allegedly offered to help sell drugs. On June 25, Adam Sakkinen, 32, an individual who struggled with heroin usage, messaged the co-defendant asking to purchase drugs. Around noon, the co-defendant allegedly agreed to sell drugs to Sakkinen and he sent the co-defendant $50.00 before messaging that he was on his way.

    Later, at 12:58 p.m. that same day, local fire and emergency medical services responded to a single car accident on the side of a road in Badger. First responders found Sakkinen unconscious behind the wheel of a car with drug paraphernalia in his hands and near him. Law enforcement officials tested the paraphernalia, and it tested positive for fentanyl.

    First responders administered six doses of Narcan to Sakkinen and he regained a pulse. Sakkinen was transported to two hospitals and was put on life support at a hospital in Anchorage. Sakkinen spent 11 days in the intensive care unit before he passed away. A sample of Sakkinen’s blood was sent for testing and lab results found that he had 20 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl in his bloodstream at the time of his death. Reports show that the average lethal level of fentanyl in the bloodstream is eight nanograms per milliliter.

    On July 14, 2022, Ginnis was arrested in Fairbanks based on a violation of his state probation. He was in possession of fentanyl that he intended to distribute to others in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. He also possessed over $13,000 in cash.

    On Jan. 18, 2025, Ginnis and a co-defendant were indicted on federal drug trafficking charges. On April 3, 2025, Ginnis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substance resulting in death. His co-defendant is awaiting trial.

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the law enforcement agencies that came together to investigate this crime and help bring justice to the family of the victim,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William Narus for the District of Oregon.

    “Fentanyl traffickers choose profit over people when they sell drugs that lead to addiction and death,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This sentence holds Mr. Ginnis accountable for this choice and sends a clear message that the DEA and our partners will bring to justice those who seek to poison and destroy our communities.”

    “The Alaska State Troopers are committed to working with our federal and local partners to bring dangerous drug traffickers to justice,” said Colonel Maurice Hughes, Director of the Alaska State Troopers. “Drug dealers have no place in our great state. This sentencing sends a clear message: if you traffic dangerous drugs in Alaska, law enforcement will find you, and you will face serious consequences for your actions.”

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases.  He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or Acting U.S. Attorney Narus in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office, Alaska State Troopers, North Slope Borough Police Department, North Pole Police Department and Fairbanks Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins, Chris Schroeder and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Sacramento Men Sentenced for Fentanyl Pill Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Two members of a Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization were sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd for fentanyl trafficking and related crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    Jose Guadalupe Lopez-Zamora, 30, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of conspiracy to launder money.

    Joaquin Alberto Sotelo Valdez, 28, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    According to court documents, Lopez-Zamora was the leader of the organization that was responsible for importing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone “M-30” pills from Mexico and distributing them in northern California and elsewhere between May 2019 and January 2021. The group also distributed cocaine and methamphetamine.

    Fourteen other co-defendants have pleaded guilty, and eight have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 19 months to over 10 years. Rosario Zamora Rojo and Jose Aguilar Saucedo are scheduled to be sentenced in July 2025. Luis Lopez Zamora, Leonardo Flores Beltran, Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo, and Sandro Escobedo are scheduled to be sentenced in August 2025.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET 5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Luis Lopez Zamora to the United States from Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Sacramento Men Sentenced for Fentanyl Pill Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Two members of a Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization were sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd for fentanyl trafficking and related crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    Jose Guadalupe Lopez-Zamora, 30, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of conspiracy to launder money.

    Joaquin Alberto Sotelo Valdez, 28, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    According to court documents, Lopez-Zamora was the leader of the organization that was responsible for importing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone “M-30” pills from Mexico and distributing them in northern California and elsewhere between May 2019 and January 2021. The group also distributed cocaine and methamphetamine.

    Fourteen other co-defendants have pleaded guilty, and eight have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 19 months to over 10 years. Rosario Zamora Rojo and Jose Aguilar Saucedo are scheduled to be sentenced in July 2025. Luis Lopez Zamora, Leonardo Flores Beltran, Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo, and Sandro Escobedo are scheduled to be sentenced in August 2025.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET 5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Luis Lopez Zamora to the United States from Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced To Prison For Armed Carjacking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Solamon Flores-Garcia, 43, of Mexico, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today for carjacking and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Rhett Bolen of the Monroe Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, on October 24, 2023, Flores-Garcia, a previously deported alien that was residing illegally in Monroe, N.C., went to a neighbor’s home. When the neighbor answered the door, Flores-Garcia pointed a red handgun at the neighbor and demanded her wallet and car keys. Flores-Garcia then drove the victim’s car to La Chiquita Mexican store, where he robbed that establishment. During the robbery, Flores-Garcia pointed a red firearm at the head of the clerk before taking money from the store and fleeing the scene in the stolen vehicle. Flores-Garcia was arrested shortly thereafter.

    Flores-Garcia remains in custody pending transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    The FBI and CMPD investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced To Prison For Armed Carjacking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Solamon Flores-Garcia, 43, of Mexico, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today for carjacking and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Rhett Bolen of the Monroe Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, on October 24, 2023, Flores-Garcia, a previously deported alien that was residing illegally in Monroe, N.C., went to a neighbor’s home. When the neighbor answered the door, Flores-Garcia pointed a red handgun at the neighbor and demanded her wallet and car keys. Flores-Garcia then drove the victim’s car to La Chiquita Mexican store, where he robbed that establishment. During the robbery, Flores-Garcia pointed a red firearm at the head of the clerk before taking money from the store and fleeing the scene in the stolen vehicle. Flores-Garcia was arrested shortly thereafter.

    Flores-Garcia remains in custody pending transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    The FBI and CMPD investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader Of Multimillion-Dollar Bank Fraud Scheme Is Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The leader of a multimillion-dollar bank fraud scheme and one of his co-conspirators were sentenced to prison today, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Kotto Yaphet Paul, 50 of Waxhaw, N.C., was ordered to serve 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Latoya Tameika Ford, 50, of Covington, Georgia, was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Both Paul and Ford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Paul also pleaded guilty to money laundering and aiding and abetting.

    A third co-conspirator, Bruce Howard Marko, 66, of Charlotte, was sentenced in April to 12 months and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1.5 million for his role in the scheme. A fourth individual charged in this case, Love Norman, of West Palm Beach, Florida, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and is awaiting sentencing.

    Four additional defendants were previously convicted of bank fraud conspiracy for their involvement in the scheme. Amrish D. Patel was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Dwight A. Peebles, Jr. was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Denise Woodard was ordered to serve 36 months in prison, and Derrick L. Harrison, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution ranging from $620,000 to more than $3.1 million.

    According to filed court documents and court proceedings, beginning in 2018, the co-conspirators executed a scheme that defrauded at least 17 federally insured financial institutions of more than $17 million in fraudulent loans. Paul, who was the organizer and leader of the scheme and the primary beneficiary of the fraud conspiracy, relied on a network of co-conspirators that included Ford, to prepare and submit the fraudulent loan applications to financial institutions and facilitate the fraud. The fraudulent loans were of several types, including business loans purportedly for the purchase of equipment, land development loans, and residential mortgage loans. To secure the loans from the financial institutions, Paul and his co-conspirators made material misrepresentations on the loan applications and provided fraudulent documentation, including false income and employment information; financial statements; bank statements; and tax returns. The loan applications also contained misrepresentations about the purpose of the loans and the operations of the relevant businesses.

    Based on the fraudulent loan applications, Paul and his co-conspirators secured at least 42 loans from the victim financial institutions. Contrary to information provided on the loan applications about the purposes of the loans, the defendants used the loan proceeds to purchase real estate, cover unrelated business expenses, make investments, make payments toward earlier loans, and pay for personal expenditures.

    According to court documents, Paul engaged in money laundering in furtherance of the fraud and executed monetary transactions using funds derived from the criminal scheme. For example, in 2020, Paul wired nearly $400,000 to a title insurance company that Norman used to purchase a home in Florida.

    Court documents show that the defendants defaulted on most of the loans, causing substantial losses to the victim financial institutions that issued the loans.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the Office of the Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Charlotte, and the Charlotte Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, for the investigation of this case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: El Salvadoran with prior sex offense pleads guilty to illegally reentering United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – An illegal alien from El Salvador pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of a felony. 

    Adiel Hernandez-Orellana, 39, was previously convicted in Arkansas of sexual assault.

    In 2003, Hernandez-Orellana was arrested for unlawfully entering the United States. In 2004, he was ordered removed from the United States after failing to appear for an immigration court hearing. In 2010, he was convicted of sexual assault in Sebastian County, Arkansas, and sentenced to seven years in prison. Following his prison sentence, he was removed from the United States.

    In March 2025, the defendant was detained at the Delaware County jail in Ohio for outstanding traffic warrants. He was then processed for the instant immigration offense of illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of a felony.

    Illegally reentering the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to two years in prison. If the offender has a prior felony conviction (or multiple prior misdemeanor convictions of certain types), the penalty is increased to up to 10 years in prison, and if the offender has been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Transporting illegal aliens is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Possessing a firearm as an illegal alien is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Kevin Raycraft, Acting Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.

    This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Southern District of Ohio Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: OKALOOSA COUNTY MAN SENTENCED FOR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Malcolm Jamal Norvilus, 39, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was sentenced on July 1, 2025, to 120 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    According to court records, on July 25, 2024, law enforcement officers in Okaloosa County, Florida were attempting to locate a vehicle that had been reported stolen.  When they located the vehicle, the driver, Norvilus, fled from deputies at a high rate of speed and crashed into a pole.  Norvilus was subsequently apprehended after attempting to flee on foot, and officers located more than 80 grams of methamphetamine concealed in Norvilus’ pant leg, as well as a bag of other narcotics.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the incredible efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners, our communities will be safer and healthier with this individual locked up and no longer able to peddle poison on our streets.  My office will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with these officers in the fight to Take Back America from drug traffickers and violent offenders who have victimized our communities for far too long.”

    “Getting methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs off our streets is a top priority. These combined efforts by local and federal partners are tied to successful results like this one,” said Eric Aden, Okaloosa County Sheriff. “Protecting the public requires dealers be held accountable and we are proud to be a part of this case.”

    “Methamphetamine poses a great risk to our communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA remains dedicated in its fight against this dangerous, illicit substance and working with our partners in law enforcement to rid our neighborhoods of these dealers.”

    The case involved a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Franklin Resident Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison on Multiple Cyber Stalking Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NASHVILLE –McKenzie McClure a/k/a Kalvin McClure, 31, of Franklin, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in federal prison for cyberstalking fourteen victims, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    “Our office and our law enforcement partners will do whatever it takes to keep children safe from harm and hold those who would threaten our school communities accountable for their actions,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “This prosecution, culminating in yesterday’s sentence, should send a strong message that this type of conduct is intolerable in our community and will be pursued aggressively in order to keep our children protected.”

    “McClure’s relentless cyberstalking disrupted many lives, incited fear, and posed significant risks to the Christ Presbyterian Academy and Christ Presbyterian Church community,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “As demonstrated in this case, those who target innocent lives and threaten violence will be held accountable for their actions. I hope the victims can find some closure to the nightmares they endured during McClure’s reign of harassment.”

    “Making threats against a school is serious,” said Gregory Mays, Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. “This case shows how law enforcement and school leaders work together to protect students. It also reflects our strong commitment to keeping Tennesseans safe.”

    On March 24, 2024, the eve of the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at The Covenant School – the deadliest school shooting in Tennessee history – the defendant left a threatening voicemail on the main telephone line at Christ Presbyterian Academy (“CPA”). The defendant’s tone on the voicemail alternated between displaying an angry, menacing, and disturbed mindset, and a clear fixation on CPA and individuals affiliated with it. In the voicemail, the defendant referenced several acts of terror, as well as a fictional terror attack from the movie “Deadpool 2.” Immediately after mentioning the movie Deadpool 2, the defendant followed up with the phrase “killed by my hand type of stuff” and said the school would “know exactly what [the defendant was] talking about.

    The defendant’s voicemail was consistent with social media activity on the defendant’s X (formerly Twitter) account which regularly referenced CPA, Christ Presbyterian Church (“CPC”), individuals associated with CPA and CPC, and were intertwined with other posts referencing school violence, gun violence, and other violent events. On February 25, 2024, the defendant posted a video that she filmed of herself walking the exterior of the CPA/CPC campus while talking about watching the school burn on 9/11 and alluded to the consequences of ignoring “credible terroristic threats” like “George W” did on 9/11. CPA’s surveillance cameras captured additional conduct by the defendant while on campus, including the defendant attempting to access locked buildings, photographing maps of the school grounds, walking the entirety of CPA’s campus for approximately one hour, and, in actions the victims later testified were concerning, she extended both middle fingers and spun around while standing on the CPA crest.

    After listening to the voicemail, CPA officials discovered the defendant’s identity, reviewed her troubling social media and CPA’s surveillance video, and recognized the similarities between the defendant’s fixation on CPA and Hale’s fixation on Covenant. CPA officials notified law enforcement about the defendant’s conduct and closed the school on Monday, March 25, 2024.

    Law enforcement officers responded to the threat to CPA and encountered the defendant on that Monday, which led to the defendant being hospitalized and receiving mental health treatment. As the defendant prepared to leave the hospital, agents cautioned her to discontinue posting about CPA and CPC on social media, explaining that her actions had frightened the CPA community. The defendant acknowledged that she understood the impact of her previous actions and agreed that she would not engage in such behavior upon being discharged from the hospital. However, following her release on April 3, 2024, the defendant immediately resumed posting messages on her X account that targeted CPA, CPC, and individuals associated with CPA and CPC, and continued to do so until her arrest at the end of April. Even though law enforcement officers repeatedly cautioned the defendant about her unrelenting social media campaign targeting CPA/CPC, she expressed no remorse for her criminal conduct.

    As a result of the defendant’s conduct, CPA spent more than $140,000 on increased security measures to ensure the safety of its administration, faculty, staff, students, and families.

    Following her term of imprisonment, the defendant will be on supervised release for 3 years. The Court also ordered that McClure have no communication with persons associated with CPA/CPC and their families without express prior approval by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and that McClure is not to travel within 5 miles of the CPA/CPC campus or associated campuses.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katy Risinger and Joshua Kurtzman prosecuted the case.

    # # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Scott County Cattle Farmer Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Georgetown, Ky., man, Robert Conley, 71, has pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to providing a criminally false claim in order to obtain COVID relief funds. 

    In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, established many programs that were funded primarily by the federal government and administered by state workforce agencies. One of the programs provided support to farmers and ranchers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP provided financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities with financial assistance for sales losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency administered the program. CFAP applicants electronically certified that the information provided was accurate and were warned that any false statement or misrepresentation to the USDA or any misapplication of loan proceeds could result in sanctions, including criminal penalties.

    Conley is a buyer and seller of cattle in Georgetown and is also part owner of Paris Stockyards in Paris, Ky. According to Conley’s plea agreement, on May 26, 2020 and on September 29, 2020, he filed two CFAP applications. In additional to the two legitimate applications, Conley directed and caused four individuals to unwittingly submit false CFAP applications claiming they owned 20% of Conley’s cattle. At Conley’s direction, the four individuals received a total of $1,206,539.80 in CFAP funds, which they remitted back to Conley.   

    Additionally, Conley caused the submission of three false applications under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), claiming three of the individuals had payroll expenses associated with Conley’s cattle operation.  As a result of those false PPP applications, another $72,660 was fraudulently obtained.

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Janet M. Sorensen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Division, jointly announced the guilty plea.

    The investigation was conducted by the USDA-OIG and IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States.

    Conley is scheduled to appear for sentencing on October 9, 2025.  He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud.  The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.  For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

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

    — END —

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two South Florida Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – On June 13, Jeremiah Wolliston, 23, and Keith Patrick, 38, of West Palm Beach, Florida, were sentenced to 168 months and 72 months in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to their involvement in a scheme to buy stolen business checks from the mail and commit bank fraud.

    According to court documents, between December 2022 and May 2024, Wolliston and Patrick were involved in a conspiracy with others to buy stolen business checks from the mail, which were then altered and deposited into fraudulently opened bank accounts. As part of the scheme, Wolliston and Patrick set up fictitious corporations in Florida and Georgia using the names of their corporate victims and opened fraudulent bank accounts. Wolliston and Patrick deposited the checks before making ATM and counter withdrawals, wire transfers, and drafting checks to transfer the money to other members of the conspiracy. Total losses related to the scheme exceeded $4.5 million.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) made the announcement.

    USPIS, Homeland Security Investigations, USPS Office of the Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, West Palm Beach Police Department, and the Palm Beach Sherriff’s Office jointly investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld prosecuted the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov,under case number  24-CR-20440.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Executive Order on “Gold Standard Science”: FOIA Implications

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    On May 23, 2025, President Trump issued a new Executive Order No. 14303, “Restoring Gold Standard Science.”  This Executive Order is “committed to restoring a gold standard for science to ensure that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and that Federal decisions are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available.”[1]  The Executive Order includes a provision that requires agencies to proactively make publicly available certain scientific information.  Specifically, Section 4 states that “agency heads and employees shall adhere to the following rules governing the use, interpretation, and communication of scientific data, unless otherwise provided by law:

    (b)  Except as prohibited by law, and consistent with relevant policies that protect national security or sensitive personal or confidential business information, agency heads shall in a timely manner and, to the extent practicable and within the agency’s authority:

    (i)  subject to paragraph (ii), make publicly available the following information within the agency’s possession:

    (A)  the data, analyses, and conclusions associated with scientific and technological information produced or used by the agency that the agency reasonably assesses will have a clear and substantial effect on important public policies or important private sector decisions (influential scientific information), including data cited in peer-reviewed literature; and

    (B)  the models and analyses (including, as applicable, the source code for such models) the agency used to generate such influential scientific information.  Employees may not invoke exemption 5 to the Freedom of Information Act [FOIA] (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(5)) to prevent disclosure of such models unless authorized in writing to do so by the agency head following prior notice to the OSTP Director.

    (ii)  risk models used to guide agency enforcement actions or select enforcement targets are not information that must be disclosed under this subsection.”[2]

    Additionally, the Executive Order defines “scientific information” in the following manner:

    • “Scientific information” means factual inputs, data, models, analyses, technical information, or scientific assessments related to such disciplines as the behavioral and social sciences, public health and medical sciences, life and earth sciences, engineering, physical sciences, or probability and statistics.  This includes any communication or representation of knowledge such as facts or data, in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual forms.[3]

    The Section 4 disclosure requirement includes several disclosure limitations.  Section 4 does not require the disclosure of information that the FOIA or another law requires to be withheld.  Certain FOIA exemptions are non-discretionary and would therefore satisfy the “[e]xcept as prohibited by law” limitation of Section 4.  Specifically, FOIA Exemption 1, which protects classified information,[4] and FOIA Exemption 3, which exempts information protected by a statute other than the FOIA,[5] must still be applied to information subject to the Executive Order.  Additionally, the “sensitive personal or confidential business information” provision of the Executive Order would continue to protect information covered by FOIA Exemptions 4, 6, and 7(C).  These exemptions protect, respectively, confidential commercial information obtained by outside parties, and information for which the disclosure constitutes an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.[6]  Furthermore, the disclosure requirement is limited to “influential scientific information” that “the agency reasonably assesses will have a clear and substantial effect on important public policies or important private sector decisions.”[7]  Finally, agencies are not required to publish risk models for agency enforcement actions.[8]

    In short, these are the Executive Order’s disclosure-related takeaways:

    • The Executive Order requires proactive public disclosure of “influential scientific information” as well as models and analyses used to generate that information.
    • Such information cannot be withheld from disclosure pursuant to FOIA Exemption 5 absent notice to OSTP and approval from the agency head.
    • However, non-discretionary FOIA exemptions including Exemptions 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7(C) should still be applied to such information where appropriate.
    • Risk models for agency enforcement actions are not subject to the disclosure requirements of the Executive Order.

    The Executive Order further required that the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issue guidance on implementing the Order.[9]  On June 23, 2025, OSTP issued that guidance entitled, “Agency Guidance for Implementing Gold Standard Science in the Conduct & Management of Scientific Activities.”  This memorandum requires each agency to report their intended actions to implement the Executive Order and OSTP guidance by August 22, 2025.[10] Section 3 provides additional details on what information to include in the agency report.

    FOIA personnel should be made aware of the new public disclosure requirements in the Executive Order and should consult with their General Counsel’s Office for any questions regarding implementation of these requirements. Questions regarding the applicability of the FOIA to information subject to the Executive Order may also be directed to OIP.

    [1] Exec. Order No. 14,303 § 1, 90 Fed. Reg. 22601 (May 23, 2025).

    [2] Id. § 4(b).

    [3] Id. § 2(b).

    [4] 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(1).

    [5] 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(3).

    [6] See 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(1), (3), (4), (6), & (7)(C).

    [7] Exec. Order No. 14,303 § 4(b)(i)(A).

    [8] Id. § 4(b)(ii).

    [9] Id. § 3(a).

    [10] Off. of Science & Tech. Pol’y, Exec. Off. of the President, Agency Guidance for Implementing Gold Standard Science in the Conduct & Management of Scientific Activities (June 23, 2025).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Connecticut Man Sentenced to 69 Months in Fentanyl Distribution Case

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

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 26, 2025, Alexander Marcano, 33, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 69 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Marcano previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl on December 9, 2024.

    According to court records, in the early hours of January 30, 2023, U.S. Border Patrol Agents patrolling in the area of North Troy, Vermont, approximately one-half mile from the U.S./Canada border, encountered a vehicle driving erratically and pulled it over. Marcano was the front-seat passenger of the vehicle. Border Patrol agents learned that Marcano had an extraditable warrant from Connecticut for a shooting, for which Marcano was later convicted of Assault 1st Degree – Serious Physical Injury. At the time of the traffic stop, Marcano was found to be in possession of more than 98 grams of fentanyl, over 41 grams of cocaine base, over 75 grams of cocaine powder, a loaded 9 millimeter pistol, over $20,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia indicative of drug distribution.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Vermont Drug Task Force.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Lasher and Corinne Smith. Marcano was represented by Ian Carleton, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran Man Charged with Illegal Reentry to the United States

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

    Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on June 26, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Yubert Yasiel Lopez-Lopez, 31, of Honduras, with being found in the United States on February 2, 2025, after having previously been removed from the United States.

    Lopez-Lopez entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on June 27, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Lopez-Lopez be detained during the pendency of this matter.

    According to court records, Lopez-Lopez, a citizen of Honduras, was previously ordered removed from the United States on two occasions. On December 8, 2014, Lopez-Lopez was removed pursuant to an order issued by an Immigration Judge in Houston, Texas, after he had illegally crossed the U.S./Mexico border near Hidalgo, Texas in May 2014. On June 26, 2018, Lopez-Lopez was removed to Honduras after pleading guilty to illegal entry into the United States and receiving a sentence of time served in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Pursuant to his order of removal in 2018, Lopez-Lopez was prohibited from entering, attempting to enter, or being in the United States for 20 years thereafter. Lopez-Lopez was additionally expelled from the United States on two occasions in 2022 after illegally crossing the U.S./Mexico border near Yuma, Arizona.

    On February 2, 2025, Lopez-Lopez was encountered by a law enforcement officer who recorded Lopez-Lopez’s presence on the officer’s body worn camera. Lopez-Lopez provided his legal name and date of birth that matched his immigration records and indicated that his presence in the United States was illegal. On February 2, 2025, Lopez-Lopez was also wanted by law enforcement in Honduras for weapons trafficking. Lopez-Lopez was taken into custody by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies on June 10, 2025, in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Lopez-Lopez is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Lopez-Lopez faces up to 2 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Customs and Border Protection.

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jason Turner. Lopez-Lopez is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Charles Curlett.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously convicted felon sentenced to five years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm

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

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on July 16, 2024, Richmond Police officers approached Terry B. Matthews, 41, in a parking lot in Richmond. When the officers engaged Matthews in conversation, Matthews fled on foot and the officers pursued. Matthews jumped from a ledge and injured himself when he landed. Officers observed a loaded handgun in Matthews’ waistband and recovered it. Matthews also possessed a knotted plastic baggie containing over five grams of cocaine.

    In 2005, Matthews was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He then was convicted of assault and battery for beating his 17-year-old former girlfriend with a wooden board and a stick. Matthews was later convicted of second-degree murder after using a tree branch to strike the head of a victim who allegedly owed him money. As a previously convicted felon, Matthews cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. McGorman 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.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-160.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously convicted felon sentenced to five years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm

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

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on July 16, 2024, Richmond Police officers approached Terry B. Matthews, 41, in a parking lot in Richmond. When the officers engaged Matthews in conversation, Matthews fled on foot and the officers pursued. Matthews jumped from a ledge and injured himself when he landed. Officers observed a loaded handgun in Matthews’ waistband and recovered it. Matthews also possessed a knotted plastic baggie containing over five grams of cocaine.

    In 2005, Matthews was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He then was convicted of assault and battery for beating his 17-year-old former girlfriend with a wooden board and a stick. Matthews was later convicted of second-degree murder after using a tree branch to strike the head of a victim who allegedly owed him money. As a previously convicted felon, Matthews cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. McGorman 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.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-160.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously convicted felon sentenced to five years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm

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

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on July 16, 2024, Richmond Police officers approached Terry B. Matthews, 41, in a parking lot in Richmond. When the officers engaged Matthews in conversation, Matthews fled on foot and the officers pursued. Matthews jumped from a ledge and injured himself when he landed. Officers observed a loaded handgun in Matthews’ waistband and recovered it. Matthews also possessed a knotted plastic baggie containing over five grams of cocaine.

    In 2005, Matthews was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He then was convicted of assault and battery for beating his 17-year-old former girlfriend with a wooden board and a stick. Matthews was later convicted of second-degree murder after using a tree branch to strike the head of a victim who allegedly owed him money. As a previously convicted felon, Matthews cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. McGorman 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.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-160.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: The SBB Research Group Foundation Names June 2025 Grant Finalists: CREO DuPage, DoodleBug Workshop, Math Circles of Chicago

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The SBB Research Group Foundation recognizes three Chicago-area charities as the June 2025 finalists of its monthly grant program supporting impactful nonprofits (in alphabetical order):  

    • CREO DuPage (Glen Ellyn, IL) empowers families through college-centered services that help students enter and graduate, prepared for fulfilling careers. Rooted in the belief that education unlocks opportunity, the organization fosters a culture of aspiration, support, and long-term success.
    • DoodleBug Workshop (Wheaton, IL) supports individuals with special needs by providing vocational skills, fostering independence, and building self-esteem. With support from dedicated volunteers, the organization creates an inclusive space where participants grow, thrive, and gain a sense of purpose through hands-on learning and community connections.
    • Math Circles of Chicago (Chicago, IL) sparks curiosity and confidence in students through engaging, challenging math experiences. By offering free, high-quality programs led by dedicated educators, the organization creates inclusive spaces where all students can explore math, build problem-solving skills, and develop a lasting love of learning.

    The Foundation encourages any 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to apply for a grant at sbbrg.org/apply-for-grant. Donations are awarded to different organizations monthly.   
      
    About the SBB Research Group Foundation  
      
    The SBB Research Group Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that furthers the philanthropic mission of SBB Research Group LLC (SBBRG), a Chicago-based investment management firm led by Sam Barnett, Ph.D., and Matt Aven. The Foundation provides grants to support ambitious organizations solving unmet needs with thoughtful, long-term strategies. In addition, the Foundation sponsors the SBBRG STEM Scholarship, which supports students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees.  
      
    Contact: Erin Noonan  
    Organization: SBB Research Group Foundation  
    Email: grants@sbbrg.org   
    Address: 450 Skokie Blvd, Building 600, Northbrook, IL 60062 United States  
    Phone: 1-847-656-1111  
    Website: https://www.sbbrg.org    

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nick Langworthy Announces Federal ARC Grant for Chemung County Canal Connector

    Source: US Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) announced that Chemung County has been awarded $248,815 by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for the Chemung Canal Connector. The funds will be used to construct a 7-mile connection between the Lackawanna Trail and the Catharine Valley Trail. 

     

    Specifically, the connector trail will route pedestrian and bicycle traffic through the Village of Elmira Heights and the City of Elmira, generating local economic impact from increased tourism. The project will result in a continuous 29-mile trail which will ultimately connect to the regional 580-mile Finger Lakes Trail System. By improving recreation access, this project will help the community attract new visitors, increase spending in the local economy, attract new businesses, increase property values, and support the region’s tourism and outdoor recreation sector.

     

    “This investment in the Chemung Canal Connector is a win for our community, our economy, and our quality of life. By linking key trail systems through Elmira and Elmira Heights, we’re opening the door to thousands of new visitors, stronger small businesses, and a more vibrant outdoor recreation economy,” said Congressman Langworthy. “I’m proud to support a project that will benefit Chemung County for generations to come.” 

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM District 837 Launches Economic Contract Talks with Boeing Defense in St. Louis

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM District 837 has officially opened the economic portion of high-stakes contract negotiations with Boeing Defense. The IAM Union represents more than 3,200 highly skilled members at facilities in St. Louis, St. Charles, Mo., and Mascoutah, Ill.

    IAM Union members are the driving force behind Boeing’s military production, assembling and maintaining advanced aircraft and weapons systems, including the F-15, F/A-18, and cutting-edge missile and defense technologies. Their work plays a vital role in safeguarding national security and supporting U.S. and allied defense operations.

    “Boeing’s success in defense depends on our members,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “These negotiations are about securing the future, for the workforce, for our families, and for American manufacturing.”

    “We’re here to fight for the wages, healthcare, retirement, and job security our members have earned,” said IAM District 837 Directing Business Representative Tom Boelling. “This is about protecting families, jobs, and ensuring the people who build America’s defense are treated with the respect they deserve.”

    IAM District 837 members’ priorities in this round of bargaining are focused on securing a contract that truly reflects the value of their labor and addresses critical workplace concerns:

    • General Wage Increases: Ensure Boeing jobs are seen as long-term careers, not just stepping stones.
    • Faster Pay Progression: Reduce the time it takes to reach top pay rates within labor grades.
    • More Paid Time Off: Increase vacation and sick leave to combat fatigue and support better work-life balance.
    • Stronger Retirement Benefits: Secure long-term retirement stability for our members and their families.
    • Improved Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA): Strengthen the formula so members aren’t left behind by rising inflation.

    “The IAM will stand shoulder to shoulder with our members at Boeing Defense,” said IAM Union Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “They’ve earned the right to a strong contract, and we will back them every step of the way.”

    “Our members are the hands behind the mission, the people who make sure every system works, every bolt is tight, and every jet is ready,” said IAM Union Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett. “It’s time Boeing shows us the same precision and respect in this contract.”

    The 2025 negotiations come at a crucial moment. Boeing Defense continues to face intense global competition, program delays, and a tight labor market, making IAM members’ experience, expertise, and dedication more crucial than ever.

    With the current contract set to expire on July 27, 2025, IAM District 837 members are standing united, ready to fight for a fair agreement that honors their contributions and secures their future.

    The post IAM District 837 Launches Economic Contract Talks with Boeing Defense in St. Louis appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Sues California for Violating Title IX, Denying Girls Athletic Opportunities

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed suit to enforce Title IX and protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams.

    According to the complaint, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) have engaged in illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them, depriving these girls of the equal education and athletic opportunities afforded to them by federal civil rights law. Thus, the suit seeks declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief for violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding.

    As alleged in the complaint, the U.S. Department of Education’s “current allocation of funds to CDE for fiscal year 2025 totals approximately $44.3 billion, of which approximately $3.8 billion remains available for drawdown by CDE, including both discretionary grants and formula grants.”

    “The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.  “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.”

    “Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination. The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Young women should not have to sacrifice their rights to compete for scholarships, opportunities, and awards on the altar of woke gender ideology.”

    “California is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Women deserve dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to compete on their own sports teams. The time for talk is over. California must comply with Title IX and end its civil rights violations against women. No person, no state, is above the law.”

    CDE has authority over CIF and local school districts’ interscholastic athletic policies, and CIF oversees 1.8 million students and over 750,000 student-athletes in grades 9 through 12. The complaint is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Sues California for Violating Title IX, Denying Girls Athletic Opportunities

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed suit to enforce Title IX and protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams.

    According to the complaint, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) have engaged in illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them, depriving these girls of the equal education and athletic opportunities afforded to them by federal civil rights law. Thus, the suit seeks declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief for violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding.

    As alleged in the complaint, the U.S. Department of Education’s “current allocation of funds to CDE for fiscal year 2025 totals approximately $44.3 billion, of which approximately $3.8 billion remains available for drawdown by CDE, including both discretionary grants and formula grants.”

    “The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.  “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.”

    “Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination. The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Young women should not have to sacrifice their rights to compete for scholarships, opportunities, and awards on the altar of woke gender ideology.”

    “California is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Women deserve dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to compete on their own sports teams. The time for talk is over. California must comply with Title IX and end its civil rights violations against women. No person, no state, is above the law.”

    CDE has authority over CIF and local school districts’ interscholastic athletic policies, and CIF oversees 1.8 million students and over 750,000 student-athletes in grades 9 through 12. The complaint is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CHS Inc. Recalls Payback Champion Lamb Feed Due to Elevated Copper Health Risk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    July 09, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    July 09, 2025
    Product Type:
    Animal & VeterinaryFood & BeveragesFoodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Elevated levels of copper

    Company Name:
    CHS, Inc.
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Payback®

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Champion Lamb Text B30 with Power Booster

    Company Announcement
    CHS Inc. is voluntarily recalling seven tons of Payback® Champion Lamb Text B30 with Power Booster due to potentially elevated levels of copper.
    Symptoms of copper toxicity in sheep include lethargy and anemia, grinding of teeth, thirst, off feed/poor appetite, pale to yellow mucous membranes, red/dark purple colored urine and recumbency. Death usually occurs one to two days after onset of clinical symptoms. Continued feeding of this product may result in serious illness or death. If your animals have consumed the recalled product and have these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
    This product was manufactured at the CHS facility in Great Falls, Mont., and distributed to dealers in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming after February 19, 2025. The product was sold directly to dealers where end-use customers may have purchased the products.
    The product is bagged in 40 lb. Payback Champion feed bags that display the Payback brand. The affected lot number and label date can be found on the feed label below the feeding directions. The following product lot number and label date are included in this recall.

    Product Name 

    Lot Number 

    Label Date 

    Payback® Champion Lamb Text B30 with Power Booster

    M#134300

    02/14/25

    No other lot numbers or feed products manufactured at the CHS facility in Great Falls, Mont., are involved in this voluntary recall.
    After receiving a customer report claiming this product may have resulted in illness or death, the company immediately began investigating and initiated the voluntary recall of the feed identified with the above lot number as it may contain elevated levels of copper.
    Customers who have purchased this product should immediately stop using it and return it to their local dealer for a full refund. Customers with questions should contact CHS at ANProducts@chsinc.com.
    About CHS
    CHS Inc. creates connections to empower agriculture. As a leading global agribusiness and the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the United States, CHS serves customers in 65 countries and employs approximately 10,000 people worldwide. We provide critical crop inputs, market access and risk management services that help farmers feed the world. Our diversified agronomy, grains, foods and energy businesses recorded revenues of approximately $39 billion in fiscal year 2024. CHS is committed to reducing our impact on the planet, finding and developing new solutions in agriculture and energy, and investing in ways to build a better future for our owners, customers, employees and communities.

    Company Contact Information

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    07/09/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Quarterly Domestic Uranium Production Report

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    First-quarter 2025

    U.S. production of uranium concentrate (U3O8) in the first quarter of 2025 totaled 310,533 pounds U3O8, down roughly 65,000 lbs from fourth quarter of 2024.. This quarter’s total uranium production occurred at six facilities, two in Wyoming (Lost Creek Project and Ross CPP), two in Texas (Alta Mesa Project and Rosita), one in Nebraska (Crow Butte) and one in Utah (White Mesa Mill).

    figure dataXLS

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Quarterly Domestic Uranium Production Report

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    First-quarter 2025

    U.S. production of uranium concentrate (U3O8) in the first quarter of 2025 totaled 310,533 pounds U3O8, down roughly 65,000 lbs from fourth quarter of 2024.. This quarter’s total uranium production occurred at six facilities, two in Wyoming (Lost Creek Project and Ross CPP), two in Texas (Alta Mesa Project and Rosita), one in Nebraska (Crow Butte) and one in Utah (White Mesa Mill).

    figure dataXLS

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: EPW Favorably Reports NRC and EPA Nominees, Approves GSA Resolutions at Business Meeting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    [embedded content]

    To watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement, click here or the image above.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a business meeting to consider the nominations of Usha-Maria Turner to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs and David Wright to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and 32 Committee Resolutions to approve prospectuses from the General Services Administration (GSA).

    Both nominations were favorably reported by the EPW Committee, and the GSA resolutions were approved by voice vote. The nominations head to the full U.S. Senate for consideration. 

    Below is the opening statement of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.

    “I want to thank everybody for attending today’s business meeting to vote on the nominations of David Wright to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Usha-Maria Turner to be EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs.

    “I will support both of these nominees this morning.

    “As our nation’s independent nuclear safety regulator, the NRC is critically important to our energy future. Congress directed the NRC to be more efficient and we expect the NRC, under the leadership and direction of the Chair and the Commission, to accelerate this work.

    “Through Chairman Wright’s leadership, the NRC has taken some initial, positive steps. The Commission updated its Mission Statement, reduced the timeframe to approve new nuclear licenses, and is addressing unique regulatory challenges with new reactor designs.

    “I will work in a bipartisan manner to hold the Commission, including Chairman Wright, accountable to expedite their efforts while maintaining their focus on ensuring nuclear safety.

    “In response to questions for the record I submitted jointly with Ranking Member Whitehouse, Chairman Wright affirmed that he is committed to preserving the NRC’s independent authority to license and oversee the civilian use of nuclear material. I appreciate that commitment and will support Chairman Wright’s nomination.

    “I will also vote for Usha-Maria Turner to lead the EPA’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs.

    “Her experience in energy and environmental regulatory affairs makes her well prepared to represent the EPA around the world and with our Tribal partners. I urge my colleagues to support these nominations.

    “I also encourage my colleagues to support the 32 GSA resolutions that authorize important repair and alternation projects and leases across the country.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton Introduces Bill to Eliminate Challenges to Countering China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact:     Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    July 9, 2025

    Cotton Introduces Bill to Eliminate Challenges to Countering China 

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today introduced the Necessary Environmental Exemptions for Defense Act, legislation that would establish environmental waivers for commercial projects deemed necessary to counter the Chinese Communist Party by the Secretary of Defense.

    “Current environmental laws put our readiness to counter Communist China at risk and waste taxpayer dollars on projects that stall out and die on the vine. This bill will create jobs, better arm and prepare our soldiers, and spend taxpayer dollars more efficiently,” said Senator Cotton.

    Text of the Necessary Environmental Exemptions for Defense Act may be found here.

    The Necessary Environmental Exemptions for Defense Act would:

    • Establish a waiver for activities related to countering the threat of Communist China.
    • The waivers would apply to regulations under the:
      • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
      • Endangered Species Act (ESA)
      • Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
      • Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPA)

    MIL OSI USA News –