Category: Military Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain and Rep. Pfluger Applaud House Passage of Bill to Block CCP Influence on American Campuses

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

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

    WASHINGTON — House Republican Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) issued the following statements after the U.S. House passed H.R. 881—the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act— aiming at preventing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from influencing U.S. college campuses.

    “There’s no place for Chinese propaganda in America. House Republicans are ending CCP influence on college campuses and ensuring taxpayer dollars are not funding foreign agendas,” Chairwoman McClain said. “My colleague Rep. Pfluger has done a great job getting this bill to the finish line, and I’m proud to have voted YES to pass this bill and defend our students from harmful CCP influence.”

    “The CCP has proven to be an untrustworthy, adversarial actor by continually undermining American interests at every turn – in no world should they have a front-row seat in our classrooms funded by our own taxpayer dollars,” Rep. Pfluger said.“The passage of my legislation today sends a clear message: America’s universities and research labs will no longer be used to steal critical research, recruit talent for Military-Civil fusion enterprises, conduct espionage, commit transnational repression, and influence academic institutions to the benefit of the CCP. This is a victory for our national security and for the future generations of Americans.”

    H.R. 881 prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from providing funds to any higher education institution that hosts Confucius Institutes, which are nonprofit cultural and educational centers funded by the Chinese government used to spread influence and propaganda.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Texas Man Convicted of Making Threats to Kill Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    David Aaron Bloyed, 60, of Frost, Texas, was found guilty today by a federal jury of one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce to lynch and kill Glenn Funk, the elected District Attorney General (DA) for Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.

    “The defendant’s heinous threats strike at the heart of our justice system and the safety of those who have chosen to serve. As today’s verdict demonstrates, violent threats and intimidation against government officials and law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and prosecution team for their swift and determined work to bring justice in this case.”

    “Antisemitic hate has no place in Nashville or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats for what they are: a crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our office will do whatever it takes to defend our community, and the prosecutors who serve it, from being threatened by these hatemongers.”

    “The conviction of David Bloyed is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to holding those accountable who threaten public officials and the Jewish community,” said Assistant Director in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “This criminal behavior and these disgusting threats will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to work with our partners across the nation to investigate, identify, and hold those accountable who threaten violence and harm to specific communities and people.”

    According to court documents, on July 14, 2024, members of the Goyim Defense League (GDL) – a national and international network of antisemitic provocateurs who espouse vitriolic antisemitism via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions – were protesting in downtown Nashville on their “Name the Nose Tour” where its members travel to cities across the country to protest in the vicinity of synagogues and walk through the downtown hubs of cities with Nazi flags and yell antisemitic slurs at any individuals they encounter. GDL members encountered an employee of a local bar and a fight broke out. A GDL member was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for hitting the bar employee repeatedly using a metal flagpole with a swastika affixed to the top.

    While in Nashville, GDL members routinely posted about their activities on various social media platforms, including Telegram. Following the arrest of the GDL member, a Telegram user associated with GDL posted threats against DA Funk that included a photograph of DA Funk with the caption, “Getting the rope,” and an emoji finger pointed towards Funk’s image. 

    The posts also included a photograph of a person hanging by the neck from a gallows, with the phrases, “The ‘Rope List’ grew by a few more Nashville jews today,” and “Will you survive the day of the rope?” 

    Law enforcement subsequently identified another social media account with an almost identical username, belonging to Bloyed and containing threats nearly identical to those posted on the Telegram account.

    At sentencing, Bloyed faces up to five years in federal prison.

    The FBI Nashville Field Office and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department are investigating the case.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Convicted of Making Threats to Kill Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    David Aaron Bloyed, 60, of Frost, Texas, was found guilty today by a federal jury of one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce to lynch and kill Glenn Funk, the elected District Attorney General (DA) for Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.

    “The defendant’s heinous threats strike at the heart of our justice system and the safety of those who have chosen to serve. As today’s verdict demonstrates, violent threats and intimidation against government officials and law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and prosecution team for their swift and determined work to bring justice in this case.”

    “Antisemitic hate has no place in Nashville or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats for what they are: a crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our office will do whatever it takes to defend our community, and the prosecutors who serve it, from being threatened by these hatemongers.”

    “The conviction of David Bloyed is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to holding those accountable who threaten public officials and the Jewish community,” said Assistant Director in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “This criminal behavior and these disgusting threats will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to work with our partners across the nation to investigate, identify, and hold those accountable who threaten violence and harm to specific communities and people.”

    According to court documents, on July 14, 2024, members of the Goyim Defense League (GDL) – a national and international network of antisemitic provocateurs who espouse vitriolic antisemitism via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions – were protesting in downtown Nashville on their “Name the Nose Tour” where its members travel to cities across the country to protest in the vicinity of synagogues and walk through the downtown hubs of cities with Nazi flags and yell antisemitic slurs at any individuals they encounter. GDL members encountered an employee of a local bar and a fight broke out. A GDL member was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for hitting the bar employee repeatedly using a metal flagpole with a swastika affixed to the top.

    While in Nashville, GDL members routinely posted about their activities on various social media platforms, including Telegram. Following the arrest of the GDL member, a Telegram user associated with GDL posted threats against DA Funk that included a photograph of DA Funk with the caption, “Getting the rope,” and an emoji finger pointed towards Funk’s image. 

    The posts also included a photograph of a person hanging by the neck from a gallows, with the phrases, “The ‘Rope List’ grew by a few more Nashville jews today,” and “Will you survive the day of the rope?” 

    Law enforcement subsequently identified another social media account with an almost identical username, belonging to Bloyed and containing threats nearly identical to those posted on the Telegram account.

    At sentencing, Bloyed faces up to five years in federal prison.

    The FBI Nashville Field Office and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department are investigating the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Texas Man Convicted of Making Threats to Kill Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    David Aaron Bloyed, 60, of Frost, Texas, was found guilty today by a federal jury of one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce to lynch and kill Glenn Funk, the elected District Attorney General (DA) for Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.

    “The defendant’s heinous threats strike at the heart of our justice system and the safety of those who have chosen to serve. As today’s verdict demonstrates, violent threats and intimidation against government officials and law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and prosecution team for their swift and determined work to bring justice in this case.”

    “Antisemitic hate has no place in Nashville or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats for what they are: a crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our office will do whatever it takes to defend our community, and the prosecutors who serve it, from being threatened by these hatemongers.”

    “The conviction of David Bloyed is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to holding those accountable who threaten public officials and the Jewish community,” said Assistant Director in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “This criminal behavior and these disgusting threats will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to work with our partners across the nation to investigate, identify, and hold those accountable who threaten violence and harm to specific communities and people.”

    According to court documents, on July 14, 2024, members of the Goyim Defense League (GDL) – a national and international network of antisemitic provocateurs who espouse vitriolic antisemitism via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions – were protesting in downtown Nashville on their “Name the Nose Tour” where its members travel to cities across the country to protest in the vicinity of synagogues and walk through the downtown hubs of cities with Nazi flags and yell antisemitic slurs at any individuals they encounter. GDL members encountered an employee of a local bar and a fight broke out. A GDL member was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for hitting the bar employee repeatedly using a metal flagpole with a swastika affixed to the top.

    While in Nashville, GDL members routinely posted about their activities on various social media platforms, including Telegram. Following the arrest of the GDL member, a Telegram user associated with GDL posted threats against DA Funk that included a photograph of DA Funk with the caption, “Getting the rope,” and an emoji finger pointed towards Funk’s image. 

    The posts also included a photograph of a person hanging by the neck from a gallows, with the phrases, “The ‘Rope List’ grew by a few more Nashville jews today,” and “Will you survive the day of the rope?” 

    Law enforcement subsequently identified another social media account with an almost identical username, belonging to Bloyed and containing threats nearly identical to those posted on the Telegram account.

    At sentencing, Bloyed faces up to five years in federal prison.

    The FBI Nashville Field Office and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department are investigating the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Republicans Combat Chinese Propaganda at American Universities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson and Rep. Pfluger (R-TX) released the following statements after the House passed H.R. 881, The Department of Homeland Security Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act.

    “House Republicans will not tolerate adversarial regimes, like the Chinese Communist Party, using propaganda to manipulate students, undermine academic institutions, and compromise national security. Higher education in America must remain free from foreign malign influence,” said Speaker Johnson. “I commend Rep. Pfluger for his leadership in protecting students and ensuring taxpayer dollars are not used to fund institutions that host Confucius Institutes or maintain ties to Chinese entities supporting CCP interests.”

    “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has proven to be an untrustworthy, adversarial actor by continually undermining American interests at every turn – in no world should they have a front-row seat in our classrooms funded by our own taxpayer dollars,” said Representative Pfluger. “The passage of my legislation today sends a clear message: America’s universities and research labs will no longer be used to steal critical research, recruit talent for Military-Civil fusion enterprises, conduct espionage, commit transnational repression, and influence academic institutions to the benefit of the CCP. This is a victory for our national security and for the future generations of Americans.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Video: Rangers Lead The Way

    Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

    To prepare @usarmysoldiers for Ranger School, soldiers from the @25thInfantryDivisionparticipate in a Small Unit Ranger Tactics course at @lightningacademy7849.

    For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGpVRUQuGxQ

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Ricketts, Coons Lead Tabletop Exercise on Hypothetical Chinese Energy Quarantine Against Taiwan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, organized a tabletop exercise with Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and other senators. The two-hour exercise tasked the participating senators with responding to a simulated Chinese campaign designed to strangle Taiwan’s energy imports. The exercise was led by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). FDD plans to convene a follow-on simulation this summer in Taipei with Taiwanese officials, including members of Taiwan’s National Security Council. After the exercise completed, Senator Ricketts gave the following comments:
    “This exercise reflected the real risk that a Chinese energy quarantine presents to Taiwan,” said Ricketts. “Beijing would like nothing more than to force unification without war. However, Congress can play a decisive role in supporting our Taiwanese partners while also complicating Xi Jinping’s plans to coerce Taiwan into capitulation.”
    Senate Foreign Relations Committee East Asia Subcommittee’s Tabletop exercise in Washington, DC on May 6, 2025. (Official U.S. Senate photo by Erin Sutherland)Ricketts also underscored the threat posed by Communist China’s dictator Xi Jinping, who has signaled his military to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027.
    “We seek peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” said Ricketts. “Increasing aggression from Communist China continues to threaten this long-standing status quo. Simulations and exercises like the one we did today are important for understanding the real-world impact of policy decisions. By working through potential actions by Communist China and planning an American response, we can take the steps necessary to deter this aggression.”
    “As Senator Ricketts and I saw on our travel to East Asia last month, Taiwan plays a central role in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of Chinese aggression,” said Senator Coons. “This exercise made clear the sheer number of tools China has at its disposal to threaten Taiwan and the many steps the United States and our partners and allies should take to prepare. It also demonstrated that Congress will have a clear role to play in shaping our nation’s response to any crisis in the Indo-Pacific region. Unified, bipartisan support for Taiwan in Congress is more important today than ever before.”
    BACKGROUND
    Last month, Senator Ricketts led a congressional delegation (CODEL) trip to Taiwan and the Philippines with Senators Coons and Ted Budd (R-NC). During the trip, the three senators met with senior Taiwanese officials including President Lai and Vice President Hsaio.
    This tabletop exercise continues the work that Senators Ricketts and Coons are doing as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asia Subcommittee to foster bipartisan agreement around the island of Taiwan.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHILADELPHIA – Governor Shapiro, DCED Secretary Siger to Highlight $30 Million Investment in the Philadelphia Navy Yard to Create More Jobs and Build Shovel-Ready Sites for Businesses

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    May 08, 2025Philadelphia, PA

    ADVISORY – PHILADELPHIA – Governor Shapiro, DCED Secretary Siger to Highlight $30 Million Investment in the Philadelphia Navy Yard to Create More Jobs and Build Shovel-Ready Sites for Businesses

    Governor Josh Shapiro and Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger will join legislators and local leaders to highlight the Shapiro Administration’s $30 million investment in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard Greenway District through the first round of the PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites) program. The PA SITES program helps to build shovel-ready industrial sites across the Commonwealth to attract businesses, investments, and good-paying jobs.

    WHO:
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger
    Senator Nikil Saval
    Representative Morgan Cephas
    Jodie Harris, President of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation
    Mark Seltzer, Managing Director of Ensemble Investments, LLC
    Mark Lynch, Business Manager and Financial Secretary of IBEW Local 98

    WHEN:
    Thursday, May 8, 2024, at 11:00 AM

    WHERE:
    Philadelphia Navy Yard
    1200 Normandy Place,
    Philadelphia, PA 19112

    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Four in the Southern District of California

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “Protecting our community means identifying, arresting and holding accountable anyone who would prey on children,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “I’m grateful for the coordinated efforts of law enforcement in this district and across the nation, and our office will continue to prioritize these prosecutions to obtain justice for these vulnerable victims.”

    “Each arrest is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi. “It reaffirms our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for victims and holding predators accountable.”

    In the Southern District of California, four individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including:

    • Seth Wheeler, who was indicted for distribution of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Wheeler is alleged to have distributed child pornography on two different occasions in September 2024, and in possession of child pornography in October 2024.  He was previously arrested by the state and remained in state custody until he was indicted on federal charges.
    • Adam Harrison Bryant, a convicted sex offender who was charged with possession of child pornography. The investigation of Bryan began when it was suspected that he had attempted to purchase child pornography from a website using cryptocurrency.  A search warrant was executed on May 1, 2025, and Bryant was arrested when he was found in possession of an electronic device that contained child pornography. He was previously convicted in 2008 of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and enticing a child and was sentenced to 40 months and 24 months, concurrent, followed by ten years of supervised release.
    • Kristho Angel Valdez, whowas charged with receipt of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement officials were notified that two minor victims were exchanging sexually explicit content, including images and videos, through Snapchat with an unknown individual. Valdez was identified as the potential user of the Snapchat account and a search warrant for the account revealed thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of minors. On March 12, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Valdez’s residence. Valdez admitted to receiving sexually explicit videos from the minor victims.
    • Christopher David Miller, who was charged with attempted receipt and possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Agents began investigating Miller when they determined that IP addresses linked to his current and former residences attempted to obtain child pornography using Freenet, a peer-to-peer file sharing platform. A search warrant was executed at Miller’s residence on April 9, 2025, and Miller was found to be in possession of electronic devices containing child pornography.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst, Grassley to Host Service Academy Virtual Information Nights

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    Published: May 7, 2025

    RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced their offices will hold two United States Service Academy Virtual Informational Nights on Monday, May 12 and Tuesday, May 13 from 6 – 8p.m. CT for Iowa students interested in applying to one of our nation’s military academies. Every year, Ernst and Grassley each nominate 15 students to the academies.
    Representatives from all five service academies will be available to answer questions about the application and nomination process. The Monday session will be attended by representatives from the Air Force and Naval Academies. The Tuesday session will be attended by representatives from the Merchant Marine Academy, the Military Academy at West Point, and the Coast Guard Academy.
    The senators will not be in attendance at the meetings.
    Attendees must RSVP to receive meeting information. To contact Senator Ernst’s office, please email Brenda_Safranski@ernst.senate.gov or call (515) 284-4574. To contact Senator Grassley’s office, please email academy_nominations@grassley.senate.gov or call (515) 288-1145.
    Each year, Ernst and Grassley nominate current and future Iowa high school graduates for a limited number of academy positions. Click here to view the academy nomination application. Oct. 24, 2025, is the deadline to apply for a nomination for academy admission in the fall of 2026.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China and Russia have found the right way for large neighboring countries to coexist – Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, May 7 /Xinhua/ — China and Russia have found the right path for coexistence between large neighboring countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in the Russian capital on Wednesday.

    Xi Jinping made the statement in a written speech published upon his arrival in Moscow on a state visit and to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    The Chinese leader noted that China and Russia are inseparable good neighbors, true friends who endure adversity together, and reliable partners who contribute to each other’s success. The two sides have formed the spirit of Chinese-Russian strategic interaction in the new era, which is characterized by eternal good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic interaction and cooperation for mutual benefit and common gain, Xi Jinping stated.

    According to the Chinese President, independent, mature and strong China-Russia relations not only bring great benefits to the peoples of the two countries, but also make an important contribution to maintaining global strategic stability and building an equal and orderly multipolar world.

    This year, the Chinese leader recalled, marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

    China and Russia, as important major countries in the world and permanent members of the UN Security Council, will uphold the victory in World War II, firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, resolutely oppose hegemonism and power politics, adhere to genuine multilateralism, and promote the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system, Xi Jinping said.

    The Chinese President also announced that during his state visit to Russia, he will hold in-depth communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin on bilateral relations and practical cooperation, as well as on significant international and regional issues of mutual interest. This, he said, will give a powerful impetus to the development of Chinese-Russian relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction in the new era.

    Recalling that a decade later he will again attend the Victory Day celebrations in Russia on May 9, Xi Jinping said that he hopes to honor with deep feeling the memory of the heroes who died in the struggle for victory in the World Anti-Fascist War together with the leaders of many countries and the Russian people, and to act as a powerful voice of the times in defense of international honesty and justice.

    After Xi Jinping’s plane entered Russian airspace, it was escorted by Russian Air Force aircraft.

    Upon arrival of the PRC Chairman at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, he was warmly greeted by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova and other high-ranking officials. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Six in North Carolina

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    The FBI’s Charlotte Field Office arrested six people as part of this operation across North Carolina.

    • John Matthew Miller, of Wilmington, 35, is charged with sex trafficking of a minor; enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct; and producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material. Miller was previously convicted of sexual battery and was a registered sex offender at the time of the offense. Miller faces at least 25 years and up to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
    • Jesse Lonzo Teal, of Bolivia, 72, also known as “Lonnie” and “Mark,” is charged with sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, producing child sexual abuse material, and using the internet to promote an illegal prostitution business enterprise. He faces at least ten years and up to life imprisonment if convicted on all counts.
    • William Justin Lewis, of Louisburg, 54, is charged with distributing child sexual abuse material and possessing child sexual abuse material. He faces at least five years in federal prison and up to twenty years on each distribution count and up to twenty years on the possession count.
    • Donte Melvin Peek, of Durham, 34, is charged with attempted enticement of a minor, distribution of child sexual abuse material, receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material. He faces at least 10 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment on the enticement charge and up to twenty years in federal prison on the possession count, if convicted.
    • Jonathan Robert Davlin, of Huntersville, 48, is charged with transportation of child sexual abuse material and possession and access with intent to view child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors. He faces at least five years and up to twenty years imprisonment on the transportation count and up to twenty years imprisonment on the possession count.
    • Terrell Shawn Anderson, previously of Charlotte, 30, is charged with distributing child sexual abuse material and possession child sexual abuse material. He faces at least five years in federal prison and up to twenty years on each distribution count and up to twenty years on the possession count. He was arrested by FBI Atlanta.

    “These important cases reflect the unwavering commitment of our office and our justice system to protect the most vulnerable members of our community—our children. We will continue to work closely with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to ensure that those who commit such heinous acts are held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “There is no place in our community for those who prey on children, and we will do everything we can to not only seek justice for the victims, but to prevent additional child exploitation crimes.”

    “Producing and exchanging child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is a sickening reality in our world and it’s not just happening on the dark web. Pedophiles use the same platforms your family and friends use. No matter where this crime is occurring the FBI will find you. The Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program is uniquely positioned to work complex global and multijurisdictional crimes against children with the capacity to counter threats of abuse and exploitation of children,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims. 

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

     

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Alleged Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Five-Day Nationwide Crackdown

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    Seven cases move forward in Western Washington during National Child Abuse Prevention month

    Seattle – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrest of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    In the Western District of Washington, seven federal cases moved forward with criminal charges, pleas, and/or sentencings of those who target minors for sexual abuse.

    “There is no greater responsibility than protecting our children from those seeking to sexually abuse them, either online or in person,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “The cases we prosecuted over the last month charging child sexual exploitation in person and over the internet, and child sex trafficking are examples of the difficult work we do every day with our law enforcement partners to try to keep children safe.”

    “FBI Seattle’s Violent Crimes Against Children squad and our partners are hard at work, not only during Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, but also throughout the year,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “We are arresting predators, recovering children, and assisting victims through the support of our victim specialists. Just this fiscal year in the Seattle division, we have arrested 122 subjects and identified or located 59 children.”

    These are the FBI-led child sex abuse cases prosecuted in the Western District of Washington in April 2025:

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

    The charges contained in the indictments or criminal complaints are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cecelia Gregson, Kate Crisham, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon. Ms. Harmon is a Senior Deputy Prosecutor with the King County Prosecutors Office, specially designated to prosecute child exploitation cases in federal court.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: ESCO Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    St. Louis, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE) (ESCO, or the Company) today reported its operating results for the second quarter ended March 31, 2025 (Q2 2025).

    Operating Highlights

    • Q2 2025 Sales increased $16.4 million (7 percent) to $265.5 million compared to $249.1 million in Q2 2024.
    • Q2 2025 Entered Orders were $290.8 million for a book-to-bill ratio of 1.10x, resulting in record backlog of $932 million.
    • Q2 2025 GAAP EPS increased 33 percent to $1.20 per share compared to $0.90 per share in Q2 2024.
    • Q2 2025 Adjusted EPS increased 24 percent to $1.35 per share compared to $1.09 per share in Q2 2024.
    • Net cash provided by operating activities was $58 million YTD, an increase of $39 million compared to the prior year period.

    Bryan Sayler, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented, “Q2 was another strong quarter as we delivered 7 percent top line growth, 250 basis points of Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion, and a 24 percent increase in Adjusted EPS compared to the prior year. All three segments delivered solid revenue growth, highlighted by strength across our Navy, commercial aerospace, utility, and Test end-markets.   It was very positive to see orders increase 22 percent over the prior year, with particular strength in both USG and Test.

    “As previously announced, we closed the SM&P acquisition on April 25th. Going forward, SM&P will be known as ESCO Maritime Solutions (Maritime). We are happy to welcome the Maritime employees to the ESCO team. Maritime’s signature and power management solutions meaningfully expand our naval product offerings in both the US and UK. We are optimistic about the future of ESCO and are pleased to have Maritime join us as an integral part of that journey.”       

    Segment Performance

    Aerospace & Defense (A&D)

    • Sales increased $8.7 million (8 percent) to $123.4 million in Q2 2025 from $114.7 million in Q2 2024. The Q2 increase was driven by strength in Navy and aerospace sales.
    • EBIT increased $6.9 million in Q2 2025 to $30.3 million from $23.4 million in Q2 2024. Adjusted EBIT increased $6.7 million in Q2 2025 to $30.3 million (24.6 percent margin) from $23.6 million (20.6 percent margin) in Q2 2024. Margin improvement was driven by price increases and mix, partially offset by inflationary pressures.
    • Entered Orders increased $6 million (5 percent) to $122 million in Q2 2025 compared to $116 million in Q2 2024.   Q2 2025 included a $6M order for PTI’s cartridge actuated devices/propellant actuated devices (CAD/PAD) products. The segment book-to-bill was 0.99x in the quarter, resulting in ending backlog of $605 million.  

    Utility Solutions Group (USG)

    • Sales increased $3.5 million (4 percent) to $90.8 million in Q2 2025 from $87.3 million in Q2 2024. Doble’s sales increased by $3.5 million (5 percent) driven by a strong quarter for offline and protection testing products and services, partially offset by lower cybersecurity/compliance (DUCe) solutions. NRG sales were flat to the prior year due to moderation in renewable energy projects.
    • EBIT increased $3.2 million in Q2 2025 to $20.8 million from $17.6 million in Q2 2024. Adjusted EBIT increased $3.3 million in Q2 2025 to $20.9 million (23.0 percent margin) from $17.6 million (20.1 percent margin) in Q2 2024.   Margin was favorably impacted by leverage on higher volume, price increases and mix, partially offset by inflationary pressures.  
    • Entered Orders increased $13 million (17 percent) to $92 million in Q2 2025. Doble orders increased by $11 million (17 percent) on strong offline test equipment and services orders. NRG orders increased by $2 million (15 percent) driven by solar orders in North America and EMEA.   The segment book-to-bill was 1.02x in the quarter, resulting in ending backlog of $124 million.

    RF Test & Measurement (Test)

    • Sales increased $4.3 million (9 percent) to $51.4 million in Q2 2025 from $47.1 million in Q2 2024. Sales growth was primarily driven by higher Test and Measurement, industrial shielding, and medical services in the US, along with a strong quarter for MPE filters projects.
    • EBIT increased $0.9 million in Q2 2025 to $6.4 million from $5.5 million in Q2 2024. Adjusted EBIT increased $0.7 million in Q2 2025 to $6.4 million (12.4 percent margin) from $5.7 million (12.2 percent margin) in Q2 2024. Margin was favorably impacted by leverage on higher volume, price increases, and cost reduction efforts, partially offset by unfavorable mix and inflationary pressures.  
    • Entered Orders increased $33 million (75 percent) to $77 million in Q2 2025. The increase was primarily driven by a strong quarter for US Test & Measurement, filters, and medical and industrial shielding orders. In addition, orders in China increased $9M in the quarter, primarily related to Test & Measurement projects. The segment book-to-bill was 1.50x in the quarter, resulting in ending backlog of $203 million.

    Business Outlook – 2025

    Guidance for Q3 2025 and FY 2025 is being shown both with and without the impact of Maritime to provide insight into our expectations for Maritime’s impact on the remainder of Q3 2025 (approximately 2 months) and FY 2025 (approximately 5 months).   The transaction costs and purchase accounting amortization associated with the Maritime acquisition have not yet been finalized and are not included in our current business outlook.  

    Consistent with our initial FY 2025 guidance, organic sales are expected to grow 6 to 8 percent in FY 2025. Maritime is expected to contribute sales in the range of $90 to $100 million in FY 2025.

        Guidance Range ($ Millions)
    Sales Guidance excluding Maritime   $ 1,090   $ 1,110
    Maritime Impact   $ 90   $ 100
    Sales Guidance including Maritime   $ 1,180   $ 1,210

    In our Q1 2025 earnings release (dated 2/6/2025), FY 2025 Adjusted EPS guidance was increased to $5.55-$5.75. Due to continued market strength and improvement in operational performance, we are raising our full-year guidance by another $0.10 to $5.65 to $5.85 (18 to 23 percent growth over the prior year). Maritime is expected to contribute Adjusted EPS in the range of $0.20 – $0.30 in FY 2025.     

        Guidance Range
    Previous FY 2025 Adjusted EPS Guidance   $ 5.55   $ 5.75
    Guidance Increase   $ 0.10   $ 0.10
    Updated FY’25 Adjusted EPS Guidance excluding Maritime   $ 5.65   $ 5.85
    Maritime Impact   $ 0.20   $ 0.30
    Updated FY’25 Adjusted EPS Guidance including Maritime   $ 5.85   $ 6.15

    Management’s expectation is for Q3 Adjusted EPS without Maritime to be in the range of $1.50 to $1.60 (15 to 22 percent growth over the prior year quarter). Maritime is expected to add Adjusted EPS in the range of $0.08 to $0.12 in Q3 2025.

        Guidance Range
    Q3 2025 Adjusted EPS Guidance excluding Maritime   $ 1.50   $ 1.60
    Maritime Impact   $ 0.08   $ 0.12
    Q3 2025 Adjusted EPS Guidance including Maritime   $ 1.58   $ 1.72

    Dividend Payment
    The next quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share will be paid on July 17, 2025 to stockholders of record on July 2, 2025.

    Conference Call
    The Company will host a conference call today, May 7, at 4:00 p.m. Central Time, to discuss the Company’s Q2 2025 results. A live audio webcast and an accompanying slide presentation will be available in the Investor Center of ESCO’s website. Participants may also access the webcast using this registration link. For those unable to participate, a webcast replay will be available after the call in the Investor Center of ESCO’s website.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Statements in this press release regarding Management’s intentions, expectations and guidance for fiscal 2025, including restructuring and cost reduction actions, sales, orders, revenues, margin, earnings, Adjusted EPS, acquisition related amortization, and any other statements which are not strictly historical, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. securities laws.

    Investors are cautioned that such statements are only predictions and speak only as of the date of this presentation, and the Company undertakes no duty to update them except as may be required by applicable laws or regulations. The Company’s actual results in the future may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties that exist in the Company’s operations and business environment including but not limited to those described in Item 1A, “Risk Factors”, of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 and the following: the timing and outcome, if any, of the Company’s strategic alternatives review of the VACCO business; the impacts of climate change and related regulation of greenhouse gases; the impacts of labor disputes, civil disorder, wars, elections, political changes, tariffs and trade disputes, terrorist activities, cyberattacks or natural disasters on the Company’s operations and those of the Company’s customers and suppliers; disruptions in manufacturing or delivery arrangements due to shortages or unavailability of materials or components or supply chain disruptions; inability to access work sites; the timing and content of future contract awards or customer orders; the timely appropriation, allocation and availability of Government funds; the termination for convenience of Government and other customer contracts or orders; weakening of economic conditions in served markets; the success of the Company’s competitors; changes in customer demands or customer insolvencies; competition; intellectual property rights; technical difficulties or data breaches; the availability of acquisitions; delivery delays or defaults by customers; performance issues with key customers, suppliers and subcontractors; material changes in the costs and availability of certain raw materials; material changes in the cost of credit; changes in laws and regulations including but not limited to changes in accounting standards and taxation; changes in interest, inflation and employment rates; costs relating to environmental matters arising from current or former facilities; uncertainty regarding the ultimate resolution of current disputes, claims, litigation or arbitration; and the integration and performance of acquired businesses.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    The financial measures EBIT, Adjusted EBIT, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EPS are presented in this press release. The Company defines “EBIT” as earnings before interest and taxes, “EBITDA” as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, “Adjusted EBIT” and “Adjusted EBITDA” as excluding the net impact of the items described in the attached Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures, and “Adjusted EPS” as GAAP earnings per share excluding the net impact of the items described and reconciled in the attached Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

    EBIT, Adjusted EBIT, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EPS are not recognized in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). However, Management believes EBIT, Adjusted EBIT, EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA are useful in assessing the operational profitability of the Company’s business segments because they exclude interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, which are generally accounted for across the entire Company on a consolidated basis. EBIT is also one of the measures used by Management in determining resource allocations within the Company as well as incentive compensation. The presentation of EBIT, Adjusted EBIT, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EPS provides important supplemental information to investors by facilitating comparisons with other companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results. The use of non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to replace any measures of performance determined in accordance with GAAP.

    About ESCO
    ESCO Technologies is a global provider of highly engineered products and solutions serving diverse end-markets. It manufactures filtration and fluid control products, advanced composites, as well as signature and power management solutions for aviation, Navy, space, and industrial customers. ESCO is an industry leader in designing and manufacturing RF test and measurement products and systems; and provides diagnostic instruments, software and services to industrial power users and the electric utility and renewable energy industries. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, ESCO and its subsidiaries have offices and manufacturing facilities worldwide. For more information on ESCO and its subsidiaries, visit ESCO’s website at www.escotechnologies.com.

    ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES  
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)  
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)  
        
              Three Months
    Ended
    March 31,
    2025
      Three Months
    Ended
    March 31,
    2024
     
                     
    Net Sales     $ 265,519   249,129  
    Cost and Expenses:          
      Cost of sales   156,298   152,347  
      Selling, general and administrative expenses   58,163   55,097  
      Amortization of intangible assets   7,989   8,572  
      Interest expense   2,195   3,226  
      Other expenses (income), net   375   666  
        Total costs and expenses   225,020   219,908  
                     
    Earnings before income taxes   40,499   29,221  
    Income tax expense   9,466   6,002  
                     
        Net earnings $ 31,033   23,219  
                     
          Earnings Per Share (EPS)          
                     
          Diluted – GAAP $ 1.20   0.90  
                     
          Diluted – As Adjusted Basis $ 1.35 (1 ) 1.09 (2 )
                     
          Diluted average common shares O/S:   25,877   25,847  
                     
    (1 ) Q2 2025 Adjusted EPS excludes $0.15 per share of after-tax charges consisting primarily of acquisition related amortization.
                     
    (2 ) Q2 2024 Adjusted EPS excludes $0.19 per share of after-tax charges consisting of: $0.02 of MPE acquisition backlog charges, $0.02 of restructuring charges (primarily severance) within the Test and A&D segments, and $0.15 of acquisition related amortization.

       
       

    ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES  
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)  
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)  
        
              Six Months
    Ended
    March 31, 2025
      Six Months
    Ended
    March 31, 2024
     
                     
    Net Sales   $ 512,545     467,443  
    Cost and Expenses:          
      Cost of sales   304,940     286,498  
      Selling, general and administrative expenses   116,947     109,065  
      Amortization of intangible assets   15,982     16,440  
      Interest expense   4,452     5,893  
      Other expenses (income), net   (216 )   872  
        Total costs and expenses   442,105     418,768  
                     
    Earnings before income taxes   70,440     48,675  
    Income tax expense   15,934     10,287  
                     
        Net earnings $ 54,506     38,388  
                     
          Earnings Per Share (EPS)          
                     
          Diluted – GAAP $ 2.11     1.49  
                     
          Diluted – As Adjusted Basis $ 2.42   (1 ) 1.85 (2 )
                     
          Diluted average common shares O/S:   25,854     25,846  
                     
    (1 ) YTD Q2 2025 Adjusted EPS excludes $0.31 per share of after-tax charges consisting primarily of $0.01 of restructuring charges within the Test segment and $0.30 of acquisition related amortization.
                     
    (2 ) YTD Q2 2024 Adjusted EPS excludes $0.36 per share of after-tax charges consisting of: $0.05 of MPE acquisition backlog and inventory step-up charges and acquisition costs, $0.02 of restructuring charges (primarily severance) within the Test and A&D segments, and $0.29 of acquisition related amortization.

        
        

    ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Condensed Business Segment Information (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
            GAAP   As Adjusted  
            Q2 2025   Q2 2024   Q2 2025   Q2 2024  
    Net Sales                  
      Aerospace & Defense $ 123,369     114,701     123,369     114,701    
      USG   90,767     87,309     90,767     87,309    
      Test   51,383     47,119     51,383     47,119    
        Totals $ 265,519     249,129     265,519     249,129    
                           
    EBIT                    
      Aerospace & Defense $ 30,296     23,377     30,298     23,640    
      USG   20,779     17,575     20,862     17,575    
      Test   6,369     5,542     6,369     5,745    
      Corporate   (14,750 )   (14,047 )   (9,648 )   (8,260 )  
        Consolidated EBIT   42,694     32,447     47,881     38,700    
        Less: Interest expense   (2,195 )   (3,226 )   (2,195 )   (3,226 )  
        Less: Income tax expense   (9,466 )   (6,002 )   (10,659 )   (7,440 )  
        Net earnings $ 31,033     23,219     35,027     28,034    
                              
    Note 1: Adjusted net earnings of $35.0 million in Q2 2025 exclude $4.0 million (or $0.15 per share) of after-tax charges consisting primarily of acquisition related amortization.
                           
    Note 2: Adjusted net earnings of $28.0 million in Q2 2024 exclude $4.8 million (or $0.19 per share) of after-tax charges consisting of: $0.02 of MPE acquisition backlog charges, $0.02 of restructuring charges (primarily severance) within the Test and A&D segments, and $0.15 of acquisition related amortization.
                           
    EBITDA Reconciliation to Net earnings:           Q2 2025 –   Q2 2024 –  
            Q2 2025   Q2 2024   As Adjusted   As Adjusted  
    Consolidated EBITDA $ 56,668     46,550     56,895     47,174    
    Less: Depr & Amort   (13,974 )   (14,103 )   (9,014 )   (8,474 )  
    Consolidated EBIT   42,694     32,447     47,881     38,700    
    Less: Interest expense   (2,195 )   (3,226 )   (2,195 )   (3,226 )  
    Less: Income tax expense   (9,466 )   (6,002 )   (10,659 )   (7,440 )  
    Net earnings $ 31,033     23,219     35,027     28,034    
                           

       
       

    ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Condensed Business Segment Information (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
            GAAP   As Adjusted  
            YTD Q2 2025   YTD Q2 2024   YTD Q2 2025   YTD Q2 2024  
    Net Sales                  
      Aerospace & Defense $ 237,670     209,434     237,670     209,434    
      USG   177,427     170,293     177,427     170,293    
      Test   97,448     87,716     97,448     87,716    
        Totals $ 512,545     467,443     512,545     467,443    
                           
    EBIT                      
      Aerospace & Defense $ 51,892     40,040     51,920     40,303    
      USG   41,269     35,200     41,352     35,320    
      Test   10,791     7,321     11,256     7,797    
      Corporate   (29,060 )   (27,993 )   (18,959 )   (16,860 )  
        Consolidated EBIT   74,892     54,568     85,569     66,560    
        Less: Interest expense   (4,452 )   (5,893 )   (4,452 )   (5,893 )  
        Less: Income tax   (15,934 )   (10,287 )   (18,390 )   (13,045 )  
        Net earnings $ 54,506     38,388     62,727     47,622    
                              
    Note 1: Adjusted net earnings of $62.7 million in YTD 2025 exclude $8.2 million (or $0.31 per share) of after-tax charges consisting of: $0.01 of restructuring charges within the Test segment and acquisition related costs at Corporate, and $0.30 of acquisition related amortization.
                           
    Note 2: Adjusted net earnings of $47.6 million in YTD 2024 exclude $9.2 million (or $0.36 per share) of after-tax charges consisting of: $0.05 of MPE acquisition backlog and inventory step-up charges and acquisition costs, $0.02 of restructuring costs (primarily severance) within the Test and A&D segments, and $0.29 of acquisition related amortization.
                           
    EBITDA Reconciliation to Net earnings:           YTD   YTD  
            YTD   YTD   Q2 2025 –   Q2 2024 –  
            Q2 2025   Q2 2024   As Adjusted   As Adjusted  
    Consolidated EBITDA $ 102,673     82,123     103,393     83,582    
    Less: Depr & Amort   (27,781 )   (27,555 )   (17,824 )   (17,022 )  
    Consolidated EBIT   74,892     54,568     85,569     66,560    
    Less: Interest expense   (4,452 )   (5,893 )   (4,452 )   (5,893 )  
    Less: Income tax expense   (15,934 )   (10,287 )   (18,390 )   (13,045 )  
    Net earnings $ 54,506     38,388     62,727     47,622    
                           

        
       

    ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
            March 31,
    2025
      September 30,
    2024
                 
    Assets          
      Cash and cash equivalents $ 57,397   65,963
      Accounts receivable, net   218,123   240,680
      Contract assets   125,281   130,534
      Inventories   231,200   209,164
      Other current assets   28,752   22,308
        Total current assets   660,753   668,649
      Property, plant and equipment, net   172,081   170,596
      Intangible assets, net   394,594   407,602
      Goodwill   536,222   539,899
      Operating lease assets   38,322   37,744
      Other assets   13,690   14,130
          $ 1,815,662   1,838,620
                 
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity        
      Current maturities of long-term debt $ 20,000   20,000
      Accounts payable   81,244   98,371
      Contract liabilities   128,114   124,845
      Other current liabilities   92,661   106,638
        Total current liabilities   322,019   349,854
      Deferred tax liabilities   72,580   75,333
      Non-current operating lease liabilities   35,948   34,810
      Other liabilities   39,787   39,273
      Long-term debt   68,000   102,000
      Shareholders’ equity   1,277,328   1,237,350
          $ 1,815,662   1,838,620

        
       

    ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
           
        Six Months
    Ended
    March 31, 2025
      Six Months
    Ended
    March 31, 2024
    Cash flows from operating activities:        
    Net earnings $ 54,506     38,388  
    Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash        
    provided by operating activities:        
    Depreciation and amortization   27,781     27,555  
    Stock compensation expense   5,323     4,144  
    Changes in assets and liabilities   (27,207 )   (47,869 )
    Effect of deferred taxes   (2,128 )   (2,981 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities   58,275     19,237  
             
    Cash flows from investing activities:        
    Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired     (56,179 )
    Capital expenditures   (15,350 )   (16,301 )
    Additions to capitalized software   (5,465 )   (5,912 )
    Net cash used by investing activities   (20,815 )   (78,392 )
             
    Cash flows from financing activities:        
    Proceeds from long-term debt   66,000     154,000  
    Principal payments on long-term debt and short-term borrowings   (100,000 )   (65,000 )
    Dividends paid   (4,130 )   (4,125 )
    Purchases of common stock into treasury     (7,189 )
    Other   (6,146 )   (1,432 )
    Net cash (used) provided by financing activities   (44,276 )   76,254  
             
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   (1,750 )   471  
             
    Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents   (8,566 )   17,570  
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period   65,963     41,866  
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 57,397     59,436  

        
       

    ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Other Selected Financial Data (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
    Backlog And Entered Orders – Q2 2025   A&D   USG   Test   Total
      Beginning Backlog – 1/1/25 $ 606,687     122,857     177,404     906,948  
      Entered Orders   121,706     92,184     76,950     290,840  
      Sales     (123,369 )   (90,767 )   (51,383 )   (265,519 )
      Ending Backlog – 3/31/25 $ 605,024     124,274     202,971     932,269  
                         
    Backlog And Entered Orders – YTD Q2 2025   A&D   USG   Test   Total
      Beginning Backlog – 10/1/24 $ 600,382     119,943     158,644     878,969  
      Entered Orders   242,312     181,758     141,775     565,845  
      Sales     (237,670 )   (177,427 )   (97,448 )   (512,545 )
      Ending Backlog – 3/31/25 $ 605,024     124,274     202,971     932,269  

       
       

    ESCO TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES  
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited)  
             
    EPS – Adjusted Basis Reconciliation – Q2 2025      
      EPS – GAAP Basis – Q2 2025 $ 1.20  
      Adjustments (defined below)   0.15  
      EPS – As Adjusted Basis – Q2 2025 $ 1.35  
             
      Adjustments exclude $0.15 per share consisting primarily of acquisition      
      related amortization.      
      The $0.15 of EPS adjustments per share consists of $5.2 million of pre-tax      
      charges offset by $1.2 million of tax benefit for net impact of $4 million.      
             
    EPS – Adjusted Basis Reconciliation – Q2 2024      
      EPS – GAAP Basis – Q2 2024 $ 0.90  
      Adjustments (defined below)   0.19  
      EPS – As Adjusted Basis – Q2 2024 $ 1.09  
             
      Adjustments exclude $0.19 per share consisting primarily of $0.02 of MPE      
      acquisition backlog charges, $0.02 of restructuring charges within the Test      
      and A&D segments, and $0.15 of acquisition related amortization.      
      The $0.19 of EPS adjustments per share consists of $6.2 million of pre-tax charges      
      offset by $1.4 million of tax benefit for net impact of $4.8 million.      
             
    EPS – Adjusted Basis Reconciliation – YTD Q2 2025      
      EPS – GAAP Basis – YTD Q2 2025 $ 2.11  
      Adjustments (defined below)   0.31  
      EPS – As Adjusted Basis – YTD Q2 2025 $ 2.42  
             
      Adjustments exclude $0.31 per share consisting primarily of $0.01 of restructuring      
      charges within the Test segment and $0.30 of acquisition related amortization.      
      The $0.31 of EPS adjustments per share consists of $10.7 million of pre-tax charges      
      offset by $2.5 million of tax benefit for net impact of $8.2 million.      
             
    EPS – Adjusted Basis Reconciliation – YTD Q2 2024      
      EPS – GAAP Basis – YTD Q2 2024 $ 1.49  
      Adjustments (defined below)   0.36  
      EPS – As Adjusted Basis – YTD Q2 2024 $ 1.85  
             
      Adjustments exclude $0.36 per share consisting primarily of $0.05 of MPE acquisition      
      backlog charges, inventory step-up charges and acquisition costs, $0.02 of      
      restructuring charges, and $0.29 of acquisition related amortization.      
      The $0.36 of EPS adjustments per share consists of $12 million of pre-tax charges      
      offset by $2.8 million of tax benefit for net impact of $9.2 million.      

    SOURCE ESCO Technologies Inc.
    Kate Lowrey, Vice President of Investor Relations, (314) 213-7277

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Shaheen and Rounds, Reps. Kiggans and Courtney Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Strengthen Civilian Defense Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    **Bipartisan Defense Workforce Integration Act would streamline the hiring of individuals who are medically ineligible for military duty to civilian careers in the defense and national security workforce**
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), senior members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), alongside U.S. Representatives Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) and Joe Courtney (D-CT-02), members of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, today led the introduction of the Defense Workforce Integration Act – bipartisan, bicameral legislation that seeks to bolster the civilian defense and national security workforce. The bipartisan bill—which is co-sponsored in the Senate by SASC members Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and in the House by U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02)—would leverage existing programs and best practices within the Department of Defense to retain the talent and motivation of those who desire to serve in uniform but are found to be medically disqualified to address persistent workforce shortages. 
    “Oftentimes, the U.S. Department of Defense will invest significant time and resources into military recruits’ training – only for those recruits to be taken out of consideration for medical reasons, many of which do not prohibit them from working to keep our nation safe and secure,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our bipartisan, bicameral bill provides opportunities for these individuals—who have already stepped up to serve their nation—to still contribute to America’s national security by increasing awareness and accessibility of careers in the civilian defense workforce. Especially as employers like the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard face recruitment and retention challenges for vital roles, we should be doing all we can to fill vacancies that bolster our national security.” 
    “Medical issues might prevent some patriotic Americans from active military service, but it doesn’t have to prevent them from finding other ways to serve our country,” said Senator Rounds. “The Defense Workforce Integration Act would help individuals who want to serve their country but are disqualified from military service for medical reasons transition into federal civilian roles within the Department of Defense.” 
    “Every year, tens of thousands of young Americans are turned away from military service – not because they aren’t willing to serve, but because of medical disqualifications that may have no bearing on their ability to contribute,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “The Defense Workforce Integration Act ensures that these patriotic individuals still have a path to serve their country through meaningful civilian careers that support our national security. This bipartisan, bicameral bill strengthens our workforce, preserves talent, and reinforces our commitment to the defense industrial base at a time when global threats are growing by the day.” 
    “Hiring and retaining a skilled defense workforce is critical to our national security. From manufacturers in the defense industrial base to the Defense Department’s civilian workforce at military bases across the country and at the Pentagon, these are patriotic careers that make our national security mission possible,” said Congressman Courtney. “Creating pathways into those jobs for former servicemembers and individuals who want to serve but cannot is a smart way to grow our defense workforce with people committed to this mission. I’m glad to introduce this bipartisan, bicameral bill as a part of Congress’ continuing work to boost defense careers and maintain a strong industrial base.” 
    As defense workforce shortages grow in crucial areas like manufacturing, cybersecurity and defense logistics, the Defense Workforce Integration Act would activate a pool of candidates who are ineligible for military service to fill vacant positions that contribute to America’s national security.  
    For applicants who cannot join the military, the legislation directs DoD to enable military personnel managers to provide individuals that are medically disqualified with information about civilian employment opportunities in the following areas: the defense industrial base, cybersecurity, intelligence, research and development of defense technologies, national emergency and disaster preparedness and any other non-military role the Secretary of Defense considers in the national security interest. 
    For servicemembers disqualified early in their careers, the legislation expands on existing Air Force best practices by establishing Army and Navy personnel management programs to execute “warm hand-offs” to DoD civilian hiring authorities for personnel who become medically disqualified during their initial accession and training pipelines. 
    For personnel leaving the military after serving honorably, the legislation leverages existing Navy transition assistance programs to expand awareness of critical civilian roles at Military Sealift Command and workforce training programs for shipbuilders to enhance our civilian maritime workforce. 
    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Rosen Introduce Legislation to Protect Sensitive Federal Data from DeepSeek, Adversarial AI Technologies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Protection Against Foreign Adversarial Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025 to prohibit federal contractors from using DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to fulfill contracts with federal agencies. DeepSeek poses a significant potential national security threat and is required by Chinese law to share the data it collects with the government of the People’s Republic of China and its intelligence agencies. Several U.S. states and allied nations have already moved to block DeepSeek from government devices due to critical security concerns.
    “AI is a powerful tool which can be used to enhance things like medicine and education. But in the wrong hands, it can be weaponized. By feeding sensitive data into systems like DeepSeek, we give China another weapon,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    “The U.S. must take steps to ensure Americans’ data and our government systems are protected against cyber threats from foreign adversaries,” said Senator Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation would prevent federal contractors from using Deepseek, a CCP-linked AI platform, when carrying out government work. I will continue working across party lines to bolster our national security and protect Americans’ data.”
    Specifically, the Protection Against Foreign Adversarial Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025 would:
    Prohibit federal contractors with an active federal contract from using DeepSeek, and any successor application developed by High-Flyer, for the fulfillment, assistance, execution, or otherwise support to complete, or support in part, a contract with an agency of the U.S. federal government. 
    Allow the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Defense, may provide a waiver, if necessary, on a case-by-case basis for national security-related or research purposes.
    Include a report to Congress from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Defense, on the national security and economic espionage threats posed by AI platforms from adversarial nations, such as China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.
    Background
    Cassidy has been a consistent champion for online privacy and user data protection. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation to protect U.S. servicemembers’ data from adversarial nations like China and has worked to ensure that Americans can delete their personal data collected by private data broker companies.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results Of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including 4 in the Western District of New York

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, NY – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “These arrests should send a clear message that, together with our law enforcement partners at all levels, we will track down and prosecute those who target our children,” stated U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. “Our office will never stop doing all that we can to protect children from these harmful predators.”

    “Operation Restore Justice’ sends a powerful message: the FBI is unwavering and united in its fight to protect our children,” said Matthew Miraglia, the Special Agent-in- Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. “These arrests demonstrate the unwavering dedication of the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Our work does not stop here. The FBI is committed to holding predators accountable and pursuing justice for victims.”

    Arrested in the Western District of New York and charged with possession of child pornography are:

    Brian Keith, 68, of Niagara Falls, NY. During the execution of a search warrant on March 13, 2025, at Keith’s residence, Niagara Falls Police officers seized a DVR, laptop, five hard drives and two tablets. A review of the electronic devices recovered images of child pornography. Keith is a registered Level 3 sex offender.

    Matthew Kowalski, 25, of Kenmore, NY. In October 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years’ probation for Possessing a Sexual Performance of a Minor, a New York State Penal Law violation. On April 11, 2025, during an unannounced home visit by Erie County Probation Officers, a cellular phone with an SD card was found, which Kowalski was not permitted to possess. A search of the phone and SD card recovered multiple images and videos of suspected child pornography.

    Samari Thompson, 20, of Buffalo, NY. On November 4, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at Thompson’s residence, seizing electronic devices, including a cellular telephone. A search of the cell phone recovered 48 images and 16 videos of suspected child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted infants.

    Jamie R. Anderson, 25, of Buffalo, NY. In January 2022, Anderson was sentenced to 10 years’ probation for Possessing a Sexual Performance of a Minor, a New York State Penal Law violation. On July 3, 2024, the social media application Kik reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that 13 video and image files of apparent child pornography were uploaded to their server. Subsequent investigation traced the uploaded files to Anderson. The investigation also determined that Anderson was the subject of two other tipline reports.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

    Arrests in the Western District of New York are the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, the New York State Police, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, the Erie County Probation Department, and the Niagara Falls Police Department.

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

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Stefanik Statement on Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats’ Disgraceful Slush Fund for Letitia James’ Legal Defense

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

    Stefanik Statement on Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats’ Disgraceful Slush Fund for Letitia James’ Legal Defense | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Calls on Hegseth to Protect Marine Recruits, Freeze Contract Renewal with Credit Union Under Investigation for Exploitative Overdraft Fees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 07, 2025
    Frontwave Credit Union’s contract with the Marine Corps is expected to be renewed imminently
    “[DoD] does not adequately protect service members from exorbitant overdraft fees in its contracting process…In the interim, I ask that DoD refrain from renewing its contract with Frontwave”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, wrote to Secretary of the Department of Defense (DoD) Pete Hegseth urging him to freeze the Marine Corps contract renewal with Frontwave Credit Union until the contract terms are revised to protect Marines from abusive overdraft fees. Last year, Senator Warren launched a bipartisan investigation with nine members of Congress into the California-based credit union for its history of targeting Marine recruits with excessive overdraft fees. 
    For 25 years, Frontwave Credit Union has had an exclusive agreement with the Marine Corps that funnels recruits from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego and automatically enrolls them in Frontwave checking accounts to receive their paychecks by direct deposit. Approximately 99% of MCRD recruits were automatically enrolled with Frontwave.
    In March 2024, a KPBS investigation exposed Frontwave’s predatory practices, finding that every time a Marine’s account is overdrawn by more than $20, they are charged a $20 per-purchase fee – with fees that can run as much as $500 in total. Base pay for newly enlisted Marines is around $1,800 – $2,000 per month before taxes. A $500 debt to Frontwave, compounded with interest, could take years for a recruit to repay and be disastrous for their credit score.
    In 2022 alone, Frontwave made $7.8 million from overdraft and non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees. Frontwave’s entire profit came from overdraft fees, and was triple the average for state-chartered credit unions. Without the revenue from overdraft fees, Frontwave would have faced significant losses for years.
    Senator Warren’s investigation found that the average overdraft fees for the bank’s customers that were subject to these fees easily exceed $200 annually. Frontwave confirmed to Senator Warren that its contract with the Marines did not contain any terms related to overdraft fees. 
    “New information and documents I obtained as part of my investigation of Frontwave reveal that the Department of Defense does not adequately protect service members from exorbitant overdraft fees in its contracting process,” said Senator Warren. 
    “The findings [of my investigation] indicate a need for DoD to review its contract with Frontwave Credit Union…and ensure that they have adequate protections in place to prevent excessive overdraft fees and other abusive practices,” Senator Warren concluded. 
    Senator Warren urged Hegseth to begin the review process as soon as possible and provide her staff with a briefing on DoD’s efforts to protect Marines from predatory overdraft fees within 30 days. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Congressional testimony: Supporting American leadership in quantum technology

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Congressional testimony: Supporting American leadership in quantum technology

    Editor’s note: On Wednesday, May 7, Dr. Charles Tahan, Partner, Microsoft Quantum, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. To view the proceedings, please visit the committee’s website.


    Written Testimony of Dr. Charles Tahan
    Partner, Microsoft Quantum, Microsoft Corporation

    U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
    “From Policy to Progress: How the National Quantum Initiative Shapes U.S. Quantum Technology Leadership”

    Chairman Babin, Ranking Member Lofgren, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the importance of quantum technology and the transformative role it will play for this country and for our collective future.

    It is an honor to be here again. I first appeared before this Committee nearly two years ago. Then, I was Assistant Director of Quantum Information Science and Director of the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO), an office within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The NQCO was created in the first Trump Administration by the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018. Our job was to coordinate the more than 20 agencies led by the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, along with the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, to develop and execute a national strategy to strengthen American leadership in quantum information science and technology. I spent almost four years in that job, which capped an almost 17-year career as a practicing physicist and technical leader at the National Security Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where I worked on quantum computing, high-performance computing, and other advanced technologies. I now work at Microsoft where I lead technical teams within Microsoft Quantum that are working both internally and with our close partners to build the world’s first useful quantum computers.

    Through my testimony I hope to outline the transformative potential of quantum technology and why the United States must lead and win the quantum race. To provide some context, I will begin by highlighting the revolution in quantum sciences and why quantum matters in the age of artificial intelligence. I then expand on Microsoft’s leadership in this field—both through our own research and through our strategic collaborations with other leaders in the quantum ecosystem. But, despite our tremendous progress, sustaining American leadership requires government action. I therefore offer three focus areas that I believe this Committee and Congress should prioritize: (1) advancing the quantum sciences; (2) developing, attracting, and retaining a skilled quantum workforce; and (3) building a resilient and secure supply chain. Taken together, these strategic actions will not only bolster our nation’s security and competitive edge against competitors and adversaries, but it will also drive innovation and economic growth at home towards a new frontier of American prosperity.

    The Quantum Information Revolution

    I like to think of quantum science as the operating system of the universe. What we physicists call quantum mechanics are essentially the rules that the universe follows at the microscopic level. Over the last 100 years, we have learned a tremendous amount about how those rules work. They appear strange to us because we do not experience them in our daily lives. As we have learned more about these quantum effects, we have been able to leverage them to build new tools and technologies.

    The National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018 recognized that we were on the cusp of a new technological revolution—a quantum information revolution— where we could harness the more advanced and unusual properties of quantum mechanics. This revolution is not just about new research discoveries but also about creating fundamentally new types of information technology like quantum computers, quantum networks, and quantum sensors. The full implications of this shift in quantum information science are unclear, but we do know that maintaining our global technological leadership is critical to sustaining economic prosperity, enhancing our well-being, and safeguarding our national security. We also know this is the first moment in our lifetimes in which we are able to radically reimagine how we build computers. As a country, and as a computing company, we must take that seriously.

    Why Quantum Matters in the Age of AI

    In the two years since my last appearance before this Committee, the world has shifted dramatically. The remarkable rise of AI systems has surprised all of us and increasingly affordable AI capabilities are likely to transform the world even more profoundly than the internet. Despite its immense potential, artificial intelligence—even coupled with the most powerful classical computers today—has limitations. There are problems that AI and classical computing will never be able to solve, not in our lifetimes or even in a hundred lifetimes, because of the fundamental limitations of how they are designed.

    Quantum technology can offer unprecedented capabilities for computing. Consider two quick examples where quantum computers are exponentially faster than anything we could imagine a classical computer could do. The first is code-breaking, which has serious implications to our national security and privacy. A sufficiently large quantum computer could break the public key cryptography systems we now rely on in days or weeks. Even the most powerful classical computer we could ever imagine would take the age of the universe to solve the same problem. That is the power of exponential improvement. And it is why we must move to quantum resistant cryptography as fast as possible.

    The other more commercially relevant application is, quite simply, making things—designing new materials, new chemicals, and new medicines. If you think about what the future holds, what will differentiate nations in an era of intelligence is their ability to create new things using tools that enable them to do so better, faster, and at lower cost. And this is why quantum is so important, not only because it helps us understand the universe as scientists but because it gives us unprecedented capabilities to dramatically improve our lives.

    Microsoft’s Leadership in Quantum

    It is important to appreciate that bringing quantum technology to practical application is hard. It requires focused and sustained investments, sophisticated infrastructure, and the best talent in the world.  It also requires new types of hardware—quantum hardware—and a new quantum technology stack, from chips to the control and readout layers to the user interface. This requires science and innovation at every level. That is what makes developing quantum technology expensive.

    The quantum team at Microsoft has been pursuing quantum computing for over 20 years. Our research program has spanned all three CEOs. We are singularly focused on building quantum computers that are able to solve meaningful problems, like problems in chemistry and material science. To do this, we need quantum computers that can scale to potentially millions of qubits—or quantum transistors—as compared to the small number currently available in prototype systems today. Microsoft has been pursuing this on two fronts: through our decades-long internal research and through strategic collaborations in the quantum ecosystem.

    1. Microsoft’s First-Party Research: The Topological Approach

    Microsoft’s internal hardware effort is based on a unique scientific approach aimed at developing qubits that rely on very novel physics. These are called topological qubits. We think they are promising for quantum computing because they have the potential to make it much easier to scale, meaning to control and enable readout of the millions of qubits needed to develop a useful quantum computer. However, to build even one topological qubit, the team had to take a scientific theory that was first proposed in the 1930s and make it a reality—a feat that included creating a new state of matter and engineering a device in which to exhibit it.

    Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled new technical results that begin to validate our roadmap toward a topological quantum computer.[1] In addition, Microsoft presented the Majorana 1 chip, which brought together for the first time all the key components, validated individually, that will be needed to build quantum systems that scale: cryogenic electronics, interconnect wiring, and a qubit microchip layout that is compatible with both the physics of topological operation and the limits of control electronics. It is the embodiment of Microsoft’s topological roadmap[2] and the team is proud of it.

    Our approach has been evaluated by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which spent nearly two years vetting Microsoft’s architecture and engineering plan and the unique properties that enable topological qubits to scale.[3] As a result, DARPA selected Microsoft for the final phase of its Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing (US2QC) program—one of the programs that makes up DARPA’s larger Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). To date, the US2QC program has brought together over fifty experts from leading government and academic institutions, including Air Force Research Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and NASA Ames Research Center, to verify our approach to quantum hardware, software, and applications. DARPA referred to this evaluation as “an incredibly rigorous and deeply technical analysis from what is almost certainly the world’s best quantum computing test and evaluation team.” The final phase of US2QC now envisions the development of a fault-tolerant prototype based on topological qubits—a crucial acceleration step toward making a utility-scale quantum computer a reality.

    Majorana 1 represents the pursuit of hundreds of scientists and engineers over the course of 20 years. Along the way there have been and will continue to be tremendous advances and contributions to the greater field of quantum information science and technology because of this pursuit. And this is why I came to Microsoft—to work on the hardest problems that promise to have an outsized impact for technology and for our society. Technical terms you may not have heard of, such as Topological and Floquet codes, pristine superconductor-semiconductor materials, measurement-based approaches to quantum computing, are all new technologies spun out of this pursuit with implications for many other types of qubits and other types of technologies, even other domains like astronomy. They came about because the Microsoft team found solutions to the hard problems—to the benefit of not only our company, but the entire quantum ecosystem.

    1. Strategic Collaborations

    At its core, Microsoft is a platform company. We want to empower our customers with the best computers in the world, whether they are quantum computers or classical computers, for the applications they care about. While we are excited about the continued advancement and promise of our own topological approach, we have no preference for which qubits ultimately provide our customers with quantum capabilities. We want the system to be the best technology for their use case. This means we develop software for multiple different technologies and layers of the quantum computer stack, everything from AI copilot to quantum languages to the real-time operating system needed to run a quantum computer with millions of moving parts.

    To do this, we work with, invest in, and partner with many different quantum computing technology companies, big and small, to help them make useful quantum computers a reality. We have entered into strategic collaborations with leading quantum hardware startups like Atom Computing, Quantinuum, and Photonic, and others. By applying our industry-leading error-correction and control software to their hardware platforms, we are accelerating the industry’s transition from rudimentary “Level 1” machines that use noisy physical qubits to the world’s first “Level 2” machines that rely on reliable, error-corrected logical qubits, composed of many physical qubits—which make quantum computing more useful for practical applications.

    Our breakthroughs in this area are coming fast. In April 2024, Microsoft and Quantinuum demonstrated the first logical qubits on record that outperform the underlying physical qubits.[4] Five months later, in September 2024, Microsoft and Quantinuum demonstrated 12 logical qubits on Quantinuum’s ion-trap machine, the most reliable logical qubits then on record.[5] Two months later, in November 2024, Microsoft and Atom Computing doubled this feat, creating and entangling 24 logical qubits made from neutral atoms.[6] These breakthroughs led by Microsoft, Atom Computing, and Quantinuum have for the first time moved the quantum industry firmly out of the “Level 1” noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era to Level 2 resilient quantum computing. With Atom Computing, we are now offering the world’s first commercially available Level 2 quantum machines. These collaborations enable us to deliver best-in-class logical qubits for our customers today, further cementing Microsoft’s leadership in the quantum ecosystem. But even these “Level 2” systems that aim to provide 1000s of physical qubits will pale to the scale of a true, utility-scale quantum computer powered by a million qubits or more. Getting to this point will require more sustained, large-scale investments in many areas—from talent development to new domestic capabilities to supply chain resilience.

    Winning the Race in Quantum

    While Microsoft has made significant investments in quantum technology, the efforts of individual companies alone are insufficient for the United States to secure the leadership position. Winning the quantum race will not happen without clear-eyed, intentional, and decisive government action. Indeed, these actions will decide whether American global leadership will continue for the rest of this century.

    In his first term, President Trump and Congress laid the foundation for American leadership in the quantum sciences. The passage of the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA) was a strong first step in moving from dispersed quantum science initiatives to a more active, coordinated effort to not only lead in the foundational research, but also take scientific breakthroughs through to practical technological innovation.

    As this Committee considers reauthorization of the NQIA and other specific actions that the United States must take to secure our technological leadership in quantum, we offer more detailed recommendations across three policy priorities: (1) robust funding for quantum research, (2) developing top-tier quantum talent, and (3) securing the quantum supply chain. These three categories—described more fully below—require U.S. government leadership to maintain a competitive edge, drive innovation, and safeguard national security in the face of growing global competition.

    1. Advancing Quantum Research

    First, we must continue our long American tradition of leading the world in groundbreaking scientific research. Our curiosity, our ability to innovate, and our desire to build has been responsible for a century of American prosperity. Indeed, the past century of our global leadership is rooted in our ability to not only innovate but innovate first. For quantum, the first-mover advantage is likely to define the geopolitical landscape for the rest of this century – and likely well beyond.

    Last week, Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith wrote specifically about the critical role of the American research triad—the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation—in driving American scientific and technological innovation.[7] I will add to that the unique role that the National Institute of Standards and Technology has contributed to quantum information science since the field’s inception. In addition, there have been vital investments by the Intelligence Community’s research funding organizations, who have core missions that demand expertise to monitor progress in quantum information technologies. We must make it a continuing national imperative to energize these institutions—for our economic future, for our national security, and for sustaining our global leadership. The American scientific enterprise is unmatched in the world and there is no private sector substitute. We benefit from multiple institutions that have very different models for how to fund science. This allows the U.S. to fund everything from basic ideas to large, very focused development programs to purchasing novel supercomputers. There is nothing else quite like it in the world.

    Federal funding is the key to leveraging these institutions to sustain our leadership in quantum research and development.  Following passage of the NQIA, U.S. funding for the quantum sciences more than doubled from $456 million in 2019 to $1.041 billion in 2022.[8] But recent years have seen a decline, as reflected in President Biden’s $998 million budget request for FY2025. This has come as our global competitors are doing the opposite. Governments around the world are accelerating spending on quantum R&D – and China’s estimated $15 billion commitment dwarfs publicly reported U.S. funding levels.[9]

    To stay competitive, Congress should not only reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative Act but be purposeful in expanding initiatives through a coordinated national strategy. Key recommendations include:

    • Fully Fund and Expand Quantum Initiatives across the Federal Government: Reauthorize and fully fund the National Quantum Initiative Act and its programs. Congress should ensure agencies like the Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Labs, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community receive sustained appropriations to expand fundamental quantum science research and development. This includes supporting the NSF’s Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes and the DOE’s National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, which have a proven record of leveraging each federal dollar to attract additional private investment. Expanding these programs will spur innovation nationwide and solidify U.S. leadership in critical quantum technologies.
    • Increase Directed Quantum R&D Funding: Move beyond fragmented funding by adopting a more directed, strategic investment approach. A recent ITIF survey suggests that China’s centralized funding strategy gives it advantages over the diffuse U.S. approach.[10] Congress can consider targeted increases in quantum R&D budgets across key agencies, aiming to exceed past funding peaks and keep pace with competitor nations. Restoring growth in federal quantum R&D funding—particularly after the dip in recent years—is the first and most urgent step to ensure the U.S. does not fall behind.
    • Expand Translational Research Programs: Boost funding for government evaluation and prototype development programs to build a bridge between lab discoveries, engineering initiatives, and real-world applications. For example, DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI)—the flagship program for assessing quantum breakthroughs—should be expanded and fully funded. Congress can direct agencies (DOD, DOE, NSF) to coordinate on identifying high-value quantum research projects and push them toward validation programs (like DARPA’s QBI program) and then to practical realization with additional grants, prizes, or public-private partnerships.
    • Encourage Public-Private Collaboration: Federal investment should be paired with incentives for private sector co-investment in quantum R&D. Each dollar of federal funding often leverages additional private sector investment, so policies like matching grants, or innovation challenges can multiply the impact of public funds. Congress should also support joint research centers and consortia that bring together government, academia, and industry to solve quantum engineering hurdles. In addition, maintaining a stable, long-term funding outlook will give industry the confidence to invest alongside the government in quantum technology development.
    • Provide access to the latest quantum capabilities: Congress should streamline pathways for government agencies to provide the latest quantum computing technology to the researcher community, which would allow them to better identify impactful quantum applications and use cases.

    By significantly increasing federal funding and focusing it strategically, Congress can reinvigorate America’s quantum R&D enterprise. Continued U.S. scientific leadership depends on this commitment and history shows that breakthroughs from federally funded basic research (from the internet to GPS) drive decades of innovation and economic growth. Investing ambitiously in quantum now will pay dividends for American security and prosperity in the years to come.

    2. Developing & Attracting Quantum Talent

    Throughout its history, the United States has developed and attracted the brightest and most innovative minds– and it is what powers Microsoft, the broader American technology sector, and our great academic and research institutions. But this country now faces a severe shortage of STEM talent and, even more critically, a shortage of specialized quantum expertise.

    The global quantum talent pool remains small even as demand increases. It is no exaggeration to say that a handful of gifted physicists, engineers, and mathematicians could sway the balance of power and shift the dynamics in the race to develop quantum technology. Globally, there are as many as three job postings for every one qualified quantum worker.[11] In the U.S., we are struggling to develop our own talent and labor pool. Today the U.S. STEM workforce consists of approximately 36.8 million people, but 43% of doctorate-level scientists and engineers are foreign-born.[12] In 2021, more than half of doctorate-level computer scientists, mathematicians, and engineers working in the United States—occupations directly connected to critical and emerging technologies—were born outside the country.[13] Meanwhile, other countries are sprinting ahead in producing STEM graduates. In 2020, the U.S. awarded roughly 900,000 undergraduate STEM degrees annually, compared to 2 million in China and 2.5 million in India.[14] That gap may have widened in the past five years and today, the European Union leads in quantum talent concentration, with India and China also surpassing the U.S. in the number of quantum-trained specialists. Without a bigger domestic pipeline of quantum talent, even the most well-funded programs will struggle to succeed.

    Congress should enact policies to train, attract, and retain top quantum talent. Important steps include:

    • Strengthen STEM Education at All Levels: Congress must be laser focused on expanding the STEM pipeline from K-12 through to graduate school programs. This includes initiatives through the NSF, as well as state and local partners to enrich science and math curricula and increase awareness and interest in emerging technology. By introducing comprehensive STEM education early (in elementary and secondary schools), we can inspire more students to pursue careers in emerging technology and quantum-related fields.
    • Invest in Higher Education and Training: Congress should also continue and expand initiatives to train the next generation of scientists and engineers. We must continue to fund scholarships, fellowships, and research assistantships, particularly those focused in STEM and specifically in the quantum sciences. This must include developing high-caliber talent at our nation’s premier research institutions through grants and quantum research programs.  It must also include prioritizing community colleges and technical institutes that often launch students into STEM careers. Programs like the NSF’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) are critical to engaging more students and providing educators with hands-on quantum projects.  Congress should also increase federal support for STEM graduate students in quantum-related disciplines—currently, only 15% of U.S. full-time STEM grad students are supported by the U.S. government, down from 21% in 2004.[15] Bolstering fellowships and traineeships will produce more Ph.D.-level researchers ready to push the boundaries of quantum science.
    • Retrain and Upskill the Existing Workforce: To meet immediate needs, Congress should also consider activating NSF and the Department of Labor for workforce retraining programs that would help add talent to the quantum ecosystem. Adult education, professional development, and certificate programs in STEM and basic quantum fundamentals can rapidly expand the pool of “quantum-aware” professionals. These efforts will help fill roles in quantum research and product development that do not necessarily require Ph.D.-level expertise but do need specialized training.
    • Attract and Retain Global Talent:  Many of the world’s best minds—in quantum science and across disciplines—come to the U.S. for education and we must continue to find ways to support their continued contributions to our country after graduation. For example, from 2018–2021, temporary visa holders made up 37% of U.S. science and engineering Ph.D. graduates and over 70% of those students intended to stay in the U.S. after graduating.[16]  Congress should create expedited pathways for highly skilled quantum experts and expand the number of visas for Ph.D. graduates in quantum-related fields. Easing green card backlogs for advanced STEM degree holders could help the U.S. retain and attract international talent that would otherwise find opportunities outside the United States.
    • Promote International Collaboration: Congress should encourage collaborative research and exchange programs with allied nations to broaden the talent base within a trusted network. Joint initiatives with allies can pool expertise and resources to collectively train more quantum scientists. By deepening ties with like-minded countries the U.S. can both learn from our allies and ensure that we lead the quantum future together.

    By implementing these measures, the United States can build a robust pipeline of quantum talent. A comprehensive strategy spanning education, training, and international collaboration will equip the U.S. with the skilled workforce needed to drive quantum innovation and outpace global competitors.

    3. Securing the Quantum Supply Chain

    Building a secure and reliable quantum supply chain is essential. Quantum technologies across the board—computing, communication, and sensing—depend on specialized materials and components. This includes hardware like cryogenic refrigerators to advanced lasers and quantum chips. There are currently few suppliers or fabrication facilities for these items and most are globally distributed. This creates a real risk of supply bottlenecks or dependencies on foreign sources, which could stall our R&D progress or even compromise the technology stack. It currently takes 12 to 18 months to get certain components and equipment we need, many of which come from overseas. The U.S. must be able to either build quantum components and devices domestically or have reliable, secure sources through trusted allies. We also need prototyping facilities that are rapid, focused, and work at the pace of industry. However, establishing a resilient supply chain will not happen without focused government action. It is a complex challenge requiring coordination between agencies and partnership with industry. And the need to act is now.

    Congress and the Administration should pursue a national strategy to strengthen the quantum supply chain through the following actions:

    • Develop a National Quantum Supply Chain Strategy: We recommend that the Administration—perhaps via the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee or another interagency task force—develop a comprehensive strategy to develop the quantum supply chain. This strategy should identify key supply vulnerabilities, set goals for domestic capacity in quantum-related manufacturing, and provide the Administration with an action plan on how to spur public and private investment for key technology components. Congress may also consider regular reporting on quantum supply chain risks and a roadmap to de-risk dependencies.
    • Diversify Sources of Critical Components: The government should consider using federal purchasing power and funding to ensure multiple reliable sources for essential quantum hardware components. Congress can empower the Department of Commerce and Department of Energy to organize long-term purchase agreements or commit to buying key items (e.g. dilution refrigerators, superconducting amplifiers, high-purity qubit materials, photonic components) in bulk. Strategic investment (such as grants) could also target any chokepoints where the U.S. is overly reliant on foreign suppliers. By deploying capital toward widely needed quantum components, the government can incentivize companies within the United States (or, abroad in partnership with trusted allies) to build expertise and capacity.
    • Establish Quantum Manufacturing Facilities: Congress should also focus on building specialized infrastructure facilities for quantum device fabrication and testing. Building quantum computers and sensors often requires custom fabrication processes (for novel types of qubits, cryogenic electronics, etc.) and advanced packaging techniques. Congress should support the creation of one or more quantum foundries or test beds—perhaps through our National Labs or public-private partnerships—equipped to prototype and produce quantum components at scale. This includes facilities dedicated to fabrication, packaging, and assembly of quantum chips and systems, as well as laboratories for testing cryogenic and photonic components under quantum operating conditions. By investing in such infrastructure, the U.S. will reduce the need to rely on foreign fabrication facilities or suppliers for cutting-edge parts. These centers can also serve as innovation hubs where academia and industry collaborate on next-generation manufacturing techniques for quantum technology.
    • Prioritize Domestic Production of Advanced Components: Congress should create incentives (tax credits, grants, or loan guarantees) for companies to build production lines in the U.S. for critical quantum hardware. This includes the design and fabrication of advanced lasers, precision optics, microwave components, and quantum-grade semiconductors, as well as cryogenic electronics and ultralow-temperature refrigeration systems required for quantum labs. Capabilities like high-precision metrology (chip characterization) and advanced 3D packaging for quantum devices should also be developed domestically. Some of these areas overlap with semiconductor and photonics industries—where recent government efforts were aimed at boosting U.S. manufacturing— but specialized focus on quantum needs is essential. By onshoring production of these components, the U.S. will mitigate risks of foreign supply cut-offs and foster a local ecosystem of quantum suppliers and startups.  In tandem, federal R&D programs can partner with U.S. manufacturers to improve yields and performance in quantum-specific production, driving the costs down over time.

    By implementing these measures, the U.S. can build a resilient quantum supply chain that supports our nation’s long-term leadership. A combination of strategic planning, direct investment, public-private partnerships, and incentives will reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and ensure that our scientists and quantum innovators have access to the tools and components they need to succeed.

    Conclusion

    In closing, the government plays a critical role in coordinating our quantum ecosystem, funding the base of scientific discoveries and talent that the industry relies on, and being the first customer for next generation computers.

    Quantum technology promises to redefine the next era of human progress. The United States must act with urgency to ensure our continued leadership over the next hundred years.

    [1][2502.12252] Roadmap to fault tolerant quantum computation using topological qubit arrays.

    [2] Interferometric single-shot parity measurement in InAs–Al hybrid devices | Nature and Realizing Topological States on Quantum Hardware | APS Global Physics Summit.

    [3] DARPA selects two discrete utility-scale quantum computing approaches for evaluation | DARPA.

    [4] How Microsoft and Quantinuum achieved reliable quantum computing – Microsoft Azure Quantum Blog.

    [5] Microsoft and Quantinuum create 12 logical qubits and demonstrate a hybrid, end-to-end chemistry simulation – Microsoft Azure Quantum Blog.

    [6] Microsoft and Atom Computing offer a commercial quantum machine with the largest number of entangled logical qubits on record – Microsoft Azure Quantum Blog.

    [7] Investing in American leadership in quantum technology: the next frontier in innovation – Microsoft On the Issues.

    [8] National Science and Technology Council:  Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science, National Supplement to the President’s FY 2025 Budget.

    [9] Hodan Omaar and Martin Makaryan, “How Innovative is China,” Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, September 2024.

    [10] Id.

    [11] McKinsey & Company, “Quantum Technology Monitor,” April 2023.

    [12] National Science Board, “The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2024,” March 2024.

    [13] Id.

    [14] Id.

    [15] Id.

    [16] Id.

    Tags: quantum, Senate Testimony, Technology

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on violence between India and Pakistan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to increasing military action between India and Pakistan in the disputed region of Kashmir:

    “Since the devastating terrorist attack that killed 25 civilians in Kashmir last month, I have been following the escalating tensions and military exchanges between India and Pakistan with increasing concern. As we work collectively to bring the perpetrators to justice, I call on New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restraint and continue their efforts to resolve this crisis through diplomacy. That is the only way to forge a path toward justice for the families of those killed without an escalation of destruction and death.”

    Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Salinas, Lofgren, Padilla, Bennet Reintroduce Legislation to Provide Disaster Relief for Farmworkers

    Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06), the daughter of a former farmworker and a leader in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), reintroduced the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. This legislation would provide compensation for farmworkers who lose out on wages due to extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters beyond their control. The bill was first introduced in the 118th Congress.

    “Extreme weather and natural disasters are only getting worse with climate change. Unfortunately, many of the hardworking individuals who grow and harvest our food do not receive direct financial support when they are forced to miss work and lose wages as a result of these disasters,” said Rep. Salinas. “My legislation would finally correct this injustice by providing federal disaster relief for farmworkers. This change is well-deserved and long-overdue, and I will continue to advocate for the brave men and women who help feed America.”

    “When extreme weather occurs, farmworkers across our country continue to feed the nation. And yet, these essential workers and their families face great uncertainty when unexpected disasters harm their communities and livelihood. For example, hundreds of farmworkers in my congressional district faced displacement and lost wages after severe flooding devastated the Pajaro community in early 2023. We owe them – and all farmworkers – more. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act ensures America’s indispensable farmworkers can receive disaster relief funding they need and have earned,” said Rep. Lofgren.

    “California’s farm workers often work under extreme conditions to help put food on the table for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said Sen. Padilla. “But increasingly frequent natural disasters, including historic flooding in Pajaro, have devastated California’s agricultural communities. We must protect the heart of our nation’s food supply by providing critical emergency assistance to these essential workers.”

    “Agriculture is the backbone of Colorado’s economy and central to our Western way of life, but as climate-fueled disasters become increasingly common, our state’s farm workers are paying the price,” said Sen. Bennet. “Our bill will help ensure the people that grow America’s fruits, vegetables, and other crops get the assistance they need in the wake of emergencies like drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters.”

    Oregon is home to over 100,000 farmworkers, many of whom live and work in the Willamette Valley and power the state’s $42 billion agriculture economy. Yet despite their importance to our food systems, the average farmworker family in Oregon earns less than $25,000 per year. Ninety-six percent reported living in overcrowded housing and about thirty percent are living below the poverty line. When farmworkers cannot work due to extreme weather or other unexpected disasters, they can lose wages and even their jobs—pushing them deeper into housing and food insecurity.

    The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act would address this problem by providing direct relief funding for farmworkers. Specifically, this bill would:

    • Make grants available to eligible farmworker organizations to provide emergency relief to farm workers affected by a disaster.
    • Ensure USDA develops and executes a promotional plan prior to and throughout the distribution of the relief grants to increase awareness of the assistance available.
    • Require USDA to work with eligible farmworker organizations.
    • Provide definitions for a covered disaster, eligible farmworker organization, and migrant or seasonal farmworker.
    • Amend Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to allow for emergency assistance for farmworkers.

    In addition to Reps. Salinas and Lofgren, the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act is cosponsored by Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), André Carson (IN-07), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jim Costa (CA-21), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), and Juan Vargas (CA-52).

    The legislation is endorsed by the following organizations, in alphabetical order: A Better Balance, Alianza Americas, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), Borderlands Resource Initiative, California Human Development, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Care in Action, CASA of Oregon, Center for Employment Training, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Central Valley Opportunity Center, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc (CDM), Child Labor Coalition, CHILDREN AT RISK, CIERTO, Civic Empowerment Coalition, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Columbia Legal Services, CRLA Foundation, Davidson County Local Food Network, El Futuro es Nuestro, Farm Worker Ministry Northwest, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-FLAP, Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC), Farmworker Justice, Food Empowerment Project, GALEO Impact Fund, Hand in Hand/Mano en Mano, Hispanic Affairs Project, Hispanic Federation, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Latino Outdoors, League of Conservation Voters, Make the Road CT, Make the Road NJ, Make the Road NV, Make the Road NY, Make the Road PA, Make the Road States, Michiganders for a Just Farming System, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers – Florida and Virgin Islands Chapter, National Consumers League, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association, NC FIELD, Inc., NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, North Carolina Council of Churches, North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network, North Carolina Justice Center, Nourish Up, Opportunity Arizona, Oregon Human Development Corporation, Organización en California de Lideres Campesinas, Inc, PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network (PAN), Popular Democracy, Presente.org, Progress Michigan, Proteus Inc., Puente de la Costa Sur, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Slow Food USA, Student Action with Farmworkers, Sur Legal Collaborative, TODEC Legal Center, Toxic Free North Carolina, UFW Foundation, Unidos Yamhill County, United Farm Workers, Voces Unidas de las Montañas.

    “Farm workers are always on the front lines of fires, floods, and storms — yet are too often excluded from federal disaster relief programs,” said Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers (UFW). “If the federal government can provide emergency support to farm owners who lose crops in natural disaster, then the federal government can emergency provide support to farm workers who lose work in that same disaster. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act will ensure that farm workers who put food on all our tables can continue to put food on their family’s table when disaster strikes.”

    “Every year we see an alarming number of natural disasters that drastically and disproportionately impact the farm worker community. As climate change gets worse, these types of disasters will only worsen and farm workers are the ones who are affected the most by these calamities. Just last year, we saw heavy California rains flooding Ventura County farm areas and Hurricane Helen devastating Georgia’s farm worker communities, leading to organizations like ours stepping up to do what we can. But that is not enough. We must have a federal response to these kinds of disasters. From wildfires to tornadoes to hurricanes, farm workers have little to no safety net to help them recover from unexpected disasters,” said Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer at UFW Foundation. “This is exactly why the UFW Foundation is supporting the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. It would provide resources and aid to those who truly need it and would ensure that those responsible for our nation’s food supplies are not overlooked, as they have been in the past. Farm workers have been largely ignored and neglected by the law, shut out from basic protections provided to all workers. It is time that Congress acts and ensures that our nation’s farm workers are given the support they need to overcome times of emergencies and to provide equity to all workers.” 

    “Farmworkers are frontline workers, which means they are the hardest hit by the impacts of extreme weather conditions across the country. Many farmworkers feel that they are risking their health with extreme heat and colder days, but losing even one day of work is not an option for their families’ economic situation. Outdoor protections are important, yet there are days that are becoming too extreme to even be outside. Our vision is to be a resilient workforce for the agricultural industry. Disaster relief means we can start investing in addressing the issues that workers are facing today by building resilience for climate change in the future, without sacrificing the economic well-being of farmworkers,” said Reyna Lopez, Executive Director of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noreste (PCUN).

    To read the full text of the legislation, click here.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to host national ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and Victory in Europe (V-E) Day

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Toronto, ON – Veterans Affairs Canada will host a public commemorative event in Toronto to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and Victory in Europe (V-E) Day that will include the official Government of Canada delegation and feature the lighting of the CN Tower as a beacon of peace, a lantern-lighting ceremony, and a symbolic presentation of the commemorative combat boots underscoring the themes of remembrance, peace, and the homecoming of soldiers.

    The delegation will be joined by Her Honour, The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Harman Idema, Consul-General of the Netherlands, Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor, City of Toronto, Brigadier-General Joe Robinson, Deputy Commander 4th Canadian Division and Joint Task Forces Central, Canadian Armed Forces, and other dignitaries.

    The event will include remarks from dignitaries, participation of a delegation of Second World War Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and Cadets, as well as performances by the HMCS York band, the Hamilton Children’s Choir, the Borden Military Wives Choir, the East Side 6 Swing Dancers, and the youth of Toronto All-Star Big Band.

    Location:  Canada Lands Square (CN Tower)
                      290 Bremner Boulevard
                      Toronto, ON
                      M5V 2T6

    Date:        Thursday, 8 May 2025

    Time:        20:00 EDT

    Notes for media:

    Media who wish to participate must register by 15:00 EDT on Thursday, 8 May by contacting media@veterans.gc.ca with their name and media outlet. Media members are asked to arrive by 19:30 EDT.

    There will be photo opportunities during the event and interview opportunities with the official delegation members after the ceremony if time permits.

    Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs and we will work with you to enable your participation.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI USA: School of Pharmacy 2025 Commencement Speakers

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The School of Pharmacy is excited to announce JoAnn Trejo as the commencement speaker for the 2025 Pharm.D. ceremony. As the Honorary Degree Recipient and Keynote Speaker for the School of Pharmacy, Trejo is a professor of pharmacology and senior assistant vice chancellor for health sciences faculty affairs at the University of California San Diego. She completed her undergraduate at UC Davis, her PhD and MBA at UC San Diego and her postdoctoral training at UCSF. 

    Headshot of JoAnn Trejo

    Committed to research with passion and dedication, Trejo has expertise in cell signaling in the context of vascular inflammation and cancer. With her research published in more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and continuously being funded by the NIH, Trejo is an excellent educator, mentor, and leader. Through her work advancing the fields of science and pharmacology, Trejo is the recipient of an NIH R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) and the American Heart Association Established Investigator Award.  

    Beyond her research, Trejo is the director of five NIH-supported training programs and served as an elected member of the leadership Council for the ASCB and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As a current member of the scientific advisory boards for Septerna and Versiti and the NIGMS Advisory Council, Trejo has received numerous awards for leadership and service. Trejo is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) among other organizations. 

    Joe Honcz, the B.S. ceremony commencement speaker, is a distinguished expert in managed care and market access as a Registered Pharmacist and currently serves as the Senior Vice President at Petauri Advisors. With a 25-year career that spans various sectors of the healthcare industry, Joe played a critical role in the launch of Medicare Part D and had instrumental involvement in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Joe holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and an MBA from UConn and continues to serve the UConn community as an AMCP diplomat to the School.  

    Headshot of Joe Honcz

    Recently leveraging his understanding of managed care to deliver strategic market access insights, Joe has empowered over 20 biotech and pharmaceutical clients to effectively navigate complex dynamics. Joe’s contributions have been important in the launch of innovative products in traditional and rare disease categories and he continues to drive innovation while supporting the emerging pharmaceutical and health tech industries as a “pharmacy futurist.”  

    Outside of his role as Senior Vice President, Joe is involved at Yale Ventures and UConn Technology Commercialization Services as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor and is on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) and Avery’s Little Army. 

    Joe’s background includes diverse roles at Pfizer, Walgreens, CVS, and more.  

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lansdowne Station — Update: Multi-agency search for missing children in Pictou County scales back

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    As of today, a multi-agency search for two missing children, six-year-old Lily Sullivan and four-year-old Jack Sullivan, will be scaled back.

    Lily and Jack were reported missing on May 2, at approximately 10 a.m. It’s believed they wandered away from their home on Gairloch Rd. in Lansdown Station, Pictou County.

    This search has included many agencies, including volunteer ground search and rescue teams from all surrounding areas and New Brunswick, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, the Nova Scotia Guard, the Salvation Army, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Department of Natural Resources Air Services, Nova Scotia Public Safety and Field Communications, Canada Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 5, and several RCMP units, including Police Dog Services, drone operators, and our Major Crime Unit.

    “It has been an all-hands-on-deck effort, using every available resource and tool,” says Staff Sergeant Curtis MacKinnon, District Commander for Pictou County District RCMP. “We’re transitioning from a full-scale search to searches in smaller, more specific areas; we’ll be retracing our steps to ensure all clues have been found.”

    Since the search began on May 2, it has been concentrated in the Gairloch Rd. area and has covered four square kilometres of heavily wooded, rural terrain. Up to 160 trained volunteer searchers, along with many others, have been involved in the search each day. Tens of thousands of search hours have been dedicated to scouring the area, and GSAR has confirmed that over 100 tracks have been laid using GPS and grid searches.

    Efforts to locate Lily and Jack have also included two vulnerable missing persons alerts. One was issued in Pictou County on May 2. And on May 3, a broadcast intrusive alert was issued to Antigonish, Colchester, and Pictou counties.

    “I want to assure Nova Scotians that our missing persons investigation continues,” says Staff Sergeant MacKinnon. “Our focus remains on finding Lily and Jack. Our best investigators are working every aspect of this file, and our work won’t stop until we know where Lily and Jack are and can bring them home.”

    Anyone with information is asked to contact Pictou County District RCMP at 902-485-4333. 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.

    Our thoughts are with the children’s loved ones and the community at this difficult time.

    File #: 2025-583775

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seizes 9 DDoS-for-Hire Webpages as Part of Global Crackdown on ‘Booter’ and ‘Stresser’ DDoS Services

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department today announced the court-authorized seizure of nine internet domains associated with some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services. Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau simultaneously announced the arrests of four administrators of such services, investigations which were assisted by U.S. authorities. Several of the arrested administrators operated websites seized pursuant to previous operations by the Central District of California. 

    Federal law enforcement continues to seize websites that allow paying users to launch powerful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks flood targeted computers and servers with information to prevent them from being able to access the internet.

    Booter services such as those named in this action allegedly attacked a wide array of victims in the United States and abroad, including schools, government agencies, gaming platforms, and millions of people. In addition to affecting targeted victims, these attacks can significantly degrade internet services and completely disrupt internet connections. 

    The websites targeted in this operation were used for hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted DDoS attacks targeting victims worldwide. While some of these services claimed to offer “stresser” services that purportedly could be used for network testing, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) determined these claims to be a pretense, and “thousands of communications between booter site administrators and their customers…make clear that both parties are aware that the customer is not attempting to attack their own computers,” according to an affidavit filed in support of court-authorized warrants to seize the booter sites.

    Today’s announcement builds on the success of the prior cases by targeting all known booter sites, shutting down as many as possible, and undertaking a public education campaign. In the last four years more than 11 defendants have been charged in Los Angeles and Anchorage for facilitating DDoS-for-hire services. More than 75 domains associated with such services have been seized.

    “Booter services facilitate cyberattacks that harm victims and compromise everyone’s ability to access the internet,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “This week’s sweeping law enforcement activity is a major step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate criminal conduct that threatens the internet’s infrastructure and our ability to function in a digital world.”

    “DDoS for hire criminal booter services impact internet services for victims in every corner of the United States, including Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This threat highlights the continued need to pursue cybercrime services like booter providers. We remain committed to bolstering our collaborative partnerships in the U.S. and abroad to address threats to critical internet infrastructure and services.”

    “The enforcement actions launched today, made possible by enduring partnerships between law enforcement and private industry, represents continued pressure on DDoS-for-hire services and the cybercriminals and hacktivists who use them.” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office. “This success demonstrates the resolve of the DCIS to relentlessly pursue those who target our warfighters and their information systems.”

    In conjunction with the website seizures, Homeland Security Investigations, DCIS, and the Netherlands Police have launched an advertising campaign using targeted placement ads in search engines, which are triggered by keywords associated with DDoS activities. The purpose of the ads is to deter potential cybercriminals searching for DDoS services in the United States and around the globe, and to educate the public on the illegality of DDoS activities.

    In recent years, booter services have continued to proliferate as they offer a low barrier to entry for users looking to engage in cybercriminal activity. These types of DDoS attacks are so named because they result in the “booting” or dropping of the targeted computer from the internet.

    For additional information on booter and stresser services and the harm that they cause, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/anchorage/fbi-intensify-efforts-to-combat-illegal-ddos-attacks.

    The seizures announced today were performed by DCIS’s Cyber-West Resident Agency.

    These law enforcement actions were taken in conjunction with Operation PowerOFF, an ongoing, coordinated effort among international law enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructures worldwide, and holding accountable the administrators and users of these illegal services. Principal partners in Operation PowerOFF include EUROPOL; the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska; The Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS); FBI’s Anchorage and Los Angeles field offices; HSI’s Columbus field office; Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA); United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA); Netherlands Police; Polish Central Cybercrime Bureau; Brazilian Federal Police, Japan’s National Police Agency, France’s Police Nationale, and many others.

    Assistance was provided by Akamai, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Digital Ocean, Flashpoint, Google, PayPal, The University of Cambridge, and Unit 221B.

    Assistant United States Attorneys James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section and Aaron Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are handling this investigation.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Two in the Western District of Oklahoma

    OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country. 

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “Those who prey upon children leave a horrific trail of lives damaged and futures destroyed,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.  “My office is proud to join with our partners at the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country to prioritize the safety of children and bringing justice to those who seek to harm them.”

    “Operation Restore Justice is not just about upholding the rule of law – it’s about standing up as a society for the safety of children and showing predators that we will not allow them to rob kids of their innocence,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “The FBI is proud to collaborate with our law enforcement partners every single day to ensure anyone involved in criminal behavior against a child is brought to justice.”

    Defendants in the Western District of Oklahoma have been charged as follows:

    • COLT TRAVIS GLADDING, SR., 41, of Coyle, Oklahoma, has been charged by Complaint with sexual exploitation of a child and possession of material containing child pornography. According to the Complaint, on July 15, 2024, officers with the Troy Police Department (TPD) in Troy, New Hampshire, received a report regarding the sexual abuse of a minor. The minor reported that between the ages of 14 and 16, she lived in Coyle, Oklahoma, where she was sexually abused by Gladding several times over two years. Gladding also coerced the victim to send him photos that were sexual in nature. If found guilty, Gladding faces not less than 15 years and up to 50 years in federal prison, and fines of up to $500,000.
    • DALTON CUNNINGHAM, 31, of Alva, Oklahoma, has been charged by Complaint with possession of and/or access with intent to view child pornography. According to the Complaint, the FBI obtained a federal search warrant for Cunningham’s phone and found videos and images of child sexual abuse material, including files depicting prepubescent children. If found guilty, Cunningham faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

    *The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that the defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice:

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Four in the Southern District of Indiana

    May 7, 2025 – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “Children are the foundation of our communities. It is not their burden to protect themselves; it is our absolute responsibility as adults to shield them from the egregious predators charged today,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I commend the exceptional and tireless work of our law enforcement partners and AUSAs Tiffany Preston, Carolyn Haney, Samantha Spiro, and Jeremy Kemper, who are doing their part to execute Operation Restore Justice.” 

    “Behind every arrest during Operation Restore Justice was a child who was being exploited – who was suffering in silence,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans. “These crimes are both heartbreaking and deeply disturbing and the FBI remains committed to identifying and investigating these cases and ensuring those who responsible for such heinous acts are held accountable. Our hope is that these children now have a chance to heal and to rebuild their lives in safety, free from fear and surrounded by the care and support they need.”

    In the Southern District of Indiana, the following four individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes:

    Defendant Name(s) Offense(s) Charge
    Raymond Robert Lapensee, Jr., 33, of Evansville Possession of Sexually Explicit Material Involving Minors (3 Counts)
    James Dean Collett, Jr, 29, of New Albany

    Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Attempt (4 Counts)

    Possession of Child Pornography (2 Counts)

    Eric Lee Dicken, 35, of Columbus Possession of Child Pornography

    Beau R. Thornburgh, 45, of Lebanon

    *Convicted sex offender

    Possession of Child Pornography

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, this effort and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including in the District of Utah

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.  

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “When it comes to child sex abuse, Utah is no exception to the rest of the country and there is no shortage of work for our prosecutors or law enforcement partners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. “No matter the age or demographic, any child can become a victim and keeping our children safe is a top priority in the District of Utah.”

    “If your child has access to the internet, he or she is likely to encounter a predator looking to entice or harm them,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force combines the resources and expertise of our law enforcement partners to safeguard society’s most vulnerable.”

    As part of this operation, FBI Salt Lake City field office investigations led to federal arrests and indictments against:

    1.    Gustavo Uroza-Rodriguez, charged on April 23, 2025, with attempted coercion and enticement, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. 
    2.    Melissa Goodrich, charged on April 23, 2025, with trafficking of a minor.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources: 

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children
    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Two in the Western District of Arkansas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FORT SMITH – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children. The FBI is relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us.”

    “Our top priority in Western Arkansas is making our communities safer and better,” said the United States Attorney for Western Arkansas, David Clay Fowlkes.  “This crucial mission begins with protecting those who cannot protect themselves, particularly children residing in Western Arkansas. This operation, and many others like it, are vital to helping us accomplish this important mission by concentrating our efforts on prosecuting those who engage in child abuse.  Furthermore, this operation serves as a significant demonstration of our collaborative partnerships with federal, local, and state law enforcement officers who share our unwavering commitment to pursuing these important cases.”

    “This operation is a testament to the efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect children in our communities,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder. “FBI Little Rock will continue to prioritize these investigations, seek justice for victims and hold predators accountable for their actions.”

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

    MIL Security OSI