NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2 MS-13 members sentenced for racketeering following ICE New England, partner investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — An investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England alongside its law enforcement partners led to the July 15 sentencing of two members of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, for their roles in a previously-unsolved murder.

    Jose Vasquez aka Cholo aka Little Crazy, 31, was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2025, Vasquez pleaded guilty to violent crime in aid of racketeering. He was already serving a 212-month prison sentence for a May 2018 federal conviction for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. In total, Vasquez will serve a total of 37 years for his MS-13-related crimes.

    William Pineda Portillo aka Humilde, 31, a Salvadoran national who was unlawfully residing in Everett, was sentenced to 16 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He is subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In May 2023, Pineda Portillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise conspiracy.

    Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in ChargeMichael J. Krol, U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey D. Noble, Somerville Police Chief Shumeane Benford and Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton made the announcement July 17.

    Pineda Portillo and Vazquez were indicted by a federal grand jury along with other MS-13 members in September 2024. Specifically, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez conspired with others to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010, in Chelsea. That evening, law enforcement responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, they found the victim with approximately 10 stab wounds to his chest and back, along with injuries to his head. The victim was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. A recent reexamination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.

    In the week leading up to the incident, Vasquez and other MS-13 members conspired to murder the victim because they believed he belonged to a rival gang. Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Pineda Portillo picked up Vasquez, other MS-13 members and the victim in Allston. Driving a vehicle registered to his father, Pineda Portillo took the MS-13 members and the victim to Chelsea, where Vasquez and the other gang members led him to an area under an on-ramp to Route 1. Once in the secluded area under the highway, an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock and another MS-13 member stabbed him with a machete. During the attack, Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife. Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a silver kitchen knife recovered from the murder scene. The victim’s blood was also found on the knife.

    An undercover recording obtained approximately six weeks after the murder captured one MS-13 member acknowledging his participation in the murder and other gang members disciplining him for leaving Massachusetts after the murder without the gang’s permission.

    Pineda Portillo fled to El Salvador before investigators could interview him about his role in the murder. On or about April 29, 2015, after Pineda Portillo returned to the U.S., he arranged to sell a firearm loaded with eight rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness in exchange for money.

    On or about June 1, 2015, Pineda Portillo conspired to murder an MS-13 member he incorrectly believed had been arrested and was cooperating with law enforcement. Specifically, in a conversation recorded by law enforcement, Pineda Portillo said, among other things: “I want that son of a bitch killed, man … You will see, homeboy! We are going to do a complete thing to that son of a bitch, dude.”

    Pineda Portillo was originally indicted in 2017. Shortly before the indictment was returned, he was deported to El Salvador. Approximately five years later, on May 10, 2022, Pineda Portillo was arrested as he tried to return to the U.S, illegally crossing the border into Texas from Mexico.

    According to court documents, after being arrested at the border, Pineda Portillo admitted that he was a member of MS-13. A fingerprint analysis indicated there was a warrant for his arrest. Pineda Portillo was then returned to the District of Massachusetts, where he remained in custody.

    ATF Boston, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance in this case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Robbers who vandalized ATMs so they could steal cash when repair technicians opened the machines, arrested in Mississippi

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – Two Texas men made initial appearances Thursday July 17, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Seattle charged with conspiracy to commit robbery for their scheme to steal from banks by assaulting and threatening ATM technicians, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Ahmon Hogg, 22, of Humble Texas and Seth Coles-Body, 23, of Houston, were identified as part of a robbery ring operating across the country. The men would allegedly disable ATM machines with a glue-like substance and when the technician showed up to fix the machine, they would threaten the technician to give them the cash containers, called cassettes, from the ATM.

    In December 2024, the pair allegedly were part of a gang that disabled ATMs on December 23 and 24, when the machines would be loaded with cash for the Christmas holiday. The coconspirators disabled a Bank of America ATM in Renton with a glue-like substance that caused the card reader to stop functioning. After the technician arrived and began repairing the machine, he was forcibly confronted by two men who brandished a screwdriver and demanded he open the machine and provide them with the cash cassettes. The technician did not open the machine and after a scuffle the technician was able to escape. Bank surveillance video did capture images of the robber’s vehicle and clothing. The men were wearing masks.

    The next day in Vancouver, Washington a technician was sent to repair a Bank of America ATM on SE Mill Plain Boulevard. Again, a glue-like substance had been used to disable the card reader. The technician noticed the cash dispenser was also jammed. As she started repairs, two men ran up and shoved her out of the way and grabbed five cash cassettes filled with currency. The men fled in a car that matched one seen the previous day in connection with the attempted robbery in Renton. Some of the clothing worn by the suspects was also a match for the Renton attempted robbery.

    Authorities also learned that a Bank of America ATM was disabled that same day in Battleground Washington, not far from Vancouver.

    While the investigations were ongoing in Washington, Hogg and Coles-Body were identified in connection to ATM tampering cases on January 3, 2025, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. ATMs for Bank of America and Wells Fargo had been tampered with – a card covered in glue had been inserted into the machines. The FBI set up surveillance on the ATMs and ultimately spotted a car that bank images connected to the tampering. The car and its occupants appeared to be waiting for a technician to arrive at the ATM. Law enforcement stopped the car and was able to identify Hogg and Coles-Body. They were released from custody.

    On March 7, 2025, a technician at a Bank of America in Redmond, Washington, reported he had been robbed. He was working on a machine where once again the card reader was disabled by a glue-like substance. Once the machine was open, two robbers ran up and stole cash canisters filled with money from the machine. Five of the canisters were later recovered, damaged, on the shoulder of highway 520.  A few days later, Coles-Body was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol attempting to travel into Mexico by Greyhound bus with approximately $209,000 in cash. The cash was seized, and Coles-Body was released.

    A criminal complaint and warrant for arrest were sworn on July 2, 2025. The men were arrested in a traffic stop in Mississippi, with stolen firearms found in their car. They made an initial appearance in Jackson Mississippi federal court on July 3, 2025, and the Magistrate Judge ordered the Marshal Service to transport them to Seattle.

    Conspiracy to commit robbery is punishable by up to five years in prison.

    The charges contained in the criminal complaint 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.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Columbia River Organized Crime Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Defendant Guilty in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Weapons Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that a jury found Nathan James Meek of Colorado Springs guilty of one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

    According to evidence presented at trial, Meek sold large quantities of narcotics in the Colorado Springs area, including methamphetamine and fentanyl. He was arrested on January 18, 2024, and investigators recovered a cellphone, a firearm, 10 fentanyl pills, 6.2 grams of methamphetamine, and over $3,000 in cash from his person and vehicle. Officers obtained a search warrant for Meek’s apartment and recovered 2,202 grams of methamphetamine, 131 grams of fentanyl, 80 grams of cocaine, 698 grams of marijuana, and three firearms. Meek’s cellphone contained records of drug-related communications dating from January 1, 2024, through the time of his arrest.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colorado Springs Police Department.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Garreth Winstead and Daniel McIntyre.

    Case Number:  24-cr-00082-RMR-1

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSHUA HOGAN, (“HOGAN”), age 36, was sentenced on, July 8, 2025, by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, after previously pleading guilty to a six-count Superseding Bill of Information. Counts One and Two charged HOGAN with distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).  Counts Three and Four charged HOGAN with distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).  Count Five charged HOGAN with possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Count Six charged HOGAN with felon in possession of a firearm/ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

    HOGAN was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment as to all six counts of his Superseding Bill of Information, such terms to be served concurrently. Judge Long also ordered that HOGAN be placed on supervised release for a total of four years. This term of supervised release consists of three years as to Counts One, Two, Five, and Six, and four years, as to Counts Three and Four. All such terms to be served concurrently. Also, HOGAN is ordered to pay a $600 mandatory special assessment fee.

    In August 2023, as part of Operation Big Easy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) became aware of the identity of HOGAN, a narcotics trafficker. According to court records, on August 3, 2023, ATF arranged for contact with HOGAN on a phone number HOGAN had provided previously and arranged for the purchase of a half ounce of fentanyl.  HOGAN met with two individuals who he believed to be legitimate buyers in the 1300 block of Tonti Street and purchased 13.89 grams of a substance that later tested positive for heroin and fentanyl for $600.

    On August 7, 2023, ATF again arranged for contact with HOGAN to arrange the purchase of an ounce of fentanyl for $1450. Again, two individuals who he believed to be legitimate buyers, met with HOGAN at a residence on Lapeyrouse Street and purchased 28.11 grams of a substance that later tested positive for heroin and fentanyl for $1450.

    On August 10, 2023, an individual who he believed to be legitimate buyer, contacted HOGAN to arrange for the purchase of two ounces of fentanyl for $2500. The individuals met HOGAN at the Lapeyrouse Street residence and purchased 56.05 grams of a substance that later tested positive for heroin and fentanyl for $2500.

    On August 21, 2023, HOGAN was contacted by an individual who he believed to be legitimate buyer, to arrange for the purchase of two ounces of fentanyl for $2500. The individuals met HOGAN at the Lapeyrouse Street residence and purchased 55.40 grams of a substance that later tested positive for heroin and fentanyl for $2500.

    On October 18, 2023, ATF prepared to execute an arrest warrant for HOGAN.  ATF simultaneously executed a previously obtained search warrant for HOGAN’s residence on Lapeyrouse Street. Inside the residence, agents recovered an additional 4.3 grams of fentanyl and a Polymer 80, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, bearing no serial number and equipped with an extended magazine, as well as ammunition, on the dresser in HOGAN’s bedroom

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fargo Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for a Large Dangerous Drug Distribution Enterprise and Distribution of Drugs Resulting in Death

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

    FARGO:  Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that Karmen Charles Fox, age 34 of Fargo, ND, appeared in United States District Court today, and was sentenced by Chief Judge Peter Welte to serve 480 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release for the offenses of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute 400 grams or more of Fentanyl (Count 1); Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering (Count 2); Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) (Count 3); Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting In Death (Count 4); Distribution of a Controlled Substance (fentanyl) (Count 5); Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) (Count 7); and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon (Count 9).  Fox was also ordered to pay a $700 Special Assessment.   

    As reflected in court documents, federal law enforcement responded to an overdose death on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation, North Dakota.  A subsequent investigation revealed that Karmen Fox was the primary source of the pills that were ingested by the victim.  Fox sold fentanyl pills to individuals throughout North Dakota, including on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation and Fort Berthold Indian Reservation for further distribution, including codefendants Scott Roberts (Roberts), Kristin Carrington (Carrington), Chasity Lynn Feather (Feather), Aiana Richotte (Richotte), among other coconspirators. Throughout the conspiracy, Fox and his codefendants used CashApp and other money transfer services to transfer the drug proceeds.

    In December 2022, Fox distributed more than 100 fentanyl pills to Feather and Richotte who in turn drove the pills from Fargo to Devils Lake for further distribution.  While in Devils Lake, Richotte and the overdose victim smoked a pill.  Thereafter, the victim returned to her residence on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation where she later died.  After the victim was found unresponsive by her significant other, he called emergency medical personnel who unsuccessfully performed life-saving measures.  

    Law enforcement later obtained search warrants for Richotte and Feather’s hotel room in Devils Lake as well as Feather’s person.  Law enforcement seized $1,293 from Feather’s purse and approximately 175 fentanyl pills from Feather’s person.

    Further investigation of the coconspirators’ social media accounts revealed that Scott Roberts and Fox discussed having previously distributed “thousands” of pills.  They also discussed the arrests of Feather and Richotte in Devils Lake on December 13, 2022.  On November 21, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Fox’s residence in Fargo. Law enforcement seized approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine, two grams of heroin, three firearms, and 34 boxes of various ammunition.  Fox was prohibited from possessing firearms because of two prior felony convictions, including Attempted Delivery of Controlled Substance-Heroin.

    Following a jury trial, Fox was found guilty of the above-mentioned offenses on March 19, 2025.  Fox’s coconspirators plead guilty and were sentenced to federal prison for the following terms of incarceration:

    • Roberts was sentenced to 120 months
    • Carrington was sentenced to 42 months
    • Richotte was sentenced to 28 months
    • Feather is awaiting sentencing.

    “Today’s action reflects the significant prison sentence that awaits those who choose to infect our community with fentanyl, methamphetamines and illegal firearms,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Drug dealers can’t hide from law enforcement in North Dakota, or anywhere in this country. The FBI is proud of our role in this joint effort with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners.”

    “The defendant prioritized financial gain over human life and it’s my hope that his sentence will serve as a stark warning to others who are engaging in the same conduct,” said Acting US Attorney Puhl. “If you distribute dangerous narcotics that result in overdose deaths, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; BIA, Lake Region Narcotics Task Force; North Dakota Crime Lab, BCI; Cass County Task Force; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  This case was prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office, District of North Dakota.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: German Chancellor Calls Situation in Gaza ‘Unacceptable’

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BERLIN, July 18 (Xinhua) — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday called the current situation in the Gaza Strip “unacceptable,” calling for an immediate ceasefire and comprehensive humanitarian aid to the local population.

    Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, F. Merz said that Germany, together with its partners, is working in close coordination to resolve the conflict in Gaza.

    The Chancellor stressed that Germany clearly states its position on certain developments in Israel, including the policy of building settlements in the West Bank, which “does not find approval in the German government.”

    According to a statement from the German federal government, Merz expressed hope for a speedy ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.

    F. Merz said that urgently needed humanitarian aid must be delivered to the residents of the Gaza Strip in a safe and humane manner.

    According to the statement, the German Chancellor also stressed that there should be no steps towards annexation of the West Bank. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Smithfield Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Over 150 Improvised Explosive Devices and an Unregistered Short Barrel Rifle

    Source: US FBI

    NORFOLK, Va. – A Smithfield man pled guilty today to possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle and possession of an unregistered destructive device.

    According to court documents, on July 31, 2021, Brad Kenneth Spafford, 36, was admitted to an emergency room with a completely amputated right thumb, partially amputated right middle and index fingers, hearing loss, and scalp lacerations. Spafford falsely told the hospital his injuries were caused by fireworks. An investigation later revealed that Spafford’s injuries resulted from his misfire of a launcher at a family member’s rural property where Spafford routinely detonated explosives he made.

    On Dec. 17, 2024, law enforcement arrested Spafford for possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle. Immediately following Spafford’s arrest, law enforcement searched his Smithfield property and vehicles. Agents recovered an unregistered short barrel rifle and ammunition compatible with the rifle. Agents also found approximately 155 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that appeared to be homemade pipe bombs. Some of the IEDs had handwritten identification on them, including “lethal” and “concussion.”

    Among the IEDs analyzed were propellant capabilities consistent with use in a launcher and IEDs capable of causing property damage, personal injury, or death. Investigators also recovered bomb-making equipment, along with riot gear, Tannerite, two empty grenade canisters, an improvised mine, precursor chemicals for explosive materials, and numerous rounds of homemade ammunition.

    Spafford is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18 and faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.

    The Suffolk Police Department, Norfolk Bomb Squad, Virginia State Police, Isle of Wight County Fire Rescue, and Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation, with continued support from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Norfolk.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Luke Bresnahan are prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-3.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Sentenced to Combined 24 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Carjacking

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND – The last of three defendants involved in a 2021 carjacking and kidnapping was sentenced this week. Anton Woodley, 22, Cashaun Woodley, 24, and Lavontay Johnson, 23, all of Cleveland, each previously pleaded guilty to carjacking after they used firearms to drive an individual around the city so they could steal his money and take his motor vehicle by force.

    Court documents show that on Dec. 12, 2021, a male victim visiting downtown Cleveland met two women who suggested they visit a nearby apartment building. After arriving, one of the women contacted the defendants to tell them about the man she had just met. She then worked out a plan to help them rob him. The Woodley brothers and Johnson traveled to the apartment and waited outside for the male victim to exit the building. When the victim appeared and walked out to his vehicle, the Woodley brothers and Johnson ambushed him at gunpoint. They pressed a pistol up against the back of his head and ordered him into the backseat of his car. The defendants abducted the victim and entered the car, with the Woodley brothers flanking the victim with guns while Johnson drove away.

    With a gun pressed into his side, the defendants demanded money from the victim. They forced him to transfer several hundred dollars out of his accounts and disclose his financial information on his cellphone. After some time driving around the east side of Cleveland, they released the victim on East 80th Street and then sped away in his vehicle.

    The victim’s car was recovered later that month when Garfield Heights police chased Johnson. As he fled the stolen vehicle on foot, officers found a Glock 23, 40 caliber pistol in Johnson’s flight path.

    U.S. District Court Judge Pamela A. Barker imposed the following sentences:

    • Anton Woodley was sentenced July 15, 2025, to 78 months (6.5 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
    • Lavontay Johnson was sentenced March 13, 2025, to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
    • Cashaun Woodley was sentenced Dec. 19, 2024, to 100 months (8.3 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. 

    Each defendant was ordered to pay $1,240 in restitution. This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Cleveland Division of Police, and the Garfield Heights Police Department.

    Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Joines prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Choctaw County Trio Sentenced For Roles In 2020 Double Homicide

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that three Fort Towson, Oklahoma co-conspirators in a 2020 double homicide were sentenced in federal district court.

    Ashlie Nicole Rose Martin, age 22, was sentenced to 456 months in prison for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder.

    Chad Jon’Dale Voyles, age 23, was sentenced to 420 months in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country.

    Bryson Noel Miller, age 19, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office.

    According to investigators, on December 22, 2020, Martin, then age 17, recruited Voyles, age 18, and Miller, age 15, to murder her parents.  That evening, Martin let Voyles and Miller into her house through a rear window.  Miller and Voyles found Martin’s mother sleeping on a couch and beat her to death.  All three assisted in burying her in a shallow grave in the backyard.  After the murder of Martin’s mother, the co-conspirators cleaned up and disposed of evidence of the murder.

    Over the next few hours, Martin attempted to arrange plans to flee, while Voyles and Miller awaited the arrival of Martin’s father at Martin’s residence.  When Martin’s father arrived, Voyles ambushed him and fired at him with a compound bow and field-tipped arrow.  Voyles missed, leading to a struggle with the father.  Ultimately, Miller intervened and struck the father in the head with a dumbbell.  Once incapacitated, Voyles and Miller doused the man in gasoline and set him and the house on fire.

    The crimes occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    “In December 2020, two lives were tragically cut short, and the entire community of Fort Towson was gripped by fear and disbelief,” said FBI Oklahoma City Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Ogden.  “The ruthless violence displayed by all three defendants in this case undoubtedly proves they belong behind prison walls.  The efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners have guaranteed they will each feel the full weight of the federal justice system.”

    “The defendants’ actions were brutal and horrifying,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “Although nothing can erase the effects of these crimes or ease these families’ agony, the sentences imposed remove three very dangerous people from our community for a very long time.”

    The Honorable David C. Joseph, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing.  The defendants will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Young Mob Gang Members Indicted in Memphis on Racketeering, Murder, Robbery, Firearm and Drug Charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

     Larry Wilson, of Memphis, Tennessee, made his initial appearance in federal court today for his role in Young Mob (YM), a violent street gang that allegedly commits crimes including murder, assault, arson, drug trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, and narcotics trafficking. Wilson is the last of eight Young Mob defendants charged to make his initial appearance related to this case.

    “As alleged, this gang shot and killed a member of a rival gang in a restaurant drive-through and robbed customers at gunpoint at another Memphis establishment, recklessly endangering innocent bystanders,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Gang violence that spills into our community spreads fear and insecurity in our neighborhoods. The Criminal Division, in partnership with our federal and local law enforcement colleagues, remains steadfast in our pursuit of gangs that inflict senseless violence in our country.”

    “This gang engaged in numerous unlawful activities, including acts of extreme violence, which demonstrated a blatant disregard for human life,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Through a coordinated effort, the ATF and its local, state, and federal partners worked tirelessly to dismantle the organization and ensure that its members are held accountable.”

    Larry Wilson, 35, Brian Lackland, 35, Paul Nelson, 32, Mohamed Samba, 25, Braxton Beck, 33, Edgar Smith, 39, Jerrod Cox, 32, and Cedric Jackson, 33, all Tennessee residents, were charged for their membership and association with YM. YM members signify their membership by wearing red and/or black clothing and jewelry with an “Eight Ball” or the letters YM or YMM. YM members and recruits are required to commit acts of violence to gain membership and maintain their status in the gang.

    On May 28, 2022, Samba and other, not-yet-identified, YM members, shot suspected rival KSBG gang members ─ murdering one and attempting to murder two others ─ in a McDonald’s restaurant drive-through in Memphis. After the shootings, YM members burned the stolen car used in the shooting.

    The indictment further alleges that on May 13, 2023, at Tug’s Casual Grill, a Memphis restaurant, Nelson, Cox, and another unnamed YM member robbed customers at gunpoint. The unnamed member was shot and killed. Nelson and Cox left the mortally wounded man in a nearby fire station parking lot and then drove their stolen vehicle to another location and burned it. 

    The indictment also alleges that on March 17, 2024, Lackland and Beck attempted the murder of a suspected gang rival, which was thwarted in part due to police presence in the area. In addition, on June 11 and June 12, 2024, Lackland, Wilson, Beck, and Jackson attempted to rob customers at a Memphis tattoo shop before abandoning the scene because of police presence. Undeterred, the same group, along with Smith this time, returned to the tattoo shop after police left the area and robbed multiple customers.

    As alleged, YM receives money and income from drug trafficking, kidnappings, and robberies. Such funds are used for gang purposes, including obtaining weapons and narcotics and providing support for YM gang members, including those in prison serving time for various crimes. YM also receives money and income from various musical interests, with defendant Lackland being a well-known rapper who goes by the stage name “Stupid Duke.”

    YM members and associates are also separately charged as part of a drug conspiracy that was responsible for the distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Multiple members are also charged with various firearm offenses.  

    If convicted, Lackland, Samba, Nelson, Smith, and Cox face a maximum penalty of life in prison. If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison, Beck faces a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison, and Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

    The ATF, Memphis Multi-Agency Gang Unit, and Memphis Police Homicide Unit are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Secures Funding to Strengthen Public Safety, Michigan Manufacturing, and Great Lakes Protections in Appropriations Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped secure funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to fund Michigan priorities, high-impact local projects, and federal programs that support manufacturing, our environment and Great Lakes, public safety, law enforcement, and cutting-edge research.

    “This bipartisan legislation advances critical projects in Michigan and across the country,” said Senator Peters. “The bill makes needed investments to strengthen public safety, support local law enforcement, and boost Michigan’s economic competitiveness. It will also help safeguard our state’s precious natural resources and the Great Lakes for future generations. I’m proud to have helped secure this funding and will keep working to get it across the finish line.”

    Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is considering their own funding bills. The Senate and House will then need to reach an agreement on a final funding bill and have it pass both chambers before being sent to the President to be signed into law.

    The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including:

    Strengthening Michigan’s Manufacturing Sector

    Preventing Illegal Trump Administration Cuts to Manufacturing Programs: The bill included language Senator Peters authored to prevent the Department of Commerce from unilaterally defunding or withdrawing contracts from Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Programs – like the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center. The bill also includes $175 million for the MEP program despite the Trump Administration’s budget proposal to eliminate it. This program helps small and medium manufacturers grow their business, integrate advanced manufacturing techniques and technology, and works to strengthen our domestic manufacturing supply chain. For every dollar of federal investment, MEP generates $24.60 in new sales growth for manufacturers and $27.50 in new investment. This translates into $4.3 billion in new sales annually. In 2024, the Michigan Manufacturing Tech Center estimated they helped 584 businesses produce over $150 million in sales growth and over $100 million in investments. For every $1 of a company’s investment, the Center returns $18 in financial returns.

    Addressing Unfair Chinese Trade Practices: Peters secured language in the bill recognizing that non-allied nations like China are becoming large global exporters of electric vehicles and underscoring a concern that these electric vehicles will soon flood the U.S. market. Some Chinese motor vehicle producers are seeking to establish manufacturing plants in Mexico and other strategic locations to sidestep U.S. tariffs. Peters’ provision in the bill directs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with other relevant departments and agencies, to examine non-allied nations’ non-market policies and practices related to electric vehicles, including policies that prevent U.S auto manufacturers from competing in their markets on a level playing field.

    USMCA: In the summer of 2026, the United States’ trade agreement with Mexico and Canada will undergo a mandatory review period. Peters secured language directing the Office of the United States Trade Representative to pursue changes to the agreement that will improve the agreement’s labor standards, prevent China from taking advantage of it, and onshore more manufacturing jobs throughout the United States, including Michigan.

    National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): The bill invests heavily in the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These resources will help NIST advance research in cutting-edge fields like carbon dioxide removal, artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and cybersecurity. NIST will also develop standards, tools, and tests to help ensure AI systems operate safely.

    Making Michigan Communities Safer

    PAWS Act: Peters secured $3 million in the Fiscal Year 2026?Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program, which was established by Peters’ Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act. The grant program, administered by the Department of Justice, provides emergency and transitional shelter options for domestic violence survivors with companion animals. Peters secured language in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act encouraging the Department of Justice to continue providing robust funding for grants under the program.

    Project Safe Neighborhood: Peters secured funding in the bill for the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative – a nationwide law enforcement program that uses evidence-based and data-driven approaches to reduce violent crime. Last Congress, the Senate passed Peters’ bipartisan legislationto reauthorize the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

    Promoting Community Policing in Oakland County: The bill includes $1 million to modernize Oakland County’s Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information Systems (CLEMIS), which will improve transparency of law enforcement activity and promote community policing.

    Improving Criminal Investigation in Van Buren County: Peters secured $576,000 in the bill for Van Buren County to support purchase of rapid-processing DNA technology, which will reduce a current backlog and enable crimes to be solved more efficiently.

    Purchasing New Patrol Vehicles in Kalamazoo: The bill includes $490,000 to help the City of Kalamazoo upgrade its public safety vehicles, which will allow personnel to respond to service calls safely and efficiently.

    Making Road Patrols Safer in Oakland County: The bill would provide $26,000 for the Oakland County Sherriff’s Office to purchase safety equipment for motorcycle patrol officers.

    Supporting Safe Traffic Stops in Warren: Peters secured $38,000 in the bill to help the City of Warren Police Department purchase new safety equipment to aid officers during traffic stops and investigations.

    Improving the Health of the Great Lakes: The bill includes $1,500,000 for the Great Lakes Commission to improve the health of the Great Lakes. Specifically, funding will help address water quality, nutrient pollution, harmful algal blooms, aquatic invasive species, and coastal management throughout the Great Lakes region.

    Upgrading Police Communications in Marquette: The bill would provide $264,000 for the City of Marquette to purchase new portable radios, which would improve emergency response for Marquette Police Department officers.

    Upgrading Aging Patrol Vehicle Fleet in Houghton: The bill includes $385,000 for the City of Houghton to purchase new police patrol vehicles, helping to improve emergency response throughout the region.

    Bolstering AI Research to Help Small and Medium Sized Manufacturers: Senator Peters secured $2,000,000 in this bill to support Michigan Tech’s research into and deployment of AI standards and practices that would help boost small and medium manufacturers in Michigan.

    Westland Police Technology Update: The bill also includes $100,000 to upgrade aging computer systems in police squad cars in Westland.

    Preventing Violence Against Women: The bill contains increased funding for the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and its lifesaving programs. Grants from OVW programs support training for police officers, state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, rape prevention programs, homicide reduction initiatives, domestic violence hotlines, women’s shelters, transitional housing, and rural support services. In addition, Peters secured language in the bill directing the Department of Justice to develop best practices, in consultation with Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community-based organizations, for the investigation and prosecution of violence against MENA women.

    Improving Police-Community Relations: The bill provides funding for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office grant programs which aim to strengthen police-community relations.

    Addressing Substance Use Disorder in Our Communities: The bill provides significant funding to help our communities and first responders address substance use disorders, including opioids, and to address drug trafficking.

    Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program: Peters helped secure funding for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program. This program is critical to thousands of abused or neglected children who have highly trained and extremely dedicated advocates appointed on their behalf, and to child victims who are still waiting for the presence of a consistent, caring adult to speak for their best interests in the courtroom and in the community. This funding will help improve outcomes for every abused and neglected child, as was the intention of Congress when it enacted the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990.

    Investing in Sustainable Solutions to Protect Michigan’s Environment, Natural Resources

    Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory: The bill provides funding for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL), which studies the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes. The work produced and shared by GLERL informs local decisions for safe and sustainable resource management throughout the Great Lakes Basin. GLERL research also plays a crucial role in the work carried out by the Coast Guard’s Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response in Sault Ste Marie. Peters secured language in the bill recognizing the importance of continued support for the work of the Great Lakes Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response, which examines the impacts of oil spills in freshwater environments and develops effective responses. Peters-led efforts made the Great Lakes Center of Expertise a reality. Peters authored and passed legislation into law establishing the Great Lakes Center of Expertise in 2018, and then successfully secured $4.5 million in total to kick-start the initiative the following year. Peters then announced the Great Lakes Center of Expertise will be headquartered in two Michigan locations to maximize research and operational capabilities. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Peters has continued to secure funding to support the Center’s work.

    Great Lakes Monitoring: The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is the nation’s premier ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes observing program. The bill provides funding to fill critical gaps in our nation’s ocean and Great Lakes observation infrastructure. It will also ensure the availability of coastal data to inform management decisions on oil spill planning and response, navigation safety, fisheries management, and harmful algal blooms.

    Addressing Harmful Algal Blooms: The bill supports the National Ocean Service’s research on harmful algal blooms (HABs). This funding is vital to preserving the health of the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water to more than 40 million people; support a $16 billion recreational boating industry; and draw 37 million anglers, hunters, and bird watchers each year. HABs, which produce toxic or harmful effects on people and wildlife, have been reported in the Great Lakes and in every U.S. coastal state. According to NOAA, their occurrence may be on the rise.

    Coastal Zone Management Grants: This bill provides much-needed funding for NOAA’s Coastal Zone Management Program, which provides grants to states with approved coastal zone management plans for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of coastal zone areas, including those in the Great Lakes region. All eight Great Lakes states have active Coastal Zone Management programs committed to preserving the health of the Lakes and the $6 trillion regional economy they help sustain. This unique program is essential to the economic and ecological importance of our coastlines and Great Lakes shorelines while supporting state and local efforts to address critical management issues such as coastal hazards, habitat, and water quality.

    Marine Debris Program: The NOAA Marine Debris Program is a joint effort that supports national and international efforts to prevent, identify, and reduce the occurrence of marine debris. The program leverages resources from state and local agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry for innovative research, outreach, and education initiatives. This bill provides funding to allow this important work to continue.

    Improving the Census Process to Ensure Michigan Communities Are Accurately Represented

    Census Bureau: The bill provides funding for the U.S. Census Bureau, however, it provides less funding than is required to meet the needs of the upcoming 2030 decennial census. The census and other key federal surveys are tied to important outcomes for communities in Michigan and across the country, including federal resources for education, health care and infrastructure. The resources allocated by this bill will give the Census Bureau the tools it needs to prepare for the 2030 Census, produce critical economic data, and ensure the public can access high-quality data that keeps pace with the needs of our nation. This funding is essential to ensuring the Bureau does not fall behind on crucial preparations and can control long-term costs. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Peters serves as Ranking Member, is responsible for conducting oversight of the Census Bureau. Peters previously convened a hearing in downtown Detroit to examine impacts of the 2020 Census on Michigan. Peters also convened a hearing in 2021 with senior federal officials to examine how lawmakers can work to improve operations at the Census Bureau. Peters has also pressed the Census Bureau to ensure it addresses 2020 Census undercounts and improves annual population data.

    Investing in Science, Innovation, and the STEM Workforce

    Michigan Technological University AI Program: Peters secured $2.5 million in funding from the Safe and Secure AI Manufacturing Implementation Program for Michigan Technological University to support research into and deployment of AI standards and practices to support small and medium manufacturers.

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): The bill provides continued funding for key NASA science and STEM education programs that support cutting edge research and scholarships at Michigan’s Universities. The STEM education programs also strengthen our aerospace workforce pipeline. These programs were partially eliminated under the Trump Administration’s budget request.,

    Fully Fund the Artemis Space Mission: This bill includes full funding that Senator Peters’ championed for the Artemis Mission, which is set to take the United States back to the Moon as well as, eventually, to Mars. This mission was partially eliminated under the Trump budget proposal. The Artemis program is supported by Michigan Aerospace manufacturers and one of the astronauts participating in the upcoming Artemis III mission is a Michigander, Christina Koch.

    National Science Foundation: Senator Peters helped secure $9 billion in funding for the National Science Foundation. This level of funding avoids the catastrophic 55% cut proposed by the Trump Administration, which would have devastated U.S. scientific and STEM leadership, and harmed Michigan’s research institutions’ ability to continue to do cutting edge research.

    Implementation of Peters’ PROSWIFT Act: Peters secured funding for the pilot program Peters created through his Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act. The program aims to strengthen our nation’s ability to predict severe space weather events and mitigate their harmful impacts on Earth – work being spearheaded at Michigan’s own Universities.

    Improving Access to Reentry: Peters secured language in the bill directing Residential Reentry Centers, where individuals often go between prison and full return to their communities, to better collect ID-related data. A 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that opportunities exist to better assist incarcerated people with obtaining ID documents prior to release. Peters’ language requires an assessment from BOP regarding the feasibility of contracting with additional state DMVs to provide identification document services to qualifying individuals prior to release.

    National Marine Fisheries Services – Studying PFAS in Fish: The bill recognizes the threat posed by the concentration of PFAS detected in fish tissue. The bill directs NOAA to conduct fish tissue sampling and monitoring of PFAS to evaluate the impacts on aquatic health.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: San Saba County Disaster Recovery Center Opens July 19

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: San Saba County Disaster Recovery Center Opens July 19

    San Saba County Disaster Recovery Center Opens July 19

    AUSTIN, Texas – A Disaster Recovery Center will open Saturday, July 19, in San Saba County to offer face-to-face help to survivors who had damage or losses from the severe storms and flooding in Central Texas

    Homeowners, renters and eligible non-residents may receive FEMA assistance for losses not covered by insurance

    Survivors with homeowner’s or renter’s insurance should first file a claim with their insurance company as soon as possible

    If your policy does not cover all your damage expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance

    The Disaster Recovery Center is located at:San Saba Civic Center1190 S Thomas Stewart Dr

    San Saba, TX 76877Hours: 8 am

    to 7 p

    m

    dailyFEMA and the U

    S

    Small Business Administration are supporting the Texas Division of Emergency Management, which is leading efforts to help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance

    Center specialists can also identify potential needs and connect survivors with local, state and federal agencies as well as nonprofit organizations and community groups

     Disaster Recovery Centers are accessible to people with disabilities and those with access and functional needs

    They are also equipped with assistive technology

    If you need a reasonable accommodation or an American Sign Language interpreter, call 833-285-7448 (press 2 for Spanish)

    Here are the ways to apply for FEMA disaster assistance:Visit DisasterAssistance

    govUse the FEMA mobile appCall the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

     Lines are open from 6 a

    m

    to 10 p

    m

    CT daily

    If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, you can give FEMA your number for that service

    Helpline specialists speak many languages

    Press 2 for Spanish

    Visit any Disaster Recovery Center to receive in-person assistance

    No appointment is needed

     To find a center close to you, use your ZIP code to search FEMA

    gov/DRC

    For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance, go to Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube

     For the latest information about the Texas recovery, visit fema

    gov/disaster/4879

    Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x

    com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook

    com/FEMARegion6
    toan

    nguyen
    Fri, 07/18/2025 – 16:43

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: One Month Left to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Tennessee April Severe Storms

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: One Month Left to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Tennessee April Severe Storms

    One Month Left to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Tennessee April Severe Storms

    Middle and Western Tennesseans who have been affected by April severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding have one month left to apply for FEMA assistance

    Homeowners, renters, students, self-employed, ranchers and farmers in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Dyer, Hardeman, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion and Wilson counties who were displaced or have property damage from the April 2-24 storms have until Tuesday, Aug

    19 to submit an application for FEMA assistance

    Money is available for survivors who need help covering uninsured costs for things like rental expenses, home repairs, vehicle damage, medical expenses, moving and storage, and reimbursement for temporary housing

    How to Apply for FEMA AssistanceApply online at DisasterAssistance

    gov, use the FEMA App for mobile devices or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

    In-person help is available at any Disaster Recovery Center for submitting applications, getting updates and asking questions

    Find a center here: DRC Locator (fema

    gov)

    Video: What to Expect Before Applying for FEMA Assistance | ASL | SpanishVideo: Next Steps After Applying for FEMA Assistance  | ASL | SpanishDisaster Recovery Center locations:Dyer County: Bogota Community Center, 78 Sandy Lane, Bogota, TN 38007Hours: 8 a

    m

    –6 p

    m

    CT Monday-SundayHardeman County: Safehaven Storm Shelter, 530 Madison Ave W

    , Grand Junction, TN 38039Hours: 8 a

    m

    –6 p

    m

    CT Monday-SundayMcNairy County: Latta Theatre, 205 W

    Court Ave

    , Selmer, TN 38375Hours: 8 a

    m

    –6 p

    m

    CT Monday-SundayMontgomery County: Montgomery County Library, 350 Pageant Lane, Clarksville, TN 37040Hours: 9 a

    m

    –8 p

    m

    CT Monday-Thursday; 9 a

    m

    –6 p

    m

    CT Friday-Saturday; 1 p

    m

    –5 p

    m

    CT SundayObion County: Obion County Library, 1221 E

    Reelfoot Ave

    , Union City, TN 38261Hours: 8 a

    m

    –6 p

    m

    CT Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday
    kwei

    nwaogu
    Fri, 07/18/2025 – 13:52

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: What You Need to Know About NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission

    Source: NASA

    Four crew members are preparing to launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities aboard the orbiting laboratory.
    During the mission, Crew-11 also will contribute to NASA’s Artemis campaign by simulating Moon landing scenarios that astronauts may encounter near the lunar South Pole, showing how the space station helps prepare crews for deep space human exploration. The simulations will be performed before, during, and after their mission using handheld controllers and multiple screens to identify how changes in gravity affect spatial awareness and astronauts’ ability to pilot spacecraft, like a lunar lander.
    NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will lift off no earlier than 12:09 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 31, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a long-duration mission. The cadre will fly aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, which previously flew NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2, Crew-2, Crew-6, and Crew-8 missions, as well as private astronaut mission Axiom Mission 1.
    The flight is the 11th crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Overall, the Crew-11 mission is the 16th crewed Dragon flight to the space station, including Demo-2 in 2020 and 11 operational crew rotations for NASA, as well as four private astronaut missions.
    As support teams progress through Dragon preflight milestones for Crew-11, they also are preparing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster for its third flight. Once all rocket and spacecraft system checkouts are complete and all components are certified for flight, teams will mate Dragon to Falcon 9 in SpaceX’s hangar at the launch site. The integrated spacecraft and rocket will then be rolled to the pad and raised vertically for the crew’s dry dress rehearsal and an integrated static fire test before launch.

    Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017, Cardman will conduct her first spaceflight. The Williamsburg, Virginia, native holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in marine sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At the time of selection, she was pursuing a doctorate in geosciences. Cardman’s geobiology and geochemical cycling research focused on subsurface environments, from caves to deep sea sediments. Since completing initial training, Cardman has supported real-time station operations and lunar surface exploration planning. Follow @zenanaut on X and @zenanaut on Instagram.
    This mission will be Fincke’s fourth trip to the space station, having logged 382 days in space and nine spacewalks during Expedition 9 in 2004, Expedition 18 in 2008, and STS-134 in 2011, the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour. Throughout the past decade, Fincke has applied his expertise to NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, advancing the development and testing of Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft toward operational certification. The Emsworth, Pennsylvania, native is a graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School and holds bachelors’ degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, in both aeronautics and astronautics, as well as Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences. He also has a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in California. Fincke is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with more than 2,000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft. Follow @AstroIronMike on X and Instagram.
    With 142 days in space, this mission will be Yui’s second trip to the space station. After his selection as a JAXA astronaut in 2009, Yui flew as a flight engineer for Expedition 44/45 and became the first Japanese astronaut to capture JAXA’s H-II Transfer Vehicle using the station’s robotic arm. In addition to constructing a new experimental environment aboard Kibo, he conducted a total of 21 experiments for JAXA. In November 2016, Yui was assigned as chief of the JAXA Astronaut Group. He graduated from the School of Science and Engineering at the National Defense Academy of Japan in 1992. He later joined the Air Self-Defense Force at the Japan Defense Agency (currently the Ministry of Defense). In 2008, Yui joined the Air Staff Office at the Ministry of Defense as a lieutenant colonel. Follow @astro_kimiya on X.
    The mission will be Platonov’s first spaceflight. Before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018, Platonov earned a degree in engineering from Krasnodar Air Force Academy in aircraft operations and air traffic management. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in state and municipal management in 2016 from the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. Assigned as a test cosmonaut in 2021, he has experience in piloting aircraft, zero gravity training, scuba diving, and wilderness survival.

    Following liftoff, Falcon 9 will accelerate Dragon to approximately 17,500 mph. Once in orbit, the crew, NASA, and SpaceX mission control will monitor a series of maneuvers that will guide Dragon to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The spacecraft is designed to dock autonomously, but the crew can pilot it manually, if necessary.
    After docking, Crew-11 will be welcomed aboard the station by the seven-member Expedition 73 crew, before conducting a short handover period on research and maintenance activities with the departing Crew-10 crew members. Then, NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will undock from the space station and return to Earth. Ahead of Crew-10’s return, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of California before departure from the station.
    Cardman, Fincke, and Yui will conduct scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. Participating crew members will simulate lunar landings, test strategies to safeguard vision, and advance other human spaceflight studies led by NASA’s Human Research Program. The crew also will study plant cell division and microgravity’s effects on bacteria-killing viruses, as well as perform experiments to produce a higher volume of human stem cells and generate on-demand nutrients.
    While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Crew-11 will welcome a Soyuz spacecraft in November with three new crew members, including NASA astronaut Chris Williams.  They also will bid farewell to the Soyuz carrying NASA astronaut Jonny Kim. The crew also is expected to see the arrival of the Dragon, Roscosmos Progress spacecraft, and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft to resupply the station.
    NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission will be aboard the International Space Station on Nov. 2, when the orbiting laboratory surpasses 25 years of a continuous human presence. Since the first crew expedition arrived, the space station has enabled more than 4,000 groundbreaking experiments in the unique microgravity environment, while becoming a springboard for building a low Earth orbit economy and preparing for NASA’s future exploration of the Moon and Mars.
    Learn more about the space station, its research, and crew, at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/station

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbia Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine through the U.S. Mail

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

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — Axel Gustavo Calderon-Rosado, 36, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine.

    Evidence presented in court revealed that in 2021, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating Calderon-Rosado for his involvement in a drug trafficking operation that used the U.S. Postal Service to ship parcels of drugs and drug proceeds. Investigators identified Calderon-Rosado as a significant supplier of cocaine in both the Columbia and Lexington County areas. 

    According to the investigation, Calderon-Rosado regularly shipped large sums of cash to Puerto Rico, and in return, received kilogram quantities of cocaine by mail. Investigators identified two locations associated with Calderon-Rosado that he used for storing and distributing illegal drugs. On July 13 and Oct. 4, 2021, investigators intercepted two suspicious parcels addressed to locations associated with Calderon-Rosado. The first package contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine; the second, more than three kilograms.

    Following the October package, authorities executed an undercover operation involving the second package, and arrested Calderon-Rosado after he took possession of the cocaine. Law enforcement searched both associated addresses and seized more than $30,000 in cash, cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, including a kilogram press, multiple stolen firearms, and ammunition. A review of postal and financial records revealed that between April 2020 and November 2023, Calderon-Rosado received over 30 kilograms of cocaine through the mail as part of the trafficking operation.

    United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Axel Gustavo Calderon-Rosado to 168 months imprisonment, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI Columbia field office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Columbia Police Department, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ariyana Gore and Lamar Fyall prosecuted this case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced To 15 Years After Selling Drugs And Firearm To Undercover Officer

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

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Rodrick Quinelle Dallas (38, St. Petersburg) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and distributing cocaine. Dallas pleaded guilty in April 2025.

    According to court documents, on December 20, 2022, Dallas sold an undercover officer from the St. Petersburg Police Department a firearm and cocaine. Dallas received an enhanced sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act based on his prior felony convictions for resisting an officer with violence and sale of cocaine.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ashley Man Sentenced to 300 Months in Prison

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

    FORT WAYNE – Yesterday, Kyle T. Brady, 39 years old, of Ashley, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.

    Brady was sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.

    According to documents in the case, on two occasions in July of 2022, Brady distributed methamphetamine.  On July 19, 2022, a search warrant was served at Brady’s residence where approximately 250 grams of methamphetamine, a mixture of fentanyl and cocaine, and marijuana were found.  Officers also located two handguns, a shotgun, an AR-15 rifle, two ballistic vests, and over a thousand rounds of ammunition.  Brady has prior felony convictions for drug distribution and firearms offenses.  This is Brady’s seventh conviction related to drug distribution, and as such, he was determined to be a career offender.

    “Drugs, firearms, and large quantities of ammunition are never a good combination, especially when they are illegally possessed by a convicted felon,” said Proctor.  “The public is safer thanks to the combined efforts of the excellent team that investigated and prosecuted this case.” 

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with the assistance of the Auburn Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn-Based ‘Euro 380’ Gang Members Indicted on Racketeering Charges and Firearm-Related Murder

    Source: US FBI

    The Defendants’ Crimes Also Involved Armed Robberies, Drug Trafficking, Weapons Possession, and Assault in-Aid-of Racketeering

    Earlier today, in a federal court in Brooklyn, an 11-count superseding indictment was unsealed charging four Euro 380 gang members, Kashawn Mason, also known as “Jojo” and “Jojo Euro,” Daniel Horton, also known as “DayDay” and “DayDay Tz,” Ryan Nieves, also known as “Rocket” and “TooSturdy,” and Dylan Stanley, also known as “Brady,” with racketeering, firearm-related murder, multiple armed robberies, and assaults in-aid-of racketeering.  Mason and Stanley are also charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.  Mason and Stanley were taken into custody today and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho.  Horton and Nieves are presently in federal custody and will be arraigned at a later date.     

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York;   Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn District Attorney; and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney announced the superseding indictment.

    “As alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendants carried out a litany of violent crimes, including a senseless murder in furtherance of their gang, putting the Bedford Stuyvesant community at extreme risk of harm and turning housing developments into war zones,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Today’s superseding indictment speaks loudly about the commitment of our Office to reducing gun violence, making our communities safe for law abiding residents who have been living in fear of violent gangs and bringing gang members to justice.  I commend our prosecutors and federal and state law enforcement partners for their tireless work dismantling gangs operating in Brooklyn and throughout the Eastern District.”

    Mr. Nocella also thanked the Nassau County Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections for their valuable assistance.

    “To enhance their gang’s status and intimidate rivals, these four defendants allegedly participated in a myriad of criminal activity, including a retaliatory murder,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Their alleged actions allowed tensions to violently erupt in a residential community and submitted bystanders to a senseless territorial gunfight.  Alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI maintains its steadfast determination to disrupt any gangs’ reign of terror in our neighborhoods.  This operation is part of Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months.”

    “The defendants in this case allegedly treated our Brooklyn neighborhoods like a warzone, firing 34 rounds in broad daylight, killing one person and injuring others, all to settle a gang score,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “They robbed businesses, pushed fentanyl, and recruited teenagers to carry out violence.  Today’s indictment makes clear that we will not let violent gangs turn our communities into battlegrounds.  I want to thank our investigators and law enforcement partners for their relentless work to bring these defendants to justice.”

    “This was brazen, targeted violence that put entire communities at risk as these defendants allegedly opened fire near homes and businesses and robbed residents at gunpoint,” stated Brooklyn District Attorney Gonzalez.  “Brooklyn saw record-low gun violence last year, and we are committed to holding accountable anyone who imperils our progress improving the safety of our neighborhoods.  This indictment reflects the results of a strong collaboration between my Office, the NYPD, and federal law enforcement.  I commend U.S. Attorney Nocella, his team, and all of our partners for their outstanding work.”

    “Gun violence and gang-related crime know no borders, which is why strong law enforcement partnerships are crucial in the fight against them,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly.  “My office is proud to have assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our local partners in New York City, and the FBI, in charging these defendants for their alleged crimes.  By working together across jurisdictions, we are sending a message that anyone who perpetrates violence in our communities will be met with justice.”

    As alleged in the superseding indictment and other court filings, Euro 380 gang is a violent street gang operating out of the Marcy Houses, a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) development in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.  Euro 380 is a subset of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation (UGSN), a parent gang with members located in Brooklyn and elsewhere.  Members of Euro 380 have a longstanding rivalry with another gang known as the Bloodhound Brims and, more specifically, a subset of the Bloodhound Brims known as “900,” which also operates out of Bedford-Stuyvesant in the Tompkins and Sumner Houses, also NYCHA developments located less than two blocks from the Marcy Houses.

    On September 30, 2023, Nieves, Stanley and two juveniles walked from the Marcy Houses to the Sumner Houses intending to shoot and kill rival 900 gang members after one of their fellow Euro 380 members was murdered three days earlier.  After arriving at the Sumner Houses, Nieves and Stanley unleashed a fusillade of 34 rounds at a group of individuals they believed to be 900 gang members.  Kyle Forde was killed and two other individuals suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds.  The fatal shooting was allegedly ordered by Mason and another high-ranking Euro 380 member.

    Additionally, in September 2023 and November 2023, the defendants carried out three robberies in Brooklyn of individuals, a smoke shop, and a bodega during which they displayed firearms or what appeared to be a firearm.

    The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, defendants Mason, Nieves, and Stanley face a maximum of life in prison.  Horton faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment. 

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Andy Palacio, Raffaela S. Belizaire, and Megan Larkin are in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendants

    KASHAWN MASON (also known as “Jojo” and “Jojo Euro”)
    Age:  22
    Brooklyn, New York   

    DANIEL HORTON (also known as “DayDay” and “DayDay Tz”)
    Age:  23
    Brooklyn, New York   

    RYAN NIEVES (also known as “Rocket” and “TooSturdy”)
    Age:  20
    Brooklyn, New York

    DYLAN STANLEY (also known as “Brady”)
    Age:  22
    Brooklyn, New York   

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-261 (ENV)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Eight Young Mob Gang Members Indicted in Memphis on Racketeering, Murder, Robbery, Firearm and Drug Charges

    Source: US State of North Dakota

     Larry Wilson, of Memphis, Tennessee, made his initial appearance in federal court today for his role in Young Mob (YM), a violent street gang that allegedly commits crimes including murder, assault, arson, drug trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, and narcotics trafficking. Wilson is the last of eight Young Mob defendants charged to make his initial appearance related to this case.

    “As alleged, this gang shot and killed a member of a rival gang in a restaurant drive-through and robbed customers at gunpoint at another Memphis establishment, recklessly endangering innocent bystanders,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Gang violence that spills into our community spreads fear and insecurity in our neighborhoods. The Criminal Division, in partnership with our federal and local law enforcement colleagues, remains steadfast in our pursuit of gangs that inflict senseless violence in our country.”

    “This gang engaged in numerous unlawful activities, including acts of extreme violence, which demonstrated a blatant disregard for human life,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Through a coordinated effort, the ATF and its local, state, and federal partners worked tirelessly to dismantle the organization and ensure that its members are held accountable.”

    Larry Wilson, 35, Brian Lackland, 35, Paul Nelson, 32, Mohamed Samba, 25, Braxton Beck, 33, Edgar Smith, 39, Jerrod Cox, 32, and Cedric Jackson, 33, all Tennessee residents, were charged for their membership and association with YM. YM members signify their membership by wearing red and/or black clothing and jewelry with an “Eight Ball” or the letters YM or YMM. YM members and recruits are required to commit acts of violence to gain membership and maintain their status in the gang.

    On May 28, 2022, Samba and other, not-yet-identified, YM members, shot suspected rival KSBG gang members ─ murdering one and attempting to murder two others ─ in a McDonald’s restaurant drive-through in Memphis. After the shootings, YM members burned the stolen car used in the shooting.

    The indictment further alleges that on May 13, 2023, at Tug’s Casual Grill, a Memphis restaurant, Nelson, Cox, and another unnamed YM member robbed customers at gunpoint. The unnamed member was shot and killed. Nelson and Cox left the mortally wounded man in a nearby fire station parking lot and then drove their stolen vehicle to another location and burned it. 

    The indictment also alleges that on March 17, 2024, Lackland and Beck attempted the murder of a suspected gang rival, which was thwarted in part due to police presence in the area. In addition, on June 11 and June 12, 2024, Lackland, Wilson, Beck, and Jackson attempted to rob customers at a Memphis tattoo shop before abandoning the scene because of police presence. Undeterred, the same group, along with Smith this time, returned to the tattoo shop after police left the area and robbed multiple customers.

    As alleged, YM receives money and income from drug trafficking, kidnappings, and robberies. Such funds are used for gang purposes, including obtaining weapons and narcotics and providing support for YM gang members, including those in prison serving time for various crimes. YM also receives money and income from various musical interests, with defendant Lackland being a well-known rapper who goes by the stage name “Stupid Duke.”

    YM members and associates are also separately charged as part of a drug conspiracy that was responsible for the distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Multiple members are also charged with various firearm offenses.  

    If convicted, Lackland, Samba, Nelson, Smith, and Cox face a maximum penalty of life in prison. If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison, Beck faces a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison, and Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

    The ATF, Memphis Multi-Agency Gang Unit, and Memphis Police Homicide Unit are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada Invests in Wildfire Innovation and Resilience Through New Centre of Excellence

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 18, 2025                                               Ottawa, Ontario                                                 Natural Resources Canada

    With wildfires impacting Canadians across the country, the federal government is taking action to prevent wildfires, mitigate their effects and boost resilience. The Government of Canada’s first priority is protecting Canadians and supporting those affected by wildfire.

    Today, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, announced an investment of $11.7 million over four years to establish the Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada (WRCC). Funded through the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative, the WRCC will serve as a national centre of excellence and virtual hub for wildland fire innovation and knowledge exchange.

    The WRCC will advance many of the actions in the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter, agreed to by the leaders of the G7 this spring in Canada and endorsed by the leaders of Australia, India, Mexico, the Republic of Korea and South Africa. It will bring together domestic and international governments, communities impacted by wildfires, the private sector and individual experts to share knowledge, facilitate collaboration and accelerate the use of cutting-edge science and technology in wildfire prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response. It will also support Indigenous fire stewardship and the cultural use of fire, recognizing and respecting traditional knowledge as a critical component of wildfire resilience.

    Minister Hodgson also delivered the latest national wildfire forecast. Looking ahead, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s weather forecasts point to above-average temperatures across much of Canada from July through August, with dry conditions expected to intensify in the coming weeks, particularly in the west and north.                                                 

    Based on these weather forecasts, Natural Resources Canada’s modelling predicts elevated wildfire risk from Yukon eastward to northwestern Ontario and in Nova Scotia and eastern New Brunswick. By August, wildfire activity is expected to continue to increase and persist to well-above-average conditions over much of western Canada, with the highest fire danger in southern British Columbia.

    Throughout this wildfire season and beyond, Canada is coordinating cross-jurisdictional collaboration, supporting those on the front lines, protecting Canadians and equipping communities with the tools and knowledge they need to stay informed and stay safe.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCS visits Civil Engineering and Development Department (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, visited the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) this afternoon (July 18) to exchange views with staff representatives from various grades in the department, and to learn about the department’s latest progress in optimising operational efficiency and services through the application of technology, as well as its work in landslip prevention and mitigation and slope safety.
     
         Accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Leung, Mrs Yeung first met with the Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Michael Fong, and the directorate staff to learn about the key initiatives of the Civil Engineering Office, the Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) and the regional development offices. They also met with staff representatives from various grades in the department to exchange views on matters of concern to them.
     
         Mrs Yeung said, “As the expectations of the community for the civil service are constantly rising and the challenges posed by extreme weather are becoming increasingly severe, I hope my colleagues will continue to strive for excellence, review workflows to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, and respond to changes with smart innovations. This will strengthen the public’s sense of fulfilment, happiness and security.”
     
         During the visit to the GEO Emergency Control Centre, officers in charge of the centre introduced the Common Operation Picture developed and managed by the department to Mrs Yeung. This electronic system facilitates the sharing of real-time information among different government departments to assist in monitoring emergencies such as landslides, flooding and fallen trees, as well as to enhance contingency co-ordination. The GEO maintains a 24-hour, year-round emergency service to provide geotechnical advice to rescue teams and government departments on any emergency actions to be taken to deal with danger arising from landslides for their determination of co-ordinated responses and mapping plans.
     
         Moreover, Mrs Yeung learned that the CEDD started a trial run of its in-house developed, AI-empowered Landslip Warning System this year, with an aim to issue more accurate Landslip Warnings. Through the cloud technology and the Internet of Things, the system can use Hong Kong’s rainfall data, past landslide records and man-made slopes data to identify with higher accuracy the relevant attributes resulting in landslides through big data analysis. This strengthens the understanding of the relationship between rainfall and landslides. The new system can further enhance the accuracy of the predicted number of reported landslides during heavy rainstorms, thereby improving the capabilities of landslide risk assessment, optimising the issuance of Landslip Warnings, and enhancing early warning.
     
         Officers responsible for planning and terrain evaluation also briefed Mrs Yeung on the Digital Aerial Photograph Interpretation System launched last year. The system digitalises historical paper aerial photographs and centralises aerial photo imageries on an instantly accessible digital platform. This not only allows government departments and related organisations to remotely search, view and analyse high-resolution 3D data, but also empowers professionals to map and visualise 3D terrains to support related research for slope safety management and land planning. The system also eliminates the process of physical photo storage and helps shorten construction time, reduce construction costs, and promote environmental efficiency.
     
         In addition, the department’s staff introduced their approaches for enhancing the speed and efficiency to assist in promoting the development of the Northern Metropolis. The Northern Metropolis is located in a geologically complex area with very limited engineering geological data. In order to speed up development and minimise the ground investigation work required across different projects, the GEO initiated a regional ground investigation study in the Northwest New Territories, carrying out ground drilling and rock load tests in strategic areas.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CS chairs meeting of steering committee on inter-departmental handling of typhoons (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         With Tropical Storm Wipha approaching Hong Kong, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired a meeting of the steering committee on inter-departmental handling of typhoons this afternoon (July 18) to ensure comprehensive and adequate preparations and response planning by relevant departments to cope with possible threats of Wipha. The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan; the Acting Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk; and representatives from relevant bureaux and departments attended the meeting.
     
         At the meeting, members were briefed by the Director of the Hong Kong Observatory on the latest assessment on Wipha. According to the present forecast, Wipha will enter within 800 kilometres of Hong Kong around midnight tonight. The Observatory will issue the Standby Signal No. 1 then, and consider issuing the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 during the day on Saturday (July 19). Wipha will be rather close to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary on Sunday (July 20). There will be heavy squally showers and thunderstorms. The Observatory will assess, on Saturday afternoon, the need of issuing higher tropical cyclone warning signals thereafter based on the latest weather information, including Wipha’s distance to the Pearl River Estuary, its intensity and the change in local winds. The public is advised to pay close attention to the latest weather forecast and warnings from the Observatory.
     
         In response to the possible adverse weather conditions, Mr Chan co-ordinated the preparatory work of relevant departments at the meeting, which includes:
     

    • The Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) under the Security Bureau has made advance preparation and stands ready for activation. It will be fully activated upon the issuance of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8. Utilising the Common Operational Picture, the EMSC will conduct real-time citywide monitoring, and integrate updates from various departments to swiftly assess risks and formulate response plans and measures. Various emergency response teams, including the Fire Services Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Civil Aid Service and the Auxiliary Medical Service have completed all necessary preparatory work and are on standby, with sufficient manpower deployed to handle possible emergencies during heavy rainstorms and high wind, and to provide assistance to those in need.
    • The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the Transport Department will continue to operate round-the-clock. It will also closely monitor traffic and transport conditions with public transport agencies, and disseminate emergency traffic information and public transport service arrangements to the public in a timely manner.
    • The Development Bureau (DEVB) is co-ordinating preparation work to deal with flooding, landslides and fallen trees and ensure safety of building structures. Emergency control centres of various departments are fully prepared to respond. The DEVB has also pooled the resources from contractors of works departments to ensure that sufficient manpower and resources are available for handling emergency situations.
    • The Drainage Services Department (DSD) completed the special inspection and carried out necessary clearance at about 240 locations which are prone to flooding due to blockages today. The “just-in-time” arrangement will continue, with at most 180 emergency response teams to conduct inspection and clearance of drainage channels in different districts across the territory. For coastal low-lying or windy residential areas with high risks, the DSD and the Civil Engineering and Development Department have established management measures in advance, including early warning systems and emergency response arrangements.
    • The Geotechnical Engineering Office and the Observatory closely monitor weather conditions and will issue a landslip warning when appropriate. Relevant departments have completed inspections of government man-made slopes with relatively higher potential impacts.
    • The Buildings Department has reminded property management companies to inspect building maintenance facilities, such as bamboo scaffolding, gondolas, signboards, solar panels and the like, to ensure their stability.
    • Relevant departments have completed tree risk assessments and mitigation work at locations with high risks.
    • The Highways Department (HyD) inspected again the flood warning systems installed at Kwun Tong Road Underpass and 16 pedestrian subways along Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, Lam Tsuen River in Tai Po and Tai Po River with a higher risk of flooding from July 16 to 18 to ensure normal operation. In collaboration with the DSD, the department also carried out special inspections and clearance of public road sections which are prone to flooding due to blockages, including high speed road sections, such as San Tin Highway. The HyD also carried out special inspections and clearance of the drainage channels at roadside man-made slopes. In addition, the HyD has reminded relevant staff members and contractors to pay close attention to weather conditions and information released by the Observatory in order to make early preparations for the activation of the Emergency Control Centres.
    • District Offices have initiated relevant response measures, including co-ordinating with other departments and organisations to enhance preparedness, preparing sandbags and water-stop boards, etc. They will also mobilise District Council members, members of “the three committees” and Care Teams to disseminate the latest weather information to residents in flood-prone areas, reminding them to make necessary preparations.

     
         The Education Bureau will closely monitor the weather conditions and announce the arrangement for schools as early as necessary to facilitate parents and students in making early preparations.
     
         The Labour Department reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for employees in times of typhoons and rainstorms as early as possible, including arrangements on reporting for duty, release from work, resumption of work and remote work (if applicable). In drawing up and implementing the arrangements, employers should give prime consideration to employees’ safety and the feasibility of employees travelling to and from their workplaces, etc. Employers should also give consideration as much as possible to the different situations and actual difficulties faced by individual employees, and adopt a sympathetic and flexible approach.

         The Government departments will continue to serve with dedication and make preparations on all fronts to safeguard the lives and property of the public as well as public safety. The Government urges the public to stay alert and stay away from dangerous places such as rivers and slopes in adverse weather conditions, refrain from water sports, and continue to pay attention to the latest news released by the Government.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wanted Massachusetts Trinitarios Gang Member Captured in Bethel, Maine

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Portland, ME – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in Maine, announce the arrest of Yonaidry Lascano Rosario, 24, in Bethel, ME. Rosario, a known member of the Trinitarios Gang, was wanted for 2 counts of Assault to Murder (Armed), Accessory After the Fact, Assault and Battery with Dangerous Weapon, Assault with Dangerous Weapon, and Firearm Carry without License. All warrants were issued out of the State of Massachusetts.

    The USMS led, Maine Violent Offender Task Force (MVOTF), received a collateral lead from the USMS District of Massachusetts in April of 2025. For months, Maine Investigators conducted surveillance, interviews, and developed leads which finally resulted in a credible location for Rosario.

    Thursday night, federal task force members surrounded a residence in Bethel, Maine and ordered Rosario to surrender. Rosario was identified and apprehended without incident. As a result of the arrest, a search warrant was also executed, resulting in firearm(s) and a quantity of drugs being seized by Investigators. Rosario was charged as a Fugitive from Justice, pending his extradition back to Massachusetts.

    It is alleged that “Trinitarios” undertake efforts to dominate communities by intimidating rival gangs while trying to establish control over certain neighborhoods. As seen in previous charging documents throughout the country, “Trinitarios” tend to utilize violence, including murder, in furtherance of the organization’s goals and purposes.

    The U.S. Marshal’s MVOTF received significant assistance from the FBI Maine Safe Streets Task Force, Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, Rumford Police Department, Norway Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section.

    The District of Maine’s, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, Josh Taylor said, “This is simply the direct result of multi-agency collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who are dedicated and sharply focused on apprehending dangerous persons in Maine communities in order to safeguard our residents.”

    The USMS, Maine Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Maine National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service.

    If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of any state or federal fugitive, please contact the United States Marshals Service, District of Maine at med.tipline@usdoj.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carbajal Slams Republicans’ Passage of President Trump’s Cuts to Public Broadcasting & Other Essential Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

    Carbajal Slams Republicans’ Passage of President Trump’s Cuts to Public Broadcasting & Other Essential Programs

    Washington, July 18, 2025

    U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) released the statement below following the House passage of President Trump’s request to cancel $9 billion in congressionally appropriated funding. The canceled funding includes $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — which oversees public media networks like NPR, PBS, and their member stations — and about $7 billion in foreign aid.

    “Just weeks after ramming through a reckless budget that slashes food assistance and health care for millions of Americans, while also ballooning our national debt — all to give billionaires big tax breaks — Republicans are back at it with another disastrous bill,” said Rep. Carbajal. “This package guts public media, threatening the local radio stations that keep Central Coast families informed, especially during wildfire season. And it doesn’t stop there. The bill’s extreme cuts to foreign aid will cause needless suffering around the world and weaken our country’s national security. As Republicans turn their backs on these public institutions, I will work with my Democratic colleagues to defend the critical programs working families rely on.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Publishes Proposed Rule to Grant Relief to Certain Individuals Precluded from Possessing Firearms

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Justice Department Publishes Proposed Rule to Grant Relief to Certain Individuals Precluded from Possessing Firearms

    WASHINGTON — President Trump directed the Department of Justice to address the ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens—all of them. Federal law disables the firearms rights of many citizens who have been convicted of crimes without regard to whether they actually pose a threat of violence. But federal law also empowers the Attorney General to restore Second Amendment rights to individuals who are not “likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety.” Today, the Department of Justice submitted to the Office of the Federal Register a proposed rule regarding the exercise of the Attorney General’s authority under 18 U.S.C. 925(c) to grant relief to individuals who are otherwise precluded from possessing firearms. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Publishes Proposed Rule to Grant Relief to Certain Individuals Precluded from Possessing Firearms

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    WASHINGTON — President Trump directed the Department of Justice to address the ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens—all of them. Federal law disables the firearms rights of many citizens who have been convicted of crimes without regard to whether they actually pose a threat of violence. But federal law also empowers the Attorney General to restore Second Amendment rights to individuals who are not “likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety.” Today, the Department of Justice submitted to the Office of the Federal Register a proposed rule regarding the exercise of the Attorney General’s authority under 18 U.S.C. 925(c) to grant relief to individuals who are otherwise precluded from possessing firearms.

    “For too long, countless Americans with criminal histories have been permanently disenfranchised from exercising the right to keep and bear arms—a right every bit as constitutionally enshrined as the right to vote, the right to free speech, and the right to free exercise of religion—irrespective of whether they actually pose a threat,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No longer.”

    The proposed rule will provide citizens whose firearm rights are currently under legal disability with an avenue to restore those rights, while keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals and illegal aliens. Ultimate discretion to grant relief will remain with the Attorney General, and she will exercise that discretion on a case-by-case basis in light of all available facts and evidence that bear on an individual’s application. But absent extraordinary circumstances, violent felons, registered sex offenders, and illegal aliens, in particular, will remain presumptively ineligible for relief.

    “General Bondi’s support of the rebooted 925(c) program is consistent with President Donald J. Trump’s promise to the American people to support the beautiful Second Amendment,” said U.S. Pardon Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. “My team and I are developing a 925(c) program landing page with a sophisticated, user-friendly platform for Americans petitioning for the return of their gun rights, which will make the process easier for them.”

    The Justice Department welcomes comments from communities that could be affected by a final rule including law enforcement, victims’ advocates, elected officials, and individuals who would like to apply to have their gun rights restored. Because this proposed rule is intended to create a fair and thoughtful system to evaluate applications for the restoration of firearms right, the Justice Department recommends that individuals seeking the restoration of their firearm rights review and comment on the proposed process rather than submit applications at this time.  

    View the proposed rule as it was submitted to the Office of the Federal Register HERE. An official copy will be published next week. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Preventing coastal flooding and shoreline erosion in the Village of Gwa’yas’dums on Gilford Island

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Village of Gwa’yas’dums, British Columbia, July 18, 2025 — Gilford Island coastlines will be protected from the impacts of climate change and erosion after an investment of more than $3.2 million from the federal government.

    Gwa’yas’dums Village (gwa-yas-dums) is a remote coastal island community that is at risk of coastal flooding and shoreline erosion due to sea-levels rising and storm surges. The current shoreline protection infrastructure was installed in the 1960’s and has passed its life expectancy. This project includes two key elements: armouring the shoreline with riprap, which is human-placed rock or other natural materials used to protect shoreline structures against erosion, as well as the construction of a bio-engineered slope. These assets will increase the community’s resilience by mitigating the impacts of coastal flooding to the community’s critical infrastructure and essential services.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug dealing ‘gangster granny’ foiled by Met investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A family run organised crime group orchestrated by a 65-year-old grandmother have been sentenced for drug-dealing across London and the UK, following an extensive investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service.

    Six women, a man and Deborah Mason, known as ‘Queen Bee’, were sentenced to a combined 106 years and six months’ imprisonment for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, 18 July.

    The group of couriers collected packages of imported cocaine and drove them all over London and the UK to locations as far as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff between April and November 2023.

    It is estimated each individual earned more than £1,000 a day.

    Deborah Mason, 65 (28.02.1960), of Crayford Road, Tufnell Park played the leading role in the prolific criminal enterprise. She was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, 28 April and was sentenced at the same court to 20 years’ imprisonment on Friday, 18 July.

    The sentencing comes as part of the Met’s relentless efforts to target perpetrators of crimes using precision technology.

    Met Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, said:

    “This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved.

    “Following months of work by the Met Police to relentlessly pursue these perpetrators, we were able to arrest and eventually convict them, preventing more drugs flooding streets across the UK which leads to violence, antisocial behaviour and misery for communities.

    “The group were sucked into criminality, selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of the drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles. They were unaware we were coming for them and this sentencing should act as a deterrent to those who think about committing this type of crime.”

    Robert Hutchinson, Specialist Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

    “This was no ordinary family. Instead of nurturing and caring for her relatives, Deborah Mason recruited them to establish an extraordinarily profitable criminal enterprise that would ultimately put them all behind bars.

    “The CPS worked closely with the police from the earliest opportunity to make sure we had ample evidence to prosecute them for the full extent of their actions.

    “We reviewed thousands of messages and other digital evidence that not only revealed incriminating messages sent between them, but also a significant pattern of deleting messages, helping to prove that they all knew exactly what they were doing.”

    The investigation

    Acting on intelligence, Met officers used a wide range of investigative techniques including extensive call data and conventional surveillance to track Mason and her courier’s movements.

    The data received confirmed that on 20 April 2023, a hired car driven by Mason left her house on Crayford Road, Tufnell Park at 04:30hrs and arrived at Harwich Port at around 06:20hrs.

    After just 20 minutes at the port, to collect a shipment of cocaine, the car headed back.

    What followed were a number of trips made by Mason, as well as all other defendants to complete various drop offs and collections throughout the seven-month period.

    Met officers discovered that trips were made to Harwich Port regularly, as well as South London, Rotherham, Southend, Leicester, Walsall and various other locations across the country.

    The group used encrypted messaging site Signal to communicate. Officers trawled through thousands of messages following their arrests which further proved their criminal movements.

    The messages also showed that Mason was living an extravagant lifestyle with her profits, having bought a Gucci collar and lead worth £400 for her cat as well as lots of luxury outdoor garden items. The group booked various holidays and purchased luxury goods with their earnings.

    A number of hire cars and hotels were expensed as part of their spending.

    Sentencing

    Following the investigation, all but one of the group were arrested in May 2024. Anita Slaughter was later arrested in November 2024 after being identified from the messages.

    Following an 11-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court, Roseanne Mason, Chloe Hodgkin, Lillie Bright, Demi Bright and Anita Slaughter were all found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on Monday, 28 April.

    Prior to her trial, Lillie Bright pleaded guilty to a separate offence of offering to supply Class A drugs, identified following a review of her mobile device.

    Tina Golding, Reggie Bright and Demi Kendall all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Woolwich Crown Court, prior to trial.

    Demi Kendall and Reggie Bright also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of possession with Intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of criminal property following seizures of cocaine and more than £15,000 cash during a search of their home address.

    On Friday, 18 July, the group were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court.

    • Roseanne Mason, 29 (19.05.1996), of Grosvenor Avenue, Canonbury was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment.
    • Demi Bright, 30 (02.05.1995), of Samuel Peto Way, Ashford, Kent was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment.
    • Lillie Bright, 26 (04.04.1999), of Evergreen Way, Ashford, Kent was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment.
    • Reggie Bright, 24 (18.09.2000), of Frittenden Road, Staplehurst, Kent was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.
    • Demi Kendall, 31 (15.05.1994), of Frittenden Road, Staplehurst, Kent was sentenced to 13 years and six months’ imprisonment.
    • Tina Golding, 66 (24.01.1959), of Beecholme Drive, Ashford, Kent was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
    • Anita Slaughter, 44 (22.08.1980), of Pearmain Way, Ashford, Kent was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment.

    Chloe Hodgkin, 23 (27.01.2002) of Abbots Walk, Wye, Kent will be sentenced at a date to be set.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug dealing ‘gangster granny’ foiled by Met investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A family run organised crime group orchestrated by a 65-year-old grandmother have been sentenced for drug-dealing across London and the UK, following an extensive investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service.

    Six women, a man and Deborah Mason, known as ‘Queen Bee’, were sentenced to a combined 106 years and six months’ imprisonment for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, 18 July.

    The group of couriers collected packages of imported cocaine and drove them all over London and the UK to locations as far as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff between April and November 2023.

    It is estimated each individual earned more than £1,000 a day.

    Deborah Mason, 65 (28.02.1960), of Crayford Road, Tufnell Park played the leading role in the prolific criminal enterprise. She was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, 28 April and was sentenced at the same court to 20 years’ imprisonment on Friday, 18 July.

    The sentencing comes as part of the Met’s relentless efforts to target perpetrators of crimes using precision technology.

    Met Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, said:

    “This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved.

    “Following months of work by the Met Police to relentlessly pursue these perpetrators, we were able to arrest and eventually convict them, preventing more drugs flooding streets across the UK which leads to violence, antisocial behaviour and misery for communities.

    “The group were sucked into criminality, selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of the drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles. They were unaware we were coming for them and this sentencing should act as a deterrent to those who think about committing this type of crime.”

    Robert Hutchinson, Specialist Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

    “This was no ordinary family. Instead of nurturing and caring for her relatives, Deborah Mason recruited them to establish an extraordinarily profitable criminal enterprise that would ultimately put them all behind bars.

    “The CPS worked closely with the police from the earliest opportunity to make sure we had ample evidence to prosecute them for the full extent of their actions.

    “We reviewed thousands of messages and other digital evidence that not only revealed incriminating messages sent between them, but also a significant pattern of deleting messages, helping to prove that they all knew exactly what they were doing.”

    The investigation

    Acting on intelligence, Met officers used a wide range of investigative techniques including extensive call data and conventional surveillance to track Mason and her courier’s movements.

    The data received confirmed that on 20 April 2023, a hired car driven by Mason left her house on Crayford Road, Tufnell Park at 04:30hrs and arrived at Harwich Port at around 06:20hrs.

    After just 20 minutes at the port, to collect a shipment of cocaine, the car headed back.

    What followed were a number of trips made by Mason, as well as all other defendants to complete various drop offs and collections throughout the seven-month period.

    Met officers discovered that trips were made to Harwich Port regularly, as well as South London, Rotherham, Southend, Leicester, Walsall and various other locations across the country.

    The group used encrypted messaging site Signal to communicate. Officers trawled through thousands of messages following their arrests which further proved their criminal movements.

    The messages also showed that Mason was living an extravagant lifestyle with her profits, having bought a Gucci collar and lead worth £400 for her cat as well as lots of luxury outdoor garden items. The group booked various holidays and purchased luxury goods with their earnings.

    A number of hire cars and hotels were expensed as part of their spending.

    Sentencing

    Following the investigation, all but one of the group were arrested in May 2024. Anita Slaughter was later arrested in November 2024 after being identified from the messages.

    Following an 11-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court, Roseanne Mason, Chloe Hodgkin, Lillie Bright, Demi Bright and Anita Slaughter were all found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on Monday, 28 April.

    Prior to her trial, Lillie Bright pleaded guilty to a separate offence of offering to supply Class A drugs, identified following a review of her mobile device.

    Tina Golding, Reggie Bright and Demi Kendall all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Woolwich Crown Court, prior to trial.

    Demi Kendall and Reggie Bright also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of possession with Intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of criminal property following seizures of cocaine and more than £15,000 cash during a search of their home address.

    On Friday, 18 July, the group were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court.

    • Roseanne Mason, 29 (19.05.1996), of Grosvenor Avenue, Canonbury was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment.
    • Demi Bright, 30 (02.05.1995), of Samuel Peto Way, Ashford, Kent was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment.
    • Lillie Bright, 26 (04.04.1999), of Evergreen Way, Ashford, Kent was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment.
    • Reggie Bright, 24 (18.09.2000), of Frittenden Road, Staplehurst, Kent was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.
    • Demi Kendall, 31 (15.05.1994), of Frittenden Road, Staplehurst, Kent was sentenced to 13 years and six months’ imprisonment.
    • Tina Golding, 66 (24.01.1959), of Beecholme Drive, Ashford, Kent was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
    • Anita Slaughter, 44 (22.08.1980), of Pearmain Way, Ashford, Kent was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment.

    Chloe Hodgkin, 23 (27.01.2002) of Abbots Walk, Wye, Kent will be sentenced at a date to be set.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Cognitive warfare: why wars without bombs or bullets are a legal blind spot

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Gisselsson Nord, Professor, Division of Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University

    Master1305/Shutterstock

    Imagine waking up to the news that a deadly new strain of flu has emerged in your city. Health officials are downplaying it, but social media is flooded with contradictory claims from “medical experts” debating its origin and severity.

    Hospitals are filled with patients showing flu-like symptoms, preventing other patients from accessing care and ultimately leading to deaths. It gradually emerges that a foreign adversary orchestrated this panic by planting false information – such as the strain having a very high death rate. Yet despite the casualties, no rules define this as an act of war.

    This is cognitive warfare, or cog war for short, where the cognitive domain is used on battlefields or in hostile attacks below the threshold of war.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    A classical example of cog war is a concept called “reflexive control” – an art refined by Russia over many decades. It involves shaping an adversary’s perceptions to your own benefit without them understanding that they have been manipulated.

    In the context of the Ukraine conflict, this has included narratives about historical claims to Ukrainian land and portraying the west as morally corrupt.

    Cog war serves to gain advantage over an adversary by targeting attitudes and behaviour at the individual, group or population level. It is designed to modify perceptions of reality, making “human cognition shaping” into a critical realm of warfare. It is therefore a weapon in a geopolitical battle that plays out by interactions across human minds rather than across physical realms.

    Because cog war can be waged without the physical damage regulated by the current laws of war, it exists in a legal vacuum. But that doesn’t mean it cannot ultimately incite violence based on false information or cause injury and death by secondary effects.

    Battle of minds, bodily damage

    The notion that war is essentially a mental contest, where cognitive manipulation is central, harks back to the strategist Sun Tzu (fifth century BC), author of The Art of War. Today, the online domain is the main arena for such operations.

    The digital revolution has allowed ever-more tailored content to play into biases mapped through our digital footprint, which is called “microtargeting”. Machine intelligence can even feed us targeted content without ever taking a picture or recording a video. All it takes is a well-designed AI prompt, supporting bad actors’ pre-defined narrative and goals, while covertly misleading the audience.

    Such disinformation campaigns increasingly reach into the physical domain of the human body. In the war in Ukraine, we see continued cog war narratives. These include allegations that the Ukrainian authorities were concealing or purposefully inciting cholera outbreaks. Allegations of US-supported bioweapons labs also formed part of false-flag justifications for Russia’s full-scale invasion.

    During COVID, false information led to deaths when people refused protective measures or used harmful remedies to treat it. Some narratives during the pandemic were driven as part of a geopolitical battle. While the US engaged in covert information operations, Russian and Chinese state-linked actors coordinated campaigns that used AI-generated social media personas and microtargeting to shape opinions at the level of communities and individuals.

    Fake image of Donald Trump being arrested.
    wikipedia

    The capability of microtargeting may evolve rapidly as methods for brain-machine coupling become more proficient at collecting data on cognition patterns. Ways of providing a better interface between machines and the human brain range from advanced electrodes that you can put on your scalp to virtual reality goggles with sensory stimulation for a more immersive experience.

    Darpa’s Next-Generation Nonsurgical Neurotechnology (N3) program illustrates how these devices may become capable of reading from and writing to multiple points in the brain at once. However, these tools might also be hacked or fed poisoned data as a part of future information manipulation or psychological disruption strategies. Directly linking the brain to the digital world in this way will erode the line between the information domain and the human body in a way never done before.

    Legal gap

    Traditional laws of war assume physical force such as bombs and bullets as the primary concern, leaving cognitive warfare in a legal grey zone. Is psychological manipulation an “armed attack” that justifies self-defence under the UN charter? Currently, no clear answer exists. A state actor could potentially use health disinformation to create mass casualties in another country without formally starting a war.

    Similar gaps exist in situations where war, as we traditionally see it, is actually ongoing. Here, cog war can blur the line between permitted military deception (ruses of war) and prohibited perfidy.

    Imagine a humanitarian vaccination programme secretly collecting DNA, while covertly used by military forces to map clan-based insurgent networks. This exploitation of medical trust would constitute perfidy under humanitarian law – but only if we start recognising such manipulative tactics as part of warfare.

    Developing regulations

    So, what can be done to protect us in this new reality? First, we need to rethink what “threats” mean in modern conflict. The UN charter already outlaws “threats to use force” against other nations, but this makes us stuck in a mindset of physical threats.

    When a foreign power floods your media with false health alerts designed to create panic, isn’t that threatening your country just as effectively as a military blockade?

    While this issue was recognised as early as 2017, by the groups of experts who drafted the Tallinn Manual on cyberwarfare (Rule 70), our legal frameworks haven’t caught up.

    Second, we must acknowledge that psychological harm is real harm. When we think about war injuries, we picture physical wounds. But post-traumatic stress disorder has long been recognised as a legitimate war injury – so why not the mental health effects of targeted cognitive operations?

    Finally, traditional laws of war might not be enough – we should look to human rights frameworks for solutions. These already include protections for freedom of thought, freedom of opinion and prohibitions against war propaganda that could shield civilians from cognitive attacks. States have obligations to uphold these rights both within their territory and abroad.

    The use of increasingly sophisticated tactics and technologies to manipulate cognition and emotion poses one of the most insidious threats to human autonomy in our time. Only by adapting our legal frameworks to this challenge can we foster societal resilience and equip future generations to confront the crises and conflicts of tomorrow.

    David Gisselsson Nord receives funding from the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Society and the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation. He has also received a travel grant from the US Department of Defence.

    Alberto Rinaldi has received funding from the The Raoul Wallenberg Visiting Chair in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the Swedish Research Council.

    – ref. Cognitive warfare: why wars without bombs or bullets are a legal blind spot – https://theconversation.com/cognitive-warfare-why-wars-without-bombs-or-bullets-are-a-legal-blind-spot-260607

    MIL OSI –