NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma City Father and Son Sentenced to Serve 14 Years Collectively in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearms Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – NICOIS MEGALE SMITH, 40, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Indictment, charging Nicois with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and his father, ALBERT SMITH, JR., 62, with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On June 10, 2024, Albert pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in early May 2023, and admitted to possessing a pistol that he had reason to believe had been stolen. Two days later, on June 12, 2024, a federal jury found Nicois guilty on one of his two counts following trial.

    Evidence at trial established that on May 21, 2023, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department were investigating a crime which happened near Nicois’s home. During their investigation, officers searched Nicois’s home pursuant to a search warrant and found a loaded pistol in the bedroom. Evidence presented at trial connected Nicois to that pistol.

    Public record reflects that Nicois and Albert both have lengthy criminal records. Nicois has previous convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include:

    • Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and carrying a weapon in case number CF-2002-4842;
    • four counts of burglary and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in case number CF-2003-3046; and
    • felon in possession of a firearm in case number CF-2019-2922.
    • Larceny of merchandise from a retailer in case number CF-1995-393;
    • assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in case number CF-1999-2290;
    • possession of cocaine base in case number CF-2005-107;
    • first-degree arson in case number CF-2011-122; and
    • assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in case number CF-2014-3866.

    Albert has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include:

    At the sentencing hearing on March 24, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Nicois to serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Albert had previously been sentenced on October 31, 2024, to 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentences, the Court noted Nicois’s and Albert’s extensive criminal history.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley, Elizabeth M. Bagwell, and Travis Leverett prosecuted the case.

    This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Guilty of Disaster Fraud Costing Georgia Church Millions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant, Acting as Insurance Adjuster, Bilked Albany Church Damaged by Hurricane Michael

    ALBANY, Ga. – A Texas man acting as an insurance adjuster cheated an Albany church out of millions of dollars paid out by its insurance company to repair its facilities, which were heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018 and are still not fully repaired.

    Andrew Mitchell aka “Andrew Aga,” 45, of Kemeh, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on March 27. Mitchell faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. The Court will determine a sentencing date. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “It is disheartening to see someone willing to defraud a place of worship in the wake of a major natural disaster, especially when its congregation trusted the defendant and all those involved to act lawfully and help them repair their historic downtown facility after Hurricane Michael,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker. “Together with our federal prosecutorial team, investigators from the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Office thoroughly examined years of fraud to ensure that Andrew Mitchell is held accountable for his crime.”

    “At a time when victims were still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Michael, Andrew Mitchell took advantage of that vulnerability for his own personal gain,” said Georgia Insurance Commissioner John F. King. “I am proud of our investigators and their work in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect hardworking Georgia families and hold the defendant responsible for his actions.”

    According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Pine Avenue in Albany was damaged by Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 hurricane that made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, on Oct. 10, 2018. The storm’s eyewall struck the Albany community as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of up to 115 miles per hour and significant rainfall. Friendship Baptist Church sustained damage; an initial inspection revealed at least $216,000 in damages. The facility was insured by Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Brotherhood Mutual issued a check for $183,207.89 on Nov. 15, 2018, to Friendship Baptist to cover partial repairs, which was sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS) and was deposited.

    In November 2018, a man identifying as Eric Goldberg and who claimed to be associated with Blue Key Construction, met with the church’s pastor, Carl White, to discuss serving as the contractor. A second meeting was held on Nov. 20, 2018, between Goldberg and White, along with Friendship Missionary Baptist Church’s Board of Directors Co-Chairperson Willie Thomas. Goldberg provided a contract authorizing Mitchell, aka “Aga,” to act as a public adjuster.

    In December 2018, Mitchell began emailing Brotherhood Mutual representing himself as a Georgia public adjuster employed by International Consulting Group. He was reportedly associated with several corporate entities including but not limited to International Consulting Group; Texas Wind Consultants, LLC; and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. In January 2019, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual an itemized estimate for repairs at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church totaling roughly $2.1 million on the letterhead of “Georgia Claim Consultants.” In February 2019, Mitchell provided Brotherhood Mutual with a second repair estimate for approximately $5 million. On March 4, 2019, Mitchell emailed an adjustor with Syndicate Claims a proof of loss indicating that the damages to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church would cost $7.1 million to repair. On March 13, 2019, Mitchell emailed a follow-up proof of loss indicating the total repair cost was $6.1 million.

    On July 10, 2019, the insurance company issued a check to the church and Mitchell for $3,376,102.18, mailed to Albany. Mitchell emailed asking the check be reissued and made jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC, d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. On July 19, 2019, Brotherhood Mutual issued the check payable to the church and Mitchell, which was mailed to the church. On July 24, 2019, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual requesting that the payees be changed to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. He also asked that the reissued check be mailed to an address in Lake Shores, Texas. On July 24, 2019, Brotherhood Mutual issued the check and mailed it as requested. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.

    On July 30, 2019, C.W. received and negotiated a check for $50,000 from Texas Wind Consultants, LLC, which Mitchell hand-delivered to C.W. in Albany. On July 31, 2019, Blue Key Construction submitted an invoice totaling $2.4 million for works allegedly performed for Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. On Nov. 26, 2019, Mitchell submitted a proof of loss totaling $7.495 million.

    On December 11, 2019, the insurance company issued a check jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Broad Avenue, Inc. and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants for $2,762,783.93. This check was mailed to Mitchell in Kemah, Texas. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.

    On March 4, 2020, C.W. received and negotiated a check for $50,000 from Texas Wind Consultants, LLC, which Mitchell hand-delivered to C.W. in Albany. On June 19, 2020, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Broad Avenue, Inc. allegedly signed a contract with Blue Key Construction for $18.6 million. Pastor White denied knowledge of this contract or signing it on behalf of the Church. Representatives of Blue Key Construction denied ever having prepared, signed or entered into this contract.

    On Nov. 20, 2020, Mitchell submitted an invoice from a heating and air company for $950,000. A heating and air company representative stated that they did not prepare the invoice. An inspection at the church revealed that the work represented in the invoice was not performed. Mitchell also submitted a certification of completion from Blue Key Construction stating that substantial completion would be reached on March 31, 2021, per a Dec. 19, 2019, contract for over $18 million in repairs.

    On Jan. 6, 2021, Brotherhood Mutual issued a check jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants for $544,512.80. This check was mailed to Mitchell in Kemah, Texas. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.

    On Sept. 30, 2021, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual the fraudulent $18.6 million contract between Blue Key Construction and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church; the church received less than one-third of the proceeds paid out by Brotherhood Mutual for damages. Blue Key Construction did not fully repair the church facilities, and the company halted construction in Feb. 2021 after receiving approximately $150,000 from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and approximately $2.3 million from Mitchell. Mitchell lied to Blue Key Construction representatives that the insurance company refused payment beyond approximately $2.5 million.

    In June 2022, Mitchell met with Friendship Missionary Baptist Church representatives to voice their concerns about incomplete repairs; the defendant lied that Brotherhood Mutual was withholding further payments. In total, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance issued $6,866,606.80 in payments intended exclusively for the church’s hurricane repairs.

    The case was investigated by the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Fire Safety.

    Criminal Chief Leah McEwen is prosecuting the case for the Government.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Superseding Indictment Charges Fourth Member of Robbery Crew Allegedly Responsible for Eight-Month Robbery Spree in Chicago

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A federal superseding indictment unsealed today charges a fourth member of a robbery crew allegedly responsible for violently robbing multiple liquor stores, convenience stores, and bars in Chicago.

    XAVIER HARRIS conspired with his brother, ARDARIES HARRIS, and JORDAN FOX and ROOSEVELT VEAL to rob more than a dozen Chicago businesses in 2023 and 2024, according to the superseding indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The robbers used stolen cars as getaway vehicles, wore masks, and brandished firearms in the heists.  In some of the robberies, members of the crew fired shots from machine guns, the indictment states.

    Ardaries Harris, 27, of Chicago, Fox, 25, of Chicago, and Veal 27, of Rockford, Ill., were originally charged last year with conspiracy, robbery, and firearm offenses in connection with five robberies or attempted robberies.  The superseding indictment adds Xavier Harris as a defendant, charges ten additional robberies or attempted robberies, and raises the mandatory minimum sentence for Ardaries Harris, Fox, and Veal to thirty years each. Xavier Harris faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 21 years.  The maximum sentence for each of the defendants is life in prison.

    Xavier Harris, 26, of Chicago, was arrested on Thursday.  He was arraigned today in federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges in the superseding indictment.  The three other defendants were already in federal custody and will be arraigned at a later date.

    According to the superseding indictment, the defendants conspired to commit the following robberies or attempted robberies in Chicago:

    • Aug. 24, 2023: Ace’s Liquor and Tap, 4400 block of West Armitage Avenue.
    • Nov. 24, 2023: Super Saving Food, 4400 block of West Belmont Avenue.
    • Jan. 10, 2024: A&R Food Mart, 5900 block of West Grand Avenue.
    • Jan. 11, 2024: Central Extra Value Food and Liquor, 2900 block of North Central Avenue.
    • Jan. 13, 2024: Buchanas Food & Liquor, 1800 block of West 47th Street.
    • Jan. 15, 2024: Mr. P Beverage Depot, 2000 block of West Division Street.
    • Jan. 15, 2024: Before You Go Liquor, 1900 block of West Fullerton Avenue.
    • Jan. 15, 2024: Clybourn Market, 2800 block of North Clybourn Avenue.
    • May 3, 2024: Humboldt Haus Liquor, 2900 block of West North Avenue.
    • May 3, 2024: Gladstone Food Mart, 5700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.
    • May 4, 2024: Irish Nobleman Pub, 1300 block of West Erie Street.
    • May 7, 2024: Buchanas Food & Liquor, 1800 block of West 47th Street.
    • May 7, 2024: El Trebol Liquors and Bar, 1100 block of West 18th Street.
    • May 7, 2024: Community Food and Liquor, 5500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.
    • May 9, 2024: Basil Food & Liquor, 7700 block of North Western Avenue.

    The superseding indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, the Illinois State Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Great Lakes Regional Task Force.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily C.R. Vermylen and Stephanie Stern.

    This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  The case was also conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC), a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.

    The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thibodaux Resident Guilty of Aggravated Identity Theft, Providing False Statement to Firearms Dealer, and Federal Agency

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BRETT GABRIEL (“GABRIEL”), age 31, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, to aggravated identity theft, providing a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm, and providing a false statement to an agency of the United States.  Sentencing is set for June 18, 2025.

    According to court documents, GABRIEL used stolen identity information to purchase an Angstadt Arms UDP-9 firearm, and to obtain fraudulent paycheck protection program loan proceeds, administered by the federal government.

    The maximum penalty for the firearm offense is ten years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.  The maximum penalty for the false statement offenses is five years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.  The aggravated identity offense also carries a mandatory minimum term of two years imprisonment to run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Secret Service, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    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: Man Facing Federal Charges Following Montgomery Dry Cleaner Business Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                Montgomery, Ala. – A Montgomery, Alabama man has been charged with federal crimes for his alleged role in the March 10, 2025, robbery of a Montgomery dry cleaning business, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. On March 26, 2025, law enforcement arrested 58-year-old Zedekiah Sykes, on charges of armed robbery, carjacking, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence. The United States District Court in Montgomery unsealed Sykes’ criminal complaint today.

                The arrest took place after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Task Force, with assistance from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Sykes will make his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon at 1:00pm.

                A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

                If convicted on all charges, Sykes faces a sentence of seven years to life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Warns of Putin’s Deceit in Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire Talks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, yesterday delivered remarks on the Senate floor warning that Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted as negotiations to achieve a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict continue in Riyadh.
    In his remarks, Chairman Wicker explored the 20-year history of Putin’s lies in the service of fulfilling his true ambition: to resuscitate the old Soviet empire. He added analysis on the many ways that Vladimir Putin is still actively trying to undermine American interests, including through the imprisonment of U.S. citizens, previous attacks on U.S. soldiers, and a large nuclear strike complex specifically designed to threaten the United States.
    Chairman Wicker also made brief comments about the state of negotiations with Russia in Riyadh. In his remarks, Wicker noted the extreme asymmetry between Russian and American readouts of negotiations, and how concessions made by Ukraine differ from those made by Russia during talks.
    Ukraine, the Chairman said, has made a good-faith effort to reach an honorable settlement, while Russia appears to be attempting to extract concessions in an effort to boost its negotiating position. Chairman Wicker added that President Trump understands the kind of character that he is dealing with in Vladimir Putin and his true goals.
    Read Chairman Wicker’s full remarks in full below.
    Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to offer some remarks on the situation in Europe and the prospects for peace in Ukraine.
     
    We should start with recent positive developments. President Trump and President Zelenskyy have demonstrated remarkable resolve and remarkable wherewithal.
     
    Just this week, we heard news from the peace talks in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine publicly expressed openness to prisoner exchanges, a welcome development. Notably, Russia did not express such willingness.
     
    We should applaud Ukraine’s overtures. An agreement is within reach that reflects the common cause of the United States and Ukraine.
     
    Separately, much ink has been spilled on the economic investment deal. Less has been said about why the United States is interested in an investment deal with Ukraine. President Trump recognizes that America is better off when Ukraine is free, strong, and industrious. The economic investment deal shows that our president wants peace, and that he wants an honorable peace – one that endures, one that ensures the prosperity and protection of Ukraine and the United States.
     
    This peace will require that Russia put down its weapons in an enduring and verifiable way. It’s clear that Vladimir Putin does not share President Trump’s desire for peace. As Putin’s representatives prepare to sit down with American diplomats, President Putin has ordered salvo after salvo of missiles and drones to strike Ukrainian apartments, killing non-combatant women and children. These are not the gestures of a statesman who wants to negotiate peace. We’re dealing with a tyrant who speaks the language of war and terror.
     
    We have to deal with him, but that’s who he is.
     
    In recent decades, several successive United States presidents have extended the hand of peace to Mr. Putin. Each one of them had different tactics, but none of them achieved the outcome they desired. In this series of failed diplomacy, the common denominator was not the American presidents. Regardless of party, the common denominator was and is Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin, a war criminal.
     
    So, we need to remind the American people of exactly what kind of strongman we’re dealing with here – the  kind of strong man we’re trying to negotiate with, the kind of strong man we’re forced to negotiate with.
     
    Vladimir Putin regrettably is not interested in peace, He’s interested in a phony deal. He’s shown this with his words, his acts of violence, and the peace agreements he has shredded.
     
    Dictators frequently tell us who they really are. In 2007, Putin stood before the Munich Security Conference, and he rejected a world in which nations cooperate. In his other writings, he has publicly mourned the collapse of the Soviet Empire, and he dreams of its resurrection. In 2021, President Putin wrote an essay laying the groundwork for his invasion of Ukraine. This was a year before the recent invasion. In it, he rejected the very right of the Ukrainian people to exist as a distinct and self-governing nation.
     
    This essay is full of lies; it would have made Adolf Hitler proud. But it shows one thing is true: Mr. Putin is a Russian imperialist to the core. Here’s a man who believes the greatest historical tragedy of the last 40 years was the collapse of the Soviet power and influence over Eastern Europe.
     
    Putin publicly proclaims his delusions of grandeur, but he has not stopped at words and speeches. He has used any means necessary to continue his decades-long political warfare against NATO. And he’s ruthlessly worked to achieve the empire he craves.
     
    In the year after his Munich speech, Vladimir Putin and his army invaded their neighbor, the Republic of Georgia. In the year after his essay about Ukraine, he invaded Ukraine. Mr. Putin no longer technically works for the KGB, but he still thinks like a KGB agent – the kind that uses chemical weapons to poison people living in Russia and all over the world. Exacting revenge on his critics without regard for international borders. He jails reporters and activists.
     
    Why does he do this? Because dictators actually live in fear of their own people.
     
    Putin has imprisoned scores of Americans in Russian gulags. He’s killed and kidnapped American citizens across the globe. His commandos have targeted our soldiers in Afghanistan. He has no respect for our country, or for human life in his country or any other country.
     
    And he has the weaponry to back up his threats. Mr. Putin sits atop the world’s largest and most diverse nuclear arsenal. And I might add that this arsenal is postured specifically at us to destroy the United States.
     
    In another perverse action, I have to say this, Mr. Putin has tried to co-opt Christianity, if you can believe that. He’s twisted a religion of repentance into a propaganda machine. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow professes to lead the Russian Orthodox Church. In reality, Kirill is a puppet of Vladimir Putin. His father baptized Vladimir Putin, and now Kirill follows his father’s footsteps by sanctifying the dictator’s crimes, Kirill has blessed the 2022 invasion of Ukraine absurdly claiming that the Russians are fighting against evil. As Patriarch, he blessed the invasion as Russia bombs Ukrainian women and children. Kirill invokes God’s name to justify Putin’s butchery. Kirill is the very definition of the prophet Isaiah’s portrait of corruption: corrupt men like him, those who call evil good, and good evil. Shame on this phony Patriarch.
     
    President Putin has publicly shared his imperialistic dreams. He has violently pursued those goals, even in God’s name. And along the way, he’s torn to shreds every ceasefire deal he’s ever signed.
     
    Now, before World War I, the Kaiser’s regime in Germany called a treaty a “mere scrap of paper.” Well, Vladimir Putin feels the same. He has no regard for the Budapest Memorandum. He has no regard for the INF Treaty. He has no regard for the Minsk Agreement. In each case, Putin has lied, stolen, and misdirected to further his empire-building ambitions.
     
    And that’s what he’s trying to do with the negotiations today. President Trump is interested in peace. President Zelenskyy is interested in peace. President Putin values peace as little as any piece of shredded paper he would deceitfully sign.
     
    Many people do not realize that the Ukrainians have been valiantly and steadily weakening Putin’s forces. Half a million Russian soldiers – half a million souls – have either been killed or injured so severely that they cannot return to the battlefield. That’s half a million Russian moms without sons, wives without husbands. That toll is steep and the blame rests upon one person: the man who ordered the invasion, Vladimir Putin and his imperialistic vision. Russia is barely managing to sustain this war, and I think Mr. President, the American people do not know this, but Russia’s barely hanging on.
     
    They are struggling from heavy battlefield costs and economic sanctions. We should not support a peace deal that could let Russia up off the mat and reconstitute its army. Both the previous and the current Secretaries-General of NATO expect that Russia will not be ready to threaten NATO conventionally for 5 to 7 years. The wrong deal with Russia could allow them to be off to the races sooner, and Russia wants just that.
     
    As we’ve seen this week, Putin is trying to work the peace process deceptively to skew it in his favor. This week, his office has pushed out messages from the peace talks in Riyadh. Putin’s officials maintain that the United States is prepared to lift a number of sanctions the West imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
     
    I certainly hope that’s not true. These Kremlin officials claim that we will soon readmit Russia to SWIFT. SWIFT, of course, is the global financial system that Russia depends on for global trade. Putin relies on trade to finance his war machine.
     
    The Russians also think we’re prepared to grant sanctions relief for any company that ships goods on vessels flying the Russian flag, or that could claim any ties to food production, shipping, or securities. Such a deal would be full of loopholes. Such a deal would be designed to let Russia, which is on the ropes, off the mat.
     
    Mr. Putin’s men asked for all of this, and yet they offer little in return. They won’t even talk about prisoner exchanges. That’s breathtaking, especially when Ukraine has publicly expressed openness to a ceasefire. They’re the ones that have publicly said they’ll agree to a ceasefire. Mr. Putin and his negotiators have never proclaimed that.
     
    The Ukrainians, who’ve been ruthlessly attacked, have extended the hand of peace. Russia still has not, even though it demands so much. Putin says he’s willing to work toward peace, but his demands show that he is lying. His demands make it clear that he intends to use the sanctions relief to rearm. It would be a mistake to grant sanctions relief to Russia without reciprocal support for Ukraine. Doing so would devastate the prospect of a lasting peace. And let me repeat: Mr. Putin has never agreed to a ceasefire to a treaty that resulted in a lasting peace.
     
    As we negotiate in Saudi Arabia, the United States must remember that Russia is barely managing to sustain this war. The economic and battlefield price is very costly for Mr. Putin. Undoing these sanctions would instantly lower Putin’s cost. It would evaporate the leverage these financial penalties have given to the United States and the free world.
     
    As I close, let me reiterate, Mr. President: many have tried to negotiate with Vladimir Putin on his terms. I think President Trump is beginning to understand that peace comes through American and Ukrainian strength, that dictators respond to power because it’s the only thing they respect.
     
    We need to see this Russian dictator and war criminal for what he is: a murderous dictator who hopes he can back us into a corner during the peace process, and thus pursue another invasion.
     
    If Vladimir Putin lives up to a ceasefire or peace treaty with Ukraine, it will be the first time ever. Vladimir Putin has a long track record and it’s filled with lies, violence, and treachery.
     
    That’s who we’re dealing with. We have to deal with him, but that’s who we’re dealing with. Getting a deal with him will be a challenge. We must bear history in mind if we are to reach a settlement that benefits the free countries of the world.
     
    Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Cleaver Lead 100+ Democrats in Condemning HUD Field Office Cuts, Urging Reinstatement of Civil Servants

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Cleaver Lead 100+ Democrats in Condemning HUD Field Office Cuts, Urging Reinstatement of Civil Servants

    San Francisco Regional Office among HUD offices rumored to be closing
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo.-05) led more than 100 Democrats in the Senate and House in condemning staffing cuts and potential closures of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Field Offices across the country. In a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner, the lawmakers pushed him to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who were illegally fired from the Department and condemned reports that HUD is considering the illegal closure of nearly two-thirds of field offices nationwide.
    The rumored HUD cuts include San Francisco’s Regional Office, which would leave California with only one operational field office. Field offices provide critical housing services, and staffing reductions at this scale will cripple HUD’s ability to perform its basic responsibilities and legal obligations. HUD only recently rebuilt its workforce after a 20 percent drop between 2012 and 2019, and further cuts threaten disaster recovery efforts while delaying urgently needed housing development.
    Earlier this year, Senator Padilla sounded the alarm that these wide-ranging cuts would hamper HUD’s ability to support vulnerable communities and address the housing and homelessness crises.
    “We write to express concern about reports that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is considering closing nearly two-thirds of the Department’s field offices, leaving most states and the District of Columbia without critical sites or staff,” wrote the lawmakers. “These reports follow the unlawful mass termination of probationary federal employees, HUD’s announcement that employees at GS-13 and below in the Office of Field Policy and Management would be terminated, and reports that the Department plans to cut its agency-wide workforce by at least half.”
    “We strongly urge HUD to maintain existing field offices with adequate staffing levels and to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who have been illegally terminated,” continued the lawmakers.
    By law, HUD is required to have at least one field office in every state to process mortgage insurance applications, yet the Trump Administration’s plan would leave 34 states without a field office. Additionally, HUD must conduct and publish a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any “plan for the reorganization of any regional, area, insuring, or other field offices of the Department.”
    In addition to Padilla and Cleaver, the letter was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.-08), and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Representatives Gabe Amo (D-R.I.-01), Becca Balint (D-Vt.-AL), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio-03), Sanford Bishop (D-G.-02), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Troy Carter (D-La.-02), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Gilbert Cisneros (D-Calif.-31), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.-09), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.-09), Lou Correa (D-Calif.-46), Jim Costa (D-Calif.-21), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.-06), Dwight Evans (D-Penn.-03), Cleo Fields (D-La.-06), Shomari Figures (D-Ala.-02), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.-30), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas-13), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Al Green (D-Texas-09), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.-06), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-01), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), William Keating (D-Mass.-09), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.-26), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio-01), Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.-16), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.-36), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.-04), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.-08), Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.-03), James McGovern (D-Mass.-02), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.-05), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.-08), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.-04), Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.-01), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.-14), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.-02), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.-05), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.-02), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.-07), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.-05), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.-03), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), David Scott (D-Ga.-13), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.-07), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32), Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio-13), Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.-02), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.-20), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.-15), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.-25), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.-05), and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.-24) also signed the letter.
    Senator Padilla believes everyone deserves access to affordable and safe housing and recognizes the need to drastically increase the affordable housing stock to address the homelessness crisis facing California and the country, including to support disaster victims. In the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Padilla introduced the bipartisan Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act to expedite, expand, and improve temporary housing available to victims of disasters like wildfires and storms. Last year, he announced the reintroduction of his Housing for All Act, a comprehensive approach to invest in proven, locally-developed solutions to address the homelessness and affordable housing crises.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary Turner:
    We write to express concern about reports that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is considering closing nearly two-thirds of the Department’s field offices, leaving most states and the District of Columbia without critical sites or staff. These reports follow the unlawful mass termination of probationary federal employees, HUD’s announcement that employees at GS-13 and below in the Office of Field Policy and Management would be terminated, and reports that the Department plans to cut its agency-wide workforce by at least half. We urge you to immediately reverse any plans to implement these short-sighted and illegal efforts that undermine the ability of HUD to accomplish its mission and legal obligations.
    The United States faces a severe fair and affordable housing and homelessness crisis. HUD is the Federal agency responsible for national policy and programs that address America’s housing needs, improve and develop communities, and enforce fair housing laws, deeply impacting millions of families across the nation. HUD field offices collect local data to inform policymaking, administer and oversee department programs, manage and distribute funding, enforce department regulations and policies, provide guidance and support to local stakeholders, and play a critical role in developing and maintaining local relationships that ensure the success of initiatives and projects. In many cases, state and local stakeholders operate with limited capacities and require HUD assistance. HUD currently has at least one field office in every State and the District of Columbia to help implement the Department’s important mission at the local level.
    Reports that HUD is planning the illegal closure of field offices are extremely concerning. HUD is expressly required by law to maintain a field office in every state. Federal law also requires HUD to conduct and publish a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any “plan for the reorganization of any regional, area, insuring, or other field office of the Department.” This analysis is required to include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the impact on the local economy, an estimate of the effect of reorganization on the availability, accessibility, and quality of services provided, and credible evidence substantiating the impact of reorganization on department costs. These legal requirements are designed to protect the Department and the nation, including taxpayers, HUD’s business, nonprofit, and government partners, thousands of patriotic civil servants, and millions of families who rely on the services that HUD field offices provide.
    In last year’s report on top management challenges, the HUD Office of Inspector General noted that HUD “still faces capacity challenges that affect its ability to oversee grantees, contractors, and financial services counterparties; provide high-touch technical assistance; and modernize its programs and IT systems.” Despite this reality, a February 11, 2025, Executive Order directed agency heads, including HUD, to “promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIF).” A subsequent memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to agency heads directed each agency to submit Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans to OMB and OPM by Thursday, March 13, 2025.
    We strongly urge HUD to maintain existing field offices with adequate staffing levels and to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who have been illegally terminated. We also ask for responses to the following information request no later than Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
    1. Please provide a copy of any formal analysis conducted by HUD’s Office of General Counsel regarding HUD’s plans to close field offices, including an analysis of how such plans align with existing legal requirements that HUD maintain an office in each state.
    2. Please provide a copy of the cost-benefit analysis of field reorganizations required at 42 U.S.C. 3535 that HUD has conducted as part of its plans to close field offices. Please indicate when this analysis will be published in the Federal Register and detail any additional actions the agency has already taken to alter, reduce, or reorganize field offices.
    3. Please provide any formal analysis HUD has performed regarding the impact of reported office reductions on the Department’s ability to:
    a. Collect data used to inform HUD’s policy decisions and department strategies.
    b. Administer, monitor, and oversee complex programs including ensuring compliance with regulations and policies.
    c. Manage and distribute federal funding and ensure these funds are used appropriately.
    d. Enforce department policies related to fair housing, including investigating complaints related to violations of the Fair Housing Act.
    e. Provide technical assistance to local and state agencies, non-profit organizations, and other department stakeholders.
    f. Conduct public outreach including educating the local community and developing partnerships with local organizations to address housing and community development challenges.
    4. Please identify the DOGE Team Lead at HUD and the name and employing agency of all DOGE Task Force members working under the team leader.
    5. Please provide a copy of all HUD and DOGE documents reflecting any plans to reduce, alter, or eliminate HUD programs, functions or offices.
    6. Please provide a copy of all HUD and DOGE documents reflecting any staff reduction that has already taken place and future staff reduction plans by program office and further disaggregated by field office and Washington, DC headquarters. Indicate whether the Department plans to eliminate or backfill each impacted position.
    7. Please provide copies of HUD’s formal Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans as submitted to OMB.
    We thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Former Health Department Leaders, Sound Alarm on Trump and RFK Jr. Gutting HHS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: At Press Conference on HHS Cuts, Senator Murray Slams Trump Plans to Push Out Thousands of Health Workers, Gut Essential Services

    ***WATCH HERE; DOWNLOAD VIDEO HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a virtual press conference with former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, former NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, and Seattle & King County Public Health Director Dr. Faisal Khan, in response to President Trump’s plans to push out roughly 20,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and hollow out the Department, which is responsible for protecting Americans’ health and delivering essential health and social services.

    Yesterday’s announcement follows weeks of mass firings and chaos at HHS that has prevented the Department from executing its mission to protect people’s health, and an onslaught of detrimental policies that are halting lifesaving biomedical research and more. HHS announced yesterday that it plans to cut its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 (a 25% reduction) through a combination of mass firings and buy-outs and remake HHS without thoughtful consideration and partnership with Congress. 

    “Yesterday, President Trump and RFK Jr. announced a major reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services. Long story short—they may as well be renaming it the Department of Disease. Because their plan is putting lives in serious jeopardy. They want to push out 20,000 public health workers, cut essential programs willy nilly, and undermine medical research, health care access, public health, and more—with no concern whatsoever for the fact they are putting this country on a dangerous collision course,” said Senator Murray. “There’s no two ways about it—this is the kind of carelessness that gets people killed. Maybe it doesn’t seem like such a big deal if you are a billionaire like Trump or Elon Musk, whatever happens, they will be able to afford whatever health care they need. But folks back here in Washington state—they are the ones who are going to be left picking up the pieces of the health department Trump is smashing to bits.”

    “I think you all know that a kind of an additional 3,500 people on top of the arbitrary cuts that have already occurred, in addition to all the people who are leaving because of what they’re saying, is likely to leave the FDA unable to do its critical work. And it’s really striking to me how the rhetoric of, for example, better nutrition, enhanced food safety, innovation in medical products runs contrary to what’s being done with the workforce, instead of a carefully thought-out plan. I think all of us will probably agree there are things about the federal government that could be better. Many of us would have loved to have seen the HR system improved. But to make the cuts based on words in someone’s job description or grants that have particular words in them without a thorough consideration of the issues is likely to jeopardize human lives,” said Dr. Robert Califf, former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    “The current funding cuts and delays, even if temporary, are already producing irreparable harm. Especially to those of the next generation, and not just in a few targeted research areas. Ironically, this approach undermines the success of the laudable initiatives championed by the current administration. Standing research, labs, our staff, as Dr. Kaliff said, clinical trials are halting midstream. Valuable administrative staff that are essential to ensure that our public dollars are spent wisely and that their use is tracked carefully to avoid fraud or any other kind of risk, are being laid off at NIH. And postdoctoral fellows and new faculty members are unable to find jobs,” said Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Promising ongoing research is being stopped midstream, and the effect on the biomedical research workforce is chilling. How can we ask talented young people to continue to devote so many years of study required to succeed as a biomedical researcher when the future is so uncertain? Today, we are just beginning to see progress in such devastating diseases which have long been hopeless, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, there’s cracks in the wall for each one of these terrible things, all because of NIH funding. And this is proven to be a great investment for the American taxpayers, producing not only extraordinary progress against the most common deadly diseases and significant profits for our nation’s economy. How does it make sense to see progress stalled? The loss to our nation on so many levels is so great.”

    “Any cut you make to a health agency should be done with incredible care and consideration for the hundreds of millions of Americans who rely on their work to stay healthy and get treatment when they’re sick,” said Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, senior fellow at The Century Foundation and former CMS administrator. “When you take a wrecking ball to an agency like CMS, you’re taking a wrecking ball to the people who are out across the country ensuring our parents and grandparents can get safe, affordable care as they age. You’re taking a wrecking ball to cancer patients who need a new, innovative treatment to be covered. You’re taking a wrecking ball to mothers and newborns who are both at the most critical points of their lives. We certainly have progress to make to ensure every American can access safe, affordable, timely health care but laying off thousands of people working toward that progress doesn’t move us forward.”

    “Everything that happens at the federal level eventually filters down to the state level rather quickly. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak,” said Dr. Faisal Khan, Seattle & King County Director of Public Health. “We are reeling from the news that we received at 3am this past Monday about cancelations, immediate terminations, three federal grants. Our state colleagues in Olympia in Washington State are in the same boat, essentially. I’ll give you one example, 45 community health workers, which are critical to linking people in the most vulnerable and zip codes of greatest need to the services that administrator Brooks was talking about, and my colleagues were talking about, are now at risk in terms of losing their jobs. We’ve spent years training them, embedding them with community-based organizations across the region. That is simply not something we can reconstruct if funding should return in a few months’ time. What incenses me most as a public health professional, is the assumption by decision makers in Washington that somehow, if funding is returned or resurrected six months to a year from now, that we will simply pick up the pieces and continue on from where we were. These are not potted plants. These are highly trained public health professionals. They have moved on. They’ve got busy personal and professional lives. We have just shot ourselves in both feet at the same time. This is a very ill-conceived and ill-considered process, and we are bewildered at what is going on… At the same time, we have an HHS Secretary that keeps talking about stuff that we have to debunk on a daily basis in telling people and convincing people that vitamin A is not the answer a vaccine is. At this point in time, all we can hope for is some reconsideration of the still considered decision. But quite frankly, it is looking pretty bleak. We’re having to look at a systematic disassembly of public health services that we’ve built up over many, many years, if not decades.”

    Among much else, Trump, RFK Jr., and Musk plan to cut:

    • 3,500 employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is charged with protecting Americans’ health by ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medicines, biologics (including vaccines), and medical devices–and regulating food safety, cosmetics, and tobacco products.
    • 2,400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is charged with protecting the American people from health threats, including infectious diseases. 
    • 1,200 employees at NIH, the world’s premier medical research agency, which propels biomedical research that produces life-changing and, in many cases, lifesaving treatments and cures. These cuts come as the Trump administration has already systematically decimated ongoing work at NIH to advance new cures and treatments.
    • 300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which has long been understaffed and is charged with helping to ensure over 100 million Americans have access to health insurance by overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. 

    Senator Murray led her colleagues forcefully opposing the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting—after the White House suddenly withdrew Dr. Weldon’s nomination moments before his committee hearing, Murray released a statement calling on the White House to “nominate someone for this position who at bare minimum believes in basic science and will help lead CDC’s important work to monitor and prevent deadly outbreaks.” In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.

    As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has long fought to boost biomedical research, strengthen public health infrastructure, and make health care more affordable and accessible. Over her years as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, she has secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. As Chair of the HELP Committee, Murray was also instrumental in crafting the American Rescue Plan Act, including its landmark investments in public health and health care. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. Murray is also the lead sponsor of thePublic Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act (PHISLA), legislation to establish $4.5 billion in dedicated, annual funding for a grant program to build up and maintain the nation’s public health system across the board. 

    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered on today’s press call, are below and HERE:

    “Thank you all for joining me on this very important call. Yesterday, President Trump and RFK Jr. announced a major reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services.

    “Long story short—they may as well be renaming it the Department of Disease. 

    “Because their plan is putting lives in serious jeopardy. They want to push out 20,000 public health workers, cut essential programs willy nilly, and undermine medical research, health care access, public health, and more—with no concern whatsoever for the fact they are putting this country on a dangerous collision course.

    “Trump and Secretary Kennedy are gutting our ability to track disease outbreaks, like measles and bird flu, in real time and respond to them.

    “They are pushing out people at FDA working to make sure our food and our medicines are safe, working to approve new drugs in a timely manner, and working to make sure we respond quickly to save lives when food and infant formula are contaminated.

    “They are making it harder for Americans to get help accessing health insurance through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

    “And let’s not forget how Trump and Kennedy are putting promising biomedical research through the shredder, and they’re empowering anti-vaxxers to light federal dollars on fire by investigating bogus, debunked conspiracies.

    “Preventing pandemics costs something, but failing to prevent them—well, that costs a whole lot more.

    “All of this is making us less prepared for the next public health emergency—whether it’s a pandemic, a natural disaster, a super bug, a food borne outbreak—goodness knows what the next crisis will be!

    “But instead of preparing for it, they are preparing to ignore it. And that’s to say nothing of the fires that are already burning today— like the opioid epidemic, or the maternal mortality crisis, or measles—which is in now 19 states and counting.

    “There’s no two ways about it—this is the kind of carelessness that gets people killed. Everyone needs to understand this—this is not hyperbole. 

    “When our hospitals are overwhelmed with sick kids because our local public health officials can’t track a worsening measles outbreak—that is a life and death issue.

    “When e coli outbreaks become hard to pinpoint, or whooping cough becomes impossible to trace, when cancer cures are tossed in the shredder, or you can’t afford treatment at all because you couldn’t get help enrolling in a health plan—all of that is life and death.

    “Maybe it doesn’t seem like such a big deal if you are a billionaire like Trump or Elon Musk, whatever happens, they will be able to afford whatever health care they need. But folks back here in Washington state are the ones who are going to be left picking up the pieces of the health department Trump is smashing to bits.

    “These are not problems that go away on their own. A fire doesn’t put itself out—at least not until everything is ashes.

    “Trump and RFK Jr. may be content to let the country burn, but I am not. I am sounding the alarm, and doing everything I can to bring attention to this—before things go from bad to worse.

    “And I’m so pleased to have some experts with me today who can speak firsthand about the work that HHS does, why it matters to our families, and what is at stake if Trump and RFK Jr. succeed in dismantling this Department board by board. 

    “So, thank you all to my guests today. And let me start by turning it over to Dr. Califf.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Father, son arrested on fentanyl trafficking, gun sales and immigration violations following ICE, multiagency investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LOS ANGELES – A father and son were arrested March 26, for trafficking fentanyl and illegal firearms sales. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement assisted by multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies focused on financial crimes in Southern California.

    “Transnational crime, including the trafficking of fentanyl and weapons, remains a persistent and dangerous threat to our communities,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations acting Special Agent in Charge Los Angeles John Pasciucco. “HSI Los Angeles remains committed to combatting these threats by working alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt trafficking routes and to bring these perpetrators to justice.”

    Antonio Espinoza Zarate, 55, also known as “El Gato,” and his son, Francisco Javier Espinoza Galindo, 31, were arrested and charged in U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Antonio Espinoza was also charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien.

    According to affidavits filed with the complaints, in July 2023, Antonio Espinoza sold a pistol, a rifle, 131 rounds of ammunition, and more than 500 grams of fentanyl pills to a buyer. He is not licensed to engage in the business of dealing in firearms.

    In August 2023, Antonio Espinoza allegedly sold an AR-style rifle and approximately one kilogram of fentanyl pills to a buyer, supplied by Francisco Espinoza. In January 2025, he allegedly sold a rifle, a pistol, a revolver, and ammunition to a buyer. The following month, with his son present, Antonio Espinoza sold more than 500 grams of fentanyl pills to a confidential informant.

    Antonio Espinoza is a citizen of Mexico, who has been previously deported in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017. He illegally reentered the United States following his removals. If convicted of all charges, both defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

    “ATF is working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to assist with their immigration efforts in the Los Angeles area,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cooper, Los Angeles Field Division. “These efforts are targeting gang members, drug traffickers and dangerous criminals who have entered the country illegally. Public safety is at the forefront of ATF’s mission. We will continue to provide our support to our partners at the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the safety of this community.”

    The ICE HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, is comprised of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California – Criminal Investigative Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department.

    To report suspected fentanyl and firearms trafficking, contact 1-866-347-2423.

    Learn more about ICE HSI’s mission to protect children in your community on X at @HSILosAngeles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Russell Fry’s Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act Passes out of House Judiciary Committee

    Source:

    Rep. Russell Fry’s Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act Passes out of House Judiciary Committee

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) announced that his Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. Under current law, federal agencies are required to destroy retired firearms so they are rendered inoperable and incapable of being reused. This process costs the federal government millions of dollars and trickles down to American taxpayers.

    Allowing current and retired federal law enforcement officers in good standing to purchase retired firearms is a commonsense, cost-saving measure that benefits both law enforcement and American taxpayers.

    “The Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act not only saves American taxpayers millions of dollars but also creates a system in which law enforcement officers in good standing can exercise their Second Amendment rights by purchasing their retired service weapons,” said Congressman Fry. “This legislation is a practical measure that recognizes the service of our federal officers while also encouraging responsible use of government resources.”

    This bill is endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Treasury Employees Union, and the FBI Agents Association.

    “This bill is a common-sense measure with numerous benefits. Allowing federal officers and agents to buy back their service weapons serves as a force multiplier in our communities, reduces material waste, and saves taxpayer dollars,” said Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association President Mathew Silverman. “Many agencies have already implemented similar buyback programs, and officers across other agencies have long advocated for this initiative. We commend Representative Fry for his leadership in advancing this effort in advance of National Police Week.”

    “The Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act establishes a commonsense program that allows federal law enforcement officers to purchase retired service weapons,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “These weapons would otherwise be unnecessarily destroyed at a great cost to the federal taxpayer. NAPO thanks Congressman Fry for his leadership on this bill.”

    “The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents frontline Customs and Border Protection Officers at ports of entry around the country, endorses the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act,” said Doreen Greenwald, National President of NTEU. “We commend Rep. Russell Fry and other cosponsors for this commonsense legislation that would allow federal law enforcement officers to purchase their retired service handguns, under certain conditions, and save the government the cost of destroying them. Bringing this bill up for debate during Police Week is especially appropriate, as it shows these highly trained officers a level of respect and professionalism that they have earned and deserve.”

    “The FBIAA is pleased that the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act has been introduced and we hope Congress will move swiftly to pass the bill into law,” said Natalie Bara, President of the FBI Agents Association. “Federal law enforcement officers should be allowed to purchase retired service weapons, and the bill is recognition of the responsibility, professionalism and commitment to public safety that is required of FBI Special Agents and other federal law enforcement officers. Congress should enact this legislation as soon as possible.”

    In addition, the following groups sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee in support of the bill:

    • Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies

    • Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association

    • Major Cities Chiefs Association

    • Major County Sheriffs of America

    • National Association of Police Organizations

    • National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition

    • Sergeants Benevolent Association NYPD

    Full text of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act can be found here.

    Congressman Fry serves on both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. To stay up to date with Congressman Fry and his work for the Seventh District, follow his official Facebook, Instagram, and X pages and visit his website at fry.house.gov.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: South Mountains State Park to Continue Reopening April 10

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: South Mountains State Park to Continue Reopening April 10

    South Mountains State Park to Continue Reopening April 10
    jejohnson6

    CONNELLY SPRINGS

    South Mountains State Park in Burke County is partially reopening its main access at Jacob Fork on April 10, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced. For the first time since Hurricane Helene, the visitor center will reopen to the public and camping will be permitted in the park.

    The park’s Clear Creek Access in Morganton reopened for day use March 17.

    Located in Burke County, South Mountains is at the crossroads of the Appalachian Mountains and the Foothillls to provide the ultimate backcountry experience. The park boasts elevations up to 3,000 feet, nearly 50 miles of trail, and an 80-foot waterfall, although the loop trail by High Shoals Falls will remain closed.

    The park was closed for an extended period following Hurricane Helene due to extensive trail and bridge damage and thousands of downed trees. From October-December 2024, over 4,300 hours of work for all staff across the Division were completed. Staff from other state parks were sent on six internal deployments in October and November to assist with park recovery. The Division also received support from the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team, who brought in about 75 staff total from the U.S. Forest Service and the forestry departments in Mississippi, Virginia, and Arizona. The IMT reopened fire lines across the park and provided access to conduct damage assessments to state facilities.

    Visitors should pay close attention to onsite signage and not attempt to access areas that remain closed. Facilities that remain closed continue to have major safety hazards. Park staff are working diligently to clear debris and conduct repairs to reopen the remaining closed areas as soon as possible.

    Below is the full list of facility status beginning April 10:

    Day use:

    Open

        • Visitor center, picnic area and nearby trout streams

        • Most trails for hikers only

        • Clear Creek Access

    Closed

        • Headquarters, Shinny, and Possum trails

        • Loop portion of High Shoals Loop Trail, including the waterfall viewing areas

        • Equestrian day-use parking area

        • No trail access for mountain biking or horseback riding

    Camping:

    Open

        • Tent/trailer/RV campground will reopen.

        • Five backpack campsites: Fox Trail, Jacob Branch, Little River, Murray Branch, and Sawtooth

    Closed

        • Equestrian campground, including horse barn

        • Shinny Creek and Upper Falls backpack campsites

    For additional information, please visit ncparks.gov/somo.

    About North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
    The Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 264,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Mar 27, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Department of Justice Releases Report on Officer-Involved Shooting of Anthony and Savannah Graziano

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), today released a report on Anthony and Savannah Graziano’s death from an officer-involved shooting in Hesperia, California, on September 27, 2022. The incident involved officers from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department (SBSD). The report is part of the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ’s findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case.  

    “This was a tragic situation with a tragic outcome that grieved the local community and California as a whole,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This report was quite difficult to publish, and I sincerely hope it provides the community with the answers they’ve been waiting for. The California Department of Justice aims to partner with law enforcement to build a just and equitable legal environment, ensuring that the rule of law is upheld, and justice is accessible to everyone.”

    On September 26, 2022, Mr. Graciano shot and killed his wife, Tracy Martinez, on a public street in Fontana, California as Ms. Martinez attempted to flee from Mr. Graziano’s white Nissan Frontier pickup truck. Their daughter, 15-year-old Savannah Graziano, was in the Nissan Frontier when her mother was shot. Mr. Graziano drove off with Savannah after Ms. Martinez’s shooting. An Amber Alert was issued for Savannah. On September 27, 2022, witnesses called 911 and reported seeing the Nissan Frontier and Savannah Graziano in San Bernardino County. The Nissan Frontier was then spotted by San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department deputies, and a 41-mile pursuit ensued on southbound Interstate 15. During the last 34 miles of the pursuit, as Mr. Graziano drove the vehicle, numerous rounds were fired at pursuing deputies from the rear and passenger-side windows of the Nissan Frontier. Mr. Graziano ultimately drove off the freeway. Shots continued to be fired from the Nissan Frontier as Mr. Graziano drove the wrong way up an on-ramp, attempted to drive up an embankment, and reversed onto the shoulder of the freeway. Twenty-one deputies returned fire. The Nissan came to a stop and Savannah Graziano got out of the front passenger door and crouched on the ground. She was wearing a tactical helmet and vest. She rose and as she ran towards one of the deputies, she was shot by other SBSD deputies. She later succumbed to her injuries. After the shooting stopped, Mr. Graziano was discovered deceased in the driver’s seat of the Nissan Frontier.

    Under AB 1506, which requires DOJ to investigate all incidents of officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state, DOJ conducted a thorough investigation into this incident and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the deputies involved acted without the intent to defend themselves and others from what each of them reasonably believed to be the imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the deputies. As such, no further action will be taken in this case. 

    As part of its investigation, DOJ has identified four policy recommendations related to this incident. The first recommendation is that SBSD give their deputies a refresher training on crossfire and field of fire to avoid and minimize risk to bystanders and deputies. The second recommendation is that SBSD provide refresher training on incident command and communications between ground units when using lethal force. SBSD immediately implemented the training, subsequent to this incident, to address recommendations one and two. 

    The third recommendation is that SBSD consider equipping and installing an in-car video system in its patrol units. At the time of this event, SBSD did not have dashboard mounted cameras in its patrol vehicles. The fourth recommendation is that SBSD should revise its policies regarding the use of body worn cameras. 

    A copy of the report can be found here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Gun Felon, Bond Jumper Headed to Federal Prison for 11 Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – United States District Judge Aileen M. Cannon has sentenced 29-year-old Joseph John Pyrzyk to 11 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and failing to report to federal authorities to serve his sentence on a prior felony gun charge.

    Pyrzyk pleaded guilty to the charges in this case on Nov. 21, 2024.

    The facts: In 2021, Pyrzyk was charged in the Southern District of Florida with one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon (the 2021-gun charge). See case no. 21-cr-80180. Pyrzyk was released on bond pending resolution of the case. Pyrzyk pled guilty to the 2021-gun charge and, on June 30, 2022, received a two-year federal prison sentence. Pyrzyk did not begin serving his sentence immediately. Instead, he remained free on bond, with the judge ordering Pyrzyk to surrender to federal authorities on August 29, 2022. Pyrzyk didn’t appear on that date, and the judge issued an arrest warrant.

    In January 2023, law enforcement officers located Pyrzyk at an address in West Palm Beach, Florida and moved in to arrest him pursuant to the warrant. As they cleared a vehicle in the driveway connected to Pyrzyk, an agent saw marijuana on the center console. The agent opened the door to get the marijuana and saw a pistol under the driver’s seat. Law enforcement sought and executed a search warrant for the vehicle. They found a Tan/Black Glock Model 17 9mm pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one in the chamber. Pyrzyk was arrested and later charged with jumping bond in the 2021-gun case. He was also charged for possessing the Glock and ammunition found in the car on the day of his arrest.

    Note: Pyrzyk has been in prison since his arrest, during which he completed his two-year sentence in the 2021-gun case. He now will serve the recently imposed 11-year sentence.          

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge John F. Dion Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), made the announcement.

    ATF West Palm Beach and U.S. Marshals West Palm Beach investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Sadlo prosecuted it.

    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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-80088.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement During Firearm Purchase

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that STACYANN M. HAYLETT, 32, of Manchester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, an ATF investigation identified Haylett as the straw purchaser of firearms on behalf of an individual who, as a felon, was prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.  In pleading guilty, Haylett specifically admitted that on May 15, 2021, she purchased a Glock Model 20, 10mm caliber pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Middletown.  During the purchase, Haylett completed and signed an ATF Form 4473 in which she falsely represented that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm and was not acquiring it for another person.  The investigation revealed that Haylett transferred the firearm to the prohibited individual.

    On October 10, 2023, law enforcement recovered the firearm from a fentanyl trafficker in New Haven.

    Haylett was arrested on July 15, 2024.

    Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for July 9, at which time Haylett faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Haylett is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.      

    This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Sean P. Mahard, and Trial Attorneys Jeremy Franker and Christopher Usher from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

    This prosecution is a part of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Hartford, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Despite renewed conflict in eastern DR Congo, protection for civilians is paramount: Keita

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Peace and Security

    As the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has intensified in recent months, the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, has been working to protect civilians – including in areas under the control of the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group in North Kivu province.

    That’s according to the head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, speaking exclusively to UN News ahead of briefing members of the UN Security Council in New York on Thursday.

    Mediation efforts

    The meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame last week in Qatar – where they called for a ceasefire – presents “a positive image” since the two men had not met physically for a very long time, she said.

    The head of MONUSCO added that the UN mission has invested in mediation efforts led by Angola, providing “physical knowledge of the terrain”, underscoring that it stands ready to support “the observation of a real ceasefire” in the east of the country.

    MONUSCO peacekeepers, who withdrew from South Kivu province in June 2024, are still deployed in North Kivu and Ituri.

    ‘Disengagement’ shelved

    Prior to the escalation of the conflict in January, MONUSCO and the Congolese Government were continuing discussions on a “gradual and responsible disengagement” from the UN peace mission and were expected to outline how this disengagement would be carried out in North Kivu and Ituri in the Security Council this week, based on lessons learned from the disengagement from South Kivu.

    But with the M23 offensive, “the urgency was to manage the crisis,” explained Ms. Keita, which has, in effect, shelved discussions on disengagement.

    “The Council will receive a letter from the Secretary-General who will admit that it has not been possible in the context of current developments to be able to go further in refining the disengagement methodology,” Ms. Keita told us.

    Protection of civilians on base

    The escalation of the conflict in eastern DRC has not prevented peacekeepers from continuing to fulfil their mandate to protect civilians, despite the difficult environment in areas under M23 control in North Kivu.

    Although its ability to conduct patrols is limited, MONUSCO welcomes thousands of people who have sought refuge in its bases, offering them physical protection.

    “There are three ways to protect civilians. There are political commitments, there is physical security – physical protection through physical presence – and then there are the conditions for people to feel good,” the UN envoy said.

    In its bases in Goma, MONUSCO offers protection to people who have come to take refuge there. “Are they soldiers or are they civilians? From the moment they are in our bases, they are all considered non-combatants because they are unarmed and therefore they are civilians,” she said.

    “Our role in protecting civilians is to respond to requests for individual protection. In the context of the areas under the control of the M23, we have a strong demand from individuals, groups, who want to come to our bases to be protected.”

    “At the moment, the protection of civilians is not about patrolling the environment, it is about being able to welcome those who are looking for refuge in MONUSCO bases,” she adds.

    Soundcloud

    Humanitarian aid: inventing other models

    Regarding the impact of the freeze on US funding for humanitarian aid in the DRC, the UN envoy believes that it may be time to invent other models of humanitarian response, suggesting priority should be given to NGOs and local associations.

    She recalled that 70 per cent of humanitarian aid funding in the DRC was dependent on funding through the now gutted United States overseas development agency, USAID.

    “Maybe it’s time to ask the question: how do we operate in an environment where resources are rather declining and maybe invent other models of humanitarian response?“

    “And in this context, I think that national non-governmental organizations, local associations, should be privileged because they, whatever the security situation, remain on the ground, continue to be able to have access to the populations.”

    The scourge of sexual violence

    Referring to the upsurge in conflict-related sexual violence, she deplores the fact that regular calls to combat this scourge ave not been heeded.

    “What should be done differently? In my opinion…it’s medium and long term. In the immediate future, it is to provide a holistic response to those who are the survivors of sexual violence, to provide both a response on a traumatic level, on a psychological level – medical care – but also legal support,” she said.

    She notes that the Congolese Government is inclined towards reparations, but she wonders if the response is quick enough for the victims and commensurate with “the magnitude of the violence.”

    Recruitment by armed groups

    Asked about the alarming reports of recruitment of children into the ranks of the M23, she deplored the fact that despite all the advocacy work, armed groups continue to recruit children to swell their ranks.

    “To try to change the situation”, it will be necessary to work with communities to raise awareness of this issue, she said, because these armed groups “come from communities, have families”.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Greensboro Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREENSBORO – A Greensboro, North Carolina man was sentenced yesterday in Winston-Salem to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).   

    MICHAELL HUMBERTO GUTIERREZ, age 31, was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment plus 5 years of supervised release by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, Senior United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison and supervision, GUTIERREZ was ordered to forfeit a Glock 9mm handgun, a Romarm Micro Draco 7.62x39mm handgun, a Romarm 5.45x39mm AK-style rifle, and a Hi-Point .380 handgun.

    According to court records, GUTIERREZ was a member of a California-based drug trafficking organization and distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in North Carolina. From December 2023 through February 2024, he and his co-defendant coordinated the shipment of large amounts of narcotics from California to Greensboro for GUTIERREZ to sell. Unbeknownst to GUTIERREZ, he was regularly communicating with an undercover agent about the sale of these drugs, as well as firearms. On January 24, 2024, GUTIERREZ was involved in a single-car accident after which law enforcement found a bag containing 980 grams of methamphetamine GUTIERREZ had hidden as he ran from the scene. On February 23, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on GUTIERREZ’s residence and found methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as a loaded assault-style pistol, a loaded semi-automatic handgun, and a loaded semi-automatic rifle, among other contraband.

    GUTIERREZ pleaded guilty on October 8, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B).

    “Fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to devastate communities in the Middle District of North Carolina,” said Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon. “We are dedicated to holding those responsible for distributing these drugs accountable in the court of law.”

    “This sentencing is another step forward in our ongoing mission to protect our communities from the devastating impact of drug trafficking,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, which oversees North and South Carolina. “By dismantling this criminal network and seizing dangerous drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, along with numerous firearms, HSI and its partners are making our neighborhoods safer and sending a clear message that these illegal activities will not be allowed to thrive.”

    The case was investigated by Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, Greensboro Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorney Laura Jeanne Dildine.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Turkey is an incredibly powerful broker in the current world crisis, and a masterful negotiator

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex

    A Turkish military ship in the Bosphorus. Atakan Divitlioglu/Shutterstock

    While Turkey’s government is struggling to deal with mass protests at home (after Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was imprisoned), in foreign affairs it is in an increasingly strong position as a key power broker in deals with Europe, the US and Russia. At the crossroads between Asia and Europe, Turkey is strategically important to just about everyone, and is emerging as a clever negotiator.

    Since the early 2000s, Turkey has relied on a foreign policy approach that emphasised cooperation instead of competition. Economic ties were a priority, which helped Turkey steadily improve its relationships with Russia, Iran and Syria.

    While remaining a part of Nato and a major trading partner with the European Union, Turkey views its ties with Russia, Ukraine, China and countries in the Middle East as equally important. Turkey has shown that it will work with whatever government benefits its interests, and has taken advantage of regional conflicts to be a convenient ally when needed.

    At the same time, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has no qualms about confronting both friends and rivals equally, giving it strategic flexibility.

    Rocky relationship with Russia

    Turkey is Russia’s second biggest trading partner. Ankara continues to rely on Russian gas and banking networks, doing over US$60 billion (£46.3 billion) in trade annually with Moscow. The Turkish relationship with Russia improved dramatically in 1995 when Russia stopped supporting the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) and Turkey stopped supporting Chechen rebels.

    Since then, Turkey has maintained a functional relationship with Russia, while never being pliant to Moscow.

    Turkey was critical of Russia setting up military bases in Syria, in Tartus and Khmeimim and as it controls the airspace in northern Syria it also has the ability to restrict Russian access. Ankara has also used its military presence in Idlib, in northern Syria, to check Russian influence in the past. Turkey’s drone offensive in Idlib in 2020 helped the Syrian opposition and pushed back Syrian government and Russian-backed activity in the north-west.

    The importance of the Black Sea

    The Black Sea is another area of competition where Turkey has emerged with the upper hand during the war in Ukraine. Russia aimed to exercise control over the Black Sea, even seizing several Ukrainian ports which affected global grain supply in 2022.

    But Turkey negotiated the release of millions of tonnes of grain and has ensured the safety of shipping routes through the Black Sea by enforcing the Montreux Convention. This 1936 agreement granted Turkish control over the shipping route between the Black Sea (through the Bosporus Strait, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles, through which hundreds of millions of tons tonnes of cargo pass each year) and the Mediterranean.

    Citing the agreement, Turkey also restricted Russian reinforcements into the Black Sea, which has restricted Russian naval power considerably.


    Shutterstock

    Though Turkey has not levied sanctions on Russia and has kept its revenue streams open, Turkey also does not accept the Russian annexation of Crimea. With more than 5 million Turks claiming to have Crimean Tatar roots, Crimea has both strategic and historical importance to Turkey.

    Yet, Turkey maintains communication with Moscow (and Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin are “dear friends”). Complicating this “friendship” is the fact that Turkey also supports Ukraine, supplying it with Bayraktar TB2 drones, heavy machine guns, laser-guided missiles, electronic warfare systems, armoured vehicles and protective gear.

    Ultimately, Turkey wants Ukraine to remain independent in order to check Russian naval power in the Black Sea. As such, Turkey is likely to work with Nato to ensure that Ukraine is not defeated.

    To that end, Turkey is willing to contribute peacekeepers to a post-ceasefire settlement, under the right conditions.

    Meanwhile, Turkey has used the Ukraine conflict to diversify its supply routes for energy (relying more on suppliers from the Caucasus region and central Asia), to reduce its dependence on Russia. Turkey is in a strong position, especially with the discovery of gas reserves in the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean. Ankara aims to become an energy hub facilitating the transit of gas from the Caucasus, central Asia and Russia to Europe through the Trans-Anatolian natural gas pipeline.

    Turkey and Syria

    Turkey’s relationship with its neighbour Syria has also been pragmatic and shrewd. Turkey was able to pursue rapprochement with Syria in 2005, when Bashar al-Assad became the first Syrian president to visit Turkey since Syria gained its independence in 1946.

    But while Erdoğan maintained a relationship (to prevent Syria from moving even closer to Iran), he ultimately chose to abandon this relationship when it no longer suited him. He hosted anti-Assad figures in Turkey from time to time, and created a safe zone on its border which housed displaced Syrians and armed fighters. He gave rebels the go-ahead to oust Assad in 2024.

    Just as the war in Syria provided Turkey with opportunities, so too has the conflict in Ukraine. Ankara has strengthened its bargaining position and pushed for greater diplomatic and economic concessions from western allies. Turkey is taking advantage of the US’s retreat from Nato to push for closer cooperation with Europe.

    Turkey also is taking advantage of Donald Trump’s more lenient policies towards Russia to improve its relationship with the US. This is primarily based on wanting to improve defence cooperation. During the cold war, Turkey relied on the US for arms, funding and equipment, but was not able to use these weapons without US authorisation.

    After 1989, Turkey carved out different markets for its weapons imports and faced US sanctions for buying S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia in 2020. Turkey would like to purchase F-35 supersonic fighter jets from the US, and is hoping that the US will move away from sanctioning third countries that have engaged with Russia.

    Whose critical ally?

    Turkey has made sure that it is not seen by the US as a junior partner in the Middle East region. For example, when Turkey launched operations in north-east Syria in 2019, where it repeatedly fired close to US forces, the US offered no military response.

    The US sees Turkey as a key ally in spite of some different strategic goals. In addition to its geopolitical importance, Turkey also hosts US and Nato military forces at several of its bases and US nuclear weapons (20 B61 nuclear bombs) at its Incirlik Air Force Base.

    Turkey now wants to expand its diplomatic and military footprint. As a member of the G20, with one of the 20 biggest economies in the world and the second largest and second most powerful military force in Nato after the US, it has a lot of power. And in geopolitical juggling, currently Turkey is in the luxurious position of everyone wanting Ankara to be on their side.

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

    – ref. Turkey is an incredibly powerful broker in the current world crisis, and a masterful negotiator – https://theconversation.com/turkey-is-an-incredibly-powerful-broker-in-the-current-world-crisis-and-a-masterful-negotiator-253084

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine on Trump Executive Order Attacking Collective Bargaining Rights for Federal Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued a statement in response to President Trump’s latest attack on the federal workforce – an executive order targeting collective bargaining rights:

    “This is just another attempt by President Trump to ‘traumatize’ and illegally fire federal workers. Collective bargaining makes the federal workforce stronger, and undermining these rights does nothing to improve our national security. In fact, this order will only make us less safe, as this executive order is only Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s latest gambit to make it easier to fire the people who ensure public safety, prepare for pandemics, respond to natural disasters, and much, much more. This political attack on our civil servants must not stand.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 23 Lubbock-Area Defendants Charged in Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking Cases

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Twenty-three alleged methamphetamine and fentanyl traffickers in Lubbock, Texas, have been federally charged with drug crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

    The defendants, charged in nine indictments, were apprehended on Wednesday, March 26th.  Initial appearances began today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch.

    This investigation began in March 2023.  Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 43 kilograms of methamphetamine, 285.4 grams of fentanyl (approx. 1,902 pills), 335.5 grams of cocaine, 2,296.7 grams of marijuana, and six firearms.  The 285.4 grams of seized fentanyl equals potentially 21,662 lethal doses of fentanyl.

    Those charged in the indictments include:

    •    Vida Tamor Overstreet, 49, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Patrick Wayne Frazier aka Pat Pat, 38, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Juantay Dewayne Frazier aka Broadway, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    David Wayne Frazier aka Dinky, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Santiago Daniel Baltazar aka Chago, 26, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl

    •    Walter Wood, 36, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl

    •    Santos Moncada aka Tos, 28, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Jessie Franco, 41, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Shondra Christine Walker, 40, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Orian Emanuel Garcia, 35, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Rudolfo Luna aka Roy Luna, 43, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Adam Lee Arredondo, 37, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Justin Lee Dominguez, 37, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Anthony James Lockett, 44, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, distribution of     methamphetamine

    •    Rita Adelita Castillo, 44, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Paul Wayne Frazier, 38, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Charles Andre Sykes, 41, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Heather Jane Whitehead, 40, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Henry Tienda, Jr., 35, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Gary Dewayne Bolton aka Bay Bay, 36, charged with distribution of fentanyl

    •    Arhmad Rashad Fountain aka Ra Ra, 47, charged with distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Rubith Diaz Rodriguez, age 24, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Tyler Kristian Piseno, 37, charged with distribution of fentanyl.

    “Cooperation of local, state and federal law enforcement led to success in disrupting a drug trafficking organization,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “These arrests will have a considerable impact on the distribution of methamphetamine in the greater-Lubbock area, and law enforcement will continue work together to ensure the safety and security of our communities.”

    “This operation sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the flow of illegal drugs into our neighborhoods,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA.  “By working together at every level of law enforcement, we are leveraging all available resources to destroy these criminal networks and commit to safeguard our communities from drug trafficking and violent crime.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    If convicted, some of the defendants face up to life in federal prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham praised the joint efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Office, the Caprock HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Anti-Gang Center, the Levelland Police Department, and the Hockley County Sheriff’s Office.  The cases are being prosecuted by the West Texas Branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

    This prosecution stems from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transitional criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.  

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Paid Service Opportunities for SUNY Students

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the opening of applications for the second annual Empire State Service Corps Program, encouraging State University of New York students to apply for one of 500 paid civic and service internships for this upcoming fall. The application opening signifies the second year of the program. During its first-ever application cycle, the program received more than 2,000 student applications for 500 paid positions across 45 SUNY campuses within weeks of opening.

    “The Empire State Service Corps is providing SUNY students with invaluable opportunities to serve their communities, gain hands-on experience, and build a foundation for future success,” Governor Hochul said. “By expanding civic engagement across New York, we are empowering the next generation of leaders to make a meaningful impact. I encourage all eligible students to apply and be part of this transformative program.”

    The Empire State Service Corps is one of Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State priorities to expand service opportunities for college students. Students participating in the program dedicate at least 300 hours to paid community service – and convene regularly to share and learn from each other’s experiences.

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “The Empire State Service Corps program has been a phenomenal tool to address the most pressing needs of New Yorkers across the state while providing students with paid internships to serve their communities. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, SUNY is thrilled to continue this program into its second year and support even more students as part of SUNY’s ambitious Service & Civics Agenda.”

    SUNY Buffalo Student Destiny Hopkinson said, “I went from knowing little about civic engagement to interviewing SUNY Chancellor John B. King about it. My experience with the Empire State Service Corps has been nothing short of amazing. I’ve built a strong support system, made great connections, gained hands-on experience in politics, traveled, and had the opportunity to showcase my University and Buffalo to new and improved civic engagement work.”

    Members of the first cohort of service members were celebrated earlier this month at the Empire State Service Corps Service & Civics Summit. The summit was attended by nearly 300 corps members, faculty, and staff from over 40 SUNY campuses. During the event, students engaged in hands-on service activities, cohort specific breakout sessions, including a fireside chat with SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., and fellowship time. Public leaders in attendance included Congressman John Mannion, New York State Senator Rachel May, New York State Senator Chris Ryan, and SUNY Board Trustee Giovanni “Gio” Harvey. Photos can be found here.

    The Empire State Service Corps provides paid civic and service internships in the following areas:

    • Civic Engagement/Civil Discourse: Students will serve either on or off campus with organizations such as local nonprofits related to civic engagement and civil discourse, including nonpartisan voter outreach, voter registration and engaging campus peers in voter activity
    • Early Childhood: Students will serve at a host site dedicated to early childhood education and/or development. (For example, daycare or head start centers)
    • FAFSA: Students will serve either in local communities (local high schools) or work on campus to support students with completing the FAFSA
    • Food Insecurity & SNAP Basic Needs: Students will serve on or off campus supporting students / individuals with SNAP outreach as well as basic needs support (could include shifts at campus food pantry) or with other food insecurity aligned work
    • K-12 Education: Students will partner with local school districts for tutoring sessions on a regular basis to support recovery from pandemic era learning loss
    • Peer Mental Health: Students will be trained to serve as a peer mental health educator typically at a campus/community wellness or counseling center. Students will support peers either on or off campus in supporting strong mental health practices and overall wellness initiatives
    • Student Success Coaching: Students will work with middle and high school students to combat common challenges like addressing chronic absenteeism and access to socio-emotional learning, mentoring, and mental health support.
    • Sustainability: Students will serve in campus roles or off-campus with local nonprofits / State agencies or other organizations focused on sustainability work (such as recycling campaigns, tree planting, pollinator gardens, sustainability outreach, building sustainable civic habits, etc.)
    • Veterans Affairs Outreach: Students will serve at host sites dedicated to supporting active military or veterans’ affairs for individuals, families, or affiliated groups.

    Governor Hochul and the state legislature committed $2.75 million to continue to fund the Empire State Service Corps in the FY25 Enacted Budget.

    SUNY students are encouraged to apply here between now before the April 18 priority deadline.

    Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman said, “The Empire State Service Corps provides SUNY students with meaningful opportunities to give back to their communities while gaining invaluable hands-on experience. Investing in civic engagement and service strengthens our future leaders and uplifts communities across New York State. I encourage all eligible students to apply and be part of this impactful initiative. Considering the benefits and the impact that it will make. Understanding that this will change people’s lives from all aspects. Most importantly, the people will be catered for. Creating atmospheres and opportunities that ensure success should be our focus!”

    About The State University of New York
    The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Multiagency investigation results in Cartel Del Noreste leader sentencing for murder-for-hire, kidnapping conspiracies

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LAREDO, Texas – A illegal Mexican alien who is a Cartel Del Noreste leader was sentenced March 26 by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. Noe Gonzalez-Martinez, also known as Tocayo, 41, will serve the rest of his life plus 60 months in federal prison for his role in multiple convictions related to a murder-for-hire scheme that brought three sicarios, or hitmen, across the U.S. border into Laredo. At the hearing, the court heard about his role as a leader/organizer and his conduct in the crimes as well as the substantial progress Gonzalez-Martinez made toward the completion of the offenses. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Laredo Police Department.

    “Drug trafficking and violence go hand-in-hand, and this is particularly true in the case of cartels, as this case shows,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei from the Southern District of Texas. “The Department of Justice is committed to preventing the cartels from ever gaining a foothold in America, and the vigorous prosecution of their leadership is a critical component of that. Through the conviction of Mr. Gonzalez-Martinez, the Southern District of Texas has dealt a major blow to the CDN cartel. This is, however, just the beginning. SDTX is pursuing every opportunity and every avenue to dismantle cartel operations on both sides of the border. Stay tuned.”

    “With drug trafficking comes violence that typically spills over from Mexico and into the United States, particularly the southwest border. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s tenacious agents did not only thwart the drug trafficking activities of this violent CDN but successfully managed to halt several murders, one of which would have been carried out by the drug trafficking organization’s trusted lead enforcer Noe Gonzalez-Martinez,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux. “This case is a testament that the DEA is definite in its fight against these foreign terrorist drug trafficking organizations who illegally crossed into the United States for the sole purpose of kidnapping and murdering an American Citizen. We will continue to bring to justice anyone thinking about ripping peace out of our American neighborhoods and communities.”

    “This brazen scheme planned out by CDN is a direct threat to the safety and stability of South Texas. The campaign of terror, drug-trafficking, and violence this man employed has no place on American soil. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in coordination with our federal partners, have prioritized Mexican cartels, like CDN, and will continue to aggressively combat their criminal acts until they are no more,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee.

    A federal jury deliberated for approximately one hour before convicting him Dec. 13, 2023, on all counts following a three-day trial. They found him guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, conspiracy to kidnap, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking-related crime and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

    During the trial, the jury heard evidence that between Sept. 7, 2021, and Sept. 13, 2021, Gonzalez-Martinez and several other CDN members traveled from Nuevo Laredo into Laredo. There, Gonzalez-Martinez solicited the help of other CDN affiliates to recruit, plan and coordinate the kidnapping and murder of an individual the cartel believed had stolen from them. Testimony also revealed the CDN’s operations and additional details of the murder-for-hire plot. The three sicarios were to kidnap the suspected drug thief and return him to Mexico for cartel members to make an example of him. If they were unable to do so, they were to kill him and return the stolen property to the cartel. The jury heard from law enforcement who were able to thwart the crime and take the hitmen into custody prior to carrying out the murder. Authorities apprehended Gonzalez-Martinez July 29, 2022, at the international port of entry in Laredo. At trial, Gonzalez-Martinez attempted to convince the jury someone else was responsible for arranging and overseeing the commission of the crime. The jury did not believe defense’s claims and found him guilty as charged.

    According to court documents, the investigation revealed Gonzalez-Martinez communicated via cellphone with co-conspirators to plan and coordinate the recovery of drugs and proceeds from the intended victim. In addition, Gonzalez-Martinez provided co-conspirators with an address where they could retrieve firearms to execute the murder. On Sept. 13, 2021, co-conspirators took possession of an automobile and firearms to carry out the murder. The firearms included a .45 caliber pistol, .357 magnum revolver, and two AR-15s.

    The three sicarios – Juan Antonio Martinez-Padilla, also known as Juan Antonio Martinez-Lopez and Otoniel Martinez-Padilla, 60, Gregorio Gonzalez-Barragan, 34, and Rodolfo Reyna-Zapata, 27, all from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, previously received sentences of 240, 352, and 352 months, respectively.

    Gonzalez-Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

    Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys’ Jose Angel Moreno and Steven Chamberlin from the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced To 20 Years For Illegally Possessing A Pistol And Ammunition Used In Two Murders

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

    Savannah, Georgia – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida and Acting United States Attorney Tara M. Lyons for the Southern District of Georgia announce that Chief U.S. District Judge R. Stan Baker has sentenced Victor McMillar (33, Savannah) to 20 years in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Judge Baker also recommended that McMillar serve his prison sentence at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility as far from Savannah as possible. A federal jury found McMillar guilty on October 24, 2024. 

    According to court documents and trial testimony, on November 3, 2018, McMillar fired eleven .40 caliber rounds from a Smith & Wesson pistol into the vehicle driven by a husband and wife down a residential street in Savannah. The couple was shot multiple times, and both were both transported to a hospital. The husband died from his gunshot wounds. His wife survived but suffered permanent injury. Two days later, McMillar shot and killed an acquaintance who had witnessed the first murder. This time McMillar used a Glock .40 caliber pistol and fired eleven times. The acquaintance was found dead in the street, struck by at least three bullets to his head. McMillar planted the Smith & Wesson pistol on the body of the second victim. DNA swabs taken from the Smith & Wesson pistol would later match to McMillar. 

    Following the murders, McMillar was arrested by the Savannah Police Department and later indicted for the murders. McMillar was acquitted in Chatham County Superior Court on October 17, 2023. Following the acquittal, McMillar was indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

    Prosecutors from the Middle District of Florida were assigned as Special Assistant United States Attorneys to prosecute McMillar. During preparation for trial, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discovered that McMillar had attempted to erase a cellphone left at the first murder scene. The ATF agents obtained a search warrant for McMillar’s iCloud account, which McMillar failed to delete. McMillar’s iCloud account had several pictures of firearms taken on October 22, 2018, including a photograph of a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, identical to the murder weapon. Additional cellphone forensic evidence placed McMillar at the scene of both murders.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Savannah Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lasry and Frank Talbot.

    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 USA: SPC Tornado Watch 66

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL6

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 66
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1225 PM CDT Fri Mar 28 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Western Louisiana
    Southeast and East Texas
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Friday afternoon and evening from 1225 PM until
    700 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible

    SUMMARY…Scattered thunderstorms will continue to intensify into
    the afternoon as a moist and destabilizing airmass becomes more
    favorable for supercell development with the stronger storms. A
    couple of tornadoes are possible with the stronger storms through
    the late afternoon and into the early evening before this activity
    diminishes.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 55 miles west northwest of Natchitoches
    LA to 10 miles east southeast of Port Arthur TX. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 450. Mean
    storm motion vector 19025.

    …Smith

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW6
    WW 66 TORNADO LA TX CW 281725Z – 290000Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    55WNW IER/NATCHITOCHES LA/ – 10ESE BPT/PORT ARTHUR TX/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /44S EIC – 42WSW LCH/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 19025.

    LAT…LON 32049294 29899286 29899487 32049499

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU6.

    Watch 66 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Low (10%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (10%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low ( 2 inches

    Low (

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: America’s clean air rules boost health and economy − charts show what EPA’s deregulation plans ignore

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Richard E. Peltier, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, UMass Amherst

    Regulations have cleaned up cars, power plants and factories, leaving cleaner air while economies have grown. Cavan Images/Josh Campbell via Getty Images

    The Trump administration is “reconsidering” more than 30 air pollution regulations, and it offered industries a brief window to apply for exemptions that would allow them to stop following many air quality regulations immediately if approved. All of the exemptions involve rules finalized in 2024 and include regulations for hazardous air pollutants that cause asthma, heart disease and cancer.

    The results – if regulations are ultimately rolled back and if those rollbacks and any exemptions stand up to court challenges – could impact air quality across the United States.

    “Reconsideration” is a term used to review or modify a government regulation. While Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin provided few details, the breadth of the regulations being reconsidered affects all Americans. They include rules that set limits for pollutants that can harm human health, such as ozone, particulate matter and volatile organic carbon.

    Zeldin wrote on March 12, 2025, that his deregulation moves would “roll back trillions in regulatory costs and hidden “taxes” on U.S. families.“

    What Zeldin didn’t say is that the economic and health benefits from decades of federal clean air regulations have far outweighed their costs. Some estimates suggest every $1 spent meeting clean air rules has returned $10 in health and economic benefits.

    How far America has come, because of regulations

    In the early 1970s, thick smog blanketed American cities and acid rain stripped forests bare from the Northeast to the Midwest.

    Air pollution wasn’t just a nuisance – it was a public health emergency. But in the decades since, the United States has engineered one of the most successful environmental turnarounds in history.

    Thanks to stronger air quality regulations, pollution levels have plummeted, preventing hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. And despite early predictions that these regulations would cripple the economy, the opposite has proven true: The U.S. economy more than doubled in size while pollution fell, showing that clean air and economic growth can – and do – go hand in hand.

    The numbers are eye-popping.

    An Environmental Protection Agency analysis of the first 20 years of the Clean Air Act, from 1970 to 1990, found the economic benefits of the regulations were about 42 times greater than the costs.

    The EPA later estimated that the cost of air quality regulations in the U.S. would be about US$65 billion in 2020, and the benefits, primarily in improved health and increased worker productivity, would be around $2 trillion. Other studies have found similar benefits.

    That’s a return of more than 30 to 1, making clean air one of the best investments the country has ever made.

    Science-based regulations even the playing field

    The turning point came with the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970, which put in place strict rules on pollutants from industry, vehicles and power plants.

    These rules targeted key culprits: lead, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter – substances that contribute to asthma, heart disease and premature deaths. An example was the removal of lead, which can harm the brain and other organs, from gasoline. That single change resulted in far lower levels of lead in people’s blood, including a 70% drop in U.S. children’s blood-lead levels.

    Air Quality regulations lowered the amount of lead being used in gasoline, which also resulted in rapidly declining lead concentrations in the average American between 1976-1980. This shows us how effective regulations can be at reducing public health risks to people.
    USEPA/Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office (1986)

    The results have been extraordinary. Since 1980, emissions of six major air pollutants have dropped by 78%, even as the U.S. economy has more than doubled in size. Cities that were once notorious for their thick, choking smog – such as Los Angeles, Houston and Pittsburgh – now see far cleaner air, while lakes and forests devastated by acid rain in the Northeast have rebounded.

    Comparison of growth areas and declining emissions, 1970-2023.
    EPA

    And most importantly, lives have been saved. The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to periodically estimate the costs and benefits of air quality regulations. In the most recent estimate, released in 2011, the EPA projected that air quality improvements would prevent over 230,000 premature deaths in 2020. That means fewer heart attacks, fewer emergency room visits for asthma, and more years of healthy life for millions of Americans.

    The economic payoff

    Critics of air quality regulations have long argued that the regulations are too expensive for businesses and consumers. But the data tells a very different story.

    EPA studies have confirmed that clean air regulations improve air quality over time. Other studies have shown that the health benefits greatly outweigh the costs. That pays off for the economy. Fewer illnesses mean lower health care costs, and healthier workers mean higher productivity and fewer missed workdays.

    The EPA estimated that for every $1 spent on meeting air quality regulations, the United States received $9 in benefits. A separate study by the non-partisan National Bureau of Economic Research in 2024 estimated that each $1 spent on air pollution regulation brought the U.S. economy at least $10 in benefits. And when considering the long-term impact on human health and climate stability, the return is even greater.

    Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles in 1984: Smog was a common problem in the 1970s and 1980s.
    Ian Dryden/Los Angeles Times/UCLA Archive/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

    The next chapter in clean air

    The air Americans breathe today is cleaner, much healthier and safer than it was just a few decades ago.

    Yet, despite this remarkable progress, air pollution remains a challenge in some parts of the country. Some urban neighborhoods remain stubbornly polluted because of vehicle emissions and industrial pollution. While urban pollution has declined, wildfire smoke has become a larger influence on poor air quality across the nation.

    That means the EPA still has work to do.

    If the agency works with environmental scientists, public health experts and industry, and fosters honest scientific consensus, it can continue to protect public health while supporting economic growth. At the same time, it can ensure that future generations enjoy the same clean air and prosperity that regulations have made possible.

    By instead considering retracting clean air rules, the EPA is calling into question the expertise of countless scientists who have provided their objective advice over decades to set standards designed to protect human lives. In many cases, industries won’t want to go back to past polluting ways, but lifting clean air rules means future investment might not be as protective. And it increases future regulatory uncertainty for industries.

    The past offers a clear lesson: Investing in clean air is not just good for public health – it’s good for the economy. With a track record of saving lives and delivering trillion-dollar benefits, air quality regulations remain one of the greatest policy success stories in American history.

    This article, originally published March 12, 2025, has been updated with the administration’s offer of exemptions for industries.

    Richard E. Peltier receives funding from the US Department of Agriculture and the Rio Grande International Science Center.

    – ref. America’s clean air rules boost health and economy − charts show what EPA’s deregulation plans ignore – https://theconversation.com/americas-clean-air-rules-boost-health-and-economy-charts-show-what-epas-deregulation-plans-ignore-251203

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps Issa, Hudson and Senator Risch Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Stop Improper State Taxes on Firearms

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50)

    WASHINGTON – This week, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Congressman Richard Hudson (NC), and Senator Jim Risch (ID), introduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act. This bill would prohibit states from implementing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition to fund gun control programs.

    “For too many years, extreme state policies — including from my home state — have targeted our fundamental Second Amendment rights and the American citizens who exercise them,” said Issa. “The latest attack is California’s imposition of a ‘sin tax’ on firearms and ammunition. This outrageous and unfair burden on law-abiding citizens is why Sen. Risch, Rep. Hudson, and I are working to stop this and other attempts to penalize our people and put the price of self-defense out of reach of any American.”

    “Far-left politicians will stop at nothing to undermine the Second Amendment,” said Hudson. “Their latest scheme is an unconstitutional tax that seeks to price you out of your right to keep and bear arms, and this legislation will put a stop to it.”

    “Blue states that implement an excessive excise tax to fund gun control initiatives are exploiting the Second Amendment,” said Risch. “The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states do not place a significant financial burden on law-abiding gun owners to advance their anti-Second Amendment agenda.”

    In 2024, California implemented a new 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition to discourage the purchase of firearms and fund gun control programs. Colorado is set to implement a 6.5% excise tax in April 2025. Maryland, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and New Mexico have proposed similar taxes. 

    Issa, Hudson and Risch are joined by Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA), U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in introducing the legislation.

    The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act has received support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and National Rifle Association (NRA).

    “There is a growing effort among states to levy excise taxes to discourage firearm ownership. California and Colorado have already implemented a gun tax to fund their gun control efforts and dismantle the Second Amendment,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. “Senator Risch’s bill would prevent these blatant and egregious attacks on the rights of Americans, and the National Rifle Association is proud to support this legislation.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rocky Mount Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years for Armed Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced today to 218 months in prison for robbing a Dollar General and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of multiple crimes of violence.  Kaleb Joseph Coppage, age 23, pled guilty to the charges on September 30, 2024.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, on November 30, 2023, Coppage entered the Dollar General at 2800 W. Raleigh Blvd. in Rocky Mount wearing a facemask.  He pointed an AR-style pistol at an employee and demanded money.  After stealing more than $2,800 from the store’s safe and cash registers, Coppage fled on foot.  

    On December 8, 2023, Coppage entered the Circle K at 5102 Dortches Blvd. in Rocky Mount, again wearing a facemask, and pointed an AR-style pistol at an employee and demanded cash.  The employee gave Coppage approximately $60 in a shopping bag which also contained a GPS tracker.  The Nash County Sheriff’s Office followed the coordinates on the tracker and located Coppage in a stolen car.  When they attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Coppage fled.  He led law enforcement on a chase that exceeded 120 mph in a 45-mph zone.  Coppage ultimately collided with another car and then fled the scene on foot.  Law enforcement found the AR-style pistol, which was stolen, in the car Coppage had been driving.  

    Upon further investigation, the sheriff’s office discovered that Coppage was on probation and monitored by an ankle bracelet. Through the ankle monitor, officers confirmed that Coppage was present at both the Dollar General and Circle K  at the times of these robberies.  Upon arrest, Coppage admitted to the robberies, and admitted that he stole the vehicle in which he fled from the Circle K.

    “Violently robbing our places of business terrorizes our communities and is a serious federal offense with significant consequences,” Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar stated today.  “Today’s sentence demonstrates that we will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to stamp out gun violence.  I commend the excellent work in this case by ATF, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rocky Mount Police Department.”

    “Our Office has strived to take every available action to combat violent repeat offenders from wreaking havoc in our communities. We have focused our attention on illegal guns, gangs, and drugs that have found their way into Nash County,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone.  “Our partnerships with our local agencies, the District Attorney’s Office, federal partners, North Carolina Probation and Parole, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, has greatly increased our ability to remove defendants, that engage in these types of crimes away from our citizens. Mr. Coppage not only robbed our local convenience stores, but he also used a firearm to terrorize the clerks and lead our deputies on a pursuit that placed everyone’s life in danger. I am thankful for the hard work, dedication, and professionalism that the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, North Carolina Probation and Parole, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office demonstrated in this case. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office will continue its relentless pursuit to stop violent crime and drug trafficking in our county.” 

    “A firearm in the hands of a prohibited individual is illegal and extremely dangerous,” said ATF’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Rogers.  “ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and apprehend those who try to undermine public safety and threaten our communities.”
    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rocky Mount Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Lori Warlick prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-84-BO-RJ.
     

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Perfect storm’ in South Sudan demands urgent action, says Guterres

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Peace and Security

    Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday of a rapidly deteriorating crisis in South Sudan, calling for urgent dialogue, the immediate release of detained officials and renewed commitment to the 2018 peace agreement. 

    “All the dark clouds of a perfect storm have descended upon the people of the world’s newest country – and one of the poorest,” Mr. Guterres told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.

    After finally gaining independence from neighbouring Sudan in July 2011, civil war broke out in South Sudan in December 2013 between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition forces led by his rival Riek Machar, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths.  

    In 2018, a peace agreement ended the fighting and established a unity government.

    However, the arrest of First Vice President and main opposition leader Mr. Machar on Wednesday – alongside mounting military clashes and reported attacks on civilian populations – signals a severe unravelling of the peace process and a direct threat to millions, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan explained on Thursday.

    Combined with growing regional spillover from the conflict in neighbouring Sudan, Mr. Guterres painted a dire picture of a country on the edge.  

    “Let’s not mince words,” he said. “What we are seeing is darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 civil wars, which killed 400,000 people.”

    Multiple crises at once

    South Sudan is now facing what the Secretary-General described as a security emergency, political upheaval, humanitarian catastrophe, displacement crisis, economic collapse and a severe funding shortfall – all at once.

    Half the population is severely food insecure, he warned, while three out of four people require humanitarian assistance.  

    Meanwhile, over one million people have fled across the border from Sudan since fighting broke out there last year between rival militaries – and cholera has been reported, compounding the crisis.

    “South Sudan may have fallen off the world’s radar,” Mr. Guterres said, “but we cannot let the situation fall over the abyss.”

    Call for de-escalation and support

    Mr. Guterres urged South Sudanese leaders to “put down the weapons” and “put all the people of South Sudan first.”  

    He called for the restoration of the Government of National Unity and the full implementation of the peace agreement, which remains the only legal path to free and fair elections in December 2026.

    He also appealed to the regional and international community to speak with one voice in support of peace. 

    “We fully support the initiative to deploy the [African Union] Panel of the Wise,” he said, adding that he had spoken with the Chairperson of the AU Commission earlier in the day.  

    The Secretary-General described his long-standing connection to the people of South Sudan, recalling his first mission as High Commissioner for Refugees and his time spent with returnees.  

    “They had such enormous hopes and aspirations. But unfortunately, not the leadership they deserve.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US’s new ‘America First’ intelligence approach downplays Russia and ignores climate change

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hastings Dunn, Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham

    The recently appointed US director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and other top intelligence officials appeared before the Senate intelligence committee to discuss the US intelligence services’ annual threat assessment (ATA).

    Most of the committee’s time and attention was focused on the revelation by the editor of the Atlantic magazine that he had been inadvertently added to an insecure chat group, in which top security officials discussed detailed plans for an attack on Yemen. Gabbard and her colleagues steadfastly refused to admit that this had been a security breach. It was an unhelpful distraction from the main event, a discussion of the latest ATA report.

    Produced annually, the ATA is a combined assessment by 18 US intelligence agencies, headed up by the Office for National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency, of the major threats to national security in America. The 2025 version is the first of Donald Trump’s second term and reflects Trumpism’s major shift from America’s previous security priorities in three ways.

    First, the assessment gave priority to what it identified as domestic security threats over those posed by foreign adversaries. Second, the report ignored climate change as a critical threat to US security. And third, there was an unprecedented softening of the language in relation to Russia.

    In her opening statement Gabbard identified “cartels, gangs and other transnational criminal organisations” as “what most immediately and directly threatens the United States and the wellbeing of the American people”.

    These threats are closer to home, but they hardly warrant their lead billing – particularly given the way that Trump himself has regularly invoked the threat of “world war three” ever since he started his campaign to return to the White House more than two years ago.

    But what they do indicate is an America increasingly focused on the narrow predilections of its president and his Maga supporters.

    An even more notable omission is the absence of any mention of climate change, either as an existential threat to human life as we know it or as a force multiplier to other threats such as migration, environmental disasters or famine.

    This led to a testy exchange between Gabbard and Senator Angus King, an independent senator from Maine. King asked the director of national intelligence: “Has global climate change been solved? Why is that not in this report? And who made the decision that it should not be in the report when it’s been in every one of the 11 prior reports?” Gabbard replied: “What I focused this annual threat assessment on … are the most extreme and critical direct threats to our national security.”

    This was an unconvincing response, given that the 2025 ATA specifically notes the security impact of melting sea ice in the Arctic. The report also notes increasing cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic and a growing Chinese footprint in the region.

    Russian threat relegated

    But the most notable difference in this year’s ATA concerns Russia. The Trump administration’s new approach to Moscow and the Russian leadership infuses the language and substance of this year’s intelligence report. The 2024 threat assessment led the section on Russia with the assertion that Moscow “seeks to project and defend its interests globally and to undermine the United States and the west”.

    In 2025, the headline finding about the threat from Russia is that the Kremlin’s objective is “to restore Russian strength and security in its near abroad against perceived US and western encroachment”. This, the report said, “has increased the risks of unintended escalation between Russia and Nato”.

    Gone are the references to Russia as “a resilient and capable adversary across a wide range of domains”. Instead, this year’s ATA downplays the actual threat that the Kremlin poses to America’s interests by describing Russia merely as an “enduring potential threat to US power, presence and global interests”.

    The 2025 report also assesses that Russia “has seized the upper hand in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is on a path to accrue greater leverage to press Kyiv and its western backers to negotiate an end to the war that grants Moscow concessions it seeks”. It doesn’t question why that might be the case or how it could be reversed.

    Moreover, it presents the Kremlin’s malign influence activities as aimed at countering threats. This affords them an unprecedented degree of legitimacy and implies that the west poses a threat to Russia. This, of course, has long been a favourite talking point of Vladimir Putin’s.

    Change of policy

    More than just a change in threat assessment, the 2025 ATA doubles down on a change in policy. The report takes as a given that “Russia retains momentum (in) a grinding war of attrition … (which) will lead to a gradual but steady erosion of Kyiv’s position on the battlefield, regardless of any US or allied attempts to impose new and greater costs on Moscow.”

    The inevitable conclusion is that the US should not pressure Russia to halt its illegal and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. Rather Washington’s approach to security should accommodate the Kremlin’s ever multiplying conditions for a ceasefire.

    The report’s language on China is less ambiguous. It describes Beijing as “the most comprehensive and robust military threat to US national security” and as likely to “continue to expand its coercive and subversive malign influence activities to weaken the United States internally and globally”.

    The report also notes that Beijing is critical to the alignment of all four major state actors that pose threats to the US: China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

    But China, and the other state adversaries, still take second place in America’s national security thinking to accommodate the administration’s inwardly focused “America First” mindset. This is not merely an indication of the isolationist tendencies in the foreign policy approach of Trumpism. It’s a deliberate abdication of US global leadership.

    Trump and his team may believe that this will make America more secure – and the 2025 threat assessment is framed in a way that justifies such an approach. But it fails to provide any credible evidence that it might succeed.

    David Hastings Dunn has previously received funding from the ESRC, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the Open Democracy Foundation and has previously been both a NATO and a Fulbright Fellow.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. US’s new ‘America First’ intelligence approach downplays Russia and ignores climate change – https://theconversation.com/uss-new-america-first-intelligence-approach-downplays-russia-and-ignores-climate-change-253154

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why we love the escapism of apocalyptic dramas

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Scott Jones, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Birmingham

    Disney’s streaming hit Paradise – a political thriller that sees the murder of a former president in a peaceful community – leans into dystopian themes around apocalypse survival and living in a sealed world. The drama joins an growing array of TV shows and films exploring similar ideas.

    In Apple TV’s compelling drama Silo, civilisation has resorted to living and working deep in an underground storage facility as a means to protect humanity from the wasteland above.

    Michelle and Barack Obama’s Netflix thriller Leave The World Behind depicts the US facing chaos and unrest as a cybersecurity attack takes down the country’s entire technological infrastructure, leading to catastrophic scenes of fallen cities on fire.

    Similar tropes appear in Zero Day, starring Rober De Niro as a former president tasked with finding out who is behind a cyber attack that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    And then there is The End, a climate-crisis musical starring Tilda Swinton that dips into the strange world of a wealthy family living deep underground in a luxurious bunker, decades after an environmental catastrophe has hit the earth.

    Dystopian dramas are clearly in vogue right now, but films and TV dramas have often reflected the fears and anxieties of their times. A Clockwork Orange (1971) portrayed the class conflict and wanton violence of the 1970s. TV series Threads (1984) tapped into fears of a nuclear attack. Ghost in the Shell (1995) focused on identity in an increasingly technology-obsessed world. And Children of Men (2006) centred on the bleak terror of a world without children.

    More recently, The Walking Dead (2010 onwards) focused on what it means to cling onto humanity in an unrelenting world, while Squid Game (2021-) is a dystopian reflection of capitalism exploring the circumstances that drive desperate people to participate in a deadly competition for money.

    My research explores cultural aspects of consumption and one of my research interests is forms of escapism, mainly provided by films, television and video games. A question that sometimes arises is whether we actually desire dystopia.

    Well, streaming giants might argue it’s good for business. Zero Day has remained in Netflix’s top-ten chart for the past month, Apple has renewed Silo for two more seasons, and Disney just ordered a second season of Paradise. The third and final season of Squid Game will air in June – previous seasons have broken Netflix records for downloads and views.

    This trend for dystopian movies and TV shows underscores the public appetite for this content, despite its alarmingly prescient feel and tone. Paradoxically, this seems to starkly contrast with the notion that people turn to video games, movies and boxset binges to escape the mundanity of everyday life and the wearisome realities that we must contend with.

    In my research with colleagues at Lancaster University, we explored these issues: when reality is disrupted in some unexpected way, our beliefs and assumptions about how we think the world should operate are challenged.

    Drawing on interviews, we explored participants’ experiences of bingeing TV shows against a backdrop of changing real-world events and the impact these changes had on their ability to suspend their disbelief. The people we spoke to turned to culture for a sense-making escape.

    Escapism here is less about feeling abandoned and more about a search for hope and rediscovering the coordinates for our existence. Dystopian narratives might provide some food for thought: how would we cope if the apocalyptic events portrayed on screen were to really occur?

    TV dramas like Zero Day and films like Leave the World Behind identify and zoom in on the terrors and anxieties of the present: AI and the “rise of the machine”, war and global instability, profound inequality, disinformation, online hostility and cyber threats. However, in doing so, these dramas can also exemplify what might be required to transform or alter a dystopian reality, meaning as viewers we engage in a form of “critical dystopia”.

    Our appetite for dystopian narratives could derive from the idea that we never imagine ourselves to be the subject of some major catastrophic event. In a discussion about dystopia, critical marketing academics Alan Bradshaw, James Fitchett and Joel Hietanen explored how we often equate dystopian events and imaginings as happening to others, not necessarily us.

    This is aided by the fact that we often occupy the role of a distant onlooker, not the perspective of someone living under the catastrophic events being portrayed.

    Bradshaw, Fitchett and Hietanen argue that much of our everyday existence consists of fairly mundane encounters and repetitive experiences. As an antidote to this safe ordinariness, we are drawn to extreme versions of life, and harbour repressed fantasies and desires of destruction and catastrophe. So we indulge in dystopian desires and impulses, albeit at a distance or vicariously through video games, movies, books and TV shows from the comfort of our sofas.

    Finally, some people seem to find a sense of enjoyment in imagining their own ruin – what is described as a “death drive”, that simultaneously contradicts yet co-exists with self-preservation instincts. Philosopher and cultural theorist Slavoj Žižek suggests that there are people who derive pleasure from dystopian narratives, fascinated at the prospect of their own annihilation.

    However, through optimistic endings, dystopian dramas imply that we may be able to intervene, prevent or even reverse the alarming consequences. We then indulge in fantasies of a new utopia in an attempt to return to our known reality, or receive a prophetic nudge in the direction of a more improved world to replace the dystopia.

    In this case, viewers of edge-of-your-seat dramas like Zero Day and Paradise search for hope and relief, and as detached observers fantasise about how catastrophe and self-annihilation can be paused or even better, averted.

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

    – ref. Why we love the escapism of apocalyptic dramas – https://theconversation.com/why-we-love-the-escapism-of-apocalyptic-dramas-253063

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Verulamium Park’s St Michael’s Street entrance reopened after new footpath installed

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    A temporary elevated footpath has been installed in a Verulamium Park flood plain to allow the reopening of its St Michael Street entrance.

    The entrance was closed last year after persistent flooding at Bell Meadow, which is beside the River Ver, damaged its tarmac path.

    An inspection found that parts had become slippery, eroded and a potential hazard to park users.

    St Albans City and District Council, which owns the park, was advised it had no option but to close off the meadow for health and safety reasons.

    Various plans to allow a reopening were considered with the task being complicated by the park’s status as a scheduled ancient monument due to its Roman past.

    Any digging or disturbance to the ground requires Historic England’s permission.

    A decision was taken to adopt a temporary solution and commission the building of a bespoke metal footpath.

    It has now been installed allowing for the reopening of the meadow and the St Michael’s Street entrance.

    The metal path is raised high enough to avoid being covered with flood water and straddles the frequently flooded sections of the tarmac path.

    It is suitable for wheelchair users or baby buggies and includes passing places to allow for them to move along in both directions. A wider structure would have been prohibitively costly and require permission for digging into protected ground.

    The metal path also has various safety features including rails on either side to guard against people accidentally stumbling off.

    A grant of £50,000 from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund financed the project.

    In the longer term, the Council will look to build a new footpath and boardwalk as part of a multi-million-pound project to improve the environment of the park around its two artificial lakes.

    Amanda Foley, the Council’s Chief Executive, said:

    I am delighted that the St Michael’s Street entrance has now been reopened and I know that many of our residents will be too.

    Regular park users understood that we had no option but to close off the meadow which has been repeatedly flooded for reasons outside of our control. I thank them for the patience they have shown while we looked at a solution.

    We were determined to find one despite the challenging  financial climate we are faced with and the park’s scheduled ancient monument status.

    It is likely the installed footpath will be there for a couple of years or so while we finalise and implement our plans to improve the area around the artificial lakes.

    We will keep our residents informed of our progress on this ambitious project which will be transformational for the park.

    Photo: the new footpath in Bell Meadow, Verulamium Park.

    Media Contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –