Watertown, NY – The U.S. Marshals Service arrested an alleged child rape suspect yesterday.
Jonathan Astacio, 31, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was wanted by the Muhlenberg Township Police Department for rape of a child.
Members of the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force – Syracuse Division and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Astacio at 519 Mundy Street, Watertown, New York.
“Mr. Astacio posed a danger to our community. We have captured him with the assistance of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. We wish to thank both the community and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in this case,” said David McNulty, the U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of New York.
The U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force – Syracuse Division includes Deputy U.S. Marshals, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Parole, New York State Police, Syracuse Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Auburn Police Department. The USMS Major Case Fugitive Program prioritizes the investigation and apprehension of high-profile offenders who are considered to be some of the country’s most dangerous fugitives. These offenders tend to be career criminals with histories of violence or whose instant offense(s) pose a significant threat to public safety.
Boston, MA – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Fugitive Task Force arrested 117 fugitives for charges including homicide, robbery, sex offenses, felonious assault, felonious narcotics, and firearms violations. In support of Operation Take Back America, the USMS worked in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners with its latest high-impact fugitive apprehension initiative.
The local operation dubbed, “Operation Spring Cleaning,” covered 45 operational days from March 31 to May 30, and targeted fugitives and violent offenders in 9 metropolitan areas in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Brockton, Holyoke, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester. During the operation, investigators also seized 9 firearms, 544 rounds of ammunition and 188 grams of narcotics. The 9 Metropolitan areas selected for the operation were high crime areas identified by the federal initiative Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) which was initially launched in 2001. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a comprehensive, collaborative, and data-driven initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at reducing violent crime, particularly gun violence, in American communities. PSN focuses on fostering partnerships between law enforcement, community organizations, and other stakeholders to develop and implement strategic solutions.
The operation also aimed to target individuals with ties to Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCO). One significant arrest was an MS-13 gang member who was wanted out of Worcester Superior Court for charges of murder and carrying a loaded firearm without a license. He had a criminal history to include assaults and carrying dangerous weapons and been wanted since June 2024. He was arrested on May 30, 2025 in Pawtucket, RI by USMS MA and RI Fugitive Task Forces, Worcester PD, Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS), and Pawtucket PD.
“The success of this operation is truly a testament to the dedication to duty and the commitment to teamwork exhibited by our local, state, and federal partners,” said acting U.S. Marshal Matt Lawlor. “The USMS is committed to reducing violence in our communities by apprehending and removing violent offenders that are negatively impacting our local communities across the Commonwealth,” he added.
The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. The Marshals have the broadest arrest authority among federal law enforcement agencies. The Marshals aid state and local agencies in locating and apprehending their most violent fugitives. Formed in 1999, the District of Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force is headquartered in Boston and coordinates federal, state, county, and local resources to develop collateral leads, gather intelligence, and track and apprehend targeted fugitives. Participants include the U.S. Marshals Service District of Massachusetts, Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police Department, Brockton Police Department, Cambridge Police Department, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Haverhill Police Department, Lowell Police Department, Middlesex Sheriff’s Department, New Bedford Police Department, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, Springfield Police Department, Worcester Police Department, West Springfield Police Department, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, Randolph Police Department, Quincy Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Phoenix Field Division, in conjunction with the Las Cruces Police Department, is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old.
At about 9 p.m. on June 2, the Las Cruces Police Department responded to a parking lot near the intersection of Solano Drive and Spruce Avenue on a report of a road rage shooting involving gunfire from one vehicle into another. Tragically, a 14-year-old boy who was seated in the rear passenger-side seat of the vehicle that was fired upon sustained gunshot wounds and died at the scene.
The suspect vehicle, described as a 2018-2022 white mid-size SUV, was driven by a male and fled the scene.
Anyone with information about this homicide should contact ATF at (888) ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477). Information can also be sent toATFTips@atf.govor through ATF’s website atwww.atf.gov/contact/atftips. Tips can be submitted anonymously using the Reportit® app, available from both Google Play and the Apple App store, or by visitingwww.reportit.com.
ATF is the lead federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction involving firearms and violent crimes. Our Investigative priorities focus on armed violent offenders and career criminals, narcotics traffickers, narco-terrorists, violent gangs, and domestic and international arms traffickers. ATF targets, investigates and recommends prosecution of these offenders to reduce the level of violent crime and to enhance public safety. More information about ATF and its programs is available atwww.atf.gov.
Defendant conspired to fraudulently apply for driver’s licenses for more than 1,000 individuals who resided in states that prohibited illegal aliens from obtaining licenses
BOSTON – A Waterbury, Conn. man pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025 to conspiring to obtain driver’s licenses for ineligible applicants, principally illegal aliens.
Cesar Agusto Martin Reis, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents, and one count of possession with intent to use or transfer unlawfully identification documents. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2025. In December 2024, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis was charged along with four co-conspirators.
From in or about November 2020 through in or about September 2024, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators fraudulently procured driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who resided in states that prohibited illegal aliens from obtaining driver’s licenses. Prior to July 2023, illegal aliens residing in Massachusetts were not permitted to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses. Beginning in 2019, illegal aliens residing in New York became eligible to obtain New York driver’s licenses. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators conspired to fraudulently obtain New York driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in New York, including Massachusetts residents, and after July 2023 to fraudulently obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in Massachusetts. In exchange for fraudulently obtaining the driver’s licenses, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators typically charged approximately $1,400 per customer.
In New York, before obtaining a driver’s license, applicants were required to pass a written permit test and complete driver’s education coursework from a New York driving school. Online permit test-takers were required by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) to take a picture of themselves with a web camera during the test. This was to ensure that the test-taker was indeed the applicant and that there was not a person sitting with and helping the applicant with the test.
To avoid the customers having to take the permit tests, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators obtained several pictures of the customers sitting down, making it look as if the customers were taking the tests. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to complete the permit tests for the customers online and, when prompted by the NY DMV to take pictures during the tests, and to upload the pictures that the customers previously provided – purporting to show that it was the customers who were taking the tests, not the defendants. The defendants also allegedly created fraudulent driver’s education certificates of completion, purportedly from New York driving schools, forged the signatures of driving school staff on the fake certificates and gave these documents to the customers to provide to the NY DMV.
The NY DMV also required that applicants appear at a NY DMV location and provide documents to prove their identity and residence in New York. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to meet Massachusetts-based customers at locations in Massachusetts – typically several customers at a time – and drive them to NY DMV branch locations. When they arrived at the NY DMV locations, the defendants allegedly gave the customers fraudulent documents falsely purporting to demonstrate that the customers resided in New York. The customers provided these fake records to the NY DMV staff, and the NY DMV relied on the misrepresentations to issue New York driving permits to the customers. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to arrange for the NY DMV to mail the permits to locations in New York that were controlled by the defendants and provided the permits to the customers in-person. Additionally, the defendants allegedly conspired to schedule road driving license tests for the customers with the NY DMV and, again, drive the customers to New York for them to take the road tests. If the customers passed the tests, the NY DMV sent the driver’s licenses to mailing addresses in New York that the defendants allegedly controlled, and the defendants then provided the licenses to the customers.
The defendants allegedly conspired to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for out-of-state residents, in generally the same manner as they allegedly obtained the New York licenses for Massachusetts residents. In Massachusetts, the defendants allegedly conspired to fraudulently obtain purported foreign passports to provide to the customers to use as proof of identity with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in support of customer driver’s license applications.
Collectively, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators fraudulently applied for licenses for more than 1,000 customers, obtained licenses for more than 600 of the customers, and collected at least hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The charge of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents carries up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000; and the charge of possession with intent to use or transfer unlawfully identification documents, carries up to 15 years in prison, supervised release of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Kelly Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the NY DMV Division of Field Investigation; the Boston, Danbury (Conn.) and Waterbury (Conn.) Police Departments; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut; and the New York State Inspector General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jackson, TN – Arrest warrants have been issued for Jose Inocencio Fraire Chavez, 39. The warrants are related to incidents which occurred in Obion County, Tennessee. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the issuance of the arrest warrants today.
Chavez has been charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm; willful failure to comply with removal procedures in violation of Title 8 U.S.C. § 1253(b); and flight to avoid prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement are working together in coordination with the Union City Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to safely locate Chavez and his child, who have not been seen in the Union City area since May 2, 2025.
“Since issuing a statewide Endangered Child Alert on May 5th, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has remained committed to working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to bring Tah Yah Yona Chavez home safely,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “At the heart of this investigation is an innocent child who deserves to be safely reunited with her family in West Tennessee. We are truly grateful for the invaluable teamwork of our law enforcement partners in these efforts.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebookor on Xat @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Two Community Safety Officers (CSOs), Keenan Gill from Flying Dust First Nation and Cathie Rosen from Prince Albert, were formally recognized last week at the 2025 Community Safety Officer Conference for their exceptional contributions and commitment to public safety, community engagement and collaborative partnerships.
“The CSO program was created to enhance local policing in municipalities and First Nations communities, and it is great to see these dedicated officers being recognized for the differences they are making in their communities,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod, K.C. said. “CSOs address bylaw infractions and less severe criminal offences, such as property damage, that if left unresolved, have a negative impact on their communities. We are proud to support programs that continue to build strong relationships between law enforcement and the people they serve.”
In summer 2024, CSO Gill received critical information from the Meadow Lake RCMP about an individual potentially posing a threat to attendees of the Flying Dust First Nation Pow Wow. CSO Gill was instrumental in identifying the individual, notified the RCMP and provided continuous updates while maintaining a visual on the suspect until the RCMP arrived. His efforts contributed to the RCMP’s apprehension of the individual without incident. CSO Gill played a vital role in preserving public safety through his collaborative approach, adherence to established protocol and procedures and professionalism during the incident.”
“Community Safety Officer Gill is a great partner and the CSO program an invaluable resource to the Meadow Lake Detachment,” Meadow Lake RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Carl Dinsdale said. “CSO Gill is known by the local community and our detachment as a positive contributor to many aspects of public safety and is dedicated to service. This incident is an example of how his local knowledge and relationships with the community only enhance our ability to effectively serve and keep Flying Dust First Nation safe.”
In spring 2025, CSO Rosen conducted a routine patrol of the Prince Albert downtown area when she observed three individuals that were familiar to her through years of compassionate community engagement in her role. Upon approaching, CSO Rosen identified one individual as unresponsive and quickly requested Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and police assistance. CSO Rosen remained on scene, providing important information to the police and EMS, which contributed to a prepared and coordinated response. CSO Rosen offered support to those involved and ensured a caring and professional resolution.
“The Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) recognizes the strength of the CSO program in the province of Saskatchewan,” PAPS Chief Patrick Nogier said. “Locally, our policing model depends on multiple levels of response and public engagement, which includes the successful integration of CSOs in our community. We have been fortunate to attract and retain exceptional individuals within our organization, as demonstrated by the recognition of CSO Rosen’s contributions in Prince Albert. CSO Rosen has clearly embraced the vision, mission, and values of our Service and exemplifies these principles in her daily work. As Chief, I could not be prouder.”
The Government of Saskatchewan continues to promote and support the CSO program, offering municipalities and First Nations communities the opportunity to enhance existing community safety services. The program is designed to supplement local police services with uniformed presence ready to address high priority, low risk of harm issues and provide police services more time to investigate serious and emergent crimes.
In 2025-26, the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are investing over $3 million in the First Nations CSO pilot project to enhance public safety in First Nations communities and ensure Saskatchewan is a safe place to live, work and raise a family.
If this all feels exceptional, it should. Governors typically activate their own state troops, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would do on June 11 ahead of expected immigration protests.
The last example of a president federalizing troops over the objection of a state government dates to Jim Crow segregation, a period marked by legal practices that routinely denied due process and citizenship rights to Black Americans in the South. In the 1960s, numerous Black freedom struggles took stands against this authoritarianism backed by militarized law enforcement.
As a scholar of U.S. history, I’ve just completed a book on Jim Crow policing and the ways Black Americans fought back against racist law and order. I think the militarization of policing in Los Angeles opens important questions about democracy and state violence.
Jim Crow dreams
During the Civil Rights Movement, the federal government activated National Guard troops over Southern state objections when those states would neither enforce court orders nor protect protesters.
In those cases, presidents protected people with the help of troops. In Trump’s case, he’s using troops to protect the government from protesters.
The Trump administration’s vision of law enforcement aims for the type of militarized authority that state governments institutionalized under Jim Crow policing. If your political enemy is perceived more like an enemy combatant, the rules of legal procedure, especially due process, might not apply. Policing becomes war.
Before troops enforced civil rights, Black Southerners saw the National Guard as an enemy rather than a friend.
In the words of Ida B. Wells-Barnett after a white riot against Black residents in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1917, “The police were either indifferent or encouraged the barbarities. … The major part of the National Guard was indifferent or inactive. No organized effort was made to protect the Negroes or disperse the murdering groups.”
Eisenhower sends in the troops
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education changed things. It overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision that legalized racial segregation and ruled that segregated public school education was unconstitutional. This significantly altered the federal government’s responsibility in the South’s legal system of white supremacy.
Seven of nine Black students walk onto the campus of Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., with a National Guard officer as an escort on Oct. 15, 1957. AP Photo/File
But state authorities had learned from the Little Rock experience. Southern governors in Alabama and Mississippi deployed the National Guard themselves. This time they intended to only minimally protect Freedom Riders to block federal law enforcement. In Mississippi, police arrested and prison guards tortured Freedom Riders in the state penitentiary. Mob violence killed no one.
James Meredith, center, is escorted by federal marshals as he appears for his first day of class at the previously all-white University of Mississippi on Oct. 1, 1962. AP Photo, File
The same was not true during the desegregation of public universities.
The occasion became a publicity stunt for Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace. He temporarily blocked the entrance to Foster Auditorium, intent on stopping the court-ordered registration of three Black students.
“I stand before you here today in place of thousands of other Alabamians whose presence would have confronted you,” Wallace said to federal authorities. A National Guard general said, “Sir, it is my sad duty to ask you to step aside under the orders of the President of the United States.”
A National Guard general informs Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace that the guard was under federal control, as the two meet at Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on June 11, 1963. AP Photo, File
Wallace also triggered the last federal use – until now – of the National Guard. Alabama’s Selma-to-Montgomery march began as a memorial to Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young Black civil rights activist who was killed by police on Feb. 26, 1965. The march became primarily a symbol for the year’s Voting Rights Act.
The history of the National Guard in the South is an important part of what’s unfolding in Los Angeles and across the nation.
For most of the National Guard’s history in the South, political leaders used domestic military power to preserve the interests of racial authoritarians, not racial egalitarians. Little Rock, Tuscaloosa, Selma: Those moments when troops protected racial justice protesters at home stand out as some of America’s most hopeful moments.
Recent statements by Trump administration officials help illustrate how it envisions using military power in domestic law enforcement. On June 8, 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to arrest rioters” – a request beyond the original order to protect ICE agents.
And on June 12, Noem said that “the military people that are working on this operation … are staying here to liberate the city from the socialist and burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country.”
But the calls to constrain ICE follow an American tradition of fighting authoritarianism.
Justin Randolph does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Civil Nuclear Constabulary welcomes new PSD team leaders
The Constabulary welcomes new leadership to its Professional Standards Department bringing, adding decades of experience to promote integrity and accountability
Superintendent Alastair Stenner (left) and Chief Inspector Aidan Donohoe (right).
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) welcomes new leadership to our Professional Standards Department (PSD) as two new officers join, bringing a wealth of experience.
Superintendent Alastair Stenner served for over 30 years with Gloucestershire Constabulary. During his career he has worked both in uniform and as a detective, on Counter Terrorism policing and most recently as the Head of Professional Standards, Vetting, Anti-Corruption and Public Feedback.
Reflecting on his approach to building standards, Alastair said: “How people treat one another is key to me. It is the foundation to how we build the right environment and culture. Alongside this, the organisation has to provide the right leadership and support so that all can flourish.
“I would like our PSD and Vetting work to be as open as possible, and I would ask that if anyone has any questions or needs any advice that they make contact with a member of the team.”
Chief Inspector Aidan Donohoe first served in the Royal Air Force before beginning his policing career at the City of London Police, then Thames Valley Police (TVP) where the majority of his 31-year career was spent.
He has served as an Authorised Firearms Officer, Operational Firearms Commander, and as an armed surveillance officer. Aidan joins us from his most recent role as Detective Chief Inspector, Head of Investigations for the force’s Professional Standards Department.
“My focus at TVP was always to try and support officers who had perhaps made genuine errors in judgement and who showed reflection and a willingness to change. I know the importance of professional development and I’m a strong advocate of giving opportunities to learn and improve.
“That said, for that minority who bring disgrace, at a time when trust is already low, I am committed to ensuring they have no place in policing.”
Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – Today, June 17, protests erupted in the central business districts of Nairobi and Mombasa, with hundreds of young people taking to the streets to demand justice for Albert Ojwang, the 31-year-old teacher and blogger who died in police custody.Security forces attempted to disperse the crowd by firing tear gas canisters, while gangs of plainclothes motorcyclists attacked the demonstrators.At the center of the protests is Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat. Albert Ojwang was arrested on June 6 at his home in Kakot, Homa Bay district, for posting a social media post allegedly defaming Lagat.He was transported over 350 kilometers to the central police station in Nairobi and charged with publishing false information under cybercrime laws. On June 8, Albert Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell during a routine medical examination. Initially, authorities ruled Ojwang’s death a suicide; then, in the face of protests from his family and civil society, President William Ruto himself admitted that the blogger’s death was the work of the police, thus denying previous statements (see Fides, 12/6/2025).So far, two police officers, Samson Talaam of the Central Police Station and James Mukhwana, have been arrested in connection with the teacher’s death, while the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) continue their investigations. In addition, a technician was arrested for allegedly tampering with the video surveillance system at the Central Police Station in Nairobi on the night of June 7-8, allowing officers to take Ojwang from his cell to Karura Forest, where he was tortured to death.Eliud Lagat himself has since resigned, but this has not calmed the spirits of the population, especially the youth, as Ojwang’s murder has reignited national outrage over police brutality and renewed calls for reforms in the security sector. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 17/6/2025)
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Colchester County District RCMPis investigating a fatal house fire that occurred in Alton.
On June 16, at approximately 6:30 a.m.,Colchester County District RCMP, fire services and EHS responded to a structure fire on Alton Rd. near the 4000 block. When RCMP officers arrived at the scene, the home was fully engulfed in flames.
Once the fire was extinguished, humanremains were located inside the home.
At this time, from the information and evidence gathered, the fire is not believed to be suspicious in nature.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being assisted by the Nova Scotia Fire Marshal’s Office and the Medical Examiner Service.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contactColchester County District RCMPat 902-896-5000. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip atwww.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Louisville, KY – A local man was sentenced on June 12, 2025, to 2 years and 7 months in federal prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and illegal possession of a machine gun.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Caleb Pace, 29, was sentenced to 2 years and 7 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a Glock, Model 17, 9-millimeter pistol; a Kel-Tec, Model P50, 5.7 x 28-millimeter pistol; a Glock Switch (machine gun conversion device); and ammunition.
On March 22, 2024, LMPD Detectives were conducting surveillance at 314 N 43rd Street. Pace was observed on a surveillance camera armed with firearms. Detectives conducted a vehicle stop, and a search of the vehicle produced three firearms including the firearms that Pace was observed possessing on the surveillance camera. Pace was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On December 17, 2010, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Pace was convicted of burglary in the second degree.
On February 10, 2015, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Pace was convicted of burglary in the third degree, complicity to wanton endangerment in the first degree (seven counts), complicity to criminal mischief in the first degree, and assault under extreme emotional disturbance.
“This is great work by ATF and LMPD to take another dangerous felon off the streets of Louisville. Equally important, a pistol capable of automatic fire was seized by law enforcement and will no longer be passed around among those wishing to do significant harm to others,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner.
“Machine gun conversion devices – commonly known as ‘Glock switches’- are illegal to possess under federal law. These devices enable a semi-automatic pistol to fire fully automatic, discharging approximately 30 rounds in just two seconds. Their possession presents a serious threat to public safety and to law enforcement officers. The ATF remains committed to working closely with the United States Attorney’s Office and our local partners to prioritize investigations and enforcement actions targeting individuals who possess or use these dangerous devices,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the Louisville Division.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts prosecuted the case.
This conviction is a 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).
This case is also a part of the Prohibited Firearm Possessor Initiative (PFP), a collaborative partnership between all levels of law enforcement and prosecutors to reduce violent crime and firearm offenses. On January 23, 2024, Louisville Metro initiated a gun crime reduction initiative focused on investigating and prosecuting illegal firearm possession. The PFP partners include the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
Jason Steinke, deputy director of the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Lab (RCFL) and detective for the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, describes how he was able to extract forensic information from a damaged mobile phone that helped corroborate information in a case.
More at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/rcfls-fight-violent-crime-and-protect-national-security-one-byte-at-a-time
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
Josh Clevenger, a Kansas City, Missouri Police Department detective, describes the process of extracting forensic data from devices at the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Lab (RCFL) in Kansas City.
More at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/rcfls-fight-violent-crime-and-protect-national-security-one-byte-at-a-time
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Detectives investigating a murder in Hackney are now able to name the victim, as their enquiries continue into the circumstances of her death.
Annabel Rook, aged 46, died early this morning, Tuesday, 17 June, having been found with stab wounds.
A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Officers are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Police were called at 04:57hrs to reports of a gas explosion with a person trapped inside an address in Dumont Road, Hackney.
Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Annabel sadly died at the scene.
Her family continue to be supported by specialist officers.
Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in the local area, said: “This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this very difficult time.
“Our officers arrested a man on suspicion of murder at the scene and will be conducting interviews as soon as possible, to establish the full circumstances that led to Annabel’s death. While enquiries continue, at this early stage we do believe this to be a domestic-related incident.
“We understand what happened will cause concern within the Hackney community and residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area, along with a crime scene, as we carry out the investigation. We are working closely alongside our partners at Hackney Council to help support those residents locally who have been impacted by this.”
The man arrested was taken to hospital with slash wounds where he currently remains. His condition is not life-changing or life-threatening.
Two children, aged nine and seven, were also been taken to hospital as a precaution but are not believed to have been inside the property at the time of the gas explosion.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD 926/17June or to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Northeast Traffic Services – Cape Breton (NETS) is investigating a fatal collision in Groves Point involving an impaired driver.
On June 14, at approximately 7 a.m., RCMP officers, Cape Breton Regional Police Service,fire services, and EHS, responded to a reportof a two-vehicle collision on Hwy. 105. Officerslearned that a sedan and a Harley Davidson motorcycle had collided. The sedan then fled the area.
The lone rider of the motorcycle, a 40-year-old man from Bras D’Or, suffered life-threatening injuries. He was transported by EHS to hospital where he was succumbed to his injuries the following day.
From the information gathered, officers located the sedan involved in the collision on Brady Dr., in Groves Point, and safely arrested the driver, a 42-year-old man from Sydney mines, who was exhibiting signs of impairment.
The 42-year-old man was transported to the North Sydney RCMP detachment where he provided breath samples that registered 90mg%. He was later released and will appear in Sydney Provincial Court at a later date.
An RCMP collision reconstructionist attended the scene and the investigation is ongoing.
Criminal charges are anticipated.
The highwaywas closed for several hours but has since reopened.
Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contactNortheast Traffic Services – Cape Bretonat 902-794-5800. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip atwww.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
Northeast Traffic Services – Cape Breton (NETS) is investigating a fatal collision in Groves Point involving an impaired driver.
On June 14, at approximately 7 a.m., RCMP officers, Cape Breton Regional Police Service,fire services, and EHS, responded to a reportof a two-vehicle collision on Hwy. 105. Officerslearned that a sedan and a Harley Davidson motorcycle had collided. The sedan then fled the area.
The lone rider of the motorcycle, a 40-year-old man from Bras D’Or, suffered life-threatening injuries. He was transported by EHS to hospital where he was succumbed to his injuries the following day.
From the information gathered, officers located the sedan involved in the collision on Brady Dr., in Groves Point, and safely arrested the driver, a 42-year-old man from Sydney mines, who was exhibiting signs of impairment.
The 42-year-old man was transported to the North Sydney RCMP detachment where he provided breath samples that registered 90mg%. He was later released and will appear in Sydney Provincial Court at a later date.
An RCMP collision reconstructionist attended the scene and the investigation is ongoing.
Criminal charges are anticipated.
The highwaywas closed for several hours but has since reopened.
Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contactNortheast Traffic Services – Cape Bretonat 902-794-5800. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip atwww.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
Detectives are appealing for information after a man was seriously injured after being repeatedly stabbed in east London.
Police were called at 21:48hrs on Wednesday, 7 May to reports of a stabbing in Park Grove, E15.
Officers arrived three minutes later and found a man nearby, aged in his 20s, suffering multiple stab injuries. He was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service with serious injuries. He remained in hospital for two weeks.
Detective Constable Richard Brunning, the investigating officer from the North East Basic Command Unit, said: “This is a complex and serious incident. We keep an open-mind for the motive, however it is believed that the victim and offenders were not known to each other.
“The violence which was displayed during this attack is shocking and we are doing everything we can to investigate what happened. We are looking to identify the suspects who are described as black, tall and slim.
“We are appealing to the public who may recall seeing this incident, or have any footage of the suspects or vehicle involved, which we believe to be a white BMW series X1.
“If you were in the Chadd Green estate at the time, witnessed the incident or have any information or footage please contact us without delay.”
Anyone with information can call police on 101 or message @MetCC on X quoting CAD 7760/07MAY.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
Detectives are appealing for information after a man was seriously injured after being repeatedly stabbed in east London.
Police were called at 21:48hrs on Wednesday, 7 May to reports of a stabbing in Park Grove, E15.
Officers arrived three minutes later and found a man nearby, aged in his 20s, suffering multiple stab injuries. He was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service with serious injuries. He remained in hospital for two weeks.
Detective Constable Richard Brunning, the investigating officer from the North East Basic Command Unit, said: “This is a complex and serious incident. We keep an open-mind for the motive, however it is believed that the victim and offenders were not known to each other.
“The violence which was displayed during this attack is shocking and we are doing everything we can to investigate what happened. We are looking to identify the suspects who are described as black, tall and slim.
“We are appealing to the public who may recall seeing this incident, or have any footage of the suspects or vehicle involved, which we believe to be a white BMW series X1.
“If you were in the Chadd Green estate at the time, witnessed the incident or have any information or footage please contact us without delay.”
Anyone with information can call police on 101 or message @MetCC on X quoting CAD 7760/07MAY.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
If this all feels exceptional, it should. Governors typically activate their own state troops, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would do on June 11 ahead of expected immigration protests.
The last example of a president federalizing troops over the objection of a state government dates to Jim Crow segregation, a period marked by legal practices that routinely denied due process and citizenship rights to Black Americans in the South. In the 1960s, numerous Black freedom struggles took stands against this authoritarianism backed by militarized law enforcement.
As a scholar of U.S. history, I’ve just completed a book on Jim Crow policing and the ways Black Americans fought back against racist law and order. I think the militarization of policing in Los Angeles opens important questions about democracy and state violence.
Jim Crow dreams
During the Civil Rights Movement, the federal government activated National Guard troops over Southern state objections when those states would neither enforce court orders nor protect protesters.
In those cases, presidents protected people with the help of troops. In Trump’s case, he’s using troops to protect the government from protesters.
The Trump administration’s vision of law enforcement aims for the type of militarized authority that state governments institutionalized under Jim Crow policing. If your political enemy is perceived more like an enemy combatant, the rules of legal procedure, especially due process, might not apply. Policing becomes war.
Before troops enforced civil rights, Black Southerners saw the National Guard as an enemy rather than a friend.
In the words of Ida B. Wells-Barnett after a white riot against Black residents in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1917, “The police were either indifferent or encouraged the barbarities. … The major part of the National Guard was indifferent or inactive. No organized effort was made to protect the Negroes or disperse the murdering groups.”
Eisenhower sends in the troops
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education changed things. It overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision that legalized racial segregation and ruled that segregated public school education was unconstitutional. This significantly altered the federal government’s responsibility in the South’s legal system of white supremacy.
Seven of nine Black students walk onto the campus of Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., with a National Guard officer as an escort on Oct. 15, 1957. AP Photo/File
But state authorities had learned from the Little Rock experience. Southern governors in Alabama and Mississippi deployed the National Guard themselves. This time they intended to only minimally protect Freedom Riders to block federal law enforcement. In Mississippi, police arrested and prison guards tortured Freedom Riders in the state penitentiary. Mob violence killed no one.
James Meredith, center, is escorted by federal marshals as he appears for his first day of class at the previously all-white University of Mississippi on Oct. 1, 1962. AP Photo, File
The same was not true during the desegregation of public universities.
The occasion became a publicity stunt for Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace. He temporarily blocked the entrance to Foster Auditorium, intent on stopping the court-ordered registration of three Black students.
“I stand before you here today in place of thousands of other Alabamians whose presence would have confronted you,” Wallace said to federal authorities. A National Guard general said, “Sir, it is my sad duty to ask you to step aside under the orders of the President of the United States.”
A National Guard general informs Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace that the guard was under federal control, as the two meet at Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on June 11, 1963. AP Photo, File
Wallace also triggered the last federal use – until now – of the National Guard. Alabama’s Selma-to-Montgomery march began as a memorial to Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young Black civil rights activist who was killed by police on Feb. 26, 1965. The march became primarily a symbol for the year’s Voting Rights Act.
The history of the National Guard in the South is an important part of what’s unfolding in Los Angeles and across the nation.
For most of the National Guard’s history in the South, political leaders used domestic military power to preserve the interests of racial authoritarians, not racial egalitarians. Little Rock, Tuscaloosa, Selma: Those moments when troops protected racial justice protesters at home stand out as some of America’s most hopeful moments.
Recent statements by Trump administration officials help illustrate how it envisions using military power in domestic law enforcement. On June 8, 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to arrest rioters” – a request beyond the original order to protect ICE agents.
And on June 12, Noem said that “the military people that are working on this operation … are staying here to liberate the city from the socialist and burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country.”
But the calls to constrain ICE follow an American tradition of fighting authoritarianism.
Justin Randolph does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is working with other law enforcement agencies to combat illicit fuel trade, which costs the fiscus approximately R3.6 billion per year.
In the past four months, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has carried out several interventions.
A joint intelligence team, comprising SARS and South African Police Service (SAPS) officials, has identified 23 targets across Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
In addition, 13 criminal cases were registered with SAPS, supported by SARS trade investigators, for customs and excise contraventions, and fraud.
“The intelligence-driven joint enforcement interventions included search-and-seizure operations targeting certain fuel storage facilities and depots, as well as random sampling of tanker transport to test the fuel viscosity and composition. In some cases, adulterated diesel – analysed in these investigations – had up to 68% paraffin content,” SARS said.
Over the past decade, countries along the Maputo Corridor (South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique) have become primary targets of the illicit fuel trade, which is driven by organised criminal networks that smuggle and illegally adulterate fuel.
SARS has established that some importers declare fuel amounting to 40 000 litres or less, whereas investigations reveal that up to 60 000 litres of fuel are actually imported.
“This is called under-declaration and documents are falsified to perpetuate this fraudulent activity. SARS has also detected a national trend, where many of the fuel-storage and distribution depots are involved in the adulteration of all fuel products, especially through illegal mixing of diesel with paraffin.
“Fuel adulteration costs the fiscus approximately R3.6 billion per year, according to statistics by the International Trade Administration Commission,” SARS said.
Faced with such carefully planned criminality, government agencies are working together more closely to detect, prevent and combat fuel adulteration, and enforce the Customs and Excise Act.
SARS noted that the illicit economy is a global phenomenon that threatens South Africa’s society, economy, and national security.
“Tax evasion, smuggling, illegal transactions, illicit manufacturing and fraud undermine the rule of law, erode public trust, distort markets, deprive governments of revenue, and enable corruption and organised crime.
“The pervasiveness of these illicit activities in our country demands that all enforcement agencies work jointly to curb their harmful practices. The illicit economy is complex and requires a whole-of-government response among public entities, the private sector, civil society, and international partners,” SARS said.
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter expressed his appreciation to the SARS and SAPS teams and other government departments for their untiring efforts to detect, combat and prevent the scourge of the illicit economy.
“The criminal syndicates engaged in these brazen acts have become emboldened to act callously, with no restraint, in pursuit of their rapacious and criminal gains.
“These syndicates can only underestimate our resolve to eradicate this criminality at their peril. These acts threaten the very foundation of our society. Our message is clear: we will spare no efforts to crush them,” the Commissioner said.
Kieswetter said State agencies will collaborate and work within the law to confront illicit trade.
The joint intelligence team also found the following:
953 515 litres of contaminated diesel fuel.
Six fuel depots that were in contravention of Sec. 37 of the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964, as amended.
Assets and contaminated fuel to the value of R367 274 330, leading to further investigation, and criminal and civil liabilities.
Two so-called fuel “washrooms”, one of which is a rare mobile “washroom” fitted on a transport truck, used to remove paraffin markers.
Twelve fuel transport trucks, which were identified after suspected false declaration on importation of an average of 15 000 litres of fuel per tanker. – SAnews.gov.za
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Charles M. Schmaltz, 28, of Pensacola, Florida, pled guilty in federal court for cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minor females. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Protecting children from online exploitation and abuse is of paramount importance, and my office will aggressively pursue, prosecute, and seek punishment to the fullest extent of the law for those who prey upon our most innocent, vulnerable populations. My message to offenders is clear: if you prey upon our children, you had better pray we don’t find you.”
Court documents reflect that Schmaltz communicated with multiple minor females between 2022 – 2024 by utilizing ten or more social media accounts to contact them. The minor females, and later their parents, repeatedly requested that Schmaltz cease communicating with them. Instead, Schmaltz sent sexually explicit content to the minor females, including extremely graphic communications about engaging in sexual acts with the minors and images of his own genitals. The minor females in this case ranged in age from 9 – 15 years old. Schmaltz was eventually caught through the work of a multi-agency investigation in North Florida and South Alabama, where some of the victims were located.
Schmaltz faces up to thirty years’ imprisonment, and lifetime supervision upon release.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office as well as Dothan Police Department in South Alabama. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
A 67-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape after members of public came forward following a media appeal.
The man is accused of an alleged attempted rape at a cinema in Finchley Road, NW3 on Wednesday, 11 June.
He was arrested in Primrose Hill at around 17:30hrs on Monday, 16 June and remains in police custody.
The victim-survivor continues to be supported by specialist officers.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley, leading the Met’s investigation, said: “Our thanks go to the public who worked quickly to share the appeal, leading to the arrest.
“I know this incident will have caused concern for the local community, so I’d like to reassure Londoners that this investigation is progressing at pace.
“Our commitment remains that women and girls in London should feel safe going about their daily lives. Local neighbourhood officers continue to patrol in the surrounding area, so if anyone has any concerns, please do talk to them as they are here to help.”
RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment is warning the public about a cryptocurrency investment scam reported in Eastern Passage.
On June 13, RCMP officers responded to a report of fraud. Investigators learned that a man was contacted through email and then via a social media app to invest in cryptocurrency. The victim was defrauded more than $150,000.
Cryptocurrency scams are becoming more common and often appear to be legitimate investment platforms. RCMP officers stress the importance of due diligence when considering investment opportunities.
Avoid becoming a victim:
Be cautious:Be wary of anyone offering high-reward, low-risk investment opportunities. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
Do your research:Take the time to investigate an investment opportunity. Anyone who trades or advises on securities in Nova Scotia must be registered with the Nova Scotia Securities Commission (NSSC). If someone isn’t registered with the NSSC or another Canadian securities regulator, it’s likely they’re a scammer.
Get advice:Remember that in Canada, cryptocurrencies are currently unregulated and aren’t covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corp. When in doubt, seek advice from a reputable financial institution.
If you or someone you know is a victim of investment fraud, report it to your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Against the backdrop of a deepening cost of living and environmental crisis and despite repeatedly committing to upholding economic and social justice for the most disadvantaged, over the past five years Tunisia’s authorities have targeted individuals from marginalized and impoverished communities for peacefully protesting or striking over socioeconomic and environmental issues, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
The report, ‘We were only asking for our rights and dignity’, highlights how Tunisia’s authorities have arrested, investigated or prosecuted people for peacefully protesting or striking over socioeconomic and environmental issues such as poor working conditions, pollution and access to water using vague charges of “obstruction.”
Between February 2020 and January 2025, the authorities have targeted at least 90 peaceful protesters, activists, trade unionists, and workers simply for exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, to form and join a union, and to organize and participate in strikes.
Instead of using vague ‘obstruction’ charges to stifle or punish expressions of peaceful dissent or dissatisfaction over basic rights related to environmental or labour-related concerns Tunisia’s authorities should be working to safeguard and uphold the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in line with their international human rights obligations.
Sara Hashash, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
“The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is fundamental to a thriving society and serves as a crucial means to strengthen human rights and protect workers’ rights,” said Sara Hashash, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
“This report highlights a worrying pattern of unjust criminalization of peaceful activism, usually at a local level where communities or workers have mobilized for their basic socioeconomic or environmental rights. It is another, less visible, manifestation of the repression of peaceful dissent within a broader crackdown on human rights and the rule of law in Tunisia and further threatens civic space in the country.
“Instead of using vague ‘obstruction’ charges to stifle or punish expressions of peaceful dissent or dissatisfaction over basic rights related to environmental or labour-related concerns Tunisia’s authorities should be working to safeguard and uphold the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in line with their international human rights obligations.”
Amnesty International has investigated nine cases as illustrative examples of a wider pattern of criminalization of peaceful assemblies using “obstruction” charges, cases which are likely to be under-reported due to their localization, the lack of access to human rights organization by affected communities and the fear of reprisals from authorities and employers.
The organization interviewed 26 people, eight of their lawyers and four family members to document these cases involving the investigation, arrest or prosecution of 90 people using “obstruction” charges. These vaguely formulated provisions do not meet the principle of legality and do not proscribe an internationally recognized criminal offence.
The legal proceedings were initiated in reprisal against peaceful assemblies or union activism, often affiliated with the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), and have sought to deter protesters and others from participating in future protests and strikes. Among those targeted, 16 were arrested and detained for periods ranging between three days and 20 months. Individuals targeted include residents and environmental rights activists who protested for their right to water and a healthy environment, and workers and unionists who organized protests and strikes over employment and working conditions.
As one striking female worker from a shoe factory in Kairouan stated: “It was the last straw, we decided to take action… We are not protected from chemicals we use in the factory… in the summer we have to work in very high temperatures; there is no water, no respect for our welfare… If you get sick you get a pay cut… You are dismissed if unable to work… There is always a lot of verbal abuse and insults.”
She described how they were summoned by police in November 2024 right before the constitutive meeting for a new union: “[They] wanted us to say that [we were] manipulated into doing something illegal, or that we had other suspicious motives, but there was no basis to it. We were only asking for our rights and our dignity.”
While most of the individuals concerned were convicted and sentenced to fines or suspended prison terms, or have not been detained pending trial, this pattern has a chilling effect on individuals considering voicing concerns over their social, economic, and environmental rights.
A local resident from the town of Bargou in the northern region of Siliana who participated in a protest about access to water in February 2023 stated: “It was barely a protest, we stood on the side of the road holding signs, there wasn’t any disruption. They [the police] summoned dozens of people for that’”
A local activist from the eastern region of Sfax, convicted for his involvement in an environmental protest movement in June 2023, told Amnesty International: “Everyone was taken to court. It was a way to silence us… to say close your mouth or you will go to prison”.
In February 2020, authorities summoned a group of women forestry maintenance workers in Sfax following a sit-in to protest their working conditions. Police asked them to sign statements in which they would commit not to protest again, infringing on their right to peaceful assembly.
Compounding this, in five of the cases documented, serious violations of the right to a fair trial and due process took place, including instances where defendants’ rights to information and adequate defense were denied.
In eight of the nine cases investigated, authorities used Article 136 of the Penal Code on “obstruction of work,” and in one case, they used Article 107 of the Penal Code on “obstruction of a public service.”
“Obstruction” charges have at times also been used as part of a set of charges brought against prominent political and civil society figures who expressed their opposition to President Kais Said, such as judge Anas Hmedi and opposition party leader Abir Moussi.
“The arbitrary application of these vaguely worded ‘obstruction’ legal provisions, coupled with fair trial violations, violates Tunisia’s international human rights obligations and sends a chilling message to anyone daring to speak out for their rights,” said Sara Hashash.
“Tunisia’s authorities must immediately quash convictions and drop charges in all cases relating t individuals’ participation in peaceful street protests and labour strikes. They must also repeal Articles 107 and 136 of the Penal Code or amend them in line with international human rights standards.”
The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Tunisia is a state party. Under international human rights law, states have an obligation to tolerate temporary obstruction caused by a peaceful assembly, such as disruption of road traffic, pedestrian movements, or economic activity. The mere obstruction of movement or traffic cannot be equated with violence.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Department of Health (DH) today (June 17) appealed to the public not to buy or use four types of topical products as they were found to contain undeclared controlled drug ingredients. These products include:
Product name
Part 1 poisons found
1. Zangyao xuanduwang
Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
2. King poison to itch Antibacterial cream
Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
3. HE SHENG MEI LANG DU WANG
Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
4. ZHONG HUA ZHEN JUN WANG Antibacterial cream
Clobetasol propionate and miconazole
Acting upon intelligence, the DH has collected samples of the above-mentioned products from a retail stall in Tuen Mun for analysis. Test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the above products contained undeclared controlled drug ingredients, which are Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138). These products are also suspected to be unregistered pharmaceutical products. The DH, in collaboration with the Police, took enforcement action at the premises today. During the operation, a 51-year-old woman was arrested for suspected illegal sale and possession of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products. The DH’s investigation is still ongoing.
Clobetasol propionate is a steroid substance for treating inflammation. Inappropriate application of steroids could cause skin problems and systemic side effects such as moon face, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, adrenal insufficiency and osteoporosis. Products containing clobetasol propionate are prescription medicines that should be used under a doctor’s directions and be supplied in the premises of an Authorized Seller of Poisons (i.e. a pharmacy) under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor’s prescription. Ketoconazole and miconazole are used for the treatment of fungal infections with side effects including local irritation and sensitivity reactions. Topical products containing ketoconazole and miconazole should be supplied in a pharmacy under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
According to the Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons is a criminal offence. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
The DH strongly urged members of the public not to buy or use products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of “HK-XXXXX”. The safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.
People who have purchased the products concerned should stop using them immediately and consult healthcare professionals if in doubt or if they feel unwell after use. They may submit the products to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1804-06, 18/F, Wing On Kowloon Centre, 345 Nathan Road, Kowloon, during office hours for disposal.
Detectives are appealing for information after a man was seriously injured after being repeatedly stabbed in east London.
Police were called at 21:48hrs on Wednesday, 7 May to reports of a stabbing in Park Grove, E15.
Officers arrived three minutes later and found a man nearby, aged in his 20s, suffering multiple stab injuries. He was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service with serious injuries. He remained in hospital for two weeks.
Detective Constable Richard Brunning, the investigating officer from the North East Basic Command Unit, said: “This is a complex and serious incident. We keep an open-mind for the motive, however it is believed that the victim and offenders were not known to each other.
“The violence which was displayed during this attack is shocking and we are doing everything we can to investigate what happened. We are looking to identify the suspects who are described as black, tall and slim.
“We are appealing to the public who may recall seeing this incident, or have any footage of the suspects or vehicle involved, which we believe to be a white BMW series X1.
“If you were in the Chadd Green estate at the time, witnessed the incident or have any information or footage please contact us without delay.”
Anyone with information can call police on 101 or message @MetCC on X quoting CAD 7760/07MAY.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
The Security Bureau today reminded the public to stay vigilant against suspicious calls purportedly made by Security Bureau staff, alleging that the citizen was suspected of breaking the law and required to visit the bureau office in person for verification.
The bureau solemnly clarified that this is untrue and condemned such deception tactics. The bureau has displayed an alert message on its official website to remind the public to stay vigilant against scams.
In addition to reminding people not to disclose their personal information to any suspicious or unidentified individuals, the bureau stressed that in case of doubt, they should call the Anti Scam Helpline 18222 for enquiries.
Those who have provided personal information to suspicious individuals or suspect they have been scammed should contact Police, the bureau added.
A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a woman at an address in Dumont Road, Hackney.
On Tuesday, 17 June at 04:57hrs officers were called to reports of a gas explosion with a person trapped inside an address.
Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade.
A woman aged 46 was found inside the property with stab wounds. Despite the efforts of paramedics, she was sadly declared dead at the scene.
A 44-year-old man was arrested at the address on suspicion of murder. He was taken to hospital with slash wounds where he currently remains. His condition is not life-changing or life-threatening.
Two children ages 9 and 7 have also been taken to hospital as a precaution but are not believed to have been inside the property at the time of the gas explosion.
Local road closures are in place while enquiries continue. There are also additional officers on patrol in the local area.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD 926/17June or to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, specifically within the JB Marks Local Municipality.
In the first case, the department was alerted by a private veterinarian, who visited a farm and noted suspicious signs.
A State veterinarian then collected samples, which were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) for testing.
Another incident of FMD was detected at an abattoir in Madibeng.
“The clinical signs of the affected animals were missed at ante-mortem inspection but were detected on the slaughter line during the meat inspection process.
“Tissue samples were sent to the laboratory, and the results came back confirming both SAT 2 and SAT 3 types of the virus.
“The unslaughtered animals were escorted back to the farm of origin, a feedlot in Ventersdorp, through a Red Cross permit,” the statement read.
The department has placed both farms associated with the outbreak under quarantine, which prohibits the movement of animals and animal products.
In addition, the department has identified all farms connected to the Gauteng outbreak and is conducting tests to determine whether any of them are positive for the infection.
“All such farms have also been put under precautionary quarantine until the test results are back.”
The department stated that any suspected case of FMD in susceptible animals must be reported to the local state veterinarian immediately.
FMD is a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals and can impact some other species as well.
The main clinical signs of the disease include fever, lameness, and the appearance of blisters and sores in the mouth, feet, and teats.
In recent months, outbreaks have occurred in five of the nine provinces in South Africa, with KwaZulu-Natal experiencing the most significant impact.
Early this month, Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, announced that the department has ordered 901 200 doses of vaccines at a value of over R70 million.
The national department said this means that over 900 000 animals will be vaccinated in all areas that the department has prioritised.
The department stated that Limpopo and Mpumalanga will also conduct their routine vaccinations, which are conducted three times a year, with some of the vaccines going to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Meanwhile, last week, Cabinet announced plans to establish a biosecurity council that will bring together the South African Police Service, veterinarians, scientists, the Border Management Authority (BMA) and captains of industry to better respond to future outbreaks and manage the related risks.
