NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

     

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

     

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: United States Attorneys General

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    [2] Id. § 4(b).

    [3] Id. § 2(b).

    [4] 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(1).

    [5] 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(3).

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

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

    [8] Id. § 4(b)(ii).

    [9] Id. § 3(a).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. McGorman prosecuted the case.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. McGorman prosecuted the case.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. McGorman prosecuted the case.

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresh action in London’s town centres to build on crime reductions achieved in capital

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    London’s town centres, high streets and communities will see an enhanced police and local authority presence this summer as part of partnership work to build on reductions in theft, burglary, robbery, ASB and retail crime achieved in the capital so far this year.

    The Met Police have identified the top 32 town centres and high street locations3 across London that have the biggest challenge with anti-social behaviour, theft and street crime and they will be the focus for enhanced partnership action with local authorities, businesses and communities to tackle crime.

    Every single borough will see increased police and partner activity in the hotspot areas including Stratford, Woolwich Town Centre, Finsbury Park, Croydon Town Centre, Shepherds Bush Green, Elephant and Castle, Seven Sisters and London’s West End.

    London is a global destination, particularly over the summer months with five million additional visitors expected over the peak tourism season and with school summer holidays beginning soon, our town centres will be very busy. At a time of high demand for policing, the Mayor of London, Met police, local authorities and partners are strengthening their joint work to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour impacting our town centres and high streets.

    The top twenty town centre and high streets being focused on by police, MOPAC, local authorities and community partners as part of Safer Summer Streets make up only a small percentage of London overall, but account for almost 10 per of knife crime, 24 per cent of theft person offences and 6 per cent of all ASB calls.*

    There will be increased police patrols, intelligence-led plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas, and officers will relentlessly target wanted and prolific offenders who commit multiple offences, particularly shoplifting and ASB, seeking long sentences and Criminal Behaviour Orders.

    These summer plans are based on strong partnership working, with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), the Met, local authorities, businesses, community organisations sharing information using a new approach so issues can be identified and acted upon quickly. Local solutions will include the designing out of offences through local authority powers related to licensing, parking, waste management and trading standards.

    Thanks to the hard work of the police, London’s Violence Reduction Unit, Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), local authorities and partners, the first six weeks of this financial year have seen promising reductions in a number of crime types compared to the same period last year.

    • Knife crime – down by 18.1 per cent
    • Residential burglary – down by 17.7 per cent
    • Theft from the person – down by 15.6 per cent
    • Personal robbery – down by 12.8 per cent.
    • Shoplifting – the Met have solved 163 per cent more cases this year than in the same period as last year.

    These reductions are in addition to the latest Office for National Statistics Crime stats which show that overall, the violent crime with injury rate is lower in London than in the rest of England and Wales1. Gun crime with lethal barrel discharges, knife crime with injury for those aged under 25 and homicides in the capital have all fallen since 2016.2

    Through more precise targeting of the most dangerous offenders and greater focus on the issues that matter most to Londoners, the Met are arresting more than 1,000 more criminals each month.

    Whilst there have been significant reductions in some crime types since the start of the financial year and since 2016, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure everyone in the capital is safe and feels safe.

    The intensified action to tackle anti-social behaviour and theft is part of ongoing work by the Met and Mayor of London to boost local neighbourhood teams and put high visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime and rebuild community confidence. It is backed with record funding from City Hall which has helped to London’s Safer Neighbourhood teams. Over the last two years the Met has put an additional 500 Met officers and staff ranging from Superintendent to PCSOs into neighbourhood teams and continue to increase officers in these teams, working closer than ever with communities to understand and deal with local priorities.

    It also forms part of the Home Office’s national Safer Streets Summer Initiative running from 30 June until the end of September 2025, which will see officers in London focusing on reducing town centre criminality including shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour.

    On Wednesday morning, London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz will join Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes, Enfield Council Leader Cllr Elgin Erbil and neighbourhood officers in Enfield to see the ‘Safer Streets Summer’ in action.

    Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: “The safety of our town centres is more than just policing – it’s about building stronger, more connected communities where everyone feels secure.

    “That’s why I was really pleased to meet with local partners and community groups today – along with the police – to strengthen our collaborative work to tackle shoplifting, theft and anti-social behaviour in all its forms.

    “We have seen this in action today in Enfield, with officers speaking with local people and business owners addressing their concerns. Across our city there will be partnership led operations to tackle shoplifting and clear, visible neighbourhood officers out on patrol, keeping our communities safe and working to build safer town centres and a safer London for everyone.”

    Deputy Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, Matt Jukes, said: “Our intelligence and data-led approach to tackle the crimes that matter most to Londoners – such as shoplifting, robbery and anti-social behaviour – is already working.

    “We’re arresting 1,000 more criminals each month, neighbourhood crime is down 19 per cent and we’ve solved 163 per cent more shoplifting cases this year.

    “In 32 of the hardest hit areas, we’re working with the community, councils, businesses and partners, to focus our resources and bear down on prolific offenders and gangs who blight too many neighbourhoods across the capital.”

    Cllr Ergin Erbil, Leader of Enfield Council, said: “Creating a safer Enfield is our priority. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their neighbourhood and community, and here in Enfield we’re proud to be working closely with the Met Police, the Mayor of London and our partners to make that a reality. Safer Streets Summer is a powerful example of what can be achieved when we come together to cut crime and antisocial behaviour.

    “Alongside improved policing, Enfield Council is spending time and money towards making our streets safer for those who live and work in Enfield. For example, our dedicated summer parks patrols, launched last month, are helping to stop and prevent antisocial behaviour by providing a visible presence and reassurance. Police officers and our council teams are patrolling our parks and town centres side by side.

    “Likewise, our partnership with local policing teams and other partners in Upper Edmonton and Edmonton Green has meant we are tackling serious organised crime and the causes of crime through three steps called Clear Hold Build. Our residents on the most affected estates are telling us they feel safer and better protected. Consequently, they are working with us to combat crime and improve our neighbourhoods.

    “We’re committed to building safer, stronger town centres where residents, businesses and visitors can feel safer and can thrive.”

    Hannah Wadey, CEO, Safer Business Network said: “Businesses across London have a crucial role to play in keeping our public spaces safe, and Safer Streets Summer is a great example of what we can achieve when we all work together. From preventing crime and anti-social behaviour to creating welcoming environments, this work is vital for our communities and businesses are proud to play their part. When people feel safe, our town centres thrive.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Assume You Are Compromised: Navy Announces Winners of Cyber Challenge to Seek New Ways of Operating

    Source: United States Navy

    NIWC Pacific announced the winners of a prize challenge on July 2 following a competition of the Cyber Resilient Systems Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (held in mid-June on the South Carolina campus of NIWC Pacific’s sister command — NIWC Atlantic.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: U.S. Navy Week Sets Sail for Milwaukee July 14-20, 2025

    Source: United States Navy

    The U.S. Navy is bringing Navy Week back to Milwaukee from July 14-20, 2025. As part of a nationwide outreach effort, Milwaukee Navy Week will connect Sailors with the community through a variety of performances, educational events, and service projects. The week will conclude with performances by the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, during the Milwaukee Air and Water Show, July 19-20.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Historic First – U.S. Nuclear-Powered Submarine Conducts Port Visit in Iceland

    Source: United States Navy

    GRUNDARTANGI, Iceland  – The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750) conducted a port visit in Iceland, marking the first time a nuclear-powered submarine pulls into port on Iceland’s shores, July 9, 2025.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Hope Rowe jailed for murdering woman at child’s birthday party

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A woman has been jailed for murdering a woman at a child’s birthday party following a Metropolitan Police investigation.

    Hope Rowe, 33 (30.12.1991), of Piazza Walk, Aldgate, attacked Charlotte Lawlor, 31, with a knife at a property in Stepney Green on Sunday, 15 September, 2024. The stabbing was witnessed by some of Ms Lawlor’s family, children and guests at the party.

    On Thursday, 9 July, 2025, a judge at Inner London Crown Court jailed Rowe for life, with a minimum term of 23 years. This follows her conviction at the same court on Friday, 13 June.

    Rowe’s partner was also jailed for perverting the course of justice.

    Witness testimony and phone evidence – including an incriminating voicemail – were used by Met Police investigators to bring the defendant to justice. She was convicted in the absence of a murder weapon.

    Detective Sergeant Dean Musgrove, from the Met Police’s Specialist Crime North unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Ms Lawlor, many of whom personally witnessed the murder. We hope that this sentence gives them some closure.

    “Rowe and her partner behaved despicably. This sentence shows that killers will be pursued even in cases where they attempt to mislead investigators.”

    At the same hearing, Leigh Holder, 38 (15.11.1986), of Piazza Walk, Aldgate, was jailed for 16 months for perverting the course of justice. He encouraged Rowe not to surrender to the police, and helped her dispose of the murder weapon.

    Just after 01:00hrs on Sunday, 15 September, Met officers attended a property in Duckett Street, Stepney Green, following reports of a serious assault. Charlotte Lawlor – who had been attending a birthday party at the property the previous evening – had been stabbed, and was being assisted by friends and family.

    After administering first aid, police were joined by a London Ambulance Service crew, but, despite the efforts of paramedics, Ms Lawlor was pronounced dead within an hour.

    Having spoken to witnesses at the property, officers established that Ms Lawlor had been stabbed by Hope Rowe following an argument at the party, who then drove away from the scene with her partner, Leigh Holder.

    Around 02:10hrs, Holder’s vehicle was stopped by armed police in Tower Hamlets. He told them that Rowe had jumped out of the vehicle shortly after leaving the crime scene, and claimed he had no knowledge of her location. Holder was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

    At 07:00hrs, Rowe attended Bethnal Green Police Station, where she was arrested on suspicion of murder. At interview, she provided no comment – and she later claimed in court that her actions were due to a momentary loss of control.

    Rowe’s phone was seized and analysed by forensic experts. A voicemail – accidentally left by Holder on Rowe’s phone while he was sitting next to her and driving away from the scene – was recovered. In the recorded conversation, Rowe told Holder that it was “good” she had killed Ms Lawlor, while Holder instructed his partner to dispose of the knife and to avoid the police.

    In addition to witness evidence from those present at the scene of the murder, the voicemail proved vital in implicating both Rowe and Holder in their crimes.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Call for Papers: International Conference on Topical Issues in Nuclear Installation Safety

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    TIC2026 will bring together nuclear safety regulators, plant designers and operators, technical support organizations, and other stakeholders from various countries, along with international organizations. The goal is to build on insights on key topics related to nuclear installation design safety, safety assessment, siting, construction, operation and regulation for both operating and new nuclear installations.

    “The conference will provide a comprehensive forum for nuclear safety stakeholders from various generations of nuclear projects, and a wide range of nuclear safety fields, to address different issues in nuclear installation safety, making it an inclusive event,” said Ana Gomez, Head of the IAEA Safety Assessment Section.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Sends Administrative Subpoenas to Harvard University

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    After many previous requests to hand over relevant information concerning foreign students, DHS will now send subpoenas forcing Harvard to comply

    WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would send administrative subpoenas to Harvard University regarding its Student Visitor and Exchange Program.

    This comes after the university repeatedly refused past non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its Student Visitor and Exchange Program certification.

    “We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus. If Harvard won’t defend the interests of its students, then we will.” Given the allegations of disciplinary disparity involving nonimmigrant students, the documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demand that Harvard turn over relevant records, communications, and other documents relevant to the enforcement of immigration laws since January 1, 2020.

    On April 16, 2025, Secretary Noem demanded Harvard provide information about the criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus. Secretary Noem warned refusal to comply with this lawful order would result in SEVP termination. On May 22, she ordered DHS to terminate the Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.

    As Secretary Noem explained in a recent op-ed at the Washington Post, Harvard was given multiple chances to submit the requested information voluntarily and on its own timeline. Because of the university’s repeated refusals, these subpoenas are the only option left for the Department.

    Other universities and academic institutions that are asked to submit similar information should take note of Harvard’s actions, and the repercussions, when considering whether or not to comply with similar requests.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Kingpin Statute and Money Laundering in Connection with Arizona-Based Transnational Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: US FBI

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A Mexican national illegally residing in Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty in federal court on July 7, 2025, to charges of violating the federal “Kingpin” statute for operating a continuing criminal enterprise as well as money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Marcos Monarrez-Mendoza, 55, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Monarrez-Mendoza was among 35 individuals charged through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine (read the Second Superseding Indictment news release here).

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, at various times from September 2022 to November 2022, Monarrez-Mendoza—a co-leader, along with his son Marcos Monarrez Jr., of the Phoenix-based Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization—was intercepted over a federal wiretap obtaining hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, millions of fentanyl pills, and kilograms of cocaine from a Mexican national drug supplier. Monarrez-Mendoza provided the drugs to a network of subordinate drug distributors who redistributed them throughout the country, including into western Pennsylvania. Additionally, Monarrez-Mendoza provided over $100,000 in proceeds from the drug sales to couriers who smuggled the money into Mexico to promote the drug trafficking operation.

    Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2025. The law provides for a sentence of not less than 20 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Tonya S. Goodman are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Monarrez-Mendoza.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, 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). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational 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.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: McKeesport Felon Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

    Source: US FBI

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 37 months of imprisonment on his conviction of illegally possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Richard L. Edwards Jr., 49.

    According to information presented to the Court, Edwards was serving probation following a 2023 conviction for which he was sentenced to five years of county probation and 18 months of electronic home monitoring. While on approved grocery windows on both May 25, 2024, and June 1, 2024, Edwards stopped with his wife at a local firearms store, where his wife purchased a firearm on each occasion. In light of the two unauthorized stops, Westmoreland County Adult Probation conducted a search of Edwards’ residence on August 9, 2024, where they located multiple firearms and ammunition in Edwards’ bedroom and requested the assistance of the McKeesport Police Department. In total, law enforcement seized four firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, and numerous rounds of ammunition from Edwards’ bedroom. Edwards is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition based upon his prior convictions for robbery and simple assault—both of which involved his use and threatened use of a firearm.

    Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Westmoreland County Adult Probation, the McKeesport Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Edwards.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fatal fire in Lewisham

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Met Officers are supporting the London Fire Brigade in an investigation following the death of a boy in a fire in Lewisham.

    Police were called to Lewisham Road, SE13 at 23:54hrs on Tuesday, 8 July following a report of a fire in a flat.

    Officers attended with the London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service.

    Sadly, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, a 12-year-old boy died at the scene. His family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

    A woman, aged 54, was taken to hospital by paramedics. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.

    Detective Chief Inspector Danian Reid, from the Met’s local investigations team in south east London, said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone involved.

    “We continue to work alongside investigators from the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire.

    “We understand the impact this will have on the community and there will be local neighbourhood officers, and other emergency services, in the area as enquiries continue.”

    The cause of the fire is being investigated by the London Fire Brigade but is not believed to be suspicious at this stage.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Chinese State-Sponsored Hacker Arrested on U.S. Warrant

    Source: US FBI

    China’s Ministry of State Security allegedly directed theft of COVID-19 research and confidential information regarding American policy makers

    HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Chinese national has been taken into custody for his alleged involvement in U.S. computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including the reckless and indiscriminate HAFNIUM campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide.

    Authorities took People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Xu Zewei (徐泽伟) into custody in Milan, Italy, as he departed a plane from China at the request of the United States.

    Xu is charged along with PRC national Zhang Yu (张宇), 44, in a now unsealed nine-count indictment returned in November 2023. They were both involved in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021 at the direction of officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB), according to the indictment.  

    The charges allege MSS and SSSB are PRC intelligence services responsible for PRC’s domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence and aspects of the PRC’s political and domestic security. When conducting the computer intrusions, Xu worked for Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd., one of many “enabling” companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government, according to the charges. 

    “The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” said Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”

    “This arrest underscores the United States’ patient and tireless commitment to pursuing hackers who seek to steal information belonging to U.S. companies and universities,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. “The Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for threatening our cybersecurity and harming our people and institutions.”

    “While the world was reeling from a virus that originated in China, the Chinese government plotted to steal U.S. research critical to vaccine development,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “Xu Zewei, an alleged hacker acting on behalf of China’s primary spy agency, targeted COVID-19 data using sophisticated cyber techniques and tradecraft. His landmark arrest by FBI Houston agents in Italy proves that we will scour the ends of the Earth to hold criminal foreign adversaries accountable.”

    According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators hacked and otherwise targeted U.S. based universities and leading immunologists and virologists conducting ground-breaking research into COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and testing. The charges allege Xu and others reported their activities to officers in the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities. For example, on or about Feb. 19, 2020, Xu allegedly provided an SSSB officer with confirmation that he had compromised the network of a research university located in SDTX. On or about Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the research university, according to the allegations. Xu later allegedly confirmed for the SSSB officer he acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes.

    Beginning in late 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators exploited certain vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely used Microsoft product for sending, receiving and storing email messages, according to the charges. Their exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server was allegedly at the forefront of a massive campaign targeting thousands of computers worldwide and known publicly as “HAFNIUM.”

    In March 2021, Microsoft publicly disclosed the intrusion campaign by state-sponsored hackers operating out of China. In July 2021, the United States and foreign partners attributed the HAFNIUM campaign to the PRC’s MSS, which they and private sector cybersecurity leaders condemned as “indiscriminate,” “reckless,” “irresponsible” and “destabilizing.”

    The charges allege victims of Xu’s exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server were a university located in SDTX and a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C. After exploiting computers running Microsoft Exchange Server, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly installed web shells on them to enable their remote administration. According to the indictment, these web shells were specific to HAFNIUM actors at the time. As with the earlier COVID-19 research intrusions, Xu and Zhang allegedly worked together on the HAFNIUM intrusions under the supervision and direction of SSSB officers. For example, on or about Jan. 30, 2021, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the university’s network, according to the charges, and on or about Feb. 28, 2021, updated an SSSB officer on his successful intrusions. This SSSB officer then directed Xu to obtain a list of other, successful intrusions from a second SSSB officer, according to the allegations. The charges allege unauthorized access to the law firm’s network allowed Xu and his co-conspirators to steal information from mailboxes and search them for information regarding specific U.S. policy makers and government agencies. Their search terms allegedly included “Chinese sources,” “MSS” and “HongKong.”

    The announcement of charges against Xu is the latest describing the PRC’s use of an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China to hack and steal information in a manner that obscured the PRC government’s involvement.  Operating from their safe haven and motivated by profit, this network of private companies and contractors in China allegedly cast a wide net to identify vulnerable computers, exploit those computers, and then identify information that it could sell directly or indirectly to the PRC government. This largely indiscriminate approach can result in more victims in the United States and elsewhere, more systems worldwide left vulnerable to future exploitation by third parties, and more stolen information, often of no interest to the PRC government and, therefore, sold to other third-parties.

    In April 2021, the Justice Department announced a court-authorized operation to remediate hundreds of computers in the United States left vulnerable by HAFNIUM actors.

    Xu is charged with two counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to do which all carry possible prison terms of up to 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also includes conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud and to committing identity theft as well as two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers. If convicted on any of those charges, he could receive up to five years, while intentional damage to a protected computer carries a maximum 10-year-possible sentence on either of two counts as charged. For the aggravated identity theft, he could receive another two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. All convictions would also have the potential of up to $250,000 as a possible fine.

    Zhang remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

    The FBI’s Houston Field Office is conducting the investigation.   

    SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and John Marck and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Committee on Reserves Summer Plenary Meeting

    Source: NATO

    From 24 to 26 June, the NATO Committee on Reserves (NCR) convened its Summer Plenary Meeting in Kirkenes, Norway, at the invitation of the Norwegian military authorities.

    Highlights included a detailed presentation on Norway’s model for border protection, which features close cooperation between national entities such as the Border Commissioner, the Police, and the Armed Forces. Participants also visited the Parsvik Border Station, where they observed highly skilled and motivated young soldiers guarding the Norwegian-Russian border.

    One of the NCR’s key objectives is the sharing of best practices. Norway, Finland and Sweden presented their national approaches to Total Defence. They outlined how they involve the whole of society in conscription, mobilization, recruitment, education and training, with a strong focus on integrating Reserves into regular Armed Forces structures.

    The meeting also provided a timely opportunity to explore the growing strategic importance of NATO’s Nordic Region and the High North. Delegates left Kirkenes with valuable insights and practical knowledge to help further develop national Reserve capabilities. The Committee will reconvene for its Winter Plenary Meeting in Norfolk, USA, from 26 to 29 January 2026.

    The NCR serves as the Military Committee’s standing advisory body on Reserve matters. It is composed of national representatives along with liaison officers from the International Military Staff (IMS), Allied Command Operations (ACO), and Allied Command Transformation (ACT).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Committee on Reserves Summer Plenary Meeting

    Source: NATO

    From 24 to 26 June, the NATO Committee on Reserves (NCR) convened its Summer Plenary Meeting in Kirkenes, Norway, at the invitation of the Norwegian military authorities.

    Highlights included a detailed presentation on Norway’s model for border protection, which features close cooperation between national entities such as the Border Commissioner, the Police, and the Armed Forces. Participants also visited the Parsvik Border Station, where they observed highly skilled and motivated young soldiers guarding the Norwegian-Russian border.

    One of the NCR’s key objectives is the sharing of best practices. Norway, Finland and Sweden presented their national approaches to Total Defence. They outlined how they involve the whole of society in conscription, mobilization, recruitment, education and training, with a strong focus on integrating Reserves into regular Armed Forces structures.

    The meeting also provided a timely opportunity to explore the growing strategic importance of NATO’s Nordic Region and the High North. Delegates left Kirkenes with valuable insights and practical knowledge to help further develop national Reserve capabilities. The Committee will reconvene for its Winter Plenary Meeting in Norfolk, USA, from 26 to 29 January 2026.

    The NCR serves as the Military Committee’s standing advisory body on Reserve matters. It is composed of national representatives along with liaison officers from the International Military Staff (IMS), Allied Command Operations (ACO), and Allied Command Transformation (ACT).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S., Thailand Navies reunite to commence CARAT Thailand 2025

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    Sattahip, Thailand (July 7, 2025): The U.S. Navy (USN), Royal Thai Navy (RTN), and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) began the 31st exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2025 with an opening ceremony in Sattahip, Thailand, July 7, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S., Thailand Navies reunite to commence CARAT Thailand 2025

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    Sattahip, Thailand (July 7, 2025): The U.S. Navy (USN), Royal Thai Navy (RTN), and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) began the 31st exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2025 with an opening ceremony in Sattahip, Thailand, July 7, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS George Washington Departs Manila, Continues Indo-Pacific Patrol

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MANILA, Philippines – Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), the flagship of the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GWA CSG), with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 embarked, departed Manila, Philippines, following a scheduled port visit, July 7, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –