NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Castle Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking

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

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

    Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Dontae Blackshear, 26, also ordering Blackshear to serve six years of supervised release following his prison term. Blackshear previously pleaded guilty in this case to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine between May 2021 and October 2022.

    According to information presented to the Court, Blackshear was responsible for trafficking 20 grams of fentanyl and 100 grams of cocaine in 2022. He was on state parole at that time following a 2021 heroin trafficking conviction and prison sentence. The 2021 conviction was preceded by several convictions in separate state prosecutions since 2016, including for assault, two violent burglaries, fleeing/eluding, and conspiracy to commit theft.

    Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

    United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Blackshear.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ERO Boston arrests fugitive wanted for money laundering crimes in Colombia

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WORCESTER, Mass. — Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended a Colombian fugitive wanted for money laundering crimes in her native country. Officers with ERO Boston arrested the 38-year-old Colombian fugitive Oct. 17 in Worcester.

    “This Colombian fugitive attempted to flee the law in her native country by seeking refuge in our Massachusetts neighborhoods,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Now she will be forced to face the justice she sought to subvert. ERO Boston will not allow our New England communities to become safe havens for the world’s criminal elements. We will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders.”

    The Colombian national lawfully entered the United States in January 2015. However, she violated the terms of her lawful admission.

    Colombian authorities issued an arrest warrant for the Colombian national Nov. 3, 2023, for the crime of money laundering.

    Upon learning the Colombian fugitive might be residing in Massachusetts, officers with ERO Boston arrested her Oct. 17 in Worcester and served her with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge. The Colombian fugitive remains in ERO custody.

    ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

    As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yorkton — Yorkton RCMP investigating telephone threat to high school

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Around noon today, a threat directed towards Yorkton Regional High School was received via phone to the Yorkton Detachment.

    Yorkton RCMP immediately responded to the high school and are currently investigating the threat. At this time, the threat is not believed to be credible. There will continue to be an increased police presence at the school and continued investigation will take place.

    Yorkton Regional High School has been notified by and is engaged with the Yorkton RCMP.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues File Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Court to Affirm that Federal Law Requires Hospitals to Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care Including Abortion Care, Preempts Idaho’s Draconian Abortion Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    October 23, 2024

    Lawmakers: “In this case, respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives.”

    Washington D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is among the co-leaders of an amicus brief from 259 Members of Congress submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, two consolidated cases concerning the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act under consideration by the en banc Ninth Circuit. 

    This federal law known as EMTALA requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide necessary “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies, which can include abortion care.

    After the Dobbs decision in 2022, a draconian anti-abortion law in Idaho went into effect that makes it a felony for a doctor to terminate a pregnancy unless it is “necessary” to prevent the patient’s death. The United States sued the State of Idaho, arguing that the state’s law is preempted by EMTALA in those circumstances in which abortion may not be necessary to prevent imminent death, but still constitutes the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition. The district court agreed and held that in those limited, but critically important situations, EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion as an emergency medical treatment. Idaho Republicans appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court, which lifted the injunction and took the case in January—in March, 258 Members filed an amicus brief, asking the Supreme Court to affirm the district court decision. In June, the Supreme Court dismissed the case but without a ruling on the merits, sending the case back to the Ninth Circuit Court and reinstating the district court’s injunction.

    In their brief in support of the Justice Department, the lawmakers ask the Ninth Circuit to uphold the district court’s ruling. They argue that the congressional intent, text, and history of EMTALA make clear that covered hospitals must provide abortion care when it is the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition, and that EMTALA preempts Idaho’s abortion ban in emergency situations that present a serious threat to a patient’s health. 

    “[T]he 99th Congress passed EMTALA to ensure that every person who visits a Medicare-funded hospital with an ‘emergency medical condition’ is offered stabilizing treatment,” the Members wrote in their amicus brief. “Congress chose broad language for that mandate, requiring hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide ‘such treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical condition.’… That text—untouched by Congress for the past three decades—makes clear that in situations in which a doctor determines that abortion constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a pregnant patient, federal law requires the hospital to offer it. Yet Idaho has made providing that care a felony, in direct contravention of EMTALA’s mandate.”

    Importantly, the Senate and House members note that in this case, “respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives. If this Court allows Idaho’s near-total abortion ban to supersede federal law, pregnant patients in Idaho will continue to be denied appropriate medical treatment, placing them at heightened risk for medical complications and severe adverse health outcomes… And health care providers, unwilling to let Idaho’s law override their medical judgment regarding their patients’ best interests, will continue their exile from Idaho, creating maternity-care ‘deserts’ all over the state.” The lawmakers point to numerous reports of OB/GYNs leaving Idaho en masse since the state’s abortion ban went into effect—Idaho has since lost 55 percent of its maternal-fetal medicine specialists and three rural hospitals have shut down maternity services altogether.

    “These are not hypothetical scenarios. Because Idaho’s abortion ban contains no clear exceptions for the “emergency medical conditions” covered by EMTALA, it forces physicians to wait until their patients are on the verge of death before providing abortion care. The result in other states with similar laws has been ‘significant maternal morbidity,’” wrote the lawmakers, pointing to harrowing reports of pregnant women with severe health complications being denied necessary abortion care, including an Idaho woman who was flown to Utah for an abortion while hemorrhaging, leaking amniotic fluid, and terrified that she would not survive to care for her two other children. “Federal law does not allow Idaho to endanger the lives of its residents in this way.”

    In their brief, the lawmakers also clarify that the references to “unborn child” in EMTALA were intended to expand hospitals’ obligations with respect to providing stabilizing treatment—not contract them or take away the obligation to provide abortion care in certain circumstances.

    “In sum, EMTALA plainly requires hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide abortion care when, in a doctor’s medical judgment, it constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a patient’s ‘emergency medical condition.’”

    The lawmakers conclude by asking the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision that EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion care when it is necessary as emergency medical treatment.

    In the Senate, the amicus brief was led by Wyden with U.S Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). The brief was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirtsen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), George Helmy (D-N.J.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King Jr. (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D- N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif), Gary Peters (D- Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Janeen Shaheen (D-N.H.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

    In the House, the brief was signed by 211 U.S. Representatives including Oregon’s U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, and Val Hoyle.

    The full text of the brief is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Call on Feds to Prosecute Tax Prep Companies for Illegally Sharing Sensitive Personal and Financial Taxpayer Data

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    October 23, 2024

    Lawmakers: “DOJ has the sole authority to enforce the criminal statute on behalf of the millions of taxpayers harmed by this unauthorized disclosure of their sensitive personal and financial data.”

    Washington D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate and House colleagues to urge the Department of Justice to act against major tax preparation companies illegally sharing protected and sensitive taxpayer information with Big Tech firms. 

    “We write to urge you to investigate and prosecute the criminal behavior of major tax preparation companies identified in our investigation and confirmed by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Internal Revenue Service,” the lawmakers wrote.

    Last month, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released an audit report confirming that four online tax preparation companies broke the law by sharing legally protected and sensitive taxpayer information with Big Tech firms without taxpayer consent.  Specifically, the report found that consent statements being used by the tax prep companies did not clearly identify the intended use of taxpayer data, a violation of Treasury regulations. The IRS agreed with that assessment. 

    “The penalties for knowingly or recklessly disclosing or using tax return information include up to 1 year in prison, and penalties of up to $1000 per violation. DOJ has the sole authority to enforce the criminal statute on behalf of the millions of taxpayers harmed by this unauthorized disclosure of their sensitive personal and financial data,” the lawmakers continued.

    Tax prep companies used pixels, computer code that tracks a user’s website activity, to obtain sensitive personal and financial information, including approximate income and refund amounts, for millions of taxpayers who filed their taxes online with these companies. Meta then used that information for advertising and to train its AI algorithm. 

    The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration conducted a detailed review of four tax preparation companies, and found the companies did not obtain proper taxpayer consent for the release of their information. 

    “Accountability for these tax preparation companies – who disclosed millions of taxpayers’ tax return data…is essential for protecting the rule of law and the privacy of taxpayers,” concluded the lawmakers. 

    The IRS recently announced the expansion of the highly successful Direct File program to 24 total states, including Oregon – making 30 million taxpayers eligible to file for free, securely, and directly with the IRS. However, many taxpayers still rely on private tax prep companies. 

    The letter was led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Along with Wyden, the letter was also signed by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. House Representative Katie Porter (D-Calif.).

    The full text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ERO Philadelphia removes Guatemalan citizen wanted for child abuse, violence against women and abuse of power

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PHILADELPHIA — Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia removed Romeo Pop Sacui, a citizen of Guatemala with a final order of removal, to Guatemala Oct. 22. Pop is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in Guatemala for child abuse, violence against women and abuse of power.

    “Protecting the American public is a key priority for ERO officers,” said ERO Philadelphia Field Office Director Cammilla Wamsley. “Our officers routinely arrest and remove violent criminal noncitizens, such as Romeo Pop Sacui, who have broken laws in their home country and continue to do so in the U.S.”

    The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Pop near Calexico, California, on March 14, 2019, for entering the United States without inspection or parole by an immigration official. U.S. Border Patrol authorities served Pop a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge charging inadmissibility March 15, 2019. On the same date, U.S. Border Patrol officials transferred Pop to ERO San Diego, which enrolled him in the Alternatives to Detention program and released him on an order of recognizance. ERO Miami terminated Pop from the Alternatives to Detention program March 27, 2019, after he absconded.

    A Department of Justice immigration judge in Miami, Florida, ordered Pop removed from the United States to Guatemala in absentia on May 24, 2019.

    On Sept. 2, 2024, the Harrisburg Police arrested Pop for simple assault and strangulation. Later that month, ERO Philadelphia arrested him in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during an enforcement operation, and detained him at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, pending removal to Guatemala.

    As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

    Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.

    Learn more about ERO’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROPhiladelphia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Craik — Craik RCMP investigating fatal collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 17, 2024 at approximately 12:55 p.m., Craik RCMP received a report of a collision involving a semi and a SUV on Highway #2 west of Chamberlain, approximately one kilometre north of the Highway #2 and Highway #733 junction.

    Officers responded along with local fire and EMS. The driver of the SUV was declared deceased by EMS at the scene. He has been identified as a 29-year-old male from Prince Albert, SK. His family has been notified.

    No other injuries were reported to police.

    Craik RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maidstone — Update: Maidstone RCMP seek information about suspicious person

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    As a result of continued investigation, Maidstone RCMP identified the adult male who approached and spoke to a young child at a playground at Sandy Beach Regional Park on August 27, 2024.

    Further investigation determined the male was on court-ordered peace bond conditions not to be at a playground.

    On October 16, 2024, officers arrested the adult male at a residence in Radisson, SK.

    Officers located and seized three loaded, unsecured firearms during a search warrant executed at the residence.

    As a result of continued investigation, 47-year-old Sir Brent Habetler from Radisson is charged with:

    • one count, disobeying an order of court, Section 127(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, unauthorized possession of a firearm, Section 91(1), Criminal Code;
    • three counts, unsafe storage of a firearm, Section 86(2), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88(1), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, possession of a firearm knowing possession is unauthorized, Section 92(1), Criminal Code.

    He was remanded into custody and appeared in North Battleford Provincial Court on October 22, 2024.

    He was released by the courts on conditions that include the following, among others:

    • Staying inside his approved residence 24 hours a day. This condition will be electronically monitored as per his conditions.
    • Not attend any area that children (below the age of 16) are typically present for the purposes of schooling or recreation.
    • Not possess any firearms.

    He is next scheduled to appear in North Battleford Provincial Court on November 26, 2024.

    Saskatchewan RCMP’s Battleford General Investigations Section, High Risk Offender Unit, Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team, Crime Reduction Team and Federal Support Services assisted with this investigation, along with Saskatchewan Highway Patrol and Wilton Police Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Congressional Democrats In Filing Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Court To Affirm That EMTALA Requires Hospitals To Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care, Including Abortion Care, Preempting Idaho’s Draconian Abortion Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    10.23.24
    After the Supreme Court dismissed the case, returning it to the Ninth Circuit Court, 259 Members of Congress ask the Ninth Circuit to affirm district court decision that under EMTALA, hospitals participating in Medicare must provide emergency stabilizing treatment to patients, including abortion care when necessary
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined more than 250 Members of Congress in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, two consolidated cases concerning the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) under consideration by the en banc Ninth Circuit.  EMTALA is a federal law that requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide necessary “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies, which can include abortion care.
    After the Dobbs decision in 2022, a draconian anti-abortion law in Idaho went into effect that makes it a felony for a doctor to terminate a patient’s pregnancy unless it is “necessary” to prevent the patient’s death.  The United States sued the State of Idaho, arguing that the state’s law is preempted by EMTALA in those circumstances in which abortion may not be necessary to prevent imminent death, but still constitutes the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition.  The district court agreed; it held that in those limited, but critically important situations, EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion as an emergency medical treatment.  Idaho Republicans appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court, which lifted the injunction and took the case in January.  In March, 258 Members filed an amicus brief, asking the Supreme Court to affirm the district court decision.  In June, the Supreme Court dismissed the case but without a ruling on the merits, sending the case back to the Ninth Circuit Court and reinstating the district court’s injunction.
    In their brief in support of the Justice Department, the lawmakers ask the Ninth Circuit to uphold the district court’s ruling.  They argue that the congressional intent, text, and history of EMTALA make clear that covered hospitals must provide abortion care when it is the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition, and that EMTALA preempts Idaho’s abortion ban in emergency situations that present a serious threat to a patient’s health.
    “[T]he 99th Congress passed EMTALA to ensure that every person who visits a Medicare-funded hospital with an ‘emergency medical condition’ is offered stabilizing treatment,” the Members write in their amicus brief.  “Congress chose broad language for that mandate, requiring hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide ‘such treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical condition.’… That text—untouched by Congress for the past three decades—makes clear that in situations in which a doctor determines that abortion constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a pregnant patient, federal law requires the hospital to offer it.  Yet Idaho has made providing that care a felony, in direct contravention of EMTALA’s mandate.”
    Importantly, the Members note that in this case, “respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives.  If this Court allows Idaho’s near-total abortion ban to supersede federal law, pregnant patients in Idaho will continue to be denied appropriate medical treatment, placing them at heightened risk for medical complications and severe adverse health outcomes… And health care providers, unwilling to let Idaho’s law override their medical judgment regarding their patients’ best interests, will continue their exile from Idaho, creating maternity-care ‘deserts’ all over the state.”  The Members point to numerous reports of OB/GYNs leaving Idaho en masse since the state’s abortion ban went into effect.  Idaho has since lost 55 percent of its maternal-fetal medicine specialists and three rural hospitals have shut down maternity services altogether.
    “These are not hypothetical scenarios.  Because Idaho’s abortion ban contains no clear exceptions for the ‘emergency medical conditions’ covered by EMTALA, it forces physicians to wait until their patients are on the verge of death before providing abortion care. The result in other states with similar laws has been ‘significant maternal morbidity,’” write the Members, pointing to harrowing reports of pregnant women with severe health complications being denied necessary abortion care, including an Idaho woman who was flown to Utah for an abortion while hemorrhaging, leaking amniotic fluid, and terrified that she would not survive to care for her two other children.  “Federal law does not allow Idaho to endanger the lives of its residents in this way.”
    In their brief, the Members also clarify that the references to “unborn child” in EMTALA were intended to expand hospitals’ obligations with respect to providing stabilizing treatment—not contract them or take away the obligation to provide abortion care in certain circumstances.
    The Members’ brief also counters an argument from Idaho and its amici that the Supremacy Clause does not apply in this case because EMTALA was passed using Spending Clause authority, and therefore acts only as a condition on Medicare funding.  The Members make clear that all laws passed by Congress are entitled to preemption—regardless of their source of constitutional authority, and states cannot pass laws that make it impossible for private parties to accept federal funding, inhibiting the purpose of the federal law. 
    “EMTALA requires abortion when necessary to stabilize a patient with an emergency medical condition, Idaho’s near-total abortion ban is preempted to the extent that it prevents doctors from providing that care,” the Members write. “This Court should reject Appellants’ novel theory that EMTALA is not entitled to preemptive effect because it was enacted pursuant to Congress’s spending power.  Under the Supremacy Clause, all ‘the constitutional laws enacted by congress,’ constitute ‘the supreme Law of the Land,’. As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, the principle of federal supremacy applies to laws passed pursuant to Congress’s spending authority no less than it does to laws effectuating other enumerated powers.”
    “In sum, EMTALA plainly requires hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide abortion care when, in a doctor’s medical judgment, it constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a patient’s ‘emergency medical condition.’”
    The lawmakers conclude by asking the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision that EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion care when it is necessary as emergency medical treatment.
    In the Senate, the amicus brief was signed by 48 U.S. Senators, including Durbin and Duckworth.  Also signing the amicus brief were U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey Jr. (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), George Helmy (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King Jr. (D-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
    In the House, the brief was signed by 211 U.S. Representatives.
    The lawmakers’ amicus brief to the Supreme Court can be read in full here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth, Quigley, Sorensen Announce $33.5 Million In Federal Funding For Peoria And Chicago Airports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    10.23.24
    CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today announced $33,510,000 in federal funding from the Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminal Program.
    With today’s announced funding, General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport will receive $13,510,000 for the replacement of their air traffic control tower, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport will receive $20,000,000 for an expansion to Terminal 5.
    “By improving and modernizing airport infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for increased connectivity and reliability,” said Durbin. “Today’s announced federal funding for upgrading our airports across Illinois will enhance the travel experience for passengers and promote economic growth. I will continue working with Senator Duckworth and our Congressional colleagues to ensure Illinois airports have the necessary federal resources to keep passengers safe and connected.”
    “Illinois’s airports are critical economic engines for our state,” Duckworth said. “This funding will help improve and modernize O’Hare and Downing International Airports and, after years of neglecting our nation’s infrastructure, I’m proud every day to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at work rebuilding infrastructure all across our country. I will continue to work alongside Senator Durbin and the Illinois delegation to make traveling safer and more reliable for all passengers while ensuring that our communities are receiving the much-needed federal resources they deserve.”
    “This important funding coming to Peoria International Airport is about connecting my neighbors in Central Illinois to the world. The new air traffic control tower will allow controllers to see the end points of both runways and all taxiways, making it safer for travelers and airport staff. I am grateful to Senators Durbin and Duckworth for their support of this project as we continue our work to keep air travel safe and open Peoria to new destinations,” said Sorensen.
    “Throughout my career, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that travelers receive the best and most efficient service possible at O’Hare. Today’s funding announcement will build on the progress we have already made. This expansion will benefit not only our constituents but also travelers across the country, while boosting our economy. When I voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I did so knowing it would bring vital investments like these and create lasting benefits across our state. Together, we are paving the way for a brighter future and a stronger transportation network for everyone,” said Quigley.
    Durbin and Duckworth previously worked to secure a provision in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to make Peoria’s airport-owned air traffic control tower (ATCT) eligible for federal funding. Following the enactment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the ATCT has received $29 million in federal funding across two previous grants.
    Durbin and Duckworth helped secure two previous BIL Airport Terminal Program grants for Chicago O’Hare International Airport for the Terminal 3 Project totaling $90 million, a 2023 grant of $50 million and a 2024 grant of $40 million.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Travels Across Northwestern New Mexico, Meets with Tribal Leaders and Highlights Infrastructure Projects

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    New Mexico – This week, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, traveled across Northwestern New Mexico to hold meetings with Tribal leaders and highlight federal investments he secured for Tribal Nations and surrounding New Mexico communities.

    Luján began by meeting with the new leadership of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe to congratulate the newly elected leaders and listen to the Tribe’s priorities. Luján also visited with the Tribal leadership of the Pueblo of the Zuni to meet with the leadership and discuss the Zuni Pueblo’s priorities. During both meetings, Luján highlighted his work on behalf of Tribal communities and infrastructure improvements he was able to secure for the Jicarilla Apache Tribe and the Zuni Pueblo. Luján is fighting to pass bills to resolve the water rights of New Mexico’s Tribal Nations and has successfully delivered millions of dollars for Tribal communities, including over $1.8 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to boost infrastructure and nearly $7 million to expand broadband for Jicarilla Apache and Zuni Pueblo communities.

    “This week, I had the privilege of meeting with the leaders of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe and Zuni Pueblo to hear directly from them about their priorities and how we can continue to work together,” said Senator Luján. “I am proud to be fighting for the water resources of our Tribal communities and to have delivered millions to improve infrastructure and expand broadband access. I was grateful to have these conversations with Jicarilla Apache and Zuni leaders and will continue to fight to strengthen the relationship between Tribal communities and the federal government.”

    On Tuesday, Luján visited a Navajo Nation home to highlight federal funding secured to bring modern electrical systems to homes across the Navajo Nation and New Mexico. Luján fought to pass the American Rescue Plan, which has funded projects like Light Up Navajo and delivered electricity to hundreds of Navajo Nation homes. The federally funded Light Up Navajo project has delivered electricity to nearly 1,000 Navajo Nation households and built almost 250 miles of power lines.
    “In 2024, no family should be without electricity,” said Senator Luján. “I was honored to visit a Navajo Nation home that now has access to electricity thanks to the American Rescue Plan, which I was proud to have helped pass into law. Although we’ve helped electrify many homes in our Tribal communities, the job is not done. There are still far too many families across the Navajo Nation that are living without access to electricity. I remain committed to expanding electrical connectivity and will keep fighting to bring electricity to every Navajo Nation home.”

    Later, Luján toured and received an update on the status of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The major water infrastructure project is expected to deliver a long-term, sustainable water supply to nearly a quarter million people across the Navajo Nation and surrounding areas. In the Senate, Luján has delivered over $300 million in federal funding to support the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Luján has worked on this project throughout his career in Congress.
    “Once completed, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will deliver clean, reliable drinking water to thousands of Navajo Nation homes, including many homes that currently live without running water,” said Senator Luján. “I am glad to see the progress that has been made on this monumental water infrastructure project and am proud to have delivered millions of dollars to support it. I will continue to fight to ensure the pipeline is fully funded and completed by 2029.”

    Finally, Luján visited the Gallup Indian Medical Center to meet with U.S. Indian Health Service officials and view improvements to the facility that were made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which Luján fought to pass into law.
    “Across the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities, it is paramount that there is convenient access to health care providers and hospitals,” said Senator Luján. “Thanks to legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act that I helped get signed into law, we are making it easier to access reliable health care for the people of the Navajo Nation. Facilities like the Gallup Indian Medical Center are making it easier for our Tribal communities to access the health care they deserve, and I will continue to fight for affordable, accessible health care for the Navajo Nation and Tribal communities across our state.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Human rights advocate Alexander Lapshin: No place to go, but still fighting for global freedom

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Frederick John Packer, Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    Global freedom has been in decline for nearly two decades, according to Freedom House, an American non-profit organization devoted to supporting democracy around the world.

    That means the role of high-profile freedom activists, including activists in exile — people who are displaced from their countries of origin due to their activism but continue to affect change through various means — has become ever more crucial.

    A recent incident involving Alexander Lapshin, a Soviet-born Israeli travel journalist turned human rights advocate, at Armenia’s Yerevan airport highlights the ongoing persecution faced by activists even in seemingly secure environments.

    On Sept. 21, during Armenia’s Independence Day celebrations, Lapshin said he was detained at the request of Belarusian authorities, accused of insulting the honour and dignity of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko by highlighting the authoritarian nature of his regime in social media posts.

    Though not formally expelled from any one country, Lapshin’s circumstances have effectively left him with no safe or stable place to settle. He says legal and political pressures in both Ukraine and Israel prevent him from returning.

    Armenia ultimately refused to arrest him, but Lapshin and his family were forced to endure four hours of distressing uncertainty at the Yerevan police station before his release was formally registered by Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office.

    This provocation underscored the persistent threats activists face even in countries offering relative safety.

    Extradited to Azerbaijan

    Just weeks before his arrest in Yerevan, we met with Lapshin in Ottawa to learn about his odyssey, and by extension, the suffering of his family resulting from his work as a travelling journalist.

    It’s not the first time Lapshin had been targeted by authoritarians. In 2016, while in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, Lapshin was detained by the authorities at the request of the Azerbaijani government. He was subsequently extradited to Azerbaijan on charges related to his travel in 2012 to the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh — an area claimed by both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    The Azerbaijani government accused Lapshin of violating its laws by entering the enclave without permission and promoting its independence. However, at that point Lapshin had never been involved in politics nor called for the region’s independence. The Azerbaijani court dropped this charge, though convicted him of taking an unauthorized journalistic trip.

    The story of Lapshin’s arrest and extradition drew widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and various governments, who viewed it as a blatant violation of his rights to freedom of movement and expression.

    Lapshin was nevertheless found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison. However, following significant international pressure and diplomatic negotiations, he was pardoned and released in September 2017.

    Lapshin’s Azerbaijani ordeal

    In his subsequent testimony to the Centre for Truth and Justice, a U.S.-based non-profit organization, Lapshin detailed the severe abuse he endured during his imprisonment in Azerbaijan.

    Upon arrival at Kurdakhani prison — known for holding political prisoners — Lapshin was subjected to humiliating strip searches and invasive medical checks. For seven months, he was confined to a small, windowless cell, kept under constant artificial light and allowed only one hour of exercise in a similarly confined yard. His diet was minimal and of poor quality, leading to significant physical and psychological distress.

    Lapshin testifies about how he was treated in Azerbaijan. (The Centre for Truth and Justice YouTube channel)

    The most harrowing part of his imprisonment came on Sept. 10, 2017, when four masked men brutally assaulted him in his cell. Lapshin described the attack in detail:

    “I felt three of them holding my legs and chest while one strangled me. They punched my ribs, my head and my genitals. I lost consciousness within seconds.”

    He sustained severe injuries, including broken ribs, a broken wrist and multiple broken teeth. Azerbaijani authorities maintained that he had attempted suicide.

    Lapshin’s further testimony about how he was treated in Azerbaijan. (The Centre for Truth and Justice YouTube channel)

    The European Court of Human Rights eventually examined his complaints and found a violation of his “right to life.” The United Nations Human Rights Committee found multiple violations of his rights (including freedom from torture) under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

    According to Lapshin, Azerbaijan released him not because of the European Court’s decision, but due to his near death following an attempted murder in custody. He believes the president of Azerbaijan decided to release him without formalities to avoid international tension if he’d died in prison.

    Broader implications

    Lapshin’s recent detention in Armenia is part of a continued pattern of harassment against him as he’s morphed from a travel blogger to a human rights advocate.

    Despite the ordeal, Lapshin sees these provocations as an opportunity to create greater public awareness. The media coverage generated from such incidents often works to his advantage, drawing more attention to the plight of political prisoners and the excesses of authoritarian regimes.

    Lapshin sees his ordeals as helping to raise public awareness about authoritarians.
    (WikiMedia), CC BY

    Lapshin’s collaboration with Jivan Avetisyan, a prominent film director focusing on human rights issues, exemplifies his strategic approach to advocacy — turning personal trauma into powerful narratives that reach a global audience.

    Such collaborations contribute significantly to keeping human rights abuses in the spotlight.

    Activists like Lapshin are crucial figures in the global struggle against authoritarianism. Despite enduring harsh persecution, they persist in their advocacy efforts from the relative safety of democracies, and work to raise awareness among policymakers and the public.

    Lapshin’s recent trip to Ottawa is one example of this. He met with Global Affairs Canada officials and presented them with a sanctions list targeting Azerbaijani officials he alleges are responsible for war crimes and abuses, including those involved in his prison mistreatment.

    Impact and challenges

    Activists like Lapshin employ diverse strategies to advance their causes, such as social media engagement and public mobilization, as well as partnerships with global human rights organizations.

    These efforts often result in positive changes, including the release of detained activists and the imposition of sanctions on oppressive governments. Lapshin’s resilience, along with that of notable exiled activists like Chinese-born Chen Guangcheng and Belarus’ Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, demonstrates the power and influence that individuals can wield against repressive regimes from afar.



    Read more:
    Fighting for a future: The Belarusian regiment in Ukraine is staking its claim on democracy

    Activists, in particular those in exile, face numerous challenges, including transnational repression and a lack of resources. Authoritarian regimes employ measures like surveillance, intimidation, physical assaults and even murder to target activists beyond their borders. These activists must also navigate legal, financial and cultural barriers in foreign countries when they seek asylum, find work and try to integrate into new societies, all while continuing their advocacy.

    Lapshin’s experiences illustrate these challenges. The ongoing threats and harassment against him continue even today. Nonetheless, his dedication to human rights advocacy remains unwavering.

    I am a member of various professional / academic associations and some human rights NGOs including (pro bono) the Canada Committee of Human Rights Watch. None of these would be affected by this article nor would I gain any benefit as a result.

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

    – ref. Human rights advocate Alexander Lapshin: No place to go, but still fighting for global freedom – https://theconversation.com/human-rights-advocate-alexander-lapshin-no-place-to-go-but-still-fighting-for-global-freedom-241550

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kelly Announces $9M Investment for Drought Mitigation in Kansas – Governor of the State of Kansas

    Source: US State of Kansas

    TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that Kansas is receiving $9 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act for two projects aimed at mitigating the impact of drought in Kansas.

    “Decades of over-appropriation and more frequent droughts have now put communities across Kansas in crisis,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These projects will be instrumental in our work to increase our state’s water quality and quantity.”

    The Kansas Equus Beds Aquifer Recharge, Storage, and Recovery Project near Wichita will receive $7 million. This is a critical supply for more than 20% of municipal, industrial, and irrigation water users in Kansas.

    The Kansas Voluntary Agreements Program was selected to receive $2 million for the state-implemented Kansas Water Transition Assistance Program in either the Prairie Dog Creek or Rattlesnake Creek Basins.

    When fully implemented, the Equus project will recharge the Equus Beds Aquifer, providing water to Wichita at a rate of up to 100 million gallons per day through injection and infiltration of Little Arkansas River diversions into the aquifer in south-central Kansas. The Kansas Water Right Transition Assistance Program will conserve approximately 10,000 acre-feet by rotating temporary land fallowing or permanently retiring water rights.

    Governor Kelly advocated for federal water funding to be extended into Kansas to help family farms and ranches, small towns, and wildlife avoid the severe and potentially irreversible impacts of drought.

    Representative Sharice Davids voted for the Inflation Reduction Act and supported additional federal funding for these projects.

    “I’m glad to see resources from the Inflation Reduction Act coming home to Kansas,” said Representative Sharice Davids (KS-O3). “The ongoing effects of drought are a persistent threat across our state. This investment is a critical step to protect Kansans’ livelihoods, support the work our farmers do to feed the world and protect the economic security of towns across Kansas.”

    This announcement builds upon previous investments of almost $33 million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for aging infrastructure, water recycling, and WaterSMART projects in Kansas.

    The Inflation Reduction Act includes an overall $550 million for domestic water supply projects and $4 billion for water conservation and ecosystem projects in the Colorado River Basin and other areas experiencing similar levels of long-term drought. To date, U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation has announced 222 drought mitigation and 16 domestic water supply projects from Inflation Reduction Act funding for a total of more than $2.5 billion.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saskatchewan — UPDATE – Saskatchewan RCMP: subjects of AMBER Alert found safe, investigation continues

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    October 17, 2024
    Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan

    News release

    Saskatchewan RCMP’s Prince Albert General Investigation Section (GIS) took carriage of the investigation into the incident that resulted in an AMBER Alert being issued on the afternoon of October 17.

    After subsequent investigation, it has been determined that no charges will be laid at this time in relation to the incident.

    “The immediate police response and resulting AMBER Alert helped us locate the baby quickly – and ensure his safety,” says Insp. Ashley St. Germaine from Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes. “This situation is testament to the power of the Saskatchewan AMBER Alert program. We sincerely thank members of the public and our news partners for their assistance with this investigation, which thankfully had a positive outcome.”

    We are unable to provide additional details about the incident – or the child – as there is no current court process attached to it and to be mindful of the privacy of the baby.

    Officers from Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP, Big River RCMP and many other units and detachments from across the province assisted in this investigation.

    Because we have received an inquiry, we would like to confirm that the adult male named in the AMBER Alert appeared in Prince Albert Provincial Court this morning on one charge of assault and one charge of assault by choking in relation to a recent incident on Montreal Lake Cree Nation. The victim was an adult female, who reported non-life-threatening injuries to police. To maintain the privacy of the victim, no further details will be provided at this time, including naming the charged male.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    Saskatchewan RCMP: subjects of AMBER Alert found safe, investigation continues

    2024-10-17

    On October 17, 2024 just before 2 p.m., Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP received a report that a five-day-old baby had been taken from a residence on Montreal Lake Cree Nation.

    Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP immediately responded. Investigation determined the baby had been taken by his father.

    Subsequent investigation led to Saskatchewan RCMP determining the incident met the criteria for the issuance of an AMBER Alert. The alert was issued at approximately 5:08 p.m.

    Note that the alert stated the baby was taken from the health clinic. This information, gathered during the initial response, was incorrect.

    Shortly after, the father turned himself in without incident at the Big River RCMP detachment.

    Officers assessed the baby, who appeared healthy and safe. EMS was called to assess him as a precaution.

    The investigation continues.

    We thank our media partners and the public for their assistance with this investigation.

    CANCELLED: Amber Alert Child Abduction Notification

    2024-10-17

    The baby has been located in Big River. He appears safe and will be assessed by EMS. The suspect is in custody.

    Thank you to the media and the public for their assistance in this investigation. Please remove their names and photos from circulation, including social media. Thank you for your cooperation.

    The investigation is ongoing. We will provide more information as soon as we are able to.

    Please report any information to 310-RCMP.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pierceland — Update: Pierceland RCMP investigating sudden death

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    October 21, 2024
    Pierceland, Saskatchewan

    News release

    As a result of subsequent investigation by Pierceland RCMP and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, the male’s death has been determined to be non-suspicious in nature.

    As the investigation has now determined that this is a sudden death, no further updates or information can be provided.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    Pierceland RCMP investigating sudden death

    2024-10-17

    On October 16, 2024, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Pierceland RCMP received a report of a sudden death at a residence on the Mudie Lake First Nation. Officers immediately responded and located the individual, who was declared deceased by EMS at the scene.

    Pierceland RCMP continue to investigate this sudden death with the assistance of the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

    Currently, the investigation has not identified a risk to public safety. Updates will be provided when available.

    Clarification: The residence is in Mudie Lake, a part of Island Lake First Nation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Secretary of the Navy Visits Georgia Tech Research Institute, Underscoring Commitment to Innovation and Collaboration

    Source: United States Navy

    ATLANTA – Oct. 23, 2024 – The Secretary of the Navy Hon. Carlos Del Toro visited the Georgia Tech Research Institute today to highlight the vital role of research and development in maintaining naval dominance and warfighting excellence. The Secretary addressed Georgia Tech students and faculty, and Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps students from Georgia Tech, Spelman College and Morehouse College, emphasizing the importance of their contributions to national security. 

    The Secretary’s visit underscored the Navy’s commitment to fostering strategic partnerships with academic institutions like Georgia Tech. GTRI, the applied research division of Georgia Tech, plays a crucial role in developing cutting-edge technologies for the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense. 

    “Georgia Tech is a powerhouse of innovation, and GTRI’s research is critical to ensuring our Sailors and Marines have the technological edge they need to prevail in any conflict,” said Secretary Del Toro. “The work being done here, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems, and electromagnetic spectrum operations, is directly aligned with the Navy’s strategic priorities.” 

    The Secretary highlighted GTRI’s contributions to the DON, including: 

    • Collaborative Research: GTRI works closely with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and other DoD entities to address specific technological needs. 
    • R&D Contributions: GTRI develops advanced systems such as autonomous vehicles, millimeter wave radar technologies, and electronic warfare solutions. 
    • Prototyping and Testing: GTRI provides facilities for testing and validating new technologies to meet military specifications. 
    • Technology Transition: GTRI focuses on translating research outcomes into practical applications, enhancing operational capabilities for the Navy and broader defense community. 

    The Secretary’s remarks also emphasized the importance of innovation in the face of evolving global challenges. 

    “To win the fight of the future, we must embrace and implement emerging technologies,” said Del Toro. “We are in an innovation race, and it is one we must win.” 

    The Secretary highlighted several DON innovation initiatives, including: 

    • The Naval Science and Technology Strategy: This strategy guides the Navy and Marine Corps’ investments in science and technology research. 
    • The Naval Innovation Center (NIC) at the Naval Postgraduate School: The NIC accelerates the innovation process by bringing research concepts out of the lab and into the field faster. 
    • The Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology Board: This board provides independent advice and counsel on matters relating to science, technology, and acquisition. 
    • The Disruptive Capabilities Office (DCO): The DCO identifies and implements already-available or emerging technologies to address the fleet’s capability gaps. 

    “With today’s enemies developing more advanced technological threats, we are grateful that the Secretary of the Navy made time to visit our Atlanta Region NROTC Midshipmen,” said Atlanta Region NROTC Commanding Officer Capt. Jesus Rodriguez. “Our future Naval officers were provided with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when the Secretary personally impressed on them the importance of continued studies in science and technology. Our Midshipmen and NROTC staff are all appreciative for the opportunity to meet with and listen to our Navy’s leadership emphasize the importance of our students’ initiative in technological development during their Naval careers.” 

    The Secretary concluded by issuing a call to action to the students in attendance. 

    “Innovation must permeate every aspect of our department’s approach to deliver technologies and capabilities at a speed and scale necessary for our Navy and Marine Corps to confront the challenges of today and the future.” 

    Read Secretary Del Toro’s remarks here.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Secretary Del Toro As-Written Remarks at the Georgia Tech Research Institute

    Source: United States Navy

    Introduction/Thank You

    Good afternoon, everyone!

    It is wonderful to be with you at Georgia Tech Research Institute, the future of engineering, science, and technology.

    President Cabrera, thank you for your leadership of the students here at Georgia Tech, the future scientists, engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers of our country.

    Dr. Hudgens, thank you for your leadership and vision for the Georgia Tech Research Institute, and all that you are doing to advance our national security interests.

    I thank the future Navy and Marine Corps Officers from the NROTC consortium here with us today.

    Thank you for answering the call to service—for choosing a path both challenging and difficult. I look forward to you joining our Fleet and Force.

    To all of our Georgia Tech faculty and students, distinguished visitors, and guests—welcome, and thank you for your time today.

    World Today

    As you have read in the news, we face challenges in every corner of the world—from the Indo-Pacific, to Europe, to the Red Sea.

    In Europe, we are approaching the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

    Ukraine is fighting not only for their own liberty and freedom—they are fighting to protect democracy in Europe and indeed around the world.

    We proudly stand beside them in support for their just and noble cause.

    For the first time since World War II, we face a comprehensive maritime power—our pacing challenge—in the Indo-Pacific.

    The People’s Republic of China continues to exert its excessive maritime claims through their navy, coast guard, and maritime militia.

    In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, we have been working tirelessly alongside our NATO allies and Middle Eastern partners to protect innocent civilian mariners and commercial shipping from Iranian-aligned Houthi attacks.

    Following the October 7th attacks in Israel one year ago, our Navy and Marine Corps were swiftly deployed to the region, forming an integrated force capable of responding to any threat.

    Carrier Air Wing Three, our “Battle Axe,” played a pivotal role in protecting civilian mariners, deploying over sixty air-to-air missiles and over 420 air-to-surface weapons.

    We mourn the loss of two trailblazing, combat-decorated naval aviators from Carrier Air Wing Three who passed away during a training event last week: Lieutenant Commander Lyndsay “Miley” Evans and Lieutenant Serena “Dug” Wileman.

    Their sacrifice reminds us that what we ask of our Sailors and Marines is anything but routine.

    And our hearts go out to the families and friends of these brave and selfless warfighters.

    The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, made significant contributions in the region by deterring hostile Houthi attacks and preventing the conflict from escalating throughout the region.

    Our warships—including the Carney, Mason, Gravely, Laboon, Eisenhower, and Thomas Hudner—have demonstrated exceptional performance under fire, successfully deterring and defeating missile and drone attacks targeting innocent maritime shipping.

    Two of our highly capable destroyers, the USS Cole (DDG 67)—a warship which carries a proud legacy of standing tall to acts of terrorism—and the USS Bulkeley (DDG 84)—which will always have a special place in my naval carer as her first Commanding Officer—aided our Israeli allies in shooting down Iranian ballistic missiles. 

    I am incredibly proud of the professionalism, dedication, and resilience shown by our Cole and Bulkeley Sailors.

    These brave young men and women illustrate the consistent excellence and effectiveness expected of our United States Navy.

    Our Navy-Marine Corps Team remains at the center of global and national security—maintaining freedom of the seas, international security, and global stability.

    DON Innovation Initiatives

    To win the fight of the future, we must embrace and implement emerging technologies.

    We stand on the shoulders of giants in innovation.

    And delivering technology which changes the very nature of warfighting is in our DNA.

    A little over a year ago, I stood in the courtyard of the Pentagon to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Naval Research Lab—the place that invented radar, GPS, and the first satellite tracking system—and a place I worked at as a young lieutenant commander.

    At that time, I challenged the research, engineering, and technology developers of today to take their place in the company of those innovation giants.

    I challenged my team to innovate at the speed of relevance to deliver concepts of operations and capabilities which bolster deterrence and expand our warfighting advantage.

    I challenged my Chief of Naval Research to align the Office of Naval Research’s investment in science and technology research—including the research conducted here at Georgia Tech—with each effort aimed at addressing issues we face as a maritime nation.

    Within three months of my challenge to the Chief of Naval Research, he delivered.

    Our new Naval Science and Technology Strategy now drives our Navy and Marine Corps’ innovation investments in science and technology research during this decisive period.

    This strategy is a global call to service for scientists, engineers, inventors, and innovators from academia, industry, and government to work with us in solving naval problems to ensure our freedom and way of life.

    And the Georgia Tech Research Institute has answered this call.

    During this past fiscal year, ONR completed 22 grants here at GTRI worth $23.6 million, and Georgia Tech currently has 72 active contracts and grants with the Navy worth $216 million.

    These ONR grants support research and development of technology in cyber, AI and autonomy, materials and electronics, as well as ocean, atmosphere, and space—focus areas in our Naval S&T Strategy.

    Service to our national security is indeed the engine of GTRI.

    Another critical investment we have made as a result of our strategic change is the establishment of the Naval Innovation Center at the Naval Postgraduate School.

    The NIC will enhance and accelerate the innovation process at NPS by driving “ideas to impact,” bringing research concepts out of the lab and into the field faster by empowering students and partners across the entire Naval Research and Development Establishment to work with the Naval innovation ecosystem and industry—in a whole-of-Navy approach—to speed the delivery of warfighting advantages to our Naval forces.

    Furthermore, we are supporting the construction of a purposefully-designed facility to house the NIC at the Naval Postgraduate School, providing a space for collaboration, defense-focused experimentation, and demonstration of operational use cases to ensure the right technology is evolving.

    S&T Board One Year Update

    Last fall, I also announced the establishment of the Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology Board, with the intent that the board provide independent advice and counsel to the Department on matters and policies relating to scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition, logistics, medicine, and business management functions.

    Our Science and Technology Board just completed its inaugural year.

    Under the expert leadership of former Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig, this impressive group of thought leaders with expertise in government, industry, and academia has completed an ambitious research agenda to identify new technologies for rapid adoption.

    Since I signed out the Board’s initial tasking in February, they have achieved the impressive feat of undertaking and concluding six studies, delivering near term, practical recommendations, that the Department of the Navy can quickly implement.

    I have accepted recommendation reports from the Board and issued implementation guidance related to the path forward on unmanned systems, improving sailor physical and mental health, mission assurance of digital infrastructure, and capitalizing on opportunities for additive manufacturing.

    In fact, Georgia Tech’s own Chief Manufacturing Officer and Manufacturing Institute Executive Director Dr. Tom Kurfess, lent his breadth and depth of expertise in leading a study on additive manufacturing which I accepted last month.

    It is a testament to the Board’s energy and dedication, that it is already embarking on additional projects to keep our Navy at the leading edge of technology and innovation.

    Innovation Closer to the Fight

    Similar to the focus of our S&T Board of Advisors, who are looking at today’s problems and ways that technology can provide new ways to tackle our operational challenges, I chartered a Disruptive Capabilities Office last January to look at already-available or emerging technology to address the Fleet’s capability gaps. 

    And they have delivered.

    DCO identified meaty organizational, doctrinal, and technological advancements that the Navy has implemented, within six months, to close an emergent warfighting gap in Counter-UAS base defense for the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

    DCO is also leading an effort to combine innovative commercial space-enabled capabilities in coordination with the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, and other governmental agencies to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness for the Department of the Navy along with our allies and partners.

    Replicator and Capability-Based Delivery

    My call to innovation has also put more “ready players on the field” as we look to grow force structure in the near term.

    In the last twelve months, I have fielded varying sizes of unmanned surface vessels into the hands of our operators for use in experimentation, CONOP development, and for operation.

    We are expanding our systems to include not only homogeneous but also heterogeneous collaborative autonomy.

    I am extremely proud of my team’s leadership in this domain, to include our leadership in identifying and quickly procuring the capabilities that support Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks’s “Replicator” initiative.

    It is no accident that four of the five selected “Replicator” systems came out of the Department of the Navy’s innovation ecosystem.

    And over the last year, our Department has expended more missiles than we have since the Second World War.

    My Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems has been at the forefront of this fight.

    Last year, I challenged that office to operate and field its systems as a “portfolio of capabilities”—and they have delivered.

    The IWS RCO has been working hand-in-hand with our operators in the fight in the Red Sea to deliver innovations, in near-real time, as we continue to innovate—at speed.

    Call to Action/Closing

    I am extremely proud of everything our department has accomplished over the last three years, and I am excited for our Navy-Marine Corps team as we chart a course for the future—a future that will require us to respond and adapt to whatever geopolitical challenges our Nation may face.

    To those Georgia Tech, Spellman, and Morehouse College students who are not affiliated with the NROTC program—if anything that I said today interests you, I encourage you to speak with me or a member of my staff to learn more about how you can join our team in the Navy or Marine Corps.

    Service in the Navy and Marine Corps is more than just a job—it represents a chance to serve and become something much bigger than yourself.

    And the Department of the Navy also provides numerous opportunities for public service beyond serving in uniform—we need engineers, scientists, and analysts in our Department.

    As our Department continues to re-imagine and refocus our innovation efforts, I encourage all of you—our nation’s scientists, engineers, researchers, and inventors—to join us.

    No matter how you serve, you’ll be part of a team working together toward a shared goal.

    We are indeed in an innovation race—and it is one we must win.

    Innovation must permeate every aspect of our Department’s approach to deliver technologies and capabilities at a speed and scale necessary for our Navy and Marine Corps to confront the challenges of today and the future.

    Thank you all for your commitment to the Department of the Navy, the maritime services, and indeed our Nation.

    May God continue to bless our Sailors, Marines, Civilians, and their families stationed around the globe with fair winds and following seas.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lee Announces More Than $21 Million to Protect Nevada’s Water Resources

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03)

    Made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Lee helped negotiate and pass

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) announced more than $21 million in federal investments from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to help safely manage wastewater, protect local water resources, and deliver safe drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses in Nevada. These Fiscal Year 2025 investments were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Congresswoman Lee helped negotiate and pass. 

    Specifically, the federal investments are coming to Nevada by way of EPA’s State Revolving Funds: 

    • $13,270,000 is coming via the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) — $1,054,000 of which will specifically address emerging contaminants such as PFAS in wastewater, stormwater, and nonpoint source pollution. 
    • $7,921,000 is coming via the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), with the primary purpose of addressing emerging contaminants — including PFAS — in drinking water.

    “Protecting our local water supply means making sure that Nevada’s water is clean and safe from harmful contaminants like PFAS,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I helped negotiate and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because it I knew it would secure the federal resources we need in Nevada, just like today’s investments. I’ll continue working to bring back federal dollars so we can deliver clean drinking water to our homes, schools, and businesses while safely managing our wastewater.” 

    In 2023 alone, Congresswoman Lee helped deliver more than $122 million in federal water investments to southern Nevada and recently secured all three of her priorities in the bi-annual Water Resources Development Act that passed out of the House. 

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President  Biden Names Fifty-Fifth Round of Judicial  Nominees

    Source: The White House

    The President is announcing his intent to nominate two individuals to federal district courts—both of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

    These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country—both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.

    This will be President Biden’s fifty-fifth round of nominees for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 259.

    United States District Court Announcements

    1. Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California

    Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California since July 2024. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Cheeks was a criminal defense lawyer in private practice at the Law Offices of Benjamin J. Cheeks, A.P.C. in San Diego from 2013 to 2024. From 2010 to 2013, Judge Cheeks served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office from 2003 to 2010. Judge Cheeks received his J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law in 2003 and his B.A. from the University of Miami, Florida in 2000.

    2. Judge Serena Murillo: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Central District of California

    Judge Serena Murillo has been a judge on the Los Angeles Superior Court since 2015. She also served by appointment of the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court as an Associate Justice pro tem on the California Court of Appeal from 2018 to 2019. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Murillo served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2014. Earlier in her career, she worked as an associate attorney at McNicholas & McNicholas in Los Angeles in 1997 and as a law clerk at Shernoff, Bidart, and Echeverria in Claremont, California in 1996. Judge Murillo received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1996 and her B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in 1993.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police appeal to public following fatal Onehunga bus attack

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of a woman in Onehunga yesterday.

    Auckland City Relieving District Crime Manager Acting Detective Inspector Alisse Robertson, says Police were notified of an incident onboard a bus travelling through Onehunga at about 2.30pm.

    “Police received a report that a person had been stabbed on a number 74 bus and upon arrival, a woman was located with multiple wounds.

    “Tragically, despite the best efforts of medical personnel and members of the public, she died at the scene.

    “Our thoughts are with her whānau at this time, and we are doing everything we can to support them.”

    Acting Detective Inspector Robertson says Police are making urgent enquiries to locate the offender and have identified a person of interest.

    “Our teams have been working through the night to find this person, who we believe is responsible for killing this woman.

    “We are following positive lines of enquiry and have been speaking to a number of people who have been assisting us in attempting to track him.”

    Acting Detective Inspector Robertson says Police are now seeking the public’s assistance to locate Kael Leona, who was last seen in the Mount Wellington area.

    Mr Leona is in his late 30s and was last seen wearing dark coloured pants, a black jumper with white writing on the front and white shoes.

    He also had a green t-shirt on his head and was carrying a black backpack.

    “We are now appealing to the public for any information on the whereabouts of Mr Leona.

    “We advise he is not be approached and anyone who sees this man is urged to contact Police immediately via 111.”

    She says the investigation is still in the early stages and Police are working to understand why the victim was the target for this attack.

    “We know the community will be understandably alarmed by what has occurred, and we are doing everything we can to locate this person and hold them to account.”

    An increased Police presence will remain in the Onehunga and Mount Wellington areas today while further enquiries are carried out.

    A post-mortem examination and formal identification of the victim will be carried out over the coming days.

    Anyone with information regarding Mr Leona’s whereabouts is urged to contact Police on 111.

    Information can also be provided to Police by making an online report at 105.police.govt.nz using “Update Report” or by calling 105.

    Please reference the file number 241023/8926.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Woman arrested following early morning burglary

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    An alleged burglar is before the court after their plans were stifled this morning.

    Police responded to a residential address on Malvern Street, St Albans, following a report of an attempted burglary about 5:40am.

    As soon as the alleged offender entered the property, the occupant’s security camera was activated. Upon finding a person in their house, the occupant took action to temporarily detain them until Police arrived a short time later.

    The alleged intruder, a 42-year-old woman, was arrested at the scene. She is due to appear in the Christchurch District Court Today, charged with burglary, and being disguised for burglary.

    “This arrest highlights the importance of installing security systems and cameras on your property,” says Acting Senior Sergeant Luke Buutveld.

    “Prevention measures are the best way to reduce the chance of your property being targeted, and increase the chance of the offender being identified and arrested if it is.

    “This includes installing security cameras, sensor lights, an alarm system, and ensuring you always lock your house and keep valuables locked away and out of sight.”

    If you see any suspicious activity please contact Police on 111 if it’s happening now or online at 105 if it is after the fact.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Election Officer Appointed for the District of South Dakota for the November 2024 General Election

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman to Oversee Election Day Program

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Ann M. Hoffman will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Hoffman has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of South Dakota, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the integrity of the election process and bringing to justice those who seek to corrupt it.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

    To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Hoffman will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (605) 838-9446. In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (605) 334-6881.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., by filing a complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at (800) 253-3931.

    U.S. Attorney Ramsdell further stated, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florence Man Sentenced to Over 31 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Pills Containing Fentanyl in Watertown and Sisseton Areas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Florence, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 21, 2024.

    Heath Kelvin Hagen, a/k/a Rem, age 37, was sentenced to 31 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

    Hagen was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He was convicted at trial on July 30, 2024.

    The conviction stemmed from Hagen’s involvement in a large fentanyl trafficking organization over the course of the Fall of 2021 into the Spring of 2022. Hagen knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. Hagen obtained pills containing fentanyl from a co-conspirator in Minneapolis. Hagen then re-sold the pills to sub-distributors and drug customers in Watertown and Sisseton. Following a search of Hagen’s residence, investigators recovered 60 fentanyl pills hidden in a fake tea can. Investigators determined Hagen was involved in the distribution of over 20,000 pills containing fentanyl.

    “This defendant was repeatedly identified as the biggest fentanyl dealer in the Watertown area, responsible for peddling thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “His sentence of over thirty-one years not only reflects the seriousness of his crime, but the relentless, collaborative efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to identify and investigate drug traffickers so that my office can prosecute and put away reckless criminals looking to profit off vulnerable and unsuspecting South Dakotans.”

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

    Hagen was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury finds Mission Man Guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Canku Martinez, age 22, of Mission, South Dakota, was found guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping following a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 18, 2024.

    Each charges carries a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2024.

    At trial, the evidence established in the early morning hours of October 29, 2024, in the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Martinez agreed to give a juvenile a ride home from a party near Rosebud, South Dakota. Rather than give her a ride home, however, Martinez drove her to a secluded area outside of Rosebud and made sexual advances. When the juvenile rejected his advances, Martinez produced a knife and forced her to engage in sexual activity. Martinez subsequently dropped the victim off at her residence, told her not to tell anyone what he had done, and left the area shortly thereafter.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    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. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Winner (SD) Police Department. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

    A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not been set. Martinez was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Birmingham Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Gun and Drug Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man has been sentenced for gun and drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.

    U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced Damion Deonte Wade, 24, to 120 months in prison after Wade pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

    According to the plea agreement, on April 11, 2023, Birmingham Police officers stopped a vehicle for having a tinted windshield; Wade was driving. Officers saw drugs, drug paraphernalia, and firearms in plain view. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered  two digital scales, methamphetamine, fentanyl, a Mak-47, a Glock 10mm extended magazine and an AK-47 magazine.

    ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius Greene prosecuted the case.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rosebud Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Fellow Inmate and Possessing a Sawed-Off Shotgun

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on October 21, 2024.

    Kobe Ryan Running Bear, a/k/a Kobe Running Bear-Espinoza, age 21, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Running Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 24, 2024.

    The convictions stem from two separate incidents which occurred in July of 2023 within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On July 4, 2023, Running Bear was driving a vehicle faster than the posted speed limit in Mission, South Dakota. A law enforcement officer observed Running Bear and initiated a traffic stop, but Running Bear accelerated and attempted to flee. During the pursuit, Running Bear threw a short shotgun from his vehicle. The shotgun was recovered by law enforcement and Running Bear was subsequently apprehended. The short shotgun had a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length and was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Running Bear will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States.

    On July 29, 2023, Running Bear was an inmate at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. At one point, Running Bear and another man attacked a fellow inmate and assaulted him with a pencil.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    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.

    This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

    Running Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Four Cases Brought by Election Threats Task Force

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force (ETTF) announced developments this week in four cases involving interstate transmissions of threats to election personnel and other victims.

    Teak Brockbank, 45, of Cortez, Colorado, pleaded guilty today to threatening a Colorado election official, and admitted to making other threats to an Arizona election official, a Colorado state judge, and federal law enforcement agents between September 2021 and July 2024.

    Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, of Cullman, Alabama, was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison for sending messages threatening violence to election workers with Maricopa County Elections in Phoenix on Aug. 2-4, 2022, during and immediately following the Arizona primary elections.

    Richard Glenn Kantwill, 61, of Tampa, Florida, was charged on Monday for allegedly sending a threat on Feb. 9 to an election official in addition to already pending charges for threats made to three other victims based on their political commentary in 2019 and 2020.

    John Pollard, 62, of Philadelphia, was charged on Monday for allegedly threatening on Sept. 6 to kill a representative of a Pennsylvania state political party who was recruiting official poll watchers.

    “As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department’s warning remains clear: anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer will face the consequences,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Over the past three and a half years, the Justice Department has been aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who threaten the public servants who administer our elections, and we will continue to do so in the weeks ahead. For our democracy to function, Americans who serve the public must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives.”

    “Threats to election workers are threats to our democratic process,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “No one should face violence or threats of violence simply for doing their job. The actions announced today make clear that we will not tolerate those who use or threaten violence in an effort to undermine our democratic institutions. To carry out their essential work, election officials must be free from improper influence, physical threats, and others forms of intimidation.”

    “Our elections are made by possible by the hard work and patriotism of election workers in communities across the country who are also our neighbors, relatives and friends, and they deserve to do this important work without being subjected to threats,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The fact that election workers need to be worried about their security is incomprehensible and unacceptable. While these four cases are examples of the kinds of threats election workers are unfortunately facing, these cases also represent the FBI’s dedication in holding accountable those who undermine our democracy with this conduct. The FBI and our partners on the ETTF will work tirelessly to charge and arrest those callous enough to make these threats and make sure they are held accountable. Free, fair, and safe elections are critical to our country and our democratic ideals.”

    “These defendants made serious threats of violence against members of the election community. Threats like these strike at the very heart of our democracy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The cases announced today underscore the Criminal Division’s commitment to defending our democracy, safeguarding our elections, and protecting all election workers. Through the ETTF, the Department will vigorously investigate and prosecute all criminal threats against members of the election community.”

    The four cases were all brought by the ETTF. Created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they join the task force in its critical work.

    Under the leadership of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

    United States v. Brockbank (District of Colorado)

    According to court documents, Brockbank admitted to using three social media accounts to post messages threatening Colorado and Arizona election officials between September 2021 and July 2024.

    On Sept. 22, 2021, Brockbank posted the following message on social media:

    “[Election Official-1] . . . needs to- No has to Hang she has to Hang by the neck till she is Dead Dead Dead. There will be accountability for these peoples actions in Communist Colorado and it won’t be judges and it won’t be weakmided cops that bring it!!! It will be Me it will be You it Will be every day people that understand that there life does not matter anymore with the future our country has laid out before it.”

    As part of his plea, Brockbank also admitted to posting a message on Aug. 4, 2022 referring to election officials in Arizona and Colorado, stating: “Once those people start getting put to death then the rest will melt like snowflakes and turn on each other. . . . This is the only way. So those of us that have the stomach for what has to be done should prepare our minds for what we all [a]re going to do!!!!!! It is time.”

    In addition, Brockbank admitted to posting a message threatening a Colorado state judge on Oct. 2, 2021: “I could pick up my rifle and I could go put a bullet in this Mans head and send him to explain himself to our Creator right now. I would be Justified!!! Not only justified but obligated by those in my family who fought and died for the freedom in this country. . . . What can I do other than kill this man my self?”

    Brockbank further admitted to threatening federal law enforcement on July 13, 2024, posting: ““I believe every single FBI agent deserves to go explain themselves to our creator right away!!!! I am more than willing to send any/All of you there.”

    Finally, Brockbank admitted to illegally possessing multiple firearms and ammunition.

    “The security and sanctity of the American election system is core to the foundation of our Democracy,” said Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “We will prosecute people who threaten elections, election officials, or election workers to the fullest extent of the law.”

    Brockbank pleaded guilty today to interstate transmission of a threat. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case.

    Acting Deputy Director Jonathan E. Jacobson of PIN’s Election Crimes Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado are prosecuting the case.

    United States v. Ogstad (District of Arizona)

    According to court documents, on or about Aug. 2, 2022, Arizona held primary elections for federal and state officeholders, including a gubernatorial primary election that received nationwide media coverage. From the day of the election through on or about Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad sent multiple threatening direct messages to a social media account maintained by Maricopa County Elections. For instance, on or about Aug. 3, 2022, Ogstad stated: (1) “You did it! Now you are f*****.. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes”; (2) F*** you! You are caught! They have it all. You f****** are dead”; (3) “You are lying, cheating m****** f******* . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are f****** stupid if you think your lives are safe”; and (4) “You f******  are so dead.” On or about Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad also stated, “[Y]ou people are so ducking stupid. Everyone knows you are lots, cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang f******!” ” In the course of his messages to the recipient, Ogstad transmitted an image of the character “Woody,” from the Toy Story film franchise, lying face down with an unidentified projectile in its back.

    “In this election season we honor and respect those public servants who enable Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “And we seek to protect all election workers from intimidation and harassment. Threats of violence, whether conveyed by words or deeds or pictures, will be met in this District with robust prosecution.”

    Ogstad was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000 fine, after pleading guilty on July 25 to one count of interstate transmission of a threat.

    The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Birmingham Field Office.

    Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

    United States v. Kantwill (Middle District of Florida)

    According to court documents, from September 2019 to July 2020, Kantwill, a dentist, sent over 100 threats to various public figures via Facebook and Instagram messages, email, and text. As charged in the superseding information filed on Monday, those threats included a threat sent via email to an author, a threat sent via text to a religious leader, and a threat sent via Instagram to a television personality. From April 2022 to April 2024, Kantwill also sent at least seven additional threats to four public figures via Facebook, including a threat to an election official in another state on Feb. 9, when Kantwill wrote: “You are a degenerate c***. and you are now the target of our own investigation. Take note because liberal t***s like you get raped in alleys, by really big black guys that serve our cause. So, you t*** are going to get raped by at least 5 n*****s, and do nothing. You are the number 1 target, you degenerate t***.”

    “If you threaten someone with violence, we will take you at your word,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Law enforcement officers and members of my office will work together to hold accountable and federally prosecute individuals who threaten to injure or kill others.”

    Kantwill is charged with four counts of interstate transmission of a threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of PIN and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail K. King for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado.

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

    United States v. Pollard (Western District of Pennsylvania)

    According to the indictment, on Sept. 6, Pollard sent threatening text messages to Victim 1, a resident of the Western District of Pennsylvania. Victim 1 had previously posted online, in Victim 1’s capacity as an employee of a state political party, that Victim 1 was recruiting volunteers to “help[] observe at the polls on Election Day” and included Victim 1’s phone number. Pollard allegedly texted Victim 1 that he was “interested in being a poll watcher” and included Victim 1’s first name. Pollard then allegedly texted three threats to Victim 1: (1) “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”; (2) “Your days are numbered, B****!”; and (3) “GONNA F***ING FIND YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR SKIN FOR F***ING TOILET PAPER, YOU F***ING KKK**T!”

    “Threats of violence have no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This is no less true when those threats of violence are directed at individuals associated with our electoral process — in this case, someone seeking to organize poll watchers. This conduct will not be tolerated in our district, and we will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to prosecute these offenses with the full weight of the law.”

    Pollard was arrested on Monday and appeared in federal court in Philadelphia. He is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of PIN and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole A. Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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

    *****

    To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bank fraud scheme sends Georgia man to federal prison for four years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA — A federal judge today sentenced a Georgia man to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for a scheme that involved recruiting homeless individuals to cash fraudulent checks at Montana financial institutions, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendant, Akia Demetrius Hills, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty in June to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court also ordered $226,500.69 in restitution.

    In court documents, the government alleged that Hills and others stole mail and checks, and then fraudulently used the identities of various individuals to cash fraudulent checks throughout Montana financial institutions. On May 10, 2019, Hills and others instructed a man to enter numerous banks to attempt to cash a fraudulent check. Eventually, one bank accepted the fraudulent check, which totaled $6,734. Hills traveled across the country to defraud banks and attempted to use homeless individuals to cash fraudulent checks at banks.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.

    XXX

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Returned in June 2023 Armed Carjacking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Vincent Jones, 29, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today on charges of armed carjacking, armed robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for robbing the victim at gunpoint outside of a McDonald’s Restaurant, at 3901 Minnesota Ave. in Northeast D.C., in June of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

               According to the government’s evidence, on June 16, 2023, the defendant and two accomplices approached the victim near the parking lot, pointed firearms at him, demanded that he “give it up,” and forcibly took his keys, bag, and cash.  The defendant and one accomplice then fled in the victim’s vehicle while the third accomplice fled in a separate car.

               This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Jacob Green of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Charged with Weapon of Mass Destruction Offense in Connection with Bomb Attack in Lobby of County Courthouse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A three-count federal grand jury indictment was returned today charging Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, California, with committing a bomb attack at a courthouse in Santa Maria in which several people were injured. McGuire’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 25 in the Central District of California.

    According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on Sept. 25, McGuire entered a courthouse of Santa Barbara County Superior Court and threw a bag into the lobby. The bag exploded and McGuire left the courthouse on foot. The explosion injured at least five people who were near the bomb when it exploded.

    Shortly thereafter, McGuire was apprehended and detained by law enforcement officials as he was trying to access a red Ford Mustang car parked outside the building. McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.

    Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe. McGuire told law enforcement he intended to re-enter the courthouse with the firearms in order to kill a judge.

    A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material.

    McGuire was charged with one count of using a weapon of mass destruction, one count of maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive, and one count of possessing unregistered destructive devices. McGuire has been in custody since his arrest in September, shortly after the attack.

    If convicted of all charges, McGuire faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years in prison and a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch announced the case.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Takla and Kathrynne N. Seiden for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

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

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