One of the illegal aliens arrested is a foreign fugitive wanted for homicide in Honduras
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released the following statement after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 72 illegal aliens at a nightclub run by a suspected member of the Los Zetas Cartel during an operation in the Charleston, South Carolina area over the weekend. Los Zetas, now formally recognized as Cártel del Noreste (CDN) was formally designated a terrorist organization by the Trump Administration in February 2025.
Prior to the operation, ICE received information from a source that “The Alamo”-–an underground illegal nightclub-–was the location of weapons, narcotics, and human trafficking. ICE also seized cash, narcotics, and firearms during the operation.
During the operation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the unlicensed establishment, leading to:
72 arrests, including individuals with serious prior offenses.
6 juveniles recovered and turned over to state social services for protection and care.
Arrests are still being processed.
One of the most high-profile arrests was of Sergio Joel Galo-Baca, a Honduran illegal alien and foreign fugitive with an active Interpol Red Notice for homicide in Honduras.
“Day in and day out, the brave men and women of ICE are working with local law enforcement to keep American communities safe. The successful operation that took place in the Charleston area resulted in more than 70 arrests of illegal aliens—including an international murder suspect and the dismantling of a nightclub run by a suspected cartel member where drug, weapon, and human trafficking were taking place,”said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, fugitives and law breakers are on notice: Leave now or ICE will find you and deport you.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte led the operation with local law enforcement, which took place on June 1.
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.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By J.B. Ruhl, Professor of Law, Director, Program on Law and Innovation, and Co-director, Energy, Environment and Land Use Program, Vanderbilt University
In one fell swoop, the U.S. Supreme Court has changed a big part of the game.
Whether the effects are good or bad depends on the viewer’s perspective. Either way, there is a new interpretation in place for the law that is the centerpiece of the debate about permitting – the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, known as NEPA.
Only after completing that work can the agency make a final decision to approve or deny the project. These reports must evaluate direct effects, such as the destruction of habitat to make way for a new highway, and indirect effects, such as the air pollution from cars using the highway after it is built.
Decades of litigation about the scope of indirect effects have widened the required evaluation. As I explain it to my students, that logical and legal progression is reminiscent of the popular children’s book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” in which granting a request for a cookie triggers a seemingly endless series of further requests – for a glass of milk, a napkin and so on. For the highway example, the arguments went, even if the agency properly assessed the pollution from the cars, it also had to consider the new subdivisions, malls and jobs the new highway foreseeably could induce.
The challenge for federal agencies was knowing how much of that potentially limitless series of indirect effects courts would require them to evaluate. In recent litigation, the question in particular has been how broad a range of effects on and from climate change could be linked to any one specific project and therefore require evaluation.
With the court’s ruling, federal agencies’ days of uncertainty are over.
The cover image of the 637-page environmental impact assessment shows a view of the region where a railway is proposed to be built. U.S. Surface Transportation Board
At issue was an 85-mile rail line a group of developers proposed to build in Utah to connect oil wells to the interstate rail network and from there transport waxy crude oil to refineries in Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere. The federal Surface Transportation Board reviewed the environmental effects and approved the required license in 2021.
The report was 637 pages long, with more than 3,000 pages of appendices containing additional information. It acknowledged but did not give a detailed assessment of the indirect “upstream” effects of constructing the rail line – such as spurring new oil drilling – and the indirect “downstream” effects of the ultimate use of the waxy oil in places as far flung as Louisiana.
In February 2022, Eagle County, Colorado, through which trains coming from the new railway would pass, along with the Center for Biological Diversity appealed that decision in federal court, arguing that the board had failed to properly explain why it did not assess those effects. Therefore, the county argued, the report was incomplete and the board license should be vacated.
In August 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed and held that the agency had failed to adequately explain why it could not employ “some degree of forecasting” to identify those impacts and that the board could prevent those effects by exercising its authority to deny the license.
The railway developers appealed to the Supreme Court, asking whether NEPA requires a federal agency to look beyond the action being proposed to evalutate indirect effects outside its own jurisdiction.
Petroleum-drilling equipment stands in the Uinta Basin in eastern Utah. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
A resounding declaration
Writing for a five-justice majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered a ringing, table-pounding lecture about courts run amok.
Kavanaugh did not stop to provide specific support for each admonition, describing NEPA as a “legislative acorn” that has “grown over the years into a judicial oak that has hindered infrastructure development.” He bemoaned the “delay upon delay” NEPA imposes on projects as so complicated that it bordered “on the Kafkaesque.”
In his view, “NEPA has transformed from a modest procedural requirement into a blunt and haphazard tool employed by project opponents.” He called for “a course correction … to bring judicial review under NEPA back in line with the statutory text and common sense.” His opinion reset the course in three ways.
First, despite the Supreme Court having recently reduced the deference courts must give to federal agency decisions in other contexts, Kavanaugh wrote that courts should give agencies strong deference when reviewing an agency’s NEPA effects analyses. Because these assessments are “fact-dependent, context-specific, and policy-laden choices about the depth and breadth of its inquiry … (c)ourts should afford substantial deference and should not micromanage those agency choices so long as they fall within a broad zone of reasonableness.”
Second, Kavanaugh crafted a new rule saying that the review of one project did not need to consider the potential indirect effects of other related projects it could foreseeably induce, such as the rail line encouraging more drilling for oil. This limitation is especially relevant, Kavanaugh emphasized, when the effects are from projects over which the reviewing agency does not have jurisdiction. That applied in this case, because the board does not regulate oil wells or oil drilling.
And third, Kavanaugh created something like a “no harm – no foul” rule, under which “even if an (environmental impact statement) falls short in some respects, that deficiency may not necessarily require a court to vacate the agency’s ultimate approval of a project.” The strong implication is that courts should not overturn an agency decision unless its NEPA assessment has a serious flaw.
The upshot for the project at hand was that the Supreme Court deferred to the board’s decision that it could not reliably predict the rail line’s effects on oil drilling or use of the oil transported. And the fact that the agency had no regulatory power over those separate issues reinforced the idea that those concerns were outside the scope of the board’s required review.
A train rolls along a stretch of track in Utah that could be connected with a proposed railway to carry oil to market. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
A split court
Although Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, wrote that she would have reached the same end result and upheld the agency permit, her proposed test is far narrower.
By her reading, the federal law creating the Surface Transportation Board restricted it from considering the broader indirect effects of the rail line. But her finding would be relevant only for any federal agencies whose governing statutes were similarly restrictive. By contrast, Kavanaugh’s “course correction” applies to judicial review of NEPA findings for all federal agencies.
Though the full effects remain to be seen, this decision significantly changes the legal landscape of environmental reviews of major projects. Agencies will have more latitude to shorten the causal chain of indirect effects they consider – and to exclude them entirely if they flow from separate projects beyond the agency’s regulatory control.
Now, for example, if a federal agency is considering an application to build a new natural gas power plant, the review must still include its direct greenhouse gas emissions and their effects on the climate. But emissions that could result from additional gas extraction and transportation projects to fuel the power plant, and any climate effects from whatever the produced electricity is used for, are now clearly outside the agency’s required review. And if the agency voluntarily decided to consider any of those effects, courts would have to defer to its analysis, and any minor deficiencies would be inconsequential.
That is a far cry from how the legal structure around the National Environmental Policy Act has worked for decades. For lawyers, industry, advocacy groups and the courts, environmental review after the Eagle County decision is not just a new ballgame; it is a new sport.
J.B. Ruhl does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
News of the spectacular “spiderweb” mass drone attack on Russian air bases on June 1 will have been uppermost in the minds of delegates who assembled the following day for another round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. The attack appears to have been a triumph of Ukrainian intelligence and planning that destroyed or damaged billions of pounds’ worth of Russian aircraft stationed at bases across the country, including at locations as far away as Siberia.
Ukraine’s drone strikes, much like Russia’s intensifying air campaign, hardly signal either side’s sincere commitment to negotiations. As it turned out, little of any consequence was agreed at the brief meeting between negotiators, beyond a prisoner swap, confirming yet again that neither a ceasefire nor a peace agreement are likely anytime soon.
But the broader context of developments on the battlefield and beyond can offer important clues about the trajectory of the war in the coming months.
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At an earlier meeting in Istanbul in May, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to draft and exchange detailed proposals for a settlement. The Ukrainian proposal restated the longstanding position of Kyiv and its western allies that concessions on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country are unacceptable.
In other words, a Russian-imposed neutrality ruling out Nato membership and limiting the size of Ukraine’s armed forces is a non-starter for Kyiv. So is any international recognition of Moscow’s illegal land-grabs since 2014, including the annexation of Crimea.
The Ukrainian proposal is for an immediate ceasefire along the frontline as “the starting point for negotiations”. Any territorial issues would be discussed “after a full and unconditional ceasefire”.
Russia’s proposals, meanwhile, are also mostly old news. Russia maintains its demands for full recognition of Russian territorial claims since 2014, Ukrainian neutrality.
These stringent Russian demands in return for even a temporary ceasefire are hardly any more serious negotiation positions from Ukraine’s perspective than Kyiv’s proposals are likely to be to Moscow. In fact, what the Kremlin put on the table in Istanbul is more akin to surrender terms.
Ukraine is in no mood to surrender. The spiderweb drone attack against Russia’s strategic bomber fleet is a significant boost for Ukrainian morale. But, like previous drone strikes against Moscow in June 2023, it means little in terms of signalling a sustainable Ukrainian capability that could even out Russia’s advantages in terms of manpower and equipment.
The state of the conflict in Ukraine as at June 3 2025. Institute for the Study of War
Closer to the frontlines inside Ukraine, Kyiv’s forces also struck the power grid inside Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. This may delay any Russian plans to expand its control over the two regions. But, like the latest drone strikes inside Russia, it is at best an operation that entrenches, rather than breaks the current stalemate.
But while Russia might continue to make incremental gains on the battlefield, a game-changing Russian offensive or a collapse of Ukrainian defences does not appear to be on the cards.
International support
Kyiv’s position will potentially also be strengthened by a new bill in the US senate that threatens the imposition of 500% tariffs on any countries that buy Russian resources. This would primarily affect India and China.
These are the largest consumers of Russian oil and gas, and if New Delhi and Beijing decide that trade with the US is more important to them cheap imports from Russia, the move could cut Russia off from critical revenues and imports.
But, given how indecisive Donald Trump has been to date when it comes to putting any real, rather than just rhetorical, pressure on Vladimir Putin, it is not clear whether the proposed senate bill will have the desired effect. The bill has support of over 80 co-sponsors from both the Republican and Democratic caucuses, meaning the senate could overturn a presidential veto. But any delay in imposing tougher sanctions will ultimately play into Putin’s hands.
By contrast, European support for Ukraine has, if anything, increased in recent months. For example, EU leaders adopted their 17th sanctions package against Russia on May 20. A week later, Germany and Ukraine announced a new military cooperation agreement worth €5 billion (£4.2 billion).
It still falls short of what Kyiv would require for a major shift in the balance of power on the battlefield. But for now it is enough to prevent Russia from becoming militarily so dominant that Moscow’s current settlement proposals would present the only option for at least some part of Ukraine to survive as an independent state.
The war remains in a stalemate. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv appear to have the capacity to escalate their military efforts to the degree necessary that would force the other side to make substantial concessions.
Both sides are playing for time in the hope that their fortunes may change. For Ukraine, this would mean more US military support coupled with more sanctions pressure on Russia, while Europe follows through on building up its own and Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
Russia’s calculations will be different. Putin will need to keep his few remaining allies – China, Iran and North Korea – on side while trying to make a deal with Trump. This may be impossible to achieve.
In this case, the Russian dictator’s best hope might be that Trump does not impose any serious sanctions on Russia or its trade partners, let alone lean into increasing military support for Ukraine.
For both sides, a lot still hinges on Washington. The unpredictability of the Trump White House, much like the self-imposed restraint under Biden, not only makes it unlikely that the war in Ukraine moves beyond the current stalemate, it has become a major, and perhaps the decisive road block that enables both Moscow and Kyiv to dream of victory in a war that has become unwinnable.
Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.
Tetyana Malyarenko 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.
The UK government’s new strategic defence review has laid out a blueprint aimed at making Britain “secure at home, strong abroad”.
The review represents a change in how the government thinks about the UK’s defence amid a rapidly changing geopolitical picture. The Labour government launched the review in July 2024 shortly after taking office, as a first step in reassessing UK armed forces in the face of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged at the time: “We live in a more dangerous and volatile world.”
The government has accepted the review’s 62 recommendations. The most eye-catching parts are investment and development of new weapons: expanding the UK’s nuclear capabilities, drone swarms and long-range missile systems, new F-35 and updated Typhoon fighter jets and autonomous weapon systems.
Unlike past reviews, this one was conducted by experts outside of the government: former Nato secretary general Lord Robertson, former US National Security Council member and former White House adviser Fiona Hill, and retired British Army officer General Sir Richard Barrons.
In addition to practical measures of investment and expansion, the review lays out the more difficult changes that are needed to respond to security challenges, namely Russian threats to Europe. Here are three key aspects to understand.
1. War-fighting ready
The review says the UK must be “ready to fight and win” a full-scale war. Importantly, it suggests that the UK is no longer in an era of going to war when it chooses – but instead is facing the possibility of being forced into war.
Academic Mary Kaldor made the distinction between the two types of wars in her book New Wars and Old Wars, stating that old wars are “wars of necessity”, and new wars are “wars of the willing”. Published a few years after the end of the cold war, it’s easy to see why Kaldor made this distinction.
But the strategic review paints a different picture – that wars of necessity are once again the UK’s primary security concern. This means the UK must be on a different war footing than it has been since 1991.
As such, the government and the UK armed forces will have to change and become more innovative to meet this challenge. To do this, the review lays out plans for an “integrated force” model (rather than joint forces). It describes this approach as leading to “a more agile and lethal combat force”.
The review also calls for a “whole society approach”, including expanding the voluntary under-18 cadet forces, protecting national infrastructure and public outreach.
2. Pace of innovation
The review includes a host of recommendations for digital innovation and munitions production, and suggests that the defence industry could be an even bigger contributor to growing the economy. But, it notes, the UK’s defence industry is currently “stuck in cold war-era procurement cycles” and processes.
It points to a need to speed up planning and procurement and improve partnerships with the commercial sector.
Many digital innovations are being driven by industry in the US and China, such as the work on AI, nanotechnologies, robotics and automation. The challenge for the UK will be how to build good relationships with those countries on innovation which does not have a strong presence in UK digital industries.
The reelection of Donald Trump in 2024 shocked many into thinking that the trans-Atlantic relationship was fast dissolving, though the change has been going on for some time . This review acknowledges that in setting out a “Nato first” approach:
There is an unequivocal need for the UK to redouble its efforts within the Alliance and to step up its contribution to Euro-Atlantic security more broadly – particularly as Russian aggression across Europe grows and as the United States of America adapts its regional priorities.
It states that Europe and the transatlantic area will be the UK’s primary reference for security. This marks a shift from the previous “Indo-pacific tilt” defence focus laid out in the 2021 integrated review.
The Nato-first approach seems to be at odds with the direction of Nato’s largest and most powerful member, the US. Since the end of the 1990s, US presidents have repeatedly sought to realign US grand strategy towards China and away from Europe. Had the Russian Federation not invaded Crimea in 2014, the Obama administration may have been able to carry out this pivot.
As it stands, with the second Trump presidency and its repeated calls for increasing defence spending from European states (in addition to what has often been seen as less than resolute intentions towards Russia), one might think Nato should be counting its days, rather than being placed at the centre of a new strategic review.
However, regardless of Trump’s actions, the UK will still matter for Washington for the foreseeable future, because it remains an ally and it does defence well. Nato still remains the way to do coalition-building because it has been around for so long and has built up the institutions to do high-level defence cooperation and coordination.
The review recognises the direction of travel for Washington, and how much it requires the UK and other European governments to invest in their own defence.
David J. Galbreath has received funding from the UKRI.
HARLINGEN, Texas — A suspected stash house in Mercedes, Texas, was uncovered June 2 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement resulting in the apprehension of 16 illegal aliens.
On June 1, ICE received a tip from an anonymous caller reporting that multiple illegal aliens were being harbored at a residence in Mercedes. ICE contacted the Mercedes Police Department, which conducted a welfare check of the property. Authorities spoke to the owner of the property who admitted to harboring approximately 16 individuals inside the home.
“This operation underscores the critical role that the public and local law enforcement partners play in identifying and disrupting human smuggling operations,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Rio Grande Valley Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa. “Transnational criminal networks continue to endanger lives for profit. ICE will relentlessly pursue those who exploit vulnerable individuals for financial gain.”
The 16 individuals encountered were identified as nationals of Nepal, Albania, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. Sixteen were taken into custody for immigration violations and another individual, a Mexican national, is being questioned for his role in human smuggling.
The investigation remains ongoing. The enforcement action was supported by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspicious activity or tips related to human smuggling by calling 866-347-2423 or by submitting an anonymous tip via the ICE online tip form.
Follow HSI San Antonio on X at @HSI_SanAntonio to learn more about its enforcement efforts and investigations.
SNOW HILL, NC — Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) released the following statement after the decision by Snow Hill commissioners to reinstate the Snow Hill Police Department:
“The Snow Hill Board of Commissioners acted unitedly and decisively, voting 5 to 0 to stand with our police department. The vote reflects a deep commitment to the town’s well-being and will better serve the residents moving forward. By prioritizing public safety, Snow Hill is poised to be recognized not only as one of North Carolina’s most charming towns but also as one of our safest.”
It’s late evening and your phone vibrates with some banter from colleagues. You join the conversation and go to bed feeling part of the work community. You then wake up and have a feeling of apprehension as to how the messages will be perceived.
WhatsApp might have started as a casual messaging app for friends, but it has now firmly become embedded in workplace communication – and increasingly in workplace conflicts, too.
WhatsApp chats have also been used to corroborate or refute claims in employment tribunals. An employee might claim they were promised a pay rise or flexible hours via WhatsApp, for example. But on the other hand, employers have also used WhatsApp logs to prove misconduct. This evidence has included sharing confidential information.
In the workplace, WhatsApp chats have replaced many casual real-life conversations. Colleagues create groups to coordinate work, message each other after hours and vent their frustrations in private messages. Although this feels informal, it can leave employees vulnerable.
But when disputes escalate to legal action, these messages can help judges understand what really happened. Tribunals treat WhatsApp messages like any other document.
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We examined more than 2,000 cases brought to UK employment tribunal’s since 2019 that involved WhatsApp. The findings reveal a surprising range of ways in which these casual chats became evidence.
WhatsApp conversations have increasingly played a crucial role in misconduct and discrimination disputes, being used as evidence of harassment or inappropriate behaviour. The messages are also cited in unfair dismissal and contract claims, especially where informal work communications and digital records were seen as central to the case.
In 2018, 48 cases brought to employment tribunals involved WhatsApp messages. By 2024, that had climbed to 562. The cases span a wide range of jurisdictions, but unfair dismissal, contract breaches, harassment and discrimination were dominant. From the cases we examined, several themes were clear.
1. Removal or exclusion from a WhatsApp group
In the case of Ms B Djagbo v Women’s Health Dulwich Ltd, the claimant successfully brought a claim for unfavourable treatment due to pregnancy and maternity. This followed a series of incidents that took place after she informed her employer of her pregnancy.
Several actions made her feel as though her employment was being prematurely ended, including being removed from the workplace WhatsApp group chat. The tribunal awarded her almost £20,000.
2. Discriminatory messages or harassment via WhatsApp
In the Mr D Robson v NGP Utilities Ltd case, the claimant is a gay man and brought a complaint of harassment. This included a series of inappropriate and offensive incidents at work, notably, a WhatsApp group message from a colleague.
The message was part of a wider pattern of jokes targeting gay colleagues. The employment tribunal awarded him more than £36,000.
3. Termination of employment via WhatsApp
The case of Miss J Hodkinson v B&R Care Ltd highlights a pregnant care worker who was awarded more than £40,000 in compensation after being unfairly dismissed via WhatsApp. The fact the dismissal was carried out informally and insensitively supported the tribunal’s findings of “procedural and substantive unfairness”.
4. WhatsApp communications submitted as evidence
The Mr M D Black v Alain Charles Publishing Ltd tribunal noted that the claimant’s evidence was consistent with WhatsApp message screenshots included in the evidence bundle. As a result, compensation of almost £100,000 was awarded.
Seized WhatsApp messages can provide an insight into workplace culture. Kafka Ibram/Shutterstock
WhatsApp groups can also offer a window into workplace culture. Tribunals have seen examples of co-workers using WhatsApp to share sexist and racist jokes or to gossip about colleagues.
The tribunal cases show just how deeply WhatsApp has become part of working life, blurring the line between personal and professional. Colleagues chat the way friends do.
But when working relationships sour or rules are broken, each of these informal chats carries legal weight. What someone thought was a single throwaway remark in a private conversation can later be dissected as part of a wider body of evidence.
There have been cases where an employer was ordered to hand over work-related WhatsApp exchanges, and others where an employee’s own messages were used against them.
It’s a clear lesson. Privacy in digital communication is never guaranteed. Even encrypted messages can become public in a courtroom.
WhatsApp dos and don’ts
The volume of references to WhatsApp in tribunal cases frames some key lessons for both employees and employers. In a nutshell, if you wouldn’t write it in a company email or say it in a meeting, don’t put it into WhatsApp.
Jokes can be misinterpreted and offensive remarks don’t just go away. Many have learned this the hard way.
Using WhatsApp to share instructions and decisions might seem convenient, but it shouldn’t replace formal process.
And for employers, it’s time to update communication policies, including guidelines on after-hours messaging, the use of group chats and respecting expectations of inclusivity.
Banning WhatsApp might not be practical, but setting out expectations is important. Even a policy stating that any work-related communication on personal messaging apps should adhere to the company’s expected code of conduct is a start.
Many people are unaware that a private chat can reappear as evidence. Knowing that a tasteless joke on WhatsApp could support a harassment claim potentially costing an unlimited fine, or that ignoring a late-night work message might be used as evidence of poor performance, will harden most people to conduct more mindful communication.
Gordon Fletcher receives funding from InnovateUK.
Jonathan Lord and Saad Baset do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University
The drone attacks by Ukrainian Operation Spider’s Web forces on Russian airfields have called into question Russia’s supposed military strength.
Russian authorities have acknowledged damage from the June 1 attacks — an unusual admission that suggests the strikes were probably effective, given Russia’s usual pattern of downplaying or denying the success of Ukrainian operations.
The operation’s most significant target was the Belaya air base, north of Mongolia. Belaya, like the other bases targeted, is a critical component in the Russian Air Force’s strategic strike capabilities because it houses planes capable of long-range nuclear and conventional strikes.
It’s also in Irkutsk, approximately 4,500 kilometres from the front lines in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s ability to successfully strike Belaya — an attempted strike at the even more distant Ukrainka air base failed — probably won’t have much of a military impact on the war. But along with successful attacks on other Russian airfields and the strike at the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, Operation Spider Web’s successes could play a strategic role in the conflict.
These attacks could shift what has become increasingly negative media coverage and public perception about Ukraine’s chances in the war over the last year. In a war of attrition, which the conflict in Ukraine has become, establishing a belief in victory is a pre-condition for success.
Explosions hit the Kerch Bridge in Russia on June 3, 2025. (The Independent)
Increased pessimism
Policymakers and pundits, instead of recognizing their expectations of a Ukrainian victory in 2023 were unrealistic, have often declared that the war is unwinnable for Ukraine.
This perspective was even more prevalent following United States President Donald Trump’s resumption of power in January 2025. In the Oval Office spat Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late February, he declared Ukraine did not “have the cards” to defeat Russia.
This turned out to be false. Ukraine’s army may possess significantly less military hardware and fewer soldiers than Russia’s, but war is often a continuation of politics. Politically, Russia faces several issues that could derail its war efforts.
Russian vulnerabilities
Russia’s military capabilities are important to Russian nationalists, who make up Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s core constituency. Russian military forces have advanced along nearly all fronts in Ukraine over the last year.
These advances, however, have largely been insignificant. Furthermore, they have emphasized Russia’s military weakness, which is an ongoing affront to Russian nationalists.
Not only have Russian military advances over the last year not changed the war in a strictly military sense, but the pace of advance has been incredibly slow. Over the last year, Russian forces have captured 5,107 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. This territory represents less than one per cent of Ukraine’s pre-war territory.
In exchange for what amounts to negligible gains, Russian armed forces have suffered significant casualties.
Both Russia and Ukraine carefully guard the number of casualties their forces have suffered in the war. The British Ministry of Defence, however, estimates that Russia will have suffered more than a million casualties in the war by the end of this month. The Russian casualty rate is also accelerating, with an estimated 160,000 casualties in the first four months of 2025.
Russia attempts to compensate for this battlefield devastation in two ways.
First, it’s isolated Ukraine by manipulating Trump’s desire for political wins and business deals. Russia, in appearing to seek an end to the conflict while offering no concessions, has stoked tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump, where there was little love lost between the two to begin with.
Second, Russia has increased its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Large-scale bombing does little to help Russia on the battlefield. The attacks, in fact, put its forces at a disadvantage by redirecting munitions from military targets.
Attacks on civilians
The attacks on civilian infrastructure, however, are more about instilling fear in the Ukrainian population and demonstrating American impotence to a Russian audience.
Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities also highlight Russia’s trump card: nuclear weapons. Russia, and specifically former Russian president Dimitry Medvedev, has repeatedlythreatened nuclear war in an attempt to dissuade Ukraine’s supporters.
By bombing Ukrainian cities, albeit with conventional munitions, Russia seeks to demonstrate its ability to deploy even more destructive weapons should the situation call for it.
These Russian military missteps, combined with a Russian economy that is structurally unsound, means that Russia’s war effort is increasingly fragile.
Weakening Asian alliances
Ukraine’s attack on Belaya also signals Russian weakness to its nominal allies in Asia.
Since the start of hostilities, Russia has relied on the tacit consent of China. This support has taken the form of China purchasing Russian crude oil to maintain the Russian economy and Chinese citizens unofficially fighting for Russia.
Belaya has been a vital element of Russia’s deterrence strategy in Asia, which has come to rely more heavily on the Russian strategic nuclear threat. The inability of Russia to protect one of its key strategic assets from a Ukrainian drone attack, combined with the weakness of Russian conventional forces in Ukraine, erodes its ability to position itself as a key ally to China.
In fact, some Russian authorities continue to view China as a major threat.
At the same time, Operation Spider’s Web gives hope to the Ukrainian people. It may also cause Trump — who prefers to back winners — to ponder whether it’s Putin, not Zelenskyy, who lacks the cards to win the war.
James Horncastle 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.
Crisis support is available to individuals impacted by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis Line at 1-844-413-6649 (toll-free).
June 3, 2025 — Ottawa, Ontario, Unceded Algonquin Traditional Territory — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern and Arctic Affairs Canada
Violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people is a national crisis that must end. Responding to this national crisis requires all levels of government to work in true partnership with Indigenous partners to advance their solutions to improve safety, support healing from trauma, and ensure justice for all, especially those most impacted. Guided by Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQI+ people, and families and survivors, the Government of Canada is driving meaningful change that reflects Indigenous voices and leadership.
The 2024–25 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report outlines the federal government’s progress to respond to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice. To date, the Government of Canada has taken concrete action on the Calls for Justice and has made significant efforts to advance the National Inquiry’s Final Report.
Examples of progress include:
A Chief Advisor to Combat Human Trafficking was appointed with a mandate to collaborate with Indigenous partners to address the increased risk experienced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
Over 90 Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBQTI+ organizations received federal funding to increase their ability to prevent or address gender-based violence across Canada.
Engagement and co-development of the Red Dress Alert pilot, an emergency response system for missing Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people, in a collaborative initiative from Government of Canada, the Government of Manitoba and Giganawenimaanaanig—an Indigenous organization in the province.
52 safety projects received support under the Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative, supporting distinctions-based and 2SLGBTQI+ safety priorities in urban, rural, and Northern communities.
32 healing projects to provide culturally grounded supports for First Nations, Inuit and Métis families experiencing grief and trauma were supported by federal investments.
More than 160 community-based projects were funded, and 14 regional First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations received continued support on the implementation of their long-term strategies to advance Indigenous self-determined priorities and Indigenous control over language revitalization, which is key to healing, identity, and addressing the root causes of violence.
37 new shelters and 36 new transitional homes have been committed for Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ people seeking safety.
In the year ahead, Canada will continue working with Indigenous partners to deliver tangible progress and strengthen the systems that keep people safe, as an essential part of collective efforts to build justice, healing, and lasting reconciliation.
Home Newsroom AG Labrador Announces Arrest of Idaho Falls Man for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of a Child
BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced investigators within his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force arrested twenty-three-year-old Joel Clarke on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, for possession and distribution of child sexual exploitation material. Clarke was charged with three counts of distribution of child sexual exploitation material and seven counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material. “My office will continue to pursue allegations of child exploitation,” said Attorney General Labrador. “We will continue to work tirelessly to protect children in Idaho and ensure that individuals accused of such heinous offenses are brought before the court to answer for these alleged crimes.” Members of the Idaho ICAC Task Force who assisted with the arrest include the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children. Parents, educators, and law enforcement officials can find more information and helpful resources at the ICAC website, ICACIdaho.org. The charges listed above are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
SAN FRANCISCO – Esbin Ramirez-Garcia was sentenced today to 90 months in federal prison for committing aggravated sexual abuse while on federal land. Senior U.S. District Judge William Alsup handed down the sentence.
Ramirez-Garcia, 28, a national of Mexico, pleaded guilty on Feb. 25, 2025, to one count of aggravated sexual abuse in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a). According to the plea agreement, Ramirez-Garcia admitted that late in the evening on Aug. 2, 2024, while giving the victim, with whom he had a prior relationship, a ride from her workplace in his truck, he asked her to get back together with him. The victim refused to resume their relationship and asked to be let out of the vehicle, but Ramirez-Garcia grabbed her with his hand and continued driving, forcing her to accompany him.
Ramirez-Garcia deviated from the route to the victim’s home and drove his truck to a parking lot in the Marin Headlands, which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Ramirez-Garcia forcibly placed his body on top of the victim’s body while she sat in the passenger seat and sexually assaulted her.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Acting Special Agent in Charge Betsy Smith made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Alsup also sentenced the defendant to a 10-year period of supervised release and ordered that he participate in a sex offense-specific treatment program, among other conditions. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Chen and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Wistar Wilson prosecuted the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery, Maureen French, and Fernanda Gonzalez. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch.
A Metropolitan Police Commander has been dismissed from the service for a second time for refusing to take a drugs test.
A misconduct hearing, led by an independent legally qualified chair, found the allegation proven against Commander Julian Bennett at the level of gross misconduct.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “I am enormously concerned that almost five years since this incident happened we have only now been able to dismiss Commander Bennett.
“This should have been a simple matter. Commander Bennett has never disputed he refused a lawful order to take a drugs test. As a senior officer who had chaired misconduct hearings, Commander Bennett was highly experienced and knew full well what was required of him, yet he made a choice not to co-operate.
“He has been suspended on full pay for an extraordinary length of time. I am sure Londoners will be as outraged as we are at the utter waste of public funds spent paying a senior officer to sit at home suspended and not work.
“In the last few years the Met has been making greater use of accelerated misconduct hearings to fast-track cases where the evidence is irrefutable. This allows us to dismiss officers far more quickly. And while the Met is not responsible for all the delays in Commander Bennett’s matter, we are also working hard to expedite cases and cut bureaucracy.
“I am confident a situation like Commander Bennett’s prolonged case would not happen again.”
Commander Bennett was initially dismissed in October 2023 by a misconduct panel independent of the Met.
The hearing heard that on 21 July 2020 he refused to provide a urine sample for a drugs test, having been informed there was reasonable cause to suspect he had taken drugs. On 24 July 2020 he was suspended from duty.
The panel found that Commander Bennett had breached the standards of professional behaviour to the level of gross misconduct.
Two further allegations were found not proven – that between February 2019 and 21 July 2020, while off duty, Commander Bennett smoked cannabis, and that he gave an untrue explanation for why he refused to take the drugs test.
Commander Bennett then applied to the Police Appeals Tribunal, which is an independent process run by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.
In July 2024 the PAT quashed the dismissal decision and ordered a new hearing, on the technical basis that the panel had ruled on a matter that was not part of the allegations they were asked to consider.
The Met considered a legal challenge by way of a Judicial Review but, after careful consideration and legal advice, decided Commander Bennett should face a fresh misconduct hearing.
A date for a new hearing was set as quickly as possible in liaison with all parties.
Commander Bennett has remained suspended throughout this process.
He will be added to the Barred List held by the College of Policing. Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police and a number of police-related bodies.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)
22.6% reduction in critical programs threatens millions of American lives, including critical programs for schools, healthcare, the opioid epidemic, clean water, and tribal programs
WASHINGTON D.C. —Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)released the following statement after President Trump delivered a “skinny” version of his Fiscal Year 2026 President’s Budget request to Congress on Friday:
“Today, Donald Trump delivered his first President’s Budget request to Congress, and it should tell you everything you need to know about his priorities: that they are all about gutting vital programs over meeting the needs of the American people,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “This is the President’s Great Betrayal once again, following on his massive tax package gutting social programs and ongoing tariffs that are driving economic instability and increased costs for the American people. Trump’s budget would gut vital programs by over 22% across all major federal programs—including those crucial to funding our schools, mental and behavioral health programs, clean water and air, and tribal programs. This is America under DOGE. And, I will continue to fight it every step of the way.”
Today, President Donald Trump transmitted a FY 2026 “Skinny” Budget to Congress, proposing over $163 billion in cuts, totaling more than a 22% reduction in funding for non-defense discretionary spending, representing cuts across vital federal agencies, including, among many others:
$33.3 billion in cuts (a 26.2% decrease) to the Department of Health and Human Services
$33.6 billion in cuts (a 43.6% decrease) to the Department of Housing and Urban Development
$5.1 billion in cuts (a 30.5% decrease) for the Department of the Interior, including hundreds of millions in cuts to the Bureau of Indian Affairs
$4.535 billion in cuts to the Department of Education’s K-12 Programs and billions more to early childhood education and other programs
$1.065 billion in cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
$2.460 billion in cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
Among additional cuts that could significantly impact New Mexico and New Mexico’s First Congressional District include:
$617 million in funding cuts to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) serving Tribal and Pueblo Nations (including $107 million in cuts for BIA Public Safety & Justice programs and 187 million in cuts to the Bureau of Indian Education)
The elimination of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). which helps low-income families with heating and utility costs
$900 million in cuts to the National Park System
Billions in cuts to infrastructure, clean energy, and Department of Energy programs vital to New Mexico’s economy.
This FY 2026 Proposal for agency funding cuts follows on the special tax and spending package Trump and the GOP are trying to pass separately through a Budget Reconciliation package this spring. This disastrous package would havecatastrophic impacts for the country and NM-01. This tax package includes $7 trillion in giveaways to billionaires and big corporations, including a $314,266 average annual tax cut for the richest 0.1 percent, funded through almost $5 trillion in deficit spending and cuts to vital programs like Medicaid and food assistance.
Among its impacts for New Mexico’s First Congressional District include:
Healthcare insurance premiums could increase by 60% – 169%
207,936 people on Medicaid could be at risk of losing health care access and benefits, including 85,960 children under the age of 19 and 22,000 seniors over 65
153,000 people on SNAP could be impacted in their ability to access benefits that help put food on the table.
216,669 children who rely on free school lunches could be impacted
15,721 students in NM-01 on Pell grants could be impacted
For a table with more information on these cuts, clickhere.
ALBUQUERQUE – A Pinedale man pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon after slashing a man’s throat during a confrontation.
According to court records, on February 17, 2025, Laberto Curley, 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used a knife to slash John Doe’s throat during a physical altercation, resulting is serious bodily injury.
At sentencing, Curley faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Curley will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old Mexican national illegally in the United States has been ordered to prison for possessing narcotics with the intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Banda-Lucero to serve 37 months in federal prison.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence Banda-Lucero did not have status to be in the country and got involved in narcotics trafficking for money. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane noted the straightforward facts of the case and Banda-Lucero’s clear role as a courier. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.
On Oct. 25, 2023, Banda-Lucero was to deliver narcotics in Pharr. Authorities conducted surveillance within a shopping center and observed a white work van pull into a parking spot.
Banda-Lucero exited the passenger side of the van and provided a duffel bag over to who he thought was the purchaser. The bag contained 20 bundles which had an approximate weight of 22.5 kilograms and tested positive for cocaine.
The drugs had an estimated street value of $1.2 million.
Banda-Lucero will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
LOS ANGELES – The owner and operator of two West Covina hospices was arrested today on a 14-count federal grand jury indictment alleging she filed more than $4.8 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare – which paid more than $3.8 million on those claims – for medically unnecessary services for people not terminally ill and for paying kickbacks to marketers to procure patients.
Normita Sierra, 71, a.k.a. “Normie,” of West Covina, is charged with nine counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy, and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals.
Also arrested today was Rowena Elegado, 55, a.k.a. “Weng,” also of West Covina, who is charged with one count of conspiracy, and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals.
Both defendants are expected to make their initial appearances and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, Sierra owned and operated Golden Meadows Hospice Inc., and D’Alexandria Hospice Inc., which billed Medicare for hospice services for patients who were not terminally ill during a scheme that lasted from September 2018 to October 2022.
Sierra and Elegado allegedly worked together to pay marketers to recruit patients to the hospices, knowing that most of those patients had not been referred by their primary care physicians for such services. Those kickbacks, often referred to internally using the code words “girl scout cookies,” amounted to as much as $1,300 per patient, per month that the patient stayed on hospice service.
Others involved in the scheme included Carl Bernardo, 53, of Chino, who pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of receiving kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 23. Relyndo Salcedo, 60, of Fontana, a nurse practitioner involved in the scheme, pleaded guilty on May 22 to one count of health care fraud and is scheduled for sentencing on November 20.
Salcedo, a nurse practitioner, conducted initial assessments for the hospice and found many of the patients ineligible for hospice. But, under pressure from Sierra, who made the ultimate enrollment decisions even though she wasn’t a medical professional, and marketers such as Bernardo, Salcedo exaggerated and falsified the patients’ conditions to make them seem terminally ill. Hospice physicians then relied on Salcedo’s records to certify the patients as hospice appropriate.
Once enrolled, those patients – who were not in fact terminally ill – rarely died, and instead were often discharged at around six months at Sierra’s direction, sometimes to her home health company or the other hospice company.
During the scheme, Golden Meadows submitted at least approximately $3,870,642 in fraudulent claims, on which Medicare paid approximately $2,912,187. D’Alexandria submitted approximately $945,647 in fraudulent claims, on which Medicare paid approximately $894,199.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of the charges, Sierra would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count. Sierra and Elegado would face up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal kickback count.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
A 36-year-old Fort Worth man who produced child pornography was sentenced on May 30, 2025, to 50 years in federal prison, announced Nancy Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Jamie Hackney pled guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with the production and transportation of child pornography in February 2025. He was sentenced on Friday to 600 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Reed O’Connor.
According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued a Cybertip to the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) regarding images that were uploaded to Hackney’s Google account. Through their investigation, FWPD uncovered forensic evidence of Hackney using a minor to create and subsequently transport child pornography.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allyson Monte.
Greenbelt, Maryland – Two Prince George’s County men have pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with an auto-insurance fraud scheme. Michael Anthony Owen, Jr., 36, of Accokeek, Maryland pled guilty to falsification of records, and Jaron Earl Taylor, 31, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty pleas with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the guilty pleas, between August 2018 and February 2020, Owen and Taylor, who were PGPD and Anne Arundel County Policy Department officers, respectively, at the time,conspired with fellow police officers to engage in mail and wire fraud. Owen and Taylor, along with officers Candace Tyler, Conrad D’Haiti, and Davion Percy, and others, devised a scheme for insurance companies to pay out the remaining financing costs of unwanted vehicles.
Members of the conspiracy reported fictitious losses to insurers to obtain money or avoid paying off vehicles that were now worth less than the amount owed on them. The co-conspirators used their statuses as police officers to assist each other’s claims by writing false police reports. Then co-conspirators submitted fictitious police reports to insurers to validate the claim. The false police reports were intended to impede, obstruct, or influence subsequent investigations of the false insurance claims.
In August 2018, Owen and Taylor staged the theft of Taylor’s Chevrolet Tahoe. After Taylor filed a fraudulent police report, Owen and Taylor stripped the vehicle and drove it deep into the woods of a Maryland State Highway property near Largo, Maryland. Taylor then made a false claim to the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) for the loss, for which USAA paid out a total of $38,670.
Then in January 2020, Owen assisted D’Haiti in avoiding payment on the loan balance of a Jaguar XKR. In cooperation with D’Haiti and Percy, Owen devised a scheme to fake the vehicle’s theft. On January 4, D’Haiti parked his Jaguar behind Marlow Heights Shopping Center where Percyworked as police chief.
D’Haiti then paid Percy $350 to arrange for another co-conspirator to tow the vehicle and extensively vandalize it for the purpose of creating a total insurance loss. Tylersubsequently filed the fictitious police report which D’Haiti used to substantiate his claim against Liberty Mutual Insurance. In February 2020, Liberty Mutual paid the Jaguar’s lienholder, Navy Federal Credit Union, $17,585, on the false claim.
Additionally, in January 2020, Owen and Taylor assisted with disposing of an Infiniti sedan to help a co-conspirator avoid making further payments on the vehicle while on extended overseas duty. The co-conspirator gave Taylor $1,000 via CashApp to stage the theft. Taylor then forwarded the money to Owen who filed a false police report with PGPD, stating the vehicle was stolen.
In reality, Owen, Taylor, and others moved the car to the top floor of a Camp Springs, Maryland apartment-complex parking garage. The co-conspirators attempted to conceal the car’s identity by removing the vehicle’s license plates and replacing them with different ones registered to another vehicle. Then the owner and co-conspirator filed a claim with GEICO that was eventually denied on grounds of fraud.
Owen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Taylor faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison if the court fully accepts the plea deal. Both sentencings are scheduled for Tuesday, September 23. Taylor’s sentencing is at 10:30 a.m., and Owen’s sentencing is at 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and LaShanta Harris who are prosecuting the case.
Louisville, KY – U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has appointed Kyle G. Bumgarner as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546. Bumgarner was formally sworn into the position yesterday by U.S. District Court Chief District Judge Greg N. Stivers.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to lead the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, said U.S. Attorney Bumgarner. “I would like to thank President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for entrusting me with this great responsibility, particularly at such an important time for our Nation. Through the talented prosecutors in this Office, we stand committed to fighting the drug epidemic and violence that has ravaged our communities, combating the fraud that has been perpetrated against our institutions, and protecting vulnerable victims that are preyed upon by ruthless criminals. Our goals cannot be achieved without selfless and heroic work from our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers—particularly those on the front lines—who will receive unwavering support from our Office. I accept this role with great enthusiasm and a commitment to making the Western District of Kentucky a safer place for each of us to raise our families and earn a living.”
Before his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Bumgarner practiced law in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at Kerrick Bachert, PSC, and served as law clerk to Judge David Bunning of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
U.S. Attorney Bumgarner is a graduate of Centre College and Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law.
The U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement official in their district, representing the United States in all criminal and civil litigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, headquartered in Louisville with staffed offices in Bowling Green and Paducah, and an unstaffed branch in Owensboro, serves 53 Kentucky counties and two military facilities: Fort Knox and Fort Campbell.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky has a mission to fairly and justly prosecute violations of federal criminal law and to represent the United States and its agencies in civil litigation; to educate and inform the public, including victims of crime, about the functions of the justice system and the rights of all citizens; to assume a leadership role in crime prevention through speaking engagements and community involvement; and to conduct federal and local law enforcement training and facilitate cooperation and collaboration among law enforcement agencies.
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the legal industry enters the age of artificial intelligence, Practice AI™ is urging law firms not just to adopt AI, but to choose their tools carefully. In a time when efficiency, accuracy, and client outcomes matter more than ever, the AI partners law firms select will shape their success.
“Technology alone isn’t enough,” said Hamid Kohan, President and CEO of Practice AI™. “Law firms must partner with AI providers who understand the legal landscape and who are committed to building tools that truly work for attorneys, not just impress on paper.”
Legal AI Is No Longer Optional, but Choosing the Right Tool Is Critical
AI has already started to transform legal research, document review, client intake, demand letter generation, and case summaries. However, with so many options available, many law firms feel unsure about which solutions actually deliver results and which ones are worth the investment.
Kohan explained, “There’s a difference between having AI and having the right AI. That’s why Practice AI™ and its partners are focused on solving real problems, saving time, improving accuracy, and streamlining workflows from intake to resolution.”
Why Being Selective About AI Matters
Practice AI™ cautions that adopting AI without a clear plan or thoughtful evaluation can result in:
Wasted time and money on tools that don’t fit the firm’s workflow
Compliance and confidentiality risks if tools aren’t built for legal environments
Workflow disruption instead of transformation, especially when tools lack customization or support
In contrast, Practice AI™ and its partners deliver tailored solutions, including AI Demands™ for personal injury demand letters and AI Case Summary™ for legal and medical document analysis. These tools are designed by legal professionals, specifically for law firms.
The Right AI Partner Offers More Than Just Software
According to Hamid Kohan, the best AI vendors provide more than technology. “This isn’t about buying software, it’s about building partnerships,” he said. “Law firms should expect hands-on support, clear onboarding, and tools that evolve with their needs.”
Practice AI™ recommends evaluating AI partners based on:
Transparency in how the AI operates and generates results
Experience and knowledge of legal workflows
Dedicated support and onboarding assistance
Strong data security practices, including HIPAA compliance
Scalability for firms of all sizes, from solo practices to larger operations
A Call to Legal Professionals to Choose Purposefully
As legal technology continues to evolve, law firms must take a thoughtful and strategic approach. Practice AI™ advises starting with pilot programs, gathering feedback from legal staff, and focusing on tools that solve specific pain points.
“AI should not be hype. It should be helpful,” Kohan said. “At Practice AI™, we measure success by how much time our clients save and how many cases they can manage more effectively.”
Looking Ahead: Law Firms That Choose Wisely Will Lead the Future
Artificial intelligence is not a passing trend. It is a long-term shift in how legal services are delivered. Law firms that choose wisely, partner with experienced providers, and adopt tools that truly improve performance will be best positioned for growth.
Those who rush in without a plan or wait too long to act may struggle to keep up with more agile and tech-enabled competitors.
For legal professionals who want clarity, control, and results from their AI journey, Practice AI™ offers not only innovative tools but also experienced guidance to ensure long-term success.
For media inquiries, please contact: Practice AI™ Address: 21731 Ventura Blvd. #175, Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Phone: (424) 476-5858 Email: sales@lawpractice.ai
Derry City and Strabane District Council Shortlisted for Prestigious RTPI Northern Ireland Planning
3 June 2025
Derry City and Strabane District Council has been shortlisted for the prestigious RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute) Northern Ireland Awards for Planning Excellence 2025 in the category of Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture, recognising their outstanding work on the Clooney Terrace Cannon Regeneration Project.
The nomination celebrates the Council’s leadership and collaborative approach in transforming the historic Clooney Cannon site into an accessible, vibrant public space that respects and enhances local heritage. Delivered in partnership with the Bonds Street Community Association and Clooney All Saints Church of Ireland, the regeneration project has brought new life to a site of significant cultural and historical value in the Waterside area.
Completed in 2024, the £215k project included extensive environmental improvements, such as the restoration of the historic Crimean War-era cannon, new seating, planting, lighting, and the installation of interpretive signage. The scheme also created a physical link between the cannon site and the adjacent Clooney All Saints Church garden through a dedicated pathway, improved access points, new boundary railings and sympathetic lighting of the church building—ensuring that both heritage assets are better integrated and appreciated by the public. The scheme was fully funded by the Department for Communities.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Ruairí McHugh, welcomed the news of the nomination: “This recognition from RTPI is a testament to what can be achieved through strong partnership working with our local communities. The Clooney Cannon project not only honours an important aspect of our shared history but also creates a welcoming and engaging public space that contributes to the cultural fabric of the city. We’re proud to see our efforts acknowledged at a regional level.”
Tony Monaghan, Regeneration Manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council, also praised the nomination and the team behind the project: “Being shortlisted for this award is a fantastic achievement and reflects the dedication and professionalism of our regeneration team. I want to sincerely thank our staff, community partners, other stakeholders and our funder DfC who worked tirelessly to bring this project to life. It’s incredibly rewarding to see their efforts recognised in such a meaningful way.”
Funded by the Department for Communities, with £215k contributed to the project, the regeneration has already had a positive impact on the local community and urban landscape, aligning with broader goals for heritage-led regeneration and place-making in the district.
The RTPI Northern Ireland Awards for Planning Excellence recognise outstanding contributions to planning that create inclusive, sustainable, and high-quality places. They highlight projects that demonstrate vision, leadership, and positive impact on communities and the built environment. Shortlisted entries span a range of categories, showcasing the breadth of work carried out by planners and built environment professionals throughout the region.
The winners of the RTPI Northern Ireland Awards for Planning Excellence 2025 will be announced at the Welcome Celebration Event on 9 June 2025, from 12pm to 2pm at Malone House, Barnett’s Demesne, Belfast. The event will celebrate innovation, collaboration, and excellence across Northern Ireland’s planning community.
Austin, TX – The U.S. Marshals, working with the U.S. Department of State and Panamanian officials, have returned to Travis County a man who had been sought by the Austin Police Department on an aggravated robbery warrant issued April 2, 2024.
Brayan Estiven Rios, 29, was wanted by the Austin police for a robbery that occurred July 19, 2022, in the 2500 block of Francisco Street. According to the affidavit, a victim reported to have been forced into a vehicle at gunpoint and instructed to withdraw a large sum of money from her bank account.
In April, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office worked together to facilitate the extradition of Rios, who was intercepted by officials in Panama.
On May 22, Panamanian officials transferred Rios to the USMS for extradition back to the United States. After arriving at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport, Rios was transported and booked into the Travis County Jail, where he will await further judicial proceedings.
The Department of Homeland Security filed an immigration detainer on Rios, who is a Colombian national and has no legal status in the United States.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Panamanian authorities to secure the extradition of Rios.
Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin –
Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit Round Rock, and San Marcos Police Department Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Texas Attorney General’s Office Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG Texas Department of Public Safety U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations
DETROIT – A criminal complaint was filed charging Haoxiang Gao, a citizen and national of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), with false claims to register or vote and voting by aliens, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division.
According to the complaint, Gao was a college student attending the University of Michigan who illegally registered to vote in the days before the 2024 presidential election, apparently using his University of Michigan student ID, and then cast a ballot in the election at a polling location located at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The complaint further alleges that Gao made false statements regarding his citizenship on his voter registration application and his early voting application. After being charged with state offenses, the state court granted Gao a $5,000 personal bond with conditions, including that he does not leave the State of Michigan and that he surrenders his passport for the pendency of the case. Gao did surrender his passport but on January 19, 2025—the day before the new administration took office in Washington—Gao jumped bond and fled the country on a flight bound for Shanghai, China. Customs and Border Protection records show that Gao passed through Detroit Metropolitan Airport security using a PRC passport in his name but bearing a number different from the number on the passport that he surrendered to University of Michigan police.
Relatedly, on Friday, May 30, 2025, a complaint was unsealed charging Gao with the federal offense of flight to avoid prosecution based on the allegations that he jumped bond and fled the country to avoid his state offenses.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “Illegal voting is a serious crime that cast doubt on our elections and serves to disenfranchise United States citizens by diluting their power at the ballot box. But illegal voting by a foreign national who is from a country controlled by a communist party dictatorship – with no modern history or tradition of democratic government – is beyond the pale. I hope that today’s charges send a message to foreign nationals – including those who are students at our universities – that we will not tolerate illegal voting.”
“The federal charges filed against Haoxiang Gao, a Chinese national, serve as a clear and unequivocal reminder that the FBI will investigate anyone who attempts to unlawfully interfere with the electoral process in the United States,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI treats all allegations of voter fraud with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to holding accountable those who violate our election laws. This case reflects the strength of our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose prosecutorial leadership has been critical. I also want to commend the dedicated efforts of the FBI’s Ann Arbor Resident Agency, in close collaboration with the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety & Security, for their outstanding investigative work.”
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
ST. LOUIS – United States Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Tuesday that she has resigned as the head prosecutor for the Eastern District of Missouri.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead the United States Attorney’s Office for the last four and a half years,” Ms. Fleming said. “As a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Missouri, I have had the great fortune of working with some of the most dedicated law enforcement professionals in the country, and I am extremely grateful for the sacrifices they make every day for our safety. They are truly heroes, and it has been an honor to have worked alongside them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. Louis has for years had an excellent reputation within the Department of Justice, which is a testament to the integrity of the committed and hard-working staff. I think they are the best in the country. I would also like to thank our partners in the business community and among religious and community organizations, who were invaluable in our efforts, including the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative,” Ms. Fleming said. “I will dearly miss this job and the people with whom I have worked.”
Ms. Fleming was appointed by then-Attorney General William P. Barr on December 11, 2020, during the first administration of President Donald J. Trump. She assumed office on December 31, 2020.
The Eastern District of Missouri leads the nation in gun prosecutions, including carjackers, armed robbers and murderers. Under Ms. Fleming’s leadership, St. Louis became one of a handful of cities in the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative, targeting the ‘worst of the worst’ violent offenders. After former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner resigned in May of 2023, Ms. Fleming signed an agreement that allowed assistant U.S. attorneys to prosecute murder cases in St. Louis and assist that office while they made hires to replace a depleted staff. The U.S. Attorney’s Office had long been handling many violent crimes that occurred in St. Louis.
Ms. Fleming’s prosecutors also trained local and state law enforcement in the investigation of fatal drug overdoses and the possession and sale of machine gun conversion devices. Prosecutors also trained other U.S. Attorney’s offices on how to prosecute juveniles who commit murders during carjackings or robberies.
Ms. Fleming, who co-chaired the Attorney General’s Child Exploitation Working Group, increased the number of prosecutors handling the child exploitation cases to help keep our children safer.
“United States Attorney Sayler Fleming has been a tremendous law enforcement partner. Under her leadership over the years, our offices have been in lockstep in our efforts to protect our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The FBI cannot effectively accomplish our mission without the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The people of Eastern Missouri are safer thanks to her proactive and aggressive approach to prioritizing fighting violent crime.”
“U.S. Attorney Fleming made a definitive impact, for the betterment of our communities, in the Eastern District of Missouri,” Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “We’re grateful for her partnership over these past 15 years as we worked together to remove violent drug traffickers from our region. On behalf of the DEA St. Louis Division, I want to thank U.S. Attorney Fleming for her dedicated service and wish her continued success in the future.”
“We extend our sincere gratitude to U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming for her steadfast leadership and unwavering commitment to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Bernard Hansen of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Her dedication to combating violent crime and fostering strong partnerships with federal agencies like the ATF has made a lasting impact on public safety throughout the Eastern District of Missouri and beyond. Her service exemplifies integrity, diligence, and the highest standards of public duty.”
“Sayler Fleming was instrumental in facilitating cooperation between law enforcement agencies and helping to fight crime,” said Mark A. Mossotti, Chief of the Bridgeton Police Department and Chairman of the St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association. “We have many police departments in the St. Louis area and she was just phenomenal in working with every single one of them.”
“U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming has been a dedicated partner to the St. Louis region and the law enforcement community,” said St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Tracy. “She has played a key role in SLMPD’s mission to reduce violent crime through her office and leadership.”
“On behalf of the St. Louis County Police Department, I extend my deepest thanks to U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming for her unwavering commitment to justice. Your leadership has left a lasting mark, and we wish you all the best,” said St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory.
Ms. Fleming joined the office in August of 2010 from the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner law firm. She had extensive experience prosecuting and supervising violent crime cases and was the office’s Appellate Chief before becoming U.S. Attorney.
Ms. Fleming grew up in Charleston, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Accountancy from Mississippi State University and her law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law.
Ms. Fleming concluded her service at midnight on Friday to make way for the next U.S. Attorney. Former First Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake will now assume the role of Acting U.S. Attorney. U.S. Attorney Drake joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2002 in the National Security Unit. He earned his Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Missouri.
The Eastern District of Missouri includes 49 counties and is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
According to court documents, Charles Stephen Farrar, Jr., of Columbus, Mississippi, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to trafficking methamphetamine. Farrar was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson on Monday to over 11 years in prison for the charge. He was further sentenced to four years supervised release following his release from prison.
William Lyon, of Columbus, Mississippi, also pled guilty in the drug trafficking scheme. Lyons was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson on Monday to five years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine. He was further sentenced to four years supervised release following his release from prison.
“The sentences imposed by Judge Davidson should provide notice to drug dealers that there are consequences to selfishly peddling poison within their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We are proud of the partnership with DEA, ATF, and our invaluable state and local allies at the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Lowndes County SO that has allowed us to remove illegal narcotics, and those who sell them, from our midst.”
“Methamphetamine tears lives apart. This sentencing, a result of dedicated work by our special agents and law enforcement partners, ensures these traffickers are held accountable for the damage they inflicted on Mississippi,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw.
“This sentencing is the result of outstanding work and coordination by our local, state and federal partners,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “I commend the efforts of all the agencies involved for their dedication to ensuring justice is served and for their continued commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
“The ATF is working closely with local and state police agencies to combat the scourge of deadly illegal drugs in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed yesterday sends a message that we will continue to focus efforts on repeat offenders so we can remove more violent criminals from our streets and keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.
This investigation and resulting case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is also a 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.
DETROIT – Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Marty C. Raybon, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The FBI arrested Jian in connection with allegations related to Jian’s and Liu’s smuggling into America a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon. This noxious fungus causes “head blight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Fusarium graminearum’s toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.
According to the complaint, Jian received Chinese government funding for her work on this pathogen in China. The complaint also alleges that Jian’s electronics contain information describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. It is further alleged that Jian’s boyfriend, Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen and that he first lied but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America—through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport—so that he could conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns. These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into in the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.”
U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon stated, “Today’s criminal charges levied upon Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate our agricultural economy and cause harm to humans; especially when it involves a researcher from a major university attempting to clandestinely bring potentially harmful biological materials into the United States. This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners. I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”
Jian will be appearing this afternoon in federal court in Detroit for her initial appearance on the complaint.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
New funding for B.C.’s Path Forward Community Fund will ensure that Indigenous people have the resources they need to address violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
“Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people experience violence far too often, and decades of harmful policies and practices have created cycles that continue to affect people today,” said Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Our government is committed to ensuring that Indigenous people and communities have the resources and support they need to drive community solutions to ending violence.”
Since the Path Forward Community Fund was created in 2022, almost $21 million has been invested in community-safety planning and capacity building for Indigenous people through eligible organizations, such as First Nations, Bands, Tribal Councils and Treaty First Nation Governments; Métis chartered communities and Métis organizations; and urban/off-reserve Indigenous organizations. This includes an additional $5 million in funding this year through the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence.
The fund is managed by the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and has supported 86 Indigenous-led community projects. Projects have included funding to the Skidegate Band Council to run the Path Forward community workshop on anti-violence and to the Fraser Valley Métis Association to support gatherings to learn about issues affecting Métis Two-Spirit and LGBTQQIA+ communities.
“The Path Forward Community Fund is helping Indigenous communities and organizations create their own culturally safe solutions to address gender-based violence,” said Christine Boyle, B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. “We know there is more to do, and we’re committed to working hand-in-hand with Indigenous partners to build a province that is safer for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.”
The Province has also released its 2025 status update to A Path Forward: Priorities and Early Strategies for B.C., which responds to the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
B.C.’s Path Forward 2025 status update outlines the progress that has been made in addressing the systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in B.C. and highlights key actions the government is taking to continue this critical work. These key actions include implementing the Anti-Racism Act, which establishes a whole-of-government approach to dismantling systemic racism and advancing racial equity, and Safe and Supported: B.C.’s Gender-Based Violence Action Plan, which sets out important steps the Province is taking to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
The release of the 2025 Path Forward report coincides with the sixth anniversary of Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which was issued on June 3, 2019.
B.C.’s Path Forward includes 28 mandate-letter commitments that align with the inquiry’s 231 Calls for Justice and demonstrate the Province’s determination to end violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Support for the Path Forward Community Fund also furthers the ongoing work under B.C.’s Gender-Based Violence Action Plan.
Quotes:
Rechie Valdez, federal Minister of Women and Gender Equality –
“Everyone deserves to feel safe –including Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Indigenous-led solutions that reflect culture, community and lived experience are key to ending gender-based violence. Through the National Action Plan, the Government of Canada is supporting B.C.’s Path Forward Community Fund – a step toward reconciliation and a future rooted in safety, dignity and healing.”
Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity –
“Our commitment to addressing violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people is unwavering. We honour the work that has been done, and we recognize that there is much more to do in addressing the root causes of violence, including colonialism, racism and misogyny.”
Julie Robertson, interim executive director of BCAAFC –
“Indigenous people cannot truly heal without the financial freedom to facilitate their own healing their way. Each year, when we receive the Path Forward Community Fund applications, we see the creative and culturally safe solutions that Indigenous communities and organizations come up with that target their community’s specific needs at that time. This funding ensures that Indigenous communities are able to adapt their approach to their community’s evolving needs.”
Learn More:
To read the 2025 Path Forward Report, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/BBAEE8B72E28431188AC27ED33692B68
For more information about the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and the Path Forward Community Fund, visit: https://bcaafc.com/
To read the Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, visit: https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/
Between January 1, 2025 and April 1, 2025, the Ontario RCMP Border Integrity team and its partners in the Cornwall region, laid multiple charges and seized a total of $561,568 worth of contraband tobacco products. The RCMP allege that several individuals have attempted to smuggle unstamped tobacco, cigarettes, cigars and nicotine pouches which are being unlawfully imported for unregulated resale in convenience stores and other retail outlets into Ontario.
The Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) is a joint task force made up of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the Ontario Ministry of Finance. We work closely with our trusted Canadian and US partners to combat crime on both sides of the border.
On January 7th, a CBSA led initiative partnering with the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) stopped a vehicle under Section 99(1)(f) of the Customs Act and a search of the vehicle found 28 boxes of unstamped tobacco with a total of 280,000 cigarettes. Driver James Johnson (34 yrs.), from Saint Regis, QC was charged with Possession of Unstamped Tobacco under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 and Operation while Prohibited under Section 320.18 of the Criminal Code. Passenger Dylan David (35 yrs.), from Hogansburg, NY was charged with Possession of Unstamped Tobacco under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 and Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for Possession of a Schedule 1 Drug – Fentanyl.
On January 12th, a vehicle was examined by the CBSA under Section 99(1)(f) of the Customs Act and found to contain 9,360 unstamped cigars. Nadir Khedidem (23 yrs.), from Mirabel, QC was charged by the RCMP pursuant to Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 and was convicted.
On January 16th, two vehicles that had crossed the Cornwall border were stopped and searched under Section 99(1)(f) of the Customs Act and a total of 18 cases of nicotine pouches, for a total of 36,000 pouches were seized. Reese Hitterman-Carr (24 yrs.) from Lancaster, ON and Adam Bomberry (31 yrs.) from Akwesasne, NY were arrested and charged under Sections 155 and 159 (1) of the Customs Act.
On January 27th, Lawrence Oakes (22 yrs) from Cornwall was arrested by Cornwall RCMP after fleeing from a secondary examination by CBSA officers at the border and striking a marked Police vehicle. Oakes is charged with Assaulting a Police Officer with a weapon, Dangerous Driving, Flight from Police and Fail to Comply to Release Order.
In late February, a CBSA led initiative partnering with the CRTF collaborated to arrest, Robert Green (32 yrs.), from Ohsweken, ON under Sections 155 and 159(1) of the Customs Act and Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 for possession of 37,000 nicotine pouches, 7200 cigars and 1440 ounces of chewing tobacco for a total of $294,560. Green was released on an undertaking and appeared in court on May 20th.
On February 26th a CBSA led initiative partnering with the CRTF spotted three individuals behind a restaurant in Cornwall where they were allegedly exchanging nicotine pouches from the trunks of their vehicles. RCMP arrested all three males on Customs Act charges and seized over $ 160 Thousand dollars’ worth of nicotine pouches. Nasim El Bendago (22 yrs.) from Gatineau, QC, Zahir Taskie (20 yrs.) from Orleans, ON, and Mark Wesley (24 yrs.) from Scarborough, ON were arrested under Sections 155 and 159(1) of the Customs Act for possession of these nicotine pouches. Wesley also faces charges for possession for the purpose of trafficking under Section 5 (2) of the CDSA. All three were released on undertakings and will appear in court on June 3rd.
On February 24th, Megan Morin (22 yrs.) from Longueuil, QC was found with a total of 255 cartons of illegal cigars which was seized from the trunk of the vehicle she was driving. Morin was charged with Possession of Unstamped Tobacco, contrary to Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001, released on an undertaking and was convicted on May 7th.
In March, law enforcement seized 3,122 tins of flavoured nicotine pouches from a driver allegedly attempting to illegally import them across the Cornwall border. The male driver was arrested initially under Sections 155 and 159(1) of the Customs Act, however, has subsequently been released without charges.
On March 8th, a traffic stop led the OPP and RCMP to an observation of a total of 2,532 tins of Unstamped Tobacco valued at over $56,000 which was seized immediately. The driver, Asiful Haque (27 yrs.) from Scarborough, ON was arrested under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 for Unlawful Possession of Unstamped Tobacco. Haque was released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on May 29th.
“Thanks to the CBSA, OPP, OPP-BEST, Ontario Ministry of Finance, and Cornwall RCMP for their dedicated collaboration which continues to produce successful results, taking contraband, including nicotine pouches, off our streets.” —Inspector Etienne Thauvette, Officer in Charge RCMP Cornwall Detachment
“Canada Border Services Agency officers are committed to disrupting organized crime. By intercepting contraband, we stop proceeds from being reinvested into other criminal activity. We will continue to work closely with the RCMP and other law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.” —Jag Johnston, Regional Director General, CBSA Northern Ontario Region
“The OPP is committed to working with our provincial and national partners to stem the flow of contraband tobacco, as well as illegal drugs and firearms, contributing to safer communities.” – OPP Acting Detective Inspector Tyler Stewart, Border Enforcement Security Task Force
Products seized
Unstamped tobacco: 633 KG
Cigarettes: 280 000
Nicotine pouches: 180 380
Cigars: 17 400
Chewing tobacco: 1440 oz
Vehicles seized
2003 Chevy Silverado
2015 Mazda 3
2010 Black Kia Forte
2020 Grey Honda Civic
2014 White KIA Sedan
2010 White Honda Civic
2005 GMC Savana
2009 White Dodge Ram Crew Cab
Fast facts:
Ontario RCMP Border Integrity protect over 2,700km of the Canada-US border from Cornwall through the Great Lakes to the Manitoba border. The Canada-US border is the longest, safest border in the world.
Oral nicotine pouches over the 4mg limit as per the Food and Drugs Act are classified as prescription drugs as per Health Canada’s prescription drug list.
No person other than one of following shall import a prescription drug: a practitioner, a drug manufacturer, a wholesale druggist, a pharmacist or a resident of a foreign country while a visitor to Canada (policy of a 90-day supply).
Its effects are widespread, impacting public health, public safety, government revenue, and the broader economy.
Revenues from contraband tobacco often support organized crime activities, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and firearms smuggling.
Smuggling networks engage in violent activities and corruption, increasing risks to the public and law enforcement agencies.
The Canada Border Services Agency screens goods coming into Canada and examines more closely those that may pose a threat to the safety of Canadians.
If you have any information related to smuggling, drug importation, trafficking, or possession, or wish to report other criminality, you can contact the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020, the confidential CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), at any time.
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – An illegal immigrant from India got 12 years in prison for his role in an imposter scam that defrauded elderly victims in three states out of more than $400,000.
In February, a federal jury convicted Nirav B. Patel, 44, an Indian citizen, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of illegal entry into the U.S. by an alien.
“This illegal alien admitted that he came to Illinois because the state would give him a driver’s license, and then he used that license to steal from the elderly all across the Midwest,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “We will continue to do all we can to remove this criminal element from our country.”
In an imposter scam, fraudsters pose as government officials to manipulate and exploit elderly victims for money. This scheme targeted elderly victims with text messages and emails purportedly warning that their Amazon accounts had been compromised. When the victims followed up on the messages, they were redirected to scammers posing as federal agents who convinced the victims that they were victims of identity theft who needed to withdraw their life savings to be held in phony U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts for safekeeping.
In reality, the money was stolen and ultimately transferred to accounts controlled by the scammers in India. The fraudsters kept the victims on the hook by calling them constantly, sometimes for up to 12 hours a day. The scammers also threatened victims with criminal liability if they told their friends or family what was going on.
Patel traveled to the elderly victims’ residences to pick up cash and assets to support the crime. Trial testimony established that, in one instance, Patel picked up $177,000 in gold bars from an elderly resident at her assisted living facility, even though she was pushing a walker and on oxygen.
In addition to the fraud charges, Patel was convicted for entering the U.S. illegally. Evidence showed that Patel snuck into the U.S. near Vancouver before connecting with the fraudsters in Georgia. Patel’s fraud operation was based in the Chicago, where he could get an Illinois driver’s license despite being in the U.S. unlawfully. From there, he drove hundreds of miles through Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana to take money and gold from elderly victims on behalf of the fraud scheme.
In imposing the 12-year sentence, the Court rejected Patel’s claim that he had no idea what was going on, noting the scammers entrusted Patel with hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. These scams need people on the ground in the U.S. in order to be successful, the court continued, and those willing to help them steal from elderly victims should receive stiff sentences to deter others from doing the same thing in the future.
“This case highlights the serious public safety risks posed by individuals who enter the United States illegally and exploit our systems to target some of the most vulnerable among us,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI remains committed to identifying and dismantling transnational criminal schemes, especially carried out by perpetrators who flout our immigration laws to defraud and target elderly Americans. HSI will continue working with our partners to ensure that those who abuse our country’s generosity are held accountable.”
The Federal Trade Commission reported in March 2025 that imposter scams are now the most common type of consumer fraud against Americans. If you or a loved one has been a victim of this kind of fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline by dialing 1-833-372-8311.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Merrill Wisconsin Police Department, the Lincoln County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Indiana Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Steve Weinhoeft prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing two firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Kelvontae Rashad Wallace, 26, of Pell City, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun.
According to the plea agreement, between December 2023 and January 2024, Wallace illegally possessed a firearm and a machinegun on two separate occasions:
On December 15, 2023, Talladega police officers responded to a call of a person shot at the Orange #1 gas station. Officers responded to the scene and found a victim lying on the ground that had been shot in the stomach, back, and both legs. Officers collected five .45 caliber spent shell casings from the scene and there were at least three bullet holes in the glass on the store windows and door. Surveillance video from the store showed Wallace drive up to the store, exit his vehicle, and shoot the victim with a Glock pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.”
On January 2, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force and the Pell City Police Department went to Wallace’s apartment to arrest him for warrants for Assault, Fist Degree and Shooting into an Occupied Building arising from the December incident in Talladega. When the officers arrived, Wallace attempted to flee out the back door of the apartment, but the officers were able to apprehend and arrest him. Officers recovered a Century Arms Micro VSKA 7.62x39mm pistol with a round chambered and a loaded magazine from Wallace’s apartment.
ATF investigated the case along with the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force, Pell City Police Department, Talladega Police Department, and Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples prosecuted the case.
