NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton to Lutnick: Chinese Networking Equipment Risks National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
     
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353May 14, 2025
    Cotton to Lutnick: Chinese Networking Equipment Risks National Security
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging the department to prohibit TP-Link equipment sales. This state-sponsored networking equipment company has deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party and poses a clear present danger to American national security.
    Additional signers of the bicameral letter are Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), James Risch (R-Idaho), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama). In the House, the letter was led by Congressman Riley Moore (West Virginia-02) and the signatories are Congressmen Gus Bilirakis (Florida-12), Abraham Hamadeh (Arizona-08), and John Rose (Tennessee-06).
    In part, Senator Cotton wrote: 
    “TP-Link’s pricing practices have triggered a Department of Justice criminal antitrust probe. TP-Link’s predatory pricing, coupled with its circumvention of tariffs, imminently threatens U.S. competition in a market critical to our national security. TP-Link has rapidly captured nearly 60 percent of the U.S. retail router and Wi-Fi system market while expanding the CCP’s cyber arsenal. The CCP uses SOHO equipment for ongoing espionage and targeting of critical infrastructure to pre-position itself for destructive attacks on Americans and communication channels with our allies.  
    For these reasons, Commerce should immediately prohibit future sales of TP-Link SOHO networking equipment in the United States. Each day we fail to act, the CCP wins while American competitors suffer, and American security remains at risk.”Full text of the letter may be found here and below. 
    The Honorable Howard LutnickSecretaryDepartment of Commerce1401 Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, D.C. 20230
    Dear Secretary Lutnick,
    We write in support of the Commerce Department’s investigation of TP-Link, a state-sponsored networking equipment company, and urge you to take swift action to prohibit further sales of TP-Link networking products in the United States. TP-Link’s deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), use of predatory pricing to eliminate trusted U.S. alternatives, and role in embedding foreign surveillance and destructive capabilities into our networks render it a clear and present danger.
    Chinese state actors have exploited TP-Link small and home office (SOHO) networking devices — including Wi-Fi routers, cellular gateways, and mobile hotspots — to wage cyber-attacks in the United States. CCP agents commonly exploit SOHO routers because those systems have ideal bandwidth and computing power for sustained cyber activities but lack additional layers of security common in enterprise networks. TP-Link is also subject to China’s National Security Law, giving the CCP access to U.S. systems before American authorities know a vulnerability exists. In fact, TP-Link is the only router company that refuses to engage in industry efforts to remediate Chinese state-sponsored botnets. 
    TP-Link’s pricing practices have triggered a Department of Justice criminal antitrust probe. TP-Link’s predatory pricing, coupled with its circumvention of tariffs, imminently threatens U.S. competition in a market critical to our national security. TP-Link has rapidly captured nearly 60 percent of the U.S. retail router and Wi-Fi system market while expanding the CCP’s cyber arsenal. The CCP uses SOHO equipment for ongoing espionage and targeting of critical infrastructure to pre-position itself for destructive attacks on Americans and communication channels with our allies.  
    For these reasons, Commerce should immediately prohibit future sales of TP-Link SOHO networking equipment in the United States. Each day we fail to act, the CCP wins while American competitors suffer, and American security remains at risk.
    We thank you for your ongoing work to secure and safeguard America’s Information and Communications Technology and Services supply chain. This work is critical to our national security, and we commend President Trump’s Executive Order 13873 to allow the Commerce Department to prohibit transactions in our country that pose unacceptable risk to American national security.     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Honors Arkansas Law Enforcement Amid National Police Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    WASHINGTON––The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution backed by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and 78 of their colleagues designating May 11-17 as National Police Week. The National Police Week resolution reiterates the Senate’s unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the United States.
    “Arkansans are eternally grateful to the men and women in blue who willingly put their lives on the line to protect us and our loved ones. We must always display our deep admiration and appreciation to these heroes who run towards danger to keep us safe and uphold law and order. I am proud to stand with my colleagues and show our support for law enforcement officers across our country,” Boozman said.
    “Law enforcement officers in Iowa and across the nation work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities. This week, and every week, we should give our thanks to the brave men and women in blue, who have sacrificed so much to ensure our safety. As always, I’m proud to back the blue and will continue my efforts in Congress to protect and support our courageous officers,” Grassley said. 
    “Every day, our country’s law enforcement officers put their lives at risk to keep us safe. Officers and their families make great sacrifices in the name of service, including the tragic cases of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. We’re grateful for their heroism, and we must make sure that officers serving with dignity and integrity have the support and resources they need to do their jobs,” Durbin said.
    Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Angus King (I-ME), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Kennedy (R-LA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tim Scott (R-SC), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rand Paul (R-KY), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rick Scott (R-FL), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jim Banks (R-IN), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ted Budd (R-NC), Gary Peters (D-MI), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mark Warner (D-VA), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jon Husted (R-OH), James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Todd Young (R-IN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) joined Boozman, Grassley and Durbin as cosponsors of the resolution.
    The resolution names the 234 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty during 2024, including Stone County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Smith. Boozman and Cotton paid tribute to the fallen lawman on the Senate floor in January 2024.
    Earlier this year, Boozman joined nearly a dozen colleagues in introducing the Thin Blue Line Act to increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement. The measure is supported by multiple law enforcement groups including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, National Sheriffs’ Association and Fraternal Order of Police.
    Read the full resolution here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor — Flag Order — Gov. Green Lowers Flags In Observance Of Peace Officers Memorial Day

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor — Flag Order — Gov. Green Lowers Flags In Observance Of Peace Officers Memorial Day

    Posted on May 14, 2025 in Flag Orders, Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI 
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 
     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA 


    GOVERNOR GREEN LOWERS FLAGS IN OBSERVANCE OF PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 14, 2025

    HONOLULU – At the direction of the President of the United States, Governor Josh Green, M.D., has ordered that the United States flag and the Hawaiʻi state flag be flown at half-staff at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol and at all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawaiʻi National Guard in the state of Hawaiʻi, effective from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, May 15. The Governor is taking this action to recognize “Peace Officers Memorial Day” and the week in which it falls, “Police Week.”

    This action aims to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who have tragically lost their lives in the line of duty while serving and protecting others.

    “Today we remember the fallen heroes who gave everything to protect our communities,” said Governor Green. “Their sacrifice reflects an unmatched dedication to keeping us safe and their bravery will always be honored. We are forever thankful for their service, as well as for all of the law enforcement officers who continue to keep us safe.”

    ###


    Media Contacts:  
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Office: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected] 

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ADL Report: Congressman Brad Sherman Named Top Target of Antisemitic Hate in the House of Representatives

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a report released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) identifying him as the most targeted Member of the House of Representatives for antisemitic abuse, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) issued the following statement:

    “The findings in the ADL’s report are disturbing but not surprising. Antisemitism is on the rise, and it’s hitting closer to home than ever. When hate is left unchecked online, it doesn’t stay online—it seeps into our communities, our institutions, and even our government. So unfortunately, it’s no surprise that this uptick in online hate coincides with the rise in offline antisemitism – which has reached record-breaking levels since Hamas’s massacre of 1,200 innocent Israelis, Americans, and others on October 7th, 2023. 

    This wave of hate has continued to impact constituents in and near my district: two Jewish men were shot in an attempted murder while leaving religious services in Pico-Robertson[1]; a Jewish couple was assaulted outside of their synagogue in Beverly Hills[2]; the infamous antisemitic riot outside of the Adas Torah synagogue on Pico Boulevard, wherein an anti-Israel mob tried to prevent worshippers from entering the synagogue and assaulted a number of Jewish community members.[3] And just outside my district in Thousand Oaks, a 69 year old Jewish man, Paul Kessler, was brutally assaulted and killed by a anti-Israel protester.

    I will not be intimidated. I will not be silenced. I’ve spent my career standing up to extremism and antisemitism, and defending the right of all marginalized groups – including American Jews – to live in peace. That commitment only deepens in the face of these attacks.”

    In a report that was released on May 8, Anti-Defamation League researchers said they collected and analyzed antisemitic comments directed at 30 Jewish members of Congress with Facebook accounts. 

    The report concluded that among these 30 Jewish members of Congress, the most frequently targeted Senators were Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), while Congressman Brad Sherman stood as the most frequently targeted in the House of Representatives. 

    To read the ADL’s full report, click here.

    ###

    [1] U.S. DOJ: Former California Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Attempting to Murder Two Jewish Men Leaving Los Angeles Synagogues Last Year
    https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-california-man-sentenced-35-years-prison-attempting-murder-two-jewish-men-leaving-los

    [2] ‘Despicable act of hate’: Suspect arrested after antisemitic assault in Beverly Hills

    https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-10/arrest-made-in-the-antisemitic-assault-of-an-elderly-man-in-beverly-hills

    [3] JPost: Lawsuit hits protest groups, funder over Pico-Robertson synagogue riots

    https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-812203

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The Commission’s position on potential money laundering by some Commission staff and their associates – E-002798/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. The Commission takes allegations of money laundering or any other financial misconduct seriously. It has a zero-tolerance policy for fraud and corruption and is committed to ensuring the highest standards of integrity among its staff. As regards measures against money laundering, the Commission refers to the applicable EU and national legislation in this area, to which staff of EU institutions are also subject. Inside the institution, the Commission already relies on a comprehensive framework of compliance and awareness raising mechanisms on ethics and fraud prevention, while continuously strengthening its procedures and internal controls. In case of violations of staff obligations, disciplinary measures may be applied.

    2. At this stage and pending possible further information from the Belgian judicial authorities, the allegations about the former European Commissioner for Justice do not concern the EU budget or the management of EU funds. Thus, based on the information available to the Commission so far, there is no need to revise the rules and procedures regarding the prevention and the fight against fraud currently in place, as they are solid and comprehensive.

    3. The Commission did not receive such information. However, the Commission can confirm that any information, tip-offs, or notices received, be it from internal or external sources, are systematically assessed and, where necessary, referred to the competent investigative authorities (such as the European Anti-Fraud Office, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the national authorities) for examination.

    Last updated: 14 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate passes Kennedy-backed National Police Week resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and 78 bipartisan senators in introducing a resolution to designate the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as National Police Week. The Senate unanimously adopted the resolution.
    “One of the toughest jobs in the world is being a police officer, especially when so many officers don’t get the recognition they deserve. I can’t thank Louisiana’s law enforcement community enough for the good work they do to keep our communities strong, safe and free, and I am proud of the Senate for honoring our heroes,” said Kennedy. 
    “Law enforcement officers in Iowa and across the nation work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities. This week, and every week, we should give our thanks to the brave men and women in blue, who have sacrificed so much to ensure our safety. As always, I’m proud to back the blue and will continue my efforts in Congress to protect and support our courageous officers,” said Grassley.
    “Every day, our country’s law enforcement officers put their lives at risk to keep us safe. Officers and their families make great sacrifices in the name of service, including the tragic cases of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. We’re grateful for their heroism, and we must make sure that officers serving with dignity and integrity have the support and resources they need to do their jobs,” said Durbin.
    The resolution:
    Designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as “National Police Week.”
    Honors the 234 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2024 and the 18 officers reportedly killed in the line of duty so far in 2025.
    Expresses unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the U.S. in the pursuit of preserving safe and secure communities.
    Recognizes the need to ensure that law enforcement officers have the equipment, training and resources they need to protect the health and safety of the officers while they protect the public. 
    Encourages the American people to observe National Police Week by honoring law enforcement personnel and promoting awareness of the essential mission they undertake in service to their communities and the U.S.
    Background: 
    In Aug. 2023, the Senate passed the Kennedy-backed Recruit and Retain Act to address the nation-wide shortage of law enforcement officers, increase recruitment and address workforce challenges.
    In Feb. 2024, Kennedy helped introduce the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act to establish a grant program at the Department of Justice to help state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies solve more crimes and improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm related violent crimes.
    In Jan. 2025, Kennedy joined Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and colleagues in introducing the Thin Blue Line Act to make the targeting, killing or attempted killing of a law enforcement officer, firefighter or other first responder an aggravating factor when determining whether capital punishment is appropriate.
    In Feb. 2025, Kennedy reintroduced the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Reform Act to expand the concealed-carry rights of qualified law enforcement officers.
    Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Thomas Tillis (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) joined Kennedy, Grassley and Durbin in introducing the resolution.
    Full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Chiefs of Defence meet in Brussels

    Source: NATO

    Brussels, 14 May 2025 – The 193rd NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session took place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, today. Thirty two Allied Chiefs of Defence discussed NATO’s vigilance & deterrence, continued support to Ukraine, and preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague in June. The final meeting of the day saw the Ukrainian Chief of Defence, General Sikyrsky, join the NATO-Ukraine Council virtually from Kyiv.

    Opening the working session, the Chair of the Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, underscored that the meeting of Allied Chiefs of Defence is a testament to NATO’s enduring unity and strength, and that cohesion among Allied militaries is the bedrock of NATO’s collective defence. The Chair stressed the priorities for the NATO Military Authorities, especially in these challenging times: continue providing unfettered and timely military advice to political leadership, underpinned by collective clarity and decisiveness. The Allied Chiefs of Defence session focus was to discuss further strengthening NATO’S deterrence and defence, in order to continue adapting to the security challenges facing the Alliance. 

    During the following session, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) briefed the Chiefs of Defence on NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, and the status quo and way ahead of NATO’s operations, missions, and activities. 

    Then, Chiefs of Defence discussed with Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) about NATO’s Defence Planning Process and developments in innovation and the adoption of new systems.

    The final session with the Chief of Defence of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi (attending via videoconference), focused on the current state of play in Ukraine. Allies reiterated their support to Ukraine, and emphasised why now – more than ever – it is key for NATO to continue to provide Ukraine what is needed for its defence.

    Wrapping up a fruitful meeting, CMC farewelled fellow Chiefs of Defence, looking forward to the next meeting in this format later in the year.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Atlanta Attorney Sentenced in Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A Georgia attorney was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for obstructing the IRS in connection with his participation in the promotion of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Vi Bui was an attorney and partner at Sinnott & Co., an Atlanta-based company. Beginning at least in 2012 and continuing through at least May 2020, Bui participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS by organizing, marketing, implementing, and selling illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters created and organized by co-conspirators Jack Fisher, James Sinnott, and others. Fisher and Sinnott were convicted at trial for their involvement in the scheme, and in January 2024, they were sentenced to 25 and 23 years in prison, respectively.

    The scheme entailed the creation of partnerships that purchased land and land-owning companies and then donated conservation easements over that land or the land itself. Appraisers generated fraudulent and inflated appraisals of the conservation easements. The partnerships then claimed a charitable contribution tax deduction based on the inflated value of the conservation easement, resulting in a fraudulent tax deduction flowing to the wealthy clients who purchased units in the partnership. Many of these clients joined the tax shelters after the donation of the interest in land and after the end of the relevant tax year. Bui knew that in order to make it appear that the participants had timely purchased their units in the tax shelters, Fisher, Sinnott, and others backdated and instructed others to backdate documents, including subscription agreements, checks, and other documents.

    Bui anticipated that the syndicated conservation easement transactions would be audited. In order to deceive the IRS, Bui and others took steps to make the partnerships appear as legitimate real estate development companies. They created and disseminated lengthy documents disguising the true nature of the transaction, instituted sham “votes” for what to do with the land that the partnership owned despite knowing that outcome was predetermined, and falsified paperwork such as appraisals and subscription agreements.

    In one instance, when investigators conducted an undercover operation in 2018, Bui, believing that the IRS was auditing an individual’s tax returns, prepared false documents related to a 2014 syndicated conservation easement tax shelter with the intent to make it appear that the documents were executed before the purported donation of the conservation easement in 2014 and before the 2014 tax returns had been filed.

    Bui earned substantial income for his role in the illegal scheme. He also used the fraudulent tax shelters to evade his own taxes, filing false personal tax returns from 2013 through 2018 that claimed false tax deductions from the illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.

    In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr. for the Northern District of Georgia ordered Bui to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $8,250,244 in total restitution to the IRS.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia made the announcement. They also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.

    IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

    Senior Litigation Counsel Richard M. Rolwing, and Trial Attorneys Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft, and Nicholas Schilling of the Tax Division prosecuted the case, with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal for the Northern District of Georgia. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Guilty of Re-Entry of Removed Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ (“AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ”) , age 29, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on May 13, 2025, to an indictment charging him  with re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.  His sentencing is set for June 17, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long.

    According to court documents, AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ re-entered the United States after being previously deported on June 8, 2018.  On December 22, 2024,  AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, was booked into the Orleans Justice Center after being arrested for several state charges.  Thereafter, on March 5, 2023, The Pacific Enforcement Response Center issued a detainer for AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, after he was arrested in Jefferson Parish on municipal and traffic attachments.  Enforcement and Removal Operations New Orleans picked up AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, on March 7, 2025, after his release from local custody and turned him over to immigration authorities.

    EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Lashes Out at Administration’s Decision to Cut Critical Research Budgets

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resource (ENR) Committee, pressed Connor Prochaska, nominee to serve as the Director of Advanced Research Projects Agency within the Department of Energy, and Dr. Ned Mamula to serve as the Director of U.S. Geological Survey within the Department of the Interior, on extreme budget cuts impacting critical research programs at both departments. During his exchange with Prochaska, Senator King repeatedly asked him to justify drastic budget cuts to the Advanced Research Project Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) after he touted the value of its work, and grilled him on the Trump Administration’s attacks on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
    “One of the sages of New England, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘what you do speak so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.’ I have never been at a hearing where what’s being done is at such variance with what is being said. Mr. Prochaska, you waxed eloquent about the talented and dedicated staff of ARPA-E and all the great work that they’ve done. Their budget’s being cut by 57%. How do you justify all this nice talk about what you’re going to do when your agency’s being cut more than in half? You can talk until you’re blue in the face, but what speaks here is 57% cut. Tell me. And you went through your entire testimony, all of your answers to your questions, until you got to Senator Cortez-Masto, and never once mentioned renewables, the fastest growing, cheapest source of electricity in the United States today. And let me read from the budget document, ‘green new scam technologies are not supported.’ That’s in the ARPA-E budget document, green new scam technology are not supported. That means no renewables, right? You’ve got an order from the President of the United States, no renewables. Is that correct,” began Senator King.
    “That is not correct,” said Prochaska.
    “So what? What does he mean? Green, new scam technologies. He’s talking about solar and wind. Everybody knows that,” replied Senator King.
    “Senator, I can’t opine on what the definition of that language is. I can commit to, if confirmed, that the ARPA-E and the portfolio that we investigate and we look into will include all technologies,” Prochaska responded.
    “So, it was just a coincidence that when you listed the technologies, the nearest you got to renewables was a mention of geothermal. You never mentioned solar and wind, and you use the code word reliable, which is a new code word for we don’t like solar and wind because they’re intermittent, but as you indicated in your answer to Senator Cortez-Masto, when you have batteries with solar and wind, it’s base load. Is that correct,” asked Senator King.
    “Senator, it very well could be. It depends on the situation. But the portfolio that we will investigate will include all technologies and reliable is important to the energy that we need for the future, to fund some of the some of the emerging technologies that we’ve talked about,” Prochaska replied.
    “I appreciate what you’re saying here. What I’m going to watch is what you do. Understood, budgets are policy, and this budget, the policy of this budget, is a drastic cut, a drastic cut, more than half in the in ARPA-E, I think, one of the most important agencies the United States government. It’s where fracking started. The shale revolution started with research funds for the Department of Energy, and we’re talking about a more than half cut. So, I’m going to watch what you do and not what you say,” concluded Senator King.
    Later in the hearing, Senator King raised his concerns to Dr. Mamula about the Trump Administration’s attempts to downsize the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) biology and hydrology research, including the stream gauge program which provides data on river and stream flow that is critical to ensure adequate water supply and safety. During the exchange, Dr. Mamula refused to provide satisfactory answers about his familiarity with the Administration’s slashes to the USGS’ budget.
    “Now, Mr. Mamula, you talked about the importance of data and science and all of those kinds of things. And yet, there have been reports in the last few weeks that biological research in the in the USGS is being cut entirely, and 25 water science centers, which are stream gages measuring storms. I get the feeling this is like, if we don’t measure anything on climate change, it will go away. Is that what’s going on here,” asked Senator King.
    “I don’t think so, Senator, thanks for the question. Let’s discuss it. Again, I’m not at the survey, but I want to take a look, if confirmed, I want to go out and look at each and every single program, its budget and cuts proposed,” replied Dr. Mamula.
    “Somebody has already done that and cut your budget 37% before you even walk in the door. Assuming Congress agrees, which I hope they won’t,” said Senator King.
    “Yeah, I don’t know about that either, but I’m not familiar. But the program, the contents of the program that has a cut associated with it, I’m not familiar. I don’t know what’s in, what’s being cut,” responded Dr. Mamula.
    “I thought you’re pretty familiar with USGS,” questioned Senator King.
    “I am, but I don’t know what —,” said Dr. Mamula.
    “Do you believe it’s appropriate to cut all of their biological research programs,” pressed Senator King.
    “Well, I have to see what they’re talking about, if they’re talking about,” replied Dr. Mamula.
    “All means all as I understand it,” finished Senator King.
    As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator King has advocated for climate solutions that deliver on the clean energy potential of the historic Inflation Reduction Act. He has repeatedly emphasized the importance of permitting reform to deliver carefully considered, timely approvals of sorely-needed clean energy projects. Senator King has also been one of the Senate’s most vocal advocates for improving energy storage technologies and development and worked to include significant storage investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Earlier this year, Senator King reiterated the importance of an “all of the above” energy policy strategy during an ENR hearing considering the nominations of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. In a recent ENR hearing, he received agreement from two nominees to prioritize renewable energy storage technology.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Leads Letter Backing President Trump’s Call for Full Dismantlement of Iran’s Nuclear Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) led a letter to President Donald Trump regarding the administration’s ongoing negotiations with Iran. The letter calls on the Trump administration to secure a deal that results in the full dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear program, including permanently ending the regime’s capacity to enrich uranium. The letter was signed by 52 Senate Republicans. The letter states:
    “We write to express our strong support for your efforts to secure a deal with Iran that dismantles its nuclear program, and to reinforce the explicit warnings that you and officials in your administration have issued that the regime must permanently give up any capacity for enrichment.
    “We cannot afford another agreement that enables Iran to play for time, as the JCPOA did. The Iranian regime should know that the administration has Congressional backing to ensure their ability to enrich uranium is permanently eliminated,” the letter continues. “As always we stand ready to provide you and your administration whatever resources you need to advance American national security interests.”
    The letter was also signed by Senators Ted Cruz (TX), Tom Cotton (AR), Leader John Thune (SD), Jim Risch (ID), Mike Crapo (ID), Jim Justice (WV), Steve Daines (MT), John Curtis (UT), John Cornyn (TX), Kevin Cramer (ND), Chuck Grassley (IA), Dave McCormick (PA), James Lankford (OK), Tim Scott (SC), Susan Collins (ME), Markwayne Mullin (OK), Tim Sheehy (MT), Rick Scott (FL), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Jim Banks (IN), John Hoeven (ND), John Boozman (AR), Jon Husted (OH), John Barrasso (WY), Roger Wicker (MS), Thom Tillis (NC), Shelly Moore Capito (WV), Mike Lee (UT), Katie Britt (AL), Marsha Blackburn (TN), Ashley Moody (FL), Ted Budd (NC), Mitch McConnell (KY), Dan Sullivan (AK), Joni Ernst (IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Mike Rounds (SD), Deb Fischer (NE), Bill Cassidy (LA), Todd Young (IN), John Kennedy (LA), Tommy Tuberville (AL), Bernie Moreno (OH), Jerry Moran (KS), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Bill Hagerty (TN), Eric Schmitt (MO), Roger Marshall (KS), Josh Hawley (MO), Ron Johnson (WI), and Lindsey Graham (SC).
    Read the full letter here or below:
    Dear Mr. Trump:
    We write to express our strong support for your efforts to secure a deal with Iran that dismantles its nuclear program, and to reinforce the explicit warnings that you and officials in your administration have issued that the regime must permanently give up any capacity for enrichment.
    During your first term you withdrew the United States from the deeply broken Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and imposed maximum pressure on the regime. As you said then, a fatal flaw of the deal was that it “allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium and, over time, reach the brink of a nuclear breakout.”  The JCPOA allowed Iran to sell oil, provided waivers allowing third countries to help Iran build out its nuclear program, and included the termination of United Nations sanctions on the regime. Despite critics claiming your withdrawal from the deal would allow Iran to advance its nuclear ambitions, the Iranian regime remained deterred from making substantial nuclear progress throughout your term because of your maximum pressure campaign.
    Tragically, the Biden administration systematically undid that pressure, functionally re-implementing the nuclear deal. They immediately rescinded your decision to reimpose U.N. sanctions, allowed Iran to sell oil at JCPOA-levels, and even re-issued waivers allowing Iran to build out its nuclear program. As you predicted, those policies indeed allowed Iran to reach the brink of nuclear breakout, which is where they are today. The Biden administration made those concessions without any reciprocal concessions from Iran, and Iran even ceased providing international inspectors access to significant parts of its nuclear program in the early days of the Biden administration.
    The scope and breadth of Iran’s nuclear buildout have made it impossible to verify any new deal that allows Iran to continue enriching uranium. In its most recent report, published on February 26, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that because of Iran’s activities over the last four years, “the Agency has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the production and current inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and UOC, which it will not be possible to restore.”
    You and your administration have therefore correctly drawn a redline against any deal that allows Iran to retain any enrichment capability. Your National Security Presidential Memorandum on Iran stated that “Iran’s nuclear program, including its enrichment- and reprocessing-related capabilities and nuclear-capable missiles, poses an existential danger to the United States and the entire civilized world,” and you recently said that only “full dismantlement” of those capabilities would be acceptable. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff has made it clear in that context of negotiation that for any final arrangement to work, “Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.” 
    We cannot afford another agreement that enables Iran to play for time, as the JCPOA did. The Iranian regime should know that the administration has Congressional backing to ensure their ability to enrich uranium is permanently eliminated. 
    As always we stand ready to provide you and your administration whatever resources you need to advance American national security interests.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arkansas Guard Participates in CENTAM Guardian 2025 in Guatemala

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    More than 60 Arkansas National Guardsmen are participating in CENTAM Guardian 2025 in Guatemala. CENTAM Guardian 2025 is an annual multi-national exercise designed to strengthen interoperability, information sharing and counter-threat capabilities between the United States and participating Central American and Caribbean partner nations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ferryland — Two men arrested after fleeing from Ferryland RCMP and crashing in St. John’s

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Following the report of a break and enter in progress in Bay Bulls, two men — 44-year-old Grant Payne and 42-year-old Matthew Payne, both of Grand Falls-Windsor — were arrested after fleeing from police and crashing a vehicle in St. John’s.

    Shortly before 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Ferryland RCMP responded to a report of a break and enter in progress at a commercial property in Bay Bulls. The suspect vehicle, a Ford F150, was located by police after it fled the scene of the crime. Ferryland RCMP attempted a traffic stop, however the vehicle continued to drive in a dangerous manner and failed to stop for police. The vehicle was last seen heading east on the Trans-Canada Highway. Information about the vehicle, its last known location and its involvement in a crime was shared with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC).

    Information received confirmed that the suspect vehicle crashed on Pitts Memorial Highway and that the two occupants fled on foot. RCMP and RNC officers conducted a foot chase and located the two men, Grant and Matthew Payne, who were arrested without further incident.

    The pair attend court today, each charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Break and enter
    • Flight from police
    • Dangerous operation
    • Breach of a release order

    Matthew Payne is charged with an additional count for breach of a release order.

    The investigation is continuing.

    Working together, RCMP and RNC police officers are dedicated to the protection of pubic safety and enforcement of the law in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 5 Defendants Federally Charged in Los Angeles, Orange Counties as Part of Nationwide Crackdown on Child Sexual Abuse Offenders

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Attorney General Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel recently announced an unprecedented national initiative to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities. The FBI launched a coordinated effort with all field offices in a sweeping action to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.

    Since the end of April, the FBI arrested 205 subjects across the country and rescued 115 children during Operation Restore Justice. These subjects are accused of various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. They include school leaders and registered sex offenders, among others. 

    In the Central District of California, a seven-county jurisdiction that includes Los Angeles and Orange counties, five defendants were charged with federal crimes as follows:

    • Andrew Castillon, 47, of El Monte, was arrested May 1 on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $5,000 bond. Castillon’s arraignment is scheduled for May 27 in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Assistant United States Attorney Thi H. Ho of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
    • Jose Olvera, 34, of North Hollywood, was arrested May 1 on a federal indictment charging him with two counts of distribution of child pornography and five counts of possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment and a June 23 trial was scheduled in this case. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond. Assistant United States Attorney Mikaela W. Gilbert-Lurie of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
    • Steven Martin Nuss, 66, of San Juan Capistrano, was arrested May 9 on a two-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty to both charges and a federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond. He is scheduled to go to trial on July 1. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa S. Rabbani of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
    • David Eugene Parker, 55, of La Palma, was arrested April 30 on federal grand jury indictment charging him with two counts of possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and a federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $100,000 bond. A June 24 trial date is scheduled in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Border of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
    • Gregory Cole Jr., 30, of Lancaster, was arrested April 30 in Arizona after he failed to appear at his trial earlier last month in which a jury found him guilty in absentia of one count of production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of receipt of child pornography. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 23, at which time he will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Assistant United States Attorney Derek R. Flores of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.

    Two additional individuals were arrested in Los Angeles for sexual exploitation of a child and charges of coercion and enticement, respectively; however, those cases are being prosecuted in separate districts.

    “Sexual predators who target children leave emotional scars that can last a lifetime,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we seek to bring a measure of solace to victims and put criminals on notice that they risk lengthy prison sentences and severe penalties for harming children.”

    “The amount of child predators arrested during Operation Restore Justice should shock the conscience of any law-abiding citizen and parents or guardians, in particular,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.  “Each day, our agents are tackling criminal allegations involving children, whether it be online dangers such as ‘sextortion,’ emerging nihilist extremist networks such as ‘764,’ or children being groomed by someone close to them. We urge caretakers of all children to educate themselves about these constant threats targeting the most vulnerable members of our society.”

    As the nation marked National Child Abuse Prevention month in April, the timing of this effort was a culmination of countless hours by hundreds of FBI agents. It further underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Bureau works relentlessly to investigate these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention and community education.

    The FBI takes a proactive approach to identify unknown individuals involved in the sexual exploitation of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. We do that through our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) located in each field office. This allows the FBI to combine resources with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The FBI also partners with the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. 

    In 2004, the FBI created the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. The program is a collaborative effort between the FBI and the NMCEC.

    The FBI also offers resources for parents and caregivers to stay engaged with their children’s online and offline activities. The FBI’s Safe Online Surfing (SOS) program teaches students in grades 3 to 8 how to navigate the web safely.

    The FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through our tiplines at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office. 

    Other online resources:

    • Electronic Press Kit:

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stanislaus County Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Cristian Ceja, 28, of Turlock, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to 15 years and eight months in prison for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, between Aug. 27, 2023, and Jan. 3, 2024, Ceja transported a minor victim from the Eastern District of California to Idaho with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Ceja met the minor victim when Ceja was working as a delivery driver and delivered food to the minor’s house. Ceja thereafter used the minor victim’s phone number to track her down on social media and communicate with her. Ceja began a lengthy sexual relationship with the minor victim who, at that time, was 15. During the course of their sexual relationship, Ceja would sneak into the minor victim’s bedroom to have sex with her without being detected by her parents. On at least two occasions, Ceja video recorded himself engaging in sexual contact with the minor victim. Ceja kept used condoms and used feminine hygiene products in his storage unit as souvenirs of his relationship with the minor victim.

    On Aug. 26, 2023, the minor victim’s mother contacted law enforcement because she found provocative photographs of the minor victim in her bedroom and was concerned her daughter was having a sexual relationship with an adult. In the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2023, Ceja took the minor victim and fled to avoid detection and to continue the sexual relationship. While on the run, Ceja attempted to evade detection by placing stolen license plates on his vehicle, obliterating the VIN from his vehicle’s dashboard, spray painting the vehicle a different color, and adopting a false name. In order to avoid detection, Ceja discarded his cellphone while in flight and used a “burner” phone.

    Ceja first took the minor victim to Nevada where they lived in his vehicle for approximately one week. Ceja then took the minor victim to a rural part of Idaho where they lived for several months in a small camper trailer without running water or heat. Law enforcement found the minor victim after she contacted a family member via social media to let her family know that she wanted to come home but could not leave on her own. On Jan. 3, 2024, law enforcement officers arrived at the camper trailer, rescued the minor victim, and arrested Ceja

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Statement by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley Regarding Attempts to Obstruct ICE Operations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    “The interference with ICE operations around Massachusetts has been disturbing, to say the least. This conduct poses significant public and officer safety risks. It is conduct that should be vilified rather than glorified. I will not stand idly by if any public official, public safety officer, organization or private citizen acts in a manner that criminally obstructs or impedes ICE operations. The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our federal partners, will investigate any violations of federal law and pursue charges that are warranted by such activity.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Indicted for Illegally Reentering the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national convicted for drug trafficking and deported has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island for illegally reentering the United States, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Kelvin Roberto Feliz, 54, who has been detained at the Adult Correctional Institution in an unrelated matter since June 2024, was ordered deported from the United States in September 2014, following a conviction for trafficking heroin. He was removed from the United States on July 7, 2015.

    A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr. The matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison for Leadership Role in a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and for Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Michael Garcia, 36, of Sacramento County, was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years and six months in prison for conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, Michael Garcia conspired with his wife Nancy Garcia, his father Gonzalo Garcia, Tyler Combs (all co-defendant in this case), and others to sell methamphetamine and heroin in Sacramento and Solano Counties. Michael Garcia began this conspiracy while he was serving a state sentence for narcotics offenses at the Tulare County Jail.

    Michael Garcia worked with his wife, father, and other coconspirators to sell a confidential informant a total of five pounds of methamphetamine and a quarter pound of heroin over five separate occasions, and he personally sold the CI a total of 4 pounds of methamphetamine. During the initial transactions, Nancy Garcia began to negotiate a firearms sale with the confidential informant and was present at the illegal firearms sale described below.

    Once out of state custody, Michael Garcia continued the conspiracy to sell methamphetamine and heroin. He also set up a deal with Tylor Combs to sell firearms to the confidential informant. Nancy Garcia, Michael Garcia, and Tyler Combs were present at this illegal firearms deal, which involved 10 firearms, including an unserialized machine gun.

     Screenshot of video Michael Garcia sent to confidential informant bragging about his drug proceeds, saying “Sac money is good money.” 

    The 10 firearms that Garcia and Combs sold to the confidential informant.

    Michael Garcia and his wife also admitted that they bought a home in Arizona with drug proceeds. The United States is in the process of the forfeiture of this home.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.

    Gonzalo Garcia passed away while in pretrial custody for this case. Tylor Combs has since pleaded guilty both to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and to being a felon in possession of firearms. On November 12, 2021, he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. Nancy Garcia pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. On September 10, 2024, she was sentenced to five years in prison.

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

    This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colonie Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-for-Hire Plot

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jeal Sutherland, age 57, of Colonie, New York, pled guilty today to using an interstate commerce facility in a murder-for-hire scheme targeting a Capital Region man.  United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    As detailed in Sutherland’s plea agreement and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, between November 2024 and January 2025, Sutherland used his cell phone to arrange the murder of a man who is the father of a child with Sutherland’s then-partner.  As part of this plot, Sutherland agreed to forgive a debt of the person he hired to kill the victim.  Sutherland also agreed to pay an undercover FBI agent – whom Sutherland believed to be a hog farmer – for use of a Pennsylvania farm to dispose of the victim by having pigs consume the body.  Sutherland admitted that in late January 2025, he had another man put the carcass of a Canada goose on the doorstep of the victim’s mother.  When the dead bird was discovered, it had a threatening note stuffed in its beak that had been written at Sutherland’s direction.      

    The intended victim was not harmed and the FBI arrested Sutherland on January 27, 2025. Sutherland has been in custody since his arrest.

    United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “Jeal Sutherland hatched a vicious plot to kill a romantic rival and intimidate his victim’s family.  When members of the FBI and my office learned of Sutherland’s plans, they acted quickly and did not rest until Sutherland was brought to justice.”

    FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Sutherland’s diabolical plot intended to violently end a man’s life and intimidate his family. Thanks to the swift actions taken by FBI Albany and our law enforcement partners, that plan never came to fruition and Mr. Sutherland was quickly arrested and remains in custody. The FBI will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue and hold accountable anyone looking to commit such egregious acts of violence in our communities.”

    Sutherland faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on September 22, 2025.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

    The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Colonie Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, FBI investigation reveals illegal alien from Guatemala fraudulently sponsored unaccompanied alien children

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — An illegal alien from Guatemala was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of New Jersey for allegedly submitting sponsorship applications with false statements to the U.S. government to gain custody of two unaccompanied alien children after they entered the United States illegally, following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI investigation.

    “Attempting to exploit the sponsorship system to gain custody of unaccompanied alien children puts those minors at serious risk,” said ICE acting Director Todd Lyons. “ICE works alongside our law enforcement partners to prevent trafficking and exploitation by individuals falsely claiming to be family. ICE remains firmly committed to detecting deception, upholding the integrity of the immigration process, and, above all, protecting these at-risk children.”

    According to the criminal complaint, Luciano Tinuar Quino, also known as “Luciano Tinuar Guino,” 57, who illegally entered the United States in 2016 and previously resided in the area of Orange, New Jersey, submitted multiple applications to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement under penalties of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of two UACs.

    “Protecting children means holding individuals accountable when they use deception to exploit our systems. ORR acted swiftly to identify the fraud and share with our law enforcement counterparts who located the children and ensured justice was served,” said ORR acting Director Angie M. Salazar.

    As alleged in the complaint, after a 15-year-old Guatemalan male (UAC-1) illegally entered the United States in April 2022, Tinuar Quino submitted applications to sponsor this UAC that falsely: (1) claimed to be his father; (2) claimed his own name was “A.S.T.” as listed on a Guatemala national identification card he submitted; and (3) provided his date of birth. To prove his relationship with UAC-1, Tinuar Quino submitted a photoshopped image, which he asserted was a photo of himself with UAC-1’s mother. As a result, the boy was transported from Texas to New Jersey to live with Tinuar Quino.

    “The prior administration’s border policies created chaos and allowed bad actors to prey upon the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will always seek strong legal penalties to protect children from those who would do them harm.”

    “This prosecution is an example of my office’s dedication to keeping children safe,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District New Jersey. “We will continue to bring to justice those who take advantage of our country’s Unaccompanied Alien Children program and threaten the safety of our community.”

    “This was a clear attempt from an individual unlawfully in the United States seeking to undermine our laws and target children, and the FBI will not tolerate it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We remain laser-focused on ensuring people who come into the United States intending to wreak havoc and intentionally violate our rule of law will face serious consequences.”

    Tinuar Quino is also charged with submitting false information in an attempt to obtain custody of another UAC. Specifically, the complaint charges that in June 2022, Tinuar Quino submitted an application to sponsor a 17-year-old Guatemalan male (UAC-2) who had entered the United States illegally. As alleged, Tinuar Quino falsely: (1) claimed to be UAC-2’s father; (2) stated that his name was “J.R.M.” as listed on a Guatemala national identification card he submitted; and (3) provided his date of birth. ORR did not approve this application.   

    Tinuar Quino is charged with two counts of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    These charges are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ICE Homeland Security Investigations and FBI Newark field offices are jointly investigating with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR have provided valuable assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of HRSP, JTFA Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Sussman of the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.

    As a federal criminal investigatory agency, ICE HSI’s role is to take swift action to investigate any criminal activity for which HSI has jurisdiction related to UAC. This includes investigating the exploitive smuggling networks that bring UAC to the United States as well as any criminals who may exploit these at-risk youths here in the United States.

    Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-DHS-2-ICE. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, SLCPD investigation sends woman to prison for 25 years for producing child exploitation material involving toddler

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    ST. LOUIS — U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Tuesday sentenced a woman from St. Louis County, Missouri to 25 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material involving a two-year-old, following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, St. Louis County Police Department investigation.

    Judge Sippel also ordered Raven Ainesis Pointer, 27, to pay $15,000 in restitution. After her release from prison, Pointer will be on supervised release for life.

    Pointer pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography. Pointer admitted coercing the victim in 2022 into engaging in sexual conduct and using her phone to produce videos containing child sexual abuse material.

    On six occasions, Pointer recorded the sexual abuse of the toddler and shared it with others for their “perverse sexual” entertainment, a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker says. In jail, Pointer continued to try and contact the child and berated the child’s father for seeking restitution, the memo says.

    “The production and sharing of child sexual abuse material is an appalling betrayal of human decency. This defendant targeted an innocent toddler – someone who should have been protected, not exploited – and did so for her own twisted purposes and the gratification of others who feed on this sickness. Crimes like this are not only horrific, but they are also unforgivable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito. “We will use every tool we have to find predators like this, to stop them, and make sure they spend as many years as possible behind bars. There is zero tolerance for those who harm children.”

    The investigation began in August of 2023 in Montgomery, Alabama, where ICE HSI special agents learned that a man who had been distributing child sexual abuse material had received videos involving a two-year-old victim from Pointer. Investigators then tracked down Pointer in St. Louis. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

    If you suspect a child may be a victim of online CSEA, call the Know2Protect Tipline at 1-833-591-KNOW (5669) or visit the NCMEC CyberTipline™. If you believe a child has been abducted or is in immediate danger, contact local law enforcement and the NCMEC Tipline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

    Know2Protect is a national public awareness campaign from the Department of Homeland Security. K2P’s aim is to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults, and policymakers to prevent, combat, and report online child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, please visit our YouTube playlists at Know2Protect Campaign PSA Playlist and Know2Protect Digital Safety Series Playlist on the DHS main channel. Additional resources are available at know2protect.gov and @Know2Protect on Instagram, Facebook and X.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Illegal alien sentenced for prohibited person in possession of a firearm, following ICE, local law enforcement partner investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LINCOLN, Neb. — Michael Alexander Ayala-Ramirez, 20, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was sentenced on May 8, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of prohibited person in possession or a firearm or firearms, following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, local law enforcement investigation.

    U.S. District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Ayala-Ramirez to a total of 70 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ayala-Ramirez’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release and will face removal from the United States.

    “This case is a stark reminder of why strong collaboration between federal and local law enforcement is non-negotiable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito. “A convicted felon and illegal alien in possession of firearms isn’t just breaking the law — he’s a direct threat to the people of Lincoln. When dangerous individuals enter and remain in this country illegally, they put all of us at risk. HSI will “aggressively” investigate, dismantle, and bring to justice anyone who endangers American lives.”

    On July 4, 2024, a pickup truck was reported stolen from the Denver International Airport. On July 6, 2024, an Ogallala police officer observed the stolen truck and attempted to contact it. The stolen truck had three occupants, Michael Ayala-Ramirez, codefendant Pablo Escobar-Alas, and codefendant Selvin Escobar-Rivera. The driver of the vehicle, Ayala-Ramirez, attempted to flee from law enforcement, which lead to a high-speed chase through multiple counties and involved multiple law enforcement agencies. Stop sticks were successfully deployed near the Deuel and Keith County line and the truck ended up in a ditch near a farmyard in Deuel County.

    Ayala-Ramirez and Escobar-Alas were the driver and front seat passenger. They got out of the vehicle carrying bags and attempted to hide under another vehicle in the farmyard momentarily. The bags were later found to contain a Smith & Wesson pistol that was reported stolen, a Sig Sauer pistol, a Glock pistol, and a Del Ton DTI-15 rifle. Ayala-Ramirez and Escobar-Alas then stole a pickup truck from the farmyard, which lead to another high-speed chase. They were arrested after stop sticks were successfully deployed once again.

    Escobar-Rivera was in the backseat of the first stolen truck and he fled on foot after the initial stop. He was later arrested, and a second Smith & Wesson pistol was found on the floorboard of the backseat where he had been sitting. This pistol was also reported stolen.

    All three of the defendants have previously been deported and have no legal basis to return to the United States.

    Pablo Escobar-Alas and Selvin Escobar-Rivera’s cases are still active and pending.

    This case was investigated by ICE HSI, Nebraska State Patrol, Deuel County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, and the Denver Police Department.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hageman Joins Wyoming Law Enforcement Officers to Honor Officer Nevada Krinkee of Sheridan

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman

    Washington, D.C. – This week Congresswoman Hageman joined Law Enforcement Officers from across Wyoming in the nation’s capital to honor the life of Seargent Nevada Krinkee from Sheridan, WY. 

    “I am humbled to take a moment to recognize Seargent Nevada Krinkee. His death shook our state and law enforcement community to the core and left his family without a father and a husband. Seargent Krinkee is an example of someone who selflessly served his country, both in the U.S. Army and as a Sheridan police officer. His life will be remembered in Wyoming for generations.” Hageman stated, “He was a man of honor and integrity and serves as an example to all of us of living a life for the betterment of others. This week was a particularly special opportunity to join with some of Seargent Krinkee’s colleagues and to ensure his name is ever etched in our hearts and on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. I encourage all of Wyoming to take a moment to visit the memorial when you have the opportunity and, when you do, to pray for the perseverance and peace of mind for his wife and young daughter.”  

    National Police Week is a collaborative effort of many organizations dedicated to honoring America’s law enforcement community and is taking place May 11-17th, 2025.

    Pictured above: The Wyoming Delegation with the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police Executive Board.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard detains 4 Mexican fishermen, seizes 450 pounds of illegally caught fish off Texas coast

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 05/14/2025 02:16 PM EDT

     News Release  

    U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas
    Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas
    Office: 281-464-4810
    After Hours: 832-293-1293
    PA Detachment Texas online newsroom

     

    05/14/2025 01:49 PM EDT

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard interdicted and detained four Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing and seized approximately 450 pounds of fish in federal waters off southern Texas, Tuesday.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul Scores Another Bust

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    The littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) interdicted a suspected drug smuggling vessel May 1 while supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South. This is the ship’s third successful interdiction during its maiden deployment. In mid-April, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul interdicted two vessels, confiscating 580 kilograms (1,279 pounds) of cocaine valued at $9,463,860 and 1,125 kilograms (2,480 pounds) of marijuana valued at $2,807,360.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Continuing Promise 2025 Set to Begin

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    The U.S. Navy Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will deploy this June-August to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2025 mission. After several months of detailed planning, USNS Comfort is scheduled to visit Grenada, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic during the nearly three month-long mission.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado man indicted for drug trafficking and firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Colorado man for drug trafficking and illegal firearms. 

    According to court documents, Russell Scott IV, 37, of Denver was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

    OTHER INDICTMENTS

    Chase Boyd, 39, of Wichita was indicted on two counts of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.

    Jose Galan-Andrade, 39, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.

    Jose Louis Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 35, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

    Darius Isaiah Jackson, 25, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

    Greggory K. O’Neal, 41, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Park City Kansas Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting the case.

    Guadalupe Rios-Edeza, 29, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Somerset Man Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON N.J. – A Somerset man was charged with receipt and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Elliott Souder, 51, was charged by complaint and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton federal court on May 6, 2025.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    From at least September 20, 2021 through November 16, 2021, Souder, via his home computer, connected to an Internet-based peer-to-peer network and requested three videos depicting child sexual abuse. When members of law enforcement executed a search warrant at Souder’s Somerset residence in March 2022, they found over 1,000 images and videos of child pornography on Souder’s computer’s hard drive, including two of the aforementioned videos previously requested over the peer-to-peer network. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent children, toddlers and infants, and sadomasochism on children.

    The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specifically the Violent Crimes Against Children Unit, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation. This investigation was conducted under FBI’s Operation Restore Justice. 

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the Criminal Division in Trenton.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                   ###

    Defense counsel: Steven D. Altman, Esq., New Brunswick, NJ

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Macon Mafia Member Sent Back to Prison for Illegally Possessing AR-Style Rifle

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant at Fatal 2024 Gang-Related Shooting in Macon; Deputies Seized Machinegun

    MACON, Ga. – A convicted felon and confirmed member of the Macon Mafia criminal organization who was serving supervised release for a prior federal conviction in West Virginia when a gang-related fatal shooting occurred at a Macon gas station in 2024 was sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.

    Nekoase Antwan Vinson, 41, of Macon, was sentenced to serve a total of 107 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on May 12. Vinson previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Feb. 20 in Case No. 5:24-CR-64-001 (sentence of 71 months imprisonment). In addition, Vinson’s supervised release was revoked in Case No. 3:09-CR-99-002 from the Southern District of West Virgina, for which he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (sentence of 36 months imprisonment). There is no parole in the federal system.

    “A man lost his life as a result of a gang-related shooting where convicted felons illegally possessed rapid-fire guns capable of killing many people,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Our office will use every federal resource available to lawfully hold repeat felons accountable for illegally arming themselves and endangering our community.”

    “This case is a tragic example of the mayhem that results when criminal gang members with illegally possessed firearms try to settle scores in public,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis. “We can be grateful that for almost nine years Nekoase Vinson will not be able to spew violence which might harm law abiding citizens.”

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Vinson and Joshua Teone Curry were present at the Marathon gas station on Napier Avenue in Macon on July 20, 2024, when gang-related violence broke out. Video surveillance showed Curry exchanged fire with unknown individuals using a fully automatic pistol, and Vinson brandished an AR-style rifle. Vinson and Curry left together in Vinson’s black Cadillac Escalade. Vinson wore a large “M4L” (Mafia 4 Life) medallion. That night, RaQuavian Smith, an associate of Vinson and Curry’s who was present at the Marathon, died from gunshot wounds sustained in the violence.

    Both firearms seen on video were seized by law enforcement, together with an additional pistol, on August 23, 2024. On August 23, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Roy Street at a location controlled by Vinson and Curry, taking both men into custody. Law enforcement found two firearms beneath a mattress: a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine containing 21 rounds of ammunition and a switch plus a Sig Sauer, Model P320, .45 caliber pistol with a magazine containing five rounds of ammunition. Officers recovered various Macon Mafia memorabilia, including t-shirts and hats. Hanging around Vinson’s neck was the M4L chain and medallion he wore during the July 20, 2024, shooting. Inside Curry’s vehicle, officers found a Del-Ton, Model DTI-15, AR-style caliber rifle.

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

    The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

    Criminal Chief Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien with Prior Sex Assault of a Child Conviction Sentenced to 35 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    An illegal alien from Mexico, previously convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

    Enrique Campos-Gomez, 45, was indicted in November 2024 and pled guilty in January 2025 to illegally reentering the United States after he was deported by immigration authorities in 2014.  He was sentenced on Thursday, May 8, to 35 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle.

    At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors argued that Campos-Gomez was a danger to the community based on his violent criminal history, which included a 2008 Dallas County conviction for domestic violence, followed by multiple criminal violations of a protective order obtained by the same domestic-assault victim in 2008 and 2009, as well as his 2013 Dallas County conviction for sexually assaulting a fifteen-year-old girl.  Campos-Gomez also failed to register as a sex offender, as he was required to do by federal law.

    “This case highlights the continuing need to protect the public from offenders with violent tendencies who should not be in the United States in the first place,” said Acting United States Attorney Chad E. Meacham.  “Individuals such as these attempting to hide illegally in this country will be found and brought to justice.”

    “ICE and our federal law enforcement partners have an unrelenting commitment of protecting minors and other at-risk members in our society,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson. “Criminal aliens like this one who repeatedly prey on our children are not welcome in our communities. We will track them down and remove them to ensure the safety of those who cannot protect themselves.”  

    ICE conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Garner prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –