NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: European Judicial Cybercrime Network holds 18th plenary meeting to combat growing cyber threats

    Source: Eurojust

    Technological advancements create new opportunities for criminals to exploit the internet’s speed, convenience, and anonymity. The resulting cyber threats know no borders, causing harm and posing real threats to victims worldwide. National authorities are taking measures to combat this growing threat, but often face challenges in keeping pace with the rapidly changing technical environment.

    Prosecutors and judges across the EU are grappling with new legal problems and grey areas, such as cooperating with service providers that hold crucial electronic evidence, seizing cryptocurrencies under the control of crypto assets service providers or addressing the complex phenomena of cyber-enabled terrorism. The EJCN’s 18th Plenary Meeting addressed these challenges head-on, featuring discussions on key topics such as artificial intelligence, crypto assets, the E-evidence Package and terrorist networks operating online. The meeting included presentations on case studies, including the criminal use of malicious Large Language Models (LLMs) and the abuse of stablecoins, highlighting the evolving nature of cyber threats.

    A restricted session on the second day allowed participants to share updates on national legislations, judgments, and cases. Breakout sessions covered topics such as artificial intelligence, crypto assets, e-evidence and training for the judiciary on cyber-related topics, providing a platform for participants to share experiences and anticipate future challenges. The meeting was an important gathering of experts and stakeholders, offering valuable insights and discussions on the key challenges facing the cybercrime industry, and demonstrating the EJCN’s commitment to supporting its members in their efforts to combat cybercrime.

    Established in 2016, the EJCN plays a vital role in fostering cooperation and knowledge-sharing among practitioners specialising in countering cybercrime, with the goal of increasing the efficiency of investigations and prosecutions. With the support of key partner Eurojust, the EJCN works to enhance cooperation between national authorities, addressing the borderless nature of cybercrime and the challenges it poses.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Man sentenced after Operation Barber cuts at West Coast drug supply

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Detective Constable Mat Wood:

    Police acknowledge the sentencing handed down in the Christchurch District Court this week in relation to the supply of drugs on the West Coast.

    Leo Smith, aged 22, was on Tuesday (29 April) sentenced to 10 months home detention.

    Operation Barber started in 2023 after Police received information relating to the supply of class B drugs across the wider region.

    Smith was identified as a person of interest, and Police conducted search warrants on 8 March 2024 at two addresses he was connected to.

    Police located and seized drugs, instruments, and cash, as well as his mobile devices.

    The operation has been hugely successful thanks to the dedication of the West Coast Tactical Crime Unit who were greatly assisted over the last 18 months by Christchurch Criminal Investigations Branch.

    As a result of our investigations, we have been able to uncover a number of associates working with Smith.

    Several other people were involved in the supply chain and supplying class A-C illicit drugs across the Greymouth and Canterbury regions.

    These offenders were unidentified previously, with little to no criminal history. They have now been convicted and more than $90,000 in cash has been forfeited across the wider operation.

    Police will continue to hold people to account who are supplying drugs and causing harm to our community.

    If you have concerns about illegal drug use in your community, please call 111 if there is an immediate public safety risk, or contact us via 105 online, or by phone, to make a report.

    You can also report information anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government to reinstate prisoner voting ban

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government has agreed to reinstate a total ban on prisoner voting, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
    “Cabinet’s decision will reverse the changes made by the previous government in 2020, which allowed prisoners serving sentences of less than three years to vote.
    “Restoring prisoner voting was typical of the previous government’s soft-on-crime approach; we don’t agree with it.
    “Citizenship brings rights and responsibilities. People who breach those responsibilities to the extent that they are sentenced to jail temporarily lose some of their rights, including the right to vote.
    “The proposed change will establish a consistent approach to prisoner voting, regardless of the length of sentence.
    “The Government is committed to restoring law and order, and part of the response is to place a greater emphasis on personal responsibility and accountability. 
    “A total prison voting ban for all sentenced prisoners underlines the importance that New Zealanders afford to the rule of law, and the civic responsibility that goes hand-in-hand with the right to participate in our democracy through voting.
    “The voting ban will be progressed as part of an electoral amendment bill announced in April and set for introduction later this year. 
    “When prisoners have served their time, they will enjoy the full restoration of electoral rights. The Department of Corrections and the Electoral Commission currently coordinate to support prisoners with re-enrolment upon their release, and this work will continue.”
    The ban will not be retrospective, meaning prisoners already serving sentences of less than three years at the time the ban comes into force before the 2026 General Election will retain the ability to vote. 
    The voting ban will not apply to people detained on remand or serving sentences of home detention.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Warns Walgreens Buyout by Private Equity May Lead to Pharmacy Closures, Lost Jobs in Massachusetts, Limit Access to Medication

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    April 29, 2025
    Warren seeks assurances from Sycamore Partners that its heavily-leveraged, debt-fueled acquisition of Walgreens will not lead to layoffs, store closures
    After private equity looted Steward Health Care hospitals, Warren concerned that Walgreens could be next: “These private equity buyouts of companies facing financial hardship…frequently lead to worse outcomes for employees and consumers.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, wrote to private equity firm Sycamore Partners (Sycamore) regarding concerns that the firm’s proposed acquisition of retail pharmacy chain Walgreens may cost hardworking Massachusetts residents their jobs and create difficulties for patients who need access to lifesaving medications. 
    Sycamore’s multi-billion-dollar takeover of Walgreens has been touted as an attempt to keep the struggling retail pharmacy chain alive. However, private equity buyouts have a record of running already-struggling companies into the ground and producing devastating consequences for workers and communities, as witnessed by private equity’s looting of Steward Health Care, which resulted in two shuttered hospitals in Massachusetts. 
    “My primary concern is that Sycamore’s acquisition of Walgreens may lead to restructuring of the company that results in layoffs and pharmacy closures in the Commonwealth,” said Senator Warren. 
    Walgreens has already announced plans to close nine locations across Massachusetts, in addition to the six stores closed in the state within the past year. Many of the shuttered Walgreens stores are located in vulnerable communities, leaving thousands of residents without reliable pharmacy access. 
    Sycamore has a troubling history of leading the companies it acquires into bankruptcy, further harming already-struggling communities. 
    “These private equity buyouts…frequently lead to worse outcomes for employees and consumers: private equity firms sell off assets and close locations, employees lose their jobs, and consumers lose access to essential goods and services,” wrote Senator Warren.
    A review by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) revealed that the Walgreens buyout will be heavily leveraged with debt, heightening the risk of bankruptcy and threatening the availability of critical services to customers and patients.
    “These are deeply troubling conclusions, suggesting that yet another private equity firm might leverage a failing health care chain to turn a profit at the expense of Massachusetts’ patients, providers, and taxpayers,” wrote Senator Warren.
    Millions of customers across the United States rely on Walgreens for primary care, essential medications, and household items, and if the Walgreens-Sycamore deal leads to even more store closures, customers could be left in “pharmacy deserts” without access to necessities.  
    “I seek assurances that Sycamore’s buyout of Walgreens will not damage the company further, and will not cost hardworking Americans their jobs or create difficulties for patients who need access to lifesaving medications,” concluded Senator Warren.
    Senator Warren requested a response identifying the impact Sycamore’s acquisition of Walgreens will have on workers and communities by May 13, 2025.
    Senator Warren has repeatedly called out the harms of private equity ownership on health care costs and quality of care and has fought to prevent companies from taking advantage of the bankruptcy system:
    In February 2025, Senator Warren questioned private equity executive Stephen Feinberg, President of Cerberus Capital Management and nominee for Deputy Secretary of Defense, on his actions to enrich himself and his investors at the expense of Steward Health Care patients and workers.
    In October 2024, Senator Warren led colleagues in reintroducing the Stop Wall Street Looting Act, comprehensive legislation to fundamentally reform the private equity industry and level the playing field by forcing private investment firms to take responsibility for the outcomes of companies they take over, empowering workers and protecting investors. This reintroduction comes after private equity firm Cerberus looted Steward Health Care, leaving hospitals, patients, and workers hanging out to dry.
    In September 2024, Senators Warren and Markey (D-Mass.), alongside Representatives Auchincloss and Lynch, sent a letter to RHG raising concerns over its proposed acquisition of Steward Health Care’s physician group, Stewardship Health.
    In September 2024, Senator Warren urged the IRS to crack down on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) squeezing the health care industry.
    In August 2024, Senators Warren and Markey requested information from private equity firm Apollo Global Management (Apollo) on the company’s role in Steward’s bankruptcy, and urged Apollo to work in good faith to facilitate the sale of Steward’s Massachusetts hospitals. 
    In July 2024, Senators Warren and Markey wrote to Medical Properties Trust and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, owners of Steward’s eight Massachusetts hospitals, urging them to offer lease concessions to keep the hospitals open and viable.
    In June 2024, Senator Warren, Representative Chu, and Representative Nadler urged CMS to increase oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic software tools used to guide coverage decisions in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, citing the NaviHealth scandal as cause for concern. 
    In June 2024, Senators Warren and Markey introduced the Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act of 2024 to root out corporate greed and private equity abuse in the health care system, specifically preventing what happened with Steward from happening again. 
    In June 2024, Senator Warren wrote to the DOJ, FTC, and HHS calling out high health care costs due to vertically-integrated insurers, private equity companies, and pharmaceutical companies that are driving health care consolidation.
    In June 2024, Senators Warren, Brown (D-Ohio), and Markey wrote to the Director of the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), calling for USTP to move to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee to run the company in place of Steward’s current management, and to monitor the hospitals’ bankruptcy proceedings to protect patients and local communities. 
    In May 2024, Senator Warren sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, urging them to support communities and health care providers affected by the crisis caused by Steward’s financial mismanagement.
    In April 2024, Senators Warren and Senator Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to six private credit funds that are holders of Steward’s debt, asking them a series of questions about their loans and calling on them to offer loan modifications that could potentially help keep the hospitals afloat.
    In April 2024, Senators Warren and Markey called out Medical Properties Trust and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners for exploiting Steward Hospitals, and urged them to help keep the hospitals open. 
    In April 2024, Senators Warren, Markey, and the rest of the MA delegation urged the FTC and DOJ to closely scrutinize UnitedHealth Group’s proposed acquisition of Steward Health Care’s physician group, Stewardship Health.
    In April 2024, Senator Warren delivered remarks at a Senate hearing in Boston titled, “When Health Care Becomes Wealth Care: How Corporate Greed Puts Patient Care and Health Workers at Risk,” which centered on Steward Health Care’s Massachusetts hospitals.
    In April 2024, Senators Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called out private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management (Cerberus) for its role in creating Steward Health Care’s financial challenges, following Cerberus’s reply to the Massachusetts congressional delegation’s February 2024 probe. 
    In February 2024, Senator Warren slammed UnitedHealth Group for leveraging NaviHealth’s unregulated artificial intelligence algorithm to unlawfully deny health care to seniors with severe injuries.
    In March 2024, Senator Warren released a statement about Steward’s plan to sell its physician group Stewardship Health to UnitedHealth Group’s subsidiary Optum.
    In March 2024, Senators Warren and Markey sent a letter  to Steward CEO and Chairman Dr. Ralph de la Torre, calling on him to testify at a congressional hearing in Boston.
    In March 2024, Senators Warren and Markey sent a letter to Dr. de la Torre, blasting him for years of financial mismanagement, private equity schemes, and executive profiteering that have led to Steward Health Care’s financial crisis.
    In February 2024, Senators Warren and Markey, along with all nine members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, sent a letter to Cerberus seeking answers from the private equity firm for its role in creating the current financial challenges at Steward hospitals.
    In January 2024, Senator Warren released a statement about Steward’s financial situation and allegations of patient neglect at Steward facilities.
    In January 2024, Senator Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation in a letter to the CEO of Steward Health Care pressing the company to brief them on Steward’s financial position, the status of their Massachusetts facilities, and their plans to ensure the communities they serve are not abandoned. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Key evidence leads to guilty plea

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to theft of postal keys.

    According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, Lee Vann Tyner, 48, broke into the Jolliff Station post office in Chesapeake by shattering the glass door to an entrance. Tyner entered the post office and stole several keys used to unlock mail receptacles.

    On June 11, 2024, a Chesapeake Police officer conducted a traffic stop on an SUV that matched the description of a vehicle that the officer had received information was being used to sell narcotics. Tyner told the officer that he had no driver’s license or identification with him, and, initially, gave the officer a false name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Tyner falsely claimed that he had rented the SUV using Turo.

    Inside the vehicle were postal keys that were confirmed to have been stolen from the Jolliff Station post office. Several Georgia driver’s licenses, mail, credit cards, debit cards, and Social Security cards that did not belong to Tyner were also found inside the SUV.

    Tyner is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Marek is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-4.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former USDA Program Director Pleads Guilty in $400,000 Kickback Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Kirk Perry, 60, a former United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program director, pleaded guilty today in connection with a kickback scheme in which he and his nephew, Jamarea Grant, 31, of Cleveland, Ohio, conspired to bill the government nearly $400,000 for work that Grant did not actually perform.  

    The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Acting Inspector General Janet M. Sorensen of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.

    Perry, of Lorain, Ohio, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud. Grant previously pleaded guilty on Nov. 27, 2024, to the same charge. Judge Kollar-Kotelly will determine any sentences for Perry and Grant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Perry is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4, 2025. Grant’s sentencing is pending.

    In pleading guilty, Perry and Grant admitted that, from August 2015 through November 2022, Perry, who at the time was serving as a USDA Program Director, arranged for Grant to be hired by two companies under contract with the USDA Office for Civil Rights. Grant reported directly to Perry, who also approved the invoices billing for Grant’s time, and the two of them conspired to bill the government for work that Grant did not perform.

    Grant received nearly $400,000 for work he did not do. Perry also had access to Grant’s bank account. As part of the criminal scheme Perry transferred approximately $125,000 of the USDA payments from Grant’s account to his own account.

    This case was investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General Sensitive Investigations Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Kelly and Maeghan Mikorski.

    24cr223

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 100 Days, 100 Stories

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Today, Speaker Johnson released a list of 100 American citizens who have felt the benefits from President Trump’s historic first 100 days in office. Speaker Johnson highlighted citizens who were unjustly detained abroad, business owners who will benefit from new apprenticeship opportunities, and families devastated by previous open borders policies, among many others. 

    Click here to read the full list

    “President Donald J. Trump entered the White House with the most decisive mandate in modern history. In just 100 days, he’s done more for America than Joe Biden managed in four years,” Speaker Johnson said. “The American people can feel the tangible impact of President Trump’s swift and decisive action. From coast to coast, North to South, the American First agenda is helping Americans from across our great country.

    “Republicans in Congress are proud to stand with the President as he secures our border, restores accountability in government, fights for common sense, and defends the liberty and prosperity of generations of Americans to come,” Speaker Johnson continued. “Today, as we mark 100 historic days, we celebrate the many ways President Trump has delivered for the American people.”

    Since his inauguration on January 20th, President Trump has taken bold action to secure the border, drive down inflation, restore American strength on the world stage, clean up our communities, secure trillions of dollars in new investments and jobs, and return common sense to Washington. These 100 American stories illustrate that.  

    Read 20 stories below, and the full list here.

    Alexis Nungaray, Angel Mother – Alexis Nungaray is the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was tragically murdered by illegal aliens in June of 2024. Jocelyn’s life was tragically cut short because of the Biden Administration’s failure to close our borders and protect American citizens from dangerous illegal aliens. On March 5, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order honoring her life by renaming Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge to Jocelyn Nungaray Wildlife Refuge in Anahuac, Texas. Since Jocelyn’s murder, her mother Alexis has been advocating alongside the Trump Administration and Senator Ted Cruz for stronger immigration laws.

    Marianna Montoya, Florida Resident – During President Trump’s first 100 days, Marianna was able to open up her very first Roth IRA and begin contributing on a monthly basis. President Trump’s work to reverse the devastating consequences of Bidenomics has given her hope that she and her husband will be able to retire peacefully.

    Frank Windsor, Rinnai America President – In late 2024, the Biden Administration issued a rule that effectively banned an entire niche of American manufacturing: non-condensing tankless water heaters. The rule specifically targeted Rinnai America Corporation, the only U.S. facility producing these water heaters. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the House passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the rule, keeping Rinnai’s doors open and protecting nearly 300 American jobs.

    Sarah Taylor, Iowa Parent – Sarah and her husband, Dan, both attended private Catholic elementary schools and knew they wanted the same faith-based education for their daughters, Hannah and Millie. Thanks to expanding educational freedom and school choice, the Taylors were empowered to choose the school that best fit their family’s values. For the Taylor family, school choice has meant more than access. It’s meant opportunity. Their story is one of many that show the power of giving parents the freedom to choose what’s best for their children.

    Kelly Wilson, Small Business Owner – Kelly Wilson’s family has owned and operated a small business in Colorado for 80 years, but after mass flows of illegal aliens began arriving in Denver under the Biden Administration, her family discussed moving to another state. In the face of budget cuts to Denver’s police force and sanctuary city policies that have failed Denver families, Kelly began speaking out for her community. Since day one, the Trump Administration has made cracking down on sanctuary cities and states a top priority. Today, communities like Kelly’s are safer, thanks to President Trump’s work to restore the rule of law.

    Jim Chilton, Rancher – The Chilton Ranch has been operated within the Chilton family for generations, a family legacy that Jim and Sue Chilton have preserved mere miles away from the Southern Border. However, under the Biden Administration, they were forced to shoulder the consequences of President Biden’s border crisis. During April of 2024 alone, the Chiltons experienced 5,640 immigrant encounters on their ranch. The last time they checked with the Border Patrol, in April of this year, there were zero crossers over the course of three weeks. Thanks to President Trump’s work to reverse the Biden administration’s radical open-border policies, the Chilton family’s beloved ranch and livelihood are no longer under threat.

    Ben Paulding, CPA – Ben hosts South Dakota’s first federally subsidized CPA Apprenticeship Program. After navigating months of red tape under the Biden Administration, he can finally onboard his first interns. Thankfully, President Trump has ended burdensome mandates on programs like Ben’s, enabling him to refocus his attention on merit-based, equal opportunity hiring without the DEI red tape.

    George Glezmann, Former Hostage – George Glezmann, a Georgia native and Delta Airlines mechanic, was arrested by the Taliban in 2022 during a planned tourist visit. Despite no formal charges being filed, Glezmann was held for over 2 years in an Afghanistan prison. On March 20, 2025, he was released as a gesture of “goodwill” by the Taliban following trilateral negotiations between Qatar, the U.S., and the Taliban. Upon returning to the U.S., he said, “I feel like I’m born again, I’m in debt to President Trump. Thank God he’s in the White House and thank God he got me out.”

    Michelle Root, Angel Mother – Michelle Root is the mother of Sarah Root, a 21-year-old Iowan who was killed by an illegal alien drunk driving in 2016. Instead of answering for his crimes, the illegal alien posted bail, was released from jail, and was never seen again. Fortunately, this criminal was found in Honduras and the Trump Administration worked with Honduran authorities to extradite him to the United States to face justice. President Trump also signed the Laken Riley Act, which included Sarah’s Law – introduced by Congressman Randy Feenstra from Iowa – to ensure that any illegal alien who harms or kills an American citizen is swiftly detained and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Root Family is grateful to President Trump and Congressman Feenstra for honoring their precious daughter’s memory.

    Marc Fogel, Schoolteacher/Former Hostage – Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher, was wrongfully detained by Russian authorities in 2021 after being arrested on drug charges related to medical marijuana. Despite having a valid prescription in the U.S., he was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. However, on February 11, 2025, Fogel was released and returned to the United States through a diplomatic deal negotiated by President Trump. He was warmly greeted by the President upon his arrival back to the United States and expressed his gratitude, saying, “I feel like the luckiest man alive.”

    Tony Campbell, East KY Power Cooperative CEO – Tony Campbell serves as the CEO and President of East Kentucky Power Cooperative. He and his colleagues have faced significant challenges under burdensome regulations that targeted the coal industry—an industry that has powered American homes and cities for generations. Through executive action, President Trump strengthened the reliability and affordability of American energy, safeguarded American jobs, and preserved critical coal plants, delivering on his promise to create jobs and uphold America’s energy independence.

    Joseph Knowles, Detroit Autoworker – Joseph Knowles is a Detroit autoworker for Stellantis who was laid off during the Biden Administration and later reinstated after President Trump’s election victory. After attending President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress, Knowles declared he had left the Democratic Party for good. “I got very good hope for the Republican Party,” Knowles said, “More and more people are seeing the true colors of the Democrats.”

    Lawrence Rosen, Cra-Z-Art Founder – Lawrence Rosen is the owner of Cra-Z-Art, the largest toy maker in the United States. Since Liberation Day, Lawrence has seen the benefits of President Trump’s tariffs firsthand on domestic manufacturing. Because of President Trump’s decisive action in the first 100 days, Rosen is expanding their domestic production by 50% and investing millions of dollars into factories across the country.

    Elliston Berry, Texas High School Student – Elliston Berry was only 14-years-old when one of her classmates took an innocent selfie of her and ran it through AI to make a deep-fake pornographic image, which was later circulated throughout her school. Her painful experience motivated her to become an advocate against deepfake pornography, with her efforts leading to legislative action by Senator Ted Cruz. The “Take it Down Act”, which First Lady Melania Trump has championed, protects victims, enhances protections for users, and introduces accountability for AI platforms passed the House in April.

    Kirk Davis, Bob Davis Electric CEO – Kirk Davis, owner of Bob Davis Electric, is one of many business leaders benefiting from President Trump’s action to tackle America’s workforce challenges. Thanks to the President’s Executive Order on apprenticeships, Kirk has been able to recruit, train, and retrain the skilled electricians needed to meet rising power demands and grow his business.

    Dakota Meyer, U.S. Marine – President Trump’s Department of Defense has championed a warrior culture in America’s armed forces that has generated massive results for military recruiting. In April, Secretary Hegseth announced the U.S. Army had surpassed its 2025 reenlistment goal six months early. Dakota Meyer, a Marine Corps veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, is just one of the many brave Americans who have reenlisted, deciding to reenter the Army after a 15-year hiatus. “I’m damn proud of the men and women who are standing in uniform,” said Meyer, “and I’m so proud I get to be one of them again.”

    Steven McCain, Sheriff – In Grant Parish, illegal aliens are using drones to drop off drugs and other paraphernalia at a large federal prison. It’s been a significant problem for the prison, but now that President Trump has returned to the White House, the situation has changed. Sheriff McCain has noticed a sharp increase in cooperation from ICE, the United States Attorney’s Office, and other local officials. Working together, law enforcement from all levels will be able to crack down on these drones.

    Brian Riley, CEO of Guardian Bikes – Citing his support for President Trump’s tariffs, Brian announced a $19 million investment to move Guardian’s bike production out of China and into Seymour, Indiana.

    Dino Mavrookas, CEO of Saronic – President Trump has called for the restoration of America’s maritime dominance, and Dino Mavrookas, CEO of the defense startup Saronic, has been a leader in answering this call. To help build the next-generation of autonomous vessels, Saronic acquired Gulf Craft, a Louisiana-based shipbuilder. By preserving Gulf Craft’s skilled workforce, creating hundreds of new, good-paying jobs, and investing over $2.5 billion to develop Port Alpha, Saronic is strengthening our economy, rebuilding America’s maritime strength, and supporting our national defense.

    Gary Hamrick, Senior Pastor – Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick became the target of anti-Christian bias when he and his church were charged by the IRS for so-called Johnson Amendment violations. Under President Trump, the Department of Justice has established a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias in the federal government and safeguard the religious liberty of all Americans.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hammond Man Sentenced for Receipt of Materials Involving Sexual Exploitation of Minors

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSEPH AUTHEMENT (“AUTHEMENT”), age 25, of Hammond, LA, was sentenced on April 16, 2025, for Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). 

    According to court documents, on March 11, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”)  obtained a federal search warrant to seize AUTHEMENT’s Apple iPhone.  On March 12, 2024, HSI special agents (“SA”) located AUTHEMENT at his residence in Hammond, LA.  The agents seized AUTHEMENT’s iPhone and located images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors on that phone.  SAs later determined AUTHEMENT used a messaging application to download and purchase child sex abuse materials.

    United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced AUTHEMENT to sixty (60) months imprisonment, supervised release for (10) ten years upon release from imprisonment and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task Force.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Florida Man For Stealing $10.9 Million From Medicare

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Lino Mallari Gutierrez, a/k/a “Joe Gutierrez,” (age, Palm City) guilty of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, five substantive counts of health care fraud, and four substantive counts of payment of kickbacks in connection with a heath care program. After the jury verdict, the Court remanded Gutierrez into custody. Gutierrez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 24, 2025.  Gutierrez was indicted on August 22, 2023.

    According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Gutierrez and his co-conspirators, including Jonathan Rouffe, owned and operated two durable medical equipment (DME) companies that collectively billed Medicare more than $10.9 million for medically unnecessary DME, of which more than $5 million was paid to Gutierrez and his co-conspirators. Gutierrez and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks to marketing companies in exchange for signed doctors’ orders for unnecessary braces, which Gutierrez and the co-conspirators then used to bill Medicare. The marketing companies used call centers to solicit Medicare patients and telemedicine companies to procure prescriptions for unnecessary braces for these patients. Gutierrez and Rouffe concealed their role in the scheme by putting the DME companies in the names of straw owners.

    As part of the conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, Gutierrez also filed false records with his employer and a private regulatory organization to conceal his involvement in the DME companies. Gutierrez and Rouffe were in the process of establishing four more DME companies with additional straw owners—including Gutierrez’s mother and two of Gutierrez’s friends—when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the DME fraud through a national operation, which began in the Middle District of Florida, and through which dozens of co-conspirators were identified, charged, and convicted. Prior to law enforcement action, Gutierrez and Rouffe had already taken multiple steps to use these additional DME companies to bill Medicare for additional fraudulent claims. After learning of law enforcement action, Gutierrez moved Medicare proceeds from his account into other bank accounts under his control.

    Rouffe previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the fraud scheme.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Peresie and Trial Attorney Margaret Mortimer of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Britain Man Sentenced to 43 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotic Pills

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIK PETERSEN, 44, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 43 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotic pills.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, members of the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad began investigating suspicious packages that were being delivered to the Newington residence of Petersen’s brother, Kyle Petersen.  At the time, Kyle Petersen was on federal supervised release following a federal conviction in 2017 involving the trafficking of fentanyl and prescription pills.  During the investigation, a court-authorized search of a package mailed to Kyle Petersen contained more than 400 grams of pills containing Protonitazene, a synthetic opioid typically more potent than fentanyl.  The investigation revealed that Kyle Petersen had received approximately 34 similar packages mailed from the same source in Michigan, and also received approximately 46 packages from California and Oregon suspected to contain multiple pounds of marijuana.  Investigators also made controlled purchases of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl from Erik Petersen.

    Kyle and Erik Petersen were arrested on federal criminal complaints on April 3, 2024.  On that date, a search of Kyle Petersen’s residence revealed more than a kilogram of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Xanax pills, a large quantity of Protonitazene, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, and $76,650 in cash.

    Erik Petersen has been detained since his arrest.  On December 19, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, Bromazolam, and Protonitazene.

    Kyle Petersen has pleaded guilty and is detained while awaiting sentencing.

    This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New Britain and Newington Police Departments.  The Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hamden, West Haven, Fairfield, Seymour, and Glastonbury Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Court Enjoins Arizona Animal Drug Manufacturer from Distributing Unapproved Drugs

    Source: United States Attorneys General 4

    A federal court ordered an Arizona company to stop distributing unapproved animal drugs that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the Department of Justice announced.

    In a civil complaint filed on August 29, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, the United States alleged that AniCell Biotech LLC and its founder and chief executive officer, Brandon T. Ames, violated the FDCA at the company’s facility in Gilbert, Arizona, by manufacturing and distributing unapproved animal drugs. According to the complaint, AniCell Biotech makes and distributes animal cell- and tissue-based products (ACTPs) derived from the amniotic tissue of horses for use in animals.

    According to the complaint, AniCell and Ames claimed on their website and in promotional pamphlets that their products were intended for use in animals to treat various diseases and to promote tissue regeneration and healing. The complaint further alleged that AniCell and Ames made and sold new animal drugs that were considered adulterated and unsafe because they had not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the complaint, FDA provided defendants with multiple warnings, including a written warning letter regarding its need to submit its new animal drugs to the FDA for approval.

    “Animal drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure that their products are safe and manufactured and sold in accordance with the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work closely with FDA to pursue appropriate actions against drug manufacturers that violate the law.”

    “Marketing unapproved new animal drugs that claim to cure, mitigate, treat or prevent diseases in animals can pose serious safety risks to consumers’ pets,” said Acting Director Dr. Timothy Schell of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “The FDA will continue to pursue actions against those who may put animal patients in harm’s way by manufacturing and distributing unapproved new animal drugs.”

    The defendants agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree permanently enjoining them from violating the FDCA. Under the court’s order, entered on April 17, the defendants must comply with specific requirements set forth in the injunction and the FDCA prior to manufacturing or distributing any new animal drugs.

    Trial Attorney Coleen Schoch of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch handled the case, with assistance from Associate Chief Counsel of Enforcement Jaclyn E. Martinez Resly of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Summary of Fiscal Year 2024 Annual FOIA Reports Published

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Office of Information Policy (OIP) has released its Summary of Annual FOIA Reports for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This summary provides an overview of FOIA activities across the government during the previous fiscal year, looks at key statistics in FOIA administration, and identifies trends in FOIA processing.  Each summary serves as a resource for both agencies and the public to gain an understanding of overall FOIA administration.

    As highlighted in this year’s summary, the government received yet another record-setting 1,501,432 requests during FY 2024 – a 25.15% increase in requests received over last fiscal year.  Agencies largely kept pace with this demand by processing1,499,265 requests.  Agencies received 20,115 administrative appeals and processed 18,575 appeals, with more than two-thirds of federal agencies ending FY 2024 with no pending appeals.  In addition to responding to requests and administrative appeals, agencies continued to make vast amounts of information available proactively.  Agencies’ FOIA offices and program offices continued to proactively disclose millions of records, with FOIA Offices in particular posting significantly more records in FY 2024 as compared to FY 2023.

    OIP’s latest summary is available on its Reports page, where it can be compared with previous summaries dating back to FY 2006.  All agencies subject to the FOIA finalized their FY 2024 Annual FOIA Report data.  This information can be easily viewed, compared, and analyzed on FOIA.gov’s Data page. 

    Subscribe to FOIA Post email updates to receive additional FOIA updates from OIP.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former President of Ypsilanti Steelworkers Union Sentenced for Stealing $58,000 in Union Funds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – Dilanjan Miller was sentenced today to six months in federal prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.

    Joining Beck in the announcement is Thomas Murray, District Director of the Detroit-Milwaukee District Office of the Department of Labor-Office of Labor-Management Standards.

    Miller, age 38, was sentenced after pleading guilty before the Honorable Laurie Michelson to bank fraud. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Judge Michelson ordered Miller to pay restitution to the union.

    According to the facts alleged in the information and further developed at the plea hearing, USW Local 2513 represented machine operators, inspectors, stock chasers, and rackers at Marsh Plating in Ypsilanti. Miller was elected President of Local 2513 in April 2018.  Miller also assumed all financial duties of Local 2513 as acting Financial Secretary and Treasurer. While President, Acting Financial Secretary, and Acting Treasurer of the union, Miller embezzled approximately $47,347 of union funds in the custody and control of the Bank of Ann Arbor by issuing approximately 38 unauthorized checks to himself and forging the signature of the second signatory on 20 of those checks; issuing approximately 4 unauthorized checks made payable to a family member; and making approximately 2 unauthorized cash withdrawals from the union’s bank account.

    Miller also used the union’s Bank of Ann Arbor debit card as his own personal debit card. He made at least 184 unauthorized personal purchases, totaling approximately $11,259. His purchases with the union’s debit card included flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, and retail purchases. For example, Miller used the debit card to pay for five flights to Florida, Las Vegas, and Atlanta and for rental cars in Florida and Atlanta. Miller also used the debit card at a jewelry store and several footwear shops.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Beck commended the work of the Department of Labor in conducting this criminal investigation of a corrupt union officer and said, “Union officials are expected to serve with integrity.  This prosecution demonstrates that we will not tolerate union officers who abuse their authority and line their own pockets at the expense of the union’s membership. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out corruption and fraud involving unions.”

    “Dilanjan Miller betrayed the trust of his fellow union members and failed in his fiduciary duties when he stole over $58,000 from Steelworkers Local 2513 for his personal benefit through multiple embezzlement schemes,” said U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards District Director Thomas Murray. “Today’s sentencing leaves no question as to the department’s commitment to seek justice when anyone puts personal financial gain ahead of the best interests of their fellow union members.”

    The investigation of this case was conducted by the Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Resnick Cohen. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian Man Sentenced for Being in the United States Illegally After Having Been Previously Removed by Immigration Officials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 29, 2025, Alex Patin-Patin, 28, of South Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to time served. The defendant, who had been detained since his arrest on February 5, 2025, previously pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been removed.

    According to court records, Patin-Patin is an Ecuadorian national who unlawfully entered the United States near Santa Teresa, New Mexico in February 2022. He was ordered removed by a United States Immigration Judge in June 2022, and federal authorities removed him from the United States on or about July 7, 2022. It is unknown where or when Patin-Patin re-entered the United States, but in April 2024 Patin-Patin was arrested in South Burlington, Vermont for unrelated charges. Because Patin-Patin had not obtained permission to re-enter the United States, his presence in the country was in violation of U.S. law.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher thanked the agents from Enforcement and Removal Operations, a component of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for their efforts in locating Patin-Patin and assisting in this prosecution.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Arra and Matthew Lasher. Patin-Patin was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Billings man sentenced to almost 5 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILLINGS – A Billings man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 57 months in prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Ryder Lyle Allard, 37, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of distribution of methamphetamine.

    U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that beginning in at least March of 2022 and continuing until in or about October of 2022, at Billings and elsewhere, Allard distributed methamphetamine, which was corroborated by controlled purchases by undercover law enforcement officers and confidential sources in 2022.

    On September 13, 2022, law enforcement executed a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Allard. The transaction, which was audio-recorded, involved two undercover officers meeting with Allard in a vehicle at a gas station in Billings. During the meeting, Allard sold the undercover officers roughly 1.5 ounces of methamphetamine for $1,365.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the DEA.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Strengthening democracy

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Dismisses Half Century Old Louisiana Consent Decree

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Justice Department Dismisses Half Century Old Louisiana Consent Decree

    In 1966, the United States sued Plaquemines Parish School Board seeking to desegregate its schools. By 1975, the Court found the schools had been properly integrated, but the case was never removed from the Court system. Thus, for nearly a half century the case remained open.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Court Enjoins Arizona Animal Drug Manufacturer from Distributing Unapproved Drugs

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A federal court ordered an Arizona company to stop distributing unapproved animal drugs that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the Department of Justice announced.

    In a civil complaint filed on August 29, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, the United States alleged that AniCell Biotech LLC and its founder and chief executive officer, Brandon T. Ames, violated the FDCA at the company’s facility in Gilbert, Arizona, by manufacturing and distributing unapproved animal drugs. According to the complaint, AniCell Biotech makes and distributes animal cell- and tissue-based products (ACTPs) derived from the amniotic tissue of horses for use in animals.

    According to the complaint, AniCell and Ames claimed on their website and in promotional pamphlets that their products were intended for use in animals to treat various diseases and to promote tissue regeneration and healing. The complaint further alleged that AniCell and Ames made and sold new animal drugs that were considered adulterated and unsafe because they had not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the complaint, FDA provided defendants with multiple warnings, including a written warning letter regarding its need to submit its new animal drugs to the FDA for approval.

    “Animal drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure that their products are safe and manufactured and sold in accordance with the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work closely with FDA to pursue appropriate actions against drug manufacturers that violate the law.”

    “Marketing unapproved new animal drugs that claim to cure, mitigate, treat or prevent diseases in animals can pose serious safety risks to consumers’ pets,” said Acting Director Dr. Timothy Schell of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “The FDA will continue to pursue actions against those who may put animal patients in harm’s way by manufacturing and distributing unapproved new animal drugs.”

    The defendants agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree permanently enjoining them from violating the FDCA. Under the court’s order, entered on April 17, the defendants must comply with specific requirements set forth in the injunction and the FDCA prior to manufacturing or distributing any new animal drugs.

    Trial Attorney Coleen Schoch of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch handled the case, with assistance from Associate Chief Counsel of Enforcement Jaclyn E. Martinez Resly of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: 100 DAYS OF HOAXES: Cutting Through the Fake News

    Source: The White House

    Since President Donald J. Trump took office 100 days ago, it has been a nonstop deluge of hoaxes and lies from Democrats and their allies in the Fake News suffering from terminal cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

    In no particular order, here are some of the most egregious hoaxes peddled by the usual suspects so far in President Trump’s second term:

    • HOAX: Fake News CNN attempted to “fact check” President Trump’s claim that the Biden Administration spent millions on “making mice transgender.”
    • FACT: After their so-called “fact check” was thoroughly debunked, they were forced to update it in disgrace and admit the claim was, in fact, true.
    • HOAX: The Fake News claimed the Department of Defense removed Gen. Colin Powell’s name from a list of notable Americans buried at Arlington Cemetery.
    • FACT: No service members’ names were removed from that section — and Gen. Powell’s name remains among those listed.
    • HOAX: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) claimed “no president” presided over more plane crashes during their first month in office as President Trump.
    • FACT: “There were 55 aviation accidents in the U.S. between Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 21, 2021, and Feb. 17, 2021, compared to 35 during the same period for Trump,” Fox News reported.
    • HOAX: Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) and Chicago Public Schools officials claimed, without bothering to verify, that ICE agents had conducted a “raid” at an elementary school — a false claim echoed by media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune.
    • FACT: It was actually the U.S. Secret Service investigating a threat unrelated to immigration.
    • HOAX: Far-left influencers and other leftist hacks falsely claimed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk were out to “cut Social Security.”
    • FACT: They were referencing an interview in which Musk was clearly referring to the tremendous amount of waste, fraud, and abuse within entitlement programs.
    • HOAX: The media smeared DOGE as “young, inexperienced engineers” engineering a “government takeover.”
    • FACT: In reality, DOGE is led by seasoned industry professionals, including successful CEOs who paused their lives to aid in the effort of streamlining government and holding the bureaucracy accountable.
    • HOAX: NBC’s Peter Alexander peddled the lie that “constituents in some traditionally red districts” were unhappy with President Trump’s effort to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in government.
    • FACT: The same “protests” cited by the Fake News were funded and organized by far-left special interest groups.
    • HOAX: NPR claimed NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore — who were stuck on the International Space Station for more than nine months following problems with their spacecraft — were “not stranded.”
    • FACT: NPR itself had described the astronauts as stranded in prior reporting, and only seemed to take issue with the description once President Trump and Elon Musk made it a priority to bring them home.
    • HOAX: A foreign Fake News outlet reported that President Trump “shut down” the British prime minister during a news conference.
    • FACT: In reality, President Trump was simply moving on from a reporter who was trying to goad the two leaders into division.
    • HOAX: NPR falsely claimed the White House was actively searching for a new secretary of defense.
    • FACT: This lie was immediately shut down by multiple Trump Administration officials, including President Trump himself.
    • HOAX: The Fake News attempted to paint illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia as an innocent “Maryland father” who was unjustly deported by the Trump Administration — and actively censored the truth about him.
    • FACT: Abrego Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador and was deported to his home country amid overwhelming evidence of his gang affiliation.
    • HOAX: Deranged “filmmaker” Michael Moore questioned whether deported illegal immigrants would go on to cure cancer or stop “that asteroid (sic) that’s gonna hit us.”
    • FACT: Moore’s statement was a strong early contender for the dumbest, most ridiculous statement of the year considering those deported illegal immigrants were violent criminals.
    • HOAX: The Fake News portrayed Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Hamas radical who led violent protests at Columbia, as an innocent graduate student with an absolute right to remain in the U.S.
    • FACT: An immigration judge ruled Khalil — who is not a U.S. citizen — can be deported.
    • HOAX: The Financial Times reported that Senior White House Counselor Peter Navarro wanted to remove Canada from the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing network.
    • FACT: Mr. Navarro immediately shut down this fake story.
    • HOAX: A foreign Fake News reporter claimed President Trump referred to European nations as “parasites.”
    • FACT: President Trump immediately pushed back on this ridiculous claim — as did the Italian prime minister.
    • HOAX: Fake News CNN’s Brianna Keilar implied the Trump Administration was somehow wrong for stopping illegal immigrants from stealing taxpayer dollars in the form of welfare benefits.
    • FACT: Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller summarily embarrassed her with the facts: “The federal government will find EVERY illegal alien who is stealing American taxpayer dollars — and that’s what Americans expect to happen. I don’t even fathom the premise of your question.”
    • HOAX: A favorite refrain of the Fake News is that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is “anti-vaccine.”
    • FACT: Kennedy debunked the lie in his confirmation hearings: “This has been repeatedly debunked … Bringing this up right now is dishonest.”
    • HOAX: WIRED falsely claimed the Social Security Administration is “shifting its public communication exclusively to X” under President Trump.
    • FACT: Not happening.
    • HOAX: Reuters falsely reported that the Trump Administration “stalled a United Nations program in Mexico aimed at stopping imported fentanyl chemicals from reaching the country’s drug cartels.”
    • FACT: The Department of State is actually trying to expand the initiative.
    • FACT: The Fake News frequently pushed the lie that as part of the Trump administration, Secretary Kennedy would implement a national abortion ban and “restrict or even ban medication abortion without a single act of Congress.”
    • FACT: Secretary Kennedy consistently pledged to implement President Trump’s policies — which include leaving abortion to the states, ending barbaric late-term abortions, protecting conscientious objections, and ending federal funding for abortions.
    • HOAX: Fake News savant Tara Palmeri falsely reported that President Trump’s proposal for Gaza was conceived by Jared Kushner.
    • FACT: This lie was immediately and summarily debunked by the Trump Administration: “The worst reporter in America makes up fake news for clout because she has no real sources. Sit down, dummy.”
    • HOAX: Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and media outlets claimed President Trump’s directive to pause radical, wasteful government spending meant an end to Medicaid, food assistance, and other individual assistance programs.
    • FACT: Individual assistance programs — Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, etc. — were explicitly excluded, as was made clear by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and the Office of Management and Budget. Only unnecessary spending — DEI, Green New Scam, NGOs that undermine the national interest — were included in the directive.
    • HOAX: A “physicians advocacy group” was widely cited as opposing President Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
    • FACT: The “advocacy group” was really an astroturfed partisan organization funded by prominent left-wing donors — and accepted fake signatures.
    • HOAX: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and other Democrats pushed the lie that DOGE posted “classified information” on their website.
    • FACT: That alleged “classified information” was really just an employment headcount — which has been publicly available for years.
    • HOAX: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) claimed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called all Venezuelan immigrants “dirtbags.”
    • FACT: Secretary Noem actually called illegal immigrant members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang “dirtbags,” which is true.
    • HOAX: The New York Times wrote that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., wanted to “ban fluoride in drinking water” and “reverse … one of the most important public health practices in the country’s history.”
    • FACT: New York Times made no mention of their own reporting that fluoride may be “linked to lower IQ scores in children.”
    • HOAX: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) repeatedly lied about President Trump “going after” Social Security.
    • FACT: President Trump has repeatedly pledged to protect Social Security and make it more robust for American citizens.
    • HOAX: Sen. Mark Kelley (D-AZ) attempted to scare veterans by shamelessly claiming their care was in jeopardy due to “layoffs” at VA hospitals.
    • FACT: The lie was debunked by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins: “What changes are you talking about? We’ve not had those layoffs… I put $360 million back into community care… It’s concerning to me that a veteran would actually tell stories to veterans that are not true.”
    • HOAX: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) exploited the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport plane crash tragedy by claiming President Trump “froze the hiring” of air traffic controllers.
    • FACT: Air traffic controllers were exempt from the federal hiring freeze.
    • HOAX: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) implied that “cutting” members of an aviation advisory committee was somehow a cause of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport plane crash tragedy.
    • FACT: The advisory group hadn’t met since 2023 and was comprised of business and union leaders who gave “advice” to the TSA and had nothing to do with actual air travel.
    • HOAX: A far-left writer claimed Elon Musk and DOGE staffers “illegally installed a commercial server to control federal HR databases that contain sensitive personal information, including SSNs, home addresses, and medical histories.”
    • FACT: A top official confirmed “there’s nothing illegal and no server, just more made up tall tales from uninformed career bureaucrats.”
    • HOAX: The Washington Post alleged the Trump Administration was setting “quotas” for immigration authorities — and gave the administration just four minutes to comment before publishing.
    • FACT: As usual, this was a fake story.
    • HOAX: Online liberal activists claimed President Trump “took down” President Obama’s portrait in the White House.
    • FACT: Obama’s portrait was not taken down — it was simply moved only feet away from its previous location.
    • HOAX: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) claimed Attorney General Pam Bondi created a “weaponizing task force.”
    • FACT: It was a task force to END weaponization at the Department of Justice.
    • HOAX: CBS News reported that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a “makeup studio” be installed inside the Pentagon.
    • FACT: It was a “totally fake story,” and the alleged studio was really an existing green room with no frills.
    • HOAX: Politico reported the Trump Administration was debating lifting sanctions on Russian energy assets, including the Nord Stream pipeline.
    • FACT: This was debunked by both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
    • HOAX: An illegal immigrant in U.S. custody “simply disappeared,” The New York Times reported.
    • FACT: The illegal immigrant was a confirmed member of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang. An immigration judge ordered his removal, and he was deported along with other threats to national security.
    • HOAX: The Wall Street Journal alleged that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was receiving sensitive information on a personal phone while in Moscow and that Russian Intelligence must’ve had access to the information.
    • FACT: This was a total fabrication. Special Envoy Witkoff did not even have a personal phone with him in Russia. He had only a government phone; a secure line of communication.
    • HOAX: The Wall Street Journal claimed the Trump Administration “sought to portray” deported criminal illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia as “violent.”
    • FACT: Abrego Garcia’s own wife filed an order of protection against him and testified that he brutally beat her.
    • HOAX: An AP reporter claimed that FAA staff who worked on “radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, among others” were “harassed on Facebook” by DOGE.
    • FACT: That was a total lie. DOGE doesn’t have a Facebook page and no professionals who perform critical safety functions were fired.
    • HOAX: The Daily Beast claimed Vice President JD Vance “broke one of the most notorious Vatican rules during his Easter weekend visit” by being photographed in the Sistine Chapel.
    • FACT: Buried all the way down in the 14th paragraph, The Daily Beast admitted the vice president was given special permission by the Vatican to have photographs taken inside the Sistine Chapel.
    • HOAX: Left-wing social media accounts promoted fake, AI-generated audio of Vice President Vance “disparaging Elon Musk in private.”
    • FACT: The audio was debunked as fake.
    • HOAX: The New York Times reported that funding for the Women’s Health Initiative was being slashed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
    • FACT: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., himself declared this Fake News and recognized the project is “mission critical.”
    • HOAX: Fox News’s Jennifer Griffin gave legitimacy to a hoax from delusional Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requested nearly $140,000 in “upgrades” to his government residence.
    • FACT: This lie was debunked by Secretary Hegseth — and it was so outrageous, even the AP was forced to admit it was completely fake.
    • HOAX: Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and many others claimed the Supreme Court ordered the return of illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States.
    • FACT: Even CNN admitted that’s not what happened: “They did not order the administration to return him to the United States … they could’ve said ‘we order him returned,’ but they didn’t do that.”
    • HOAX: Joe Biden accused the Trump Administration of “taking aim at Social Security.”
    • FACT: As usual, he was lying — President Trump has repeatedly pledged to protect Social Security.
    • HOAX: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) claimed the arrest of a Milwaukee judge who helped an illegal immigrant evade arrest was “unprecedented.”
    • FACT: It wasn’t; it has happened before.
    • HOAX: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called the arrest of a Milwaukee judge who helped an illegal immigrant evade arrest a “gravely serious and drastic move.”
    • FACT: The judge violated the law by obstructing an ICE arrest of an illegal immigrant.
    • HOAX: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) claimed the arrest of the Milwaukee judge who obstructed an apprehension of a criminal illegal immigrant “threatens the rule of law.”
    • FACT: It literally does the opposite because no one is above the law.
    • HOAX: Politico claimed the Trump Administration “wipe[d] out firefighter health and safety programs.”
    • FACT: The programs remain a top priority for the administration — and will remain intact.
    • HOAX: Sen. Elizabeth Warren claimed that President Trump’s policies make it so “no one wants to make investments in the United States.”
    • FACT: President Trump has secured more than $5 trillion in investments since taking office, which is expected to create more than 451,000 new jobs — and the list is only expected to grow.
    • HOAX: NBC’s Kristen Welker peddled a Fake News hoax that the Trump Administration was deporting children.
    • FACT: Secretary of State Marco Rubio shut down her desperate attempt at a hoax by highlighting how the mother, who was in the country illegally, made that choice all on her own.
    • HOAX: The New York Times implied President Trump was alone in wearing a blue suit to the funeral of Pope Francis.
    • FACT: Photos show dozens of world leaders and other attendees — many situated near President Trump — also wearing blue clothing.
    • HOAX: Teachers’ union boss Randi Weingarten accused President Trump of taking teachers’ salaries and giving them to “billionaires” by cutting the Department of Education.
    • FACT: President Trump has repeatedly called teachers “the most important people in this country” who should be paid more, not less. The federal government does not pay the salaries of teachers; state and local governments do.
    • HOAX: The Fake News and their predictable allies ran with a story that claimed an American citizen was detained by authorities after he informed them he was, in fact, a citizen.
    • FACT: That’s not what happened. The individual “approached Border Patrol in Tucson and stated he had entered the U.S. illegally through Nogales. He said he wanted to turn himself in and completed a sworn statement identifying as a Mexican citizen who had entered unlawfully … A few days later, his family presented documents showing U.S. citizenship. The charges were dismissed, and he was released to his family.”
    • HOAX: PBS News claimed “DOGE operatives attempted to gain access to secure spaces,” implying they attempted to access classified information without approval.
    • FACT: This wasn’t even remotely true.
    • HOAX: The AP falsely claimed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said President Trump is “very good friends” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    • FACT: The AP was humiliatingly forced to retract its story, admitting they were wrong. Stephanie Ruhle also had to issue a correction. DNI Gabbard was referencing President Trump’s relationship with Indian PM Narendra Modi.
    • HOAX: Student visa holders should have unfettered access to do whatever they want in the United States.
    • FACT: Wrong. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “When you apply to enter the United States and you get a visa, you are a guest… If you tell us when you apply for a visa ‘I’m coming to the U.S. to participate in pro-Hamas events,’ that runs counter to the foreign policy interest of the United States… If you had told us you were going to do that, we never would have given you the visa.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Harboring an Unlawful Alien that Illegally Crossed from Canada into the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                CONCORD – A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to transporting an unlawful alien, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

                Esdras Aaron Calel-Cumes, 29, a Guatemalan man unlawfully residing in Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to one count of Bringing in and Harboring Certain Aliens. U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2025.

                According to the charging documents, on September 9, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected a male, subsequently identified as Luis Felipe Xiloj-Ambrocio, crossing illegally from Canada to the United States in Pittsburg, New Hampshire. Calel-Cumes traveled from Massachusetts to pick up Xiloj-Ambrocio. At the time of their apprehension by Customs and Border Protection, Calel-Cumes and Xiloj-Ambrocio were driving south on U.S. Route 3. 

               Neither Xiloj-Ambrocio nor Calel-Cumes have legal immigration status in the United States. Xiloj-Ambrocio previously pleaded guilty in the District of New Hampshire to one count of illegal entry and has been deported. Calel-Cumes faces deportation to Guatemala after completing his sentence.

                The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

                U.S. Customs and Border Protection led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 25 Members of a Violent Gang in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 9, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 25 violent gang members from the municipality of Mayagüez with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Mayagüez Strike Force were in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration of the United States Marshal Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Response Team (SRT), and the Guaynabo Municipal Police SRT collaborated during the arrests.

    “The prosecution of this drug trafficking gang demonstrates our determined efforts to protect our communities from the violent crime and gun violence they bring to our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “Our prosecutors will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to make our neighborhoods safe and bring criminals to justice.”

    “Today, we sent a clear message: violence, drugs, and organized crime will find no safe haven in Puerto Rico,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Thanks to the courage of our Special Agents and Police of Puerto Rico Task Force Officers, with the unwavering support of our federal partners, we disrupted a criminal network that terrorized our communities for years. The FBI remains fully committed to protecting our people, restoring peace to our neighborhoods, and holding violent offenders accountable.”

    The indictment alleges that from in or about April 2021 through the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, and marihuana within 1,000 feet of Rafael Hernández (Kennedy) Public Housing Project (PHP), the Manuel Hernández Rosa (Candelaria PHP), the El Carmen (PHP), and other areas nearby nearby the municipality of Mayagüez, all for significant financial gain and profit.

    The goal of the drug trafficking organization was to maintain control of all the drug trafficking activities within the controlled areas using force, threats, violence, and intimidation.  In preserving power and protecting territory, the members of the organization incurred in violent acts including but not limited to murder in order to protect themselves and their organization. Members of the criminal organization also transported and distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine.

    As part of the conspiracy, the defendants had meetings to discuss strategy and plan of their criminal activities, including but not limited to acts of violence. The co-conspirators held meetings to discuss drug trafficking business and issues between gang members. During said meetings, incarcerated defendants and co-conspirators would participate via phone call. The defendants and their co-conspirators used violence to take over other areas and sell their own narcotics at those areas to increase their power and profits.

    The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include: leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, drug processors, lookouts, and facilitators. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to intimidate rival drug trafficking organizations, and to discipline members of their own organization. The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are:

    [1] Jonathan Martínez González, a.k.a. “J/El Brother”

    [2] Isaías Jaseph Molina Valle, a.k.a. “Simio/Simi”

    [3] Juan A. Ortiz Mendoza, a.k.a. “Abuelo/Abu/Ablo”

    [4] Fernando Manuel Torres Ruiz, a.k.a. “La M”

    [5] Jonathan Enrique Rodríguez Acosta, a.k.a. “John Pri/Pri”

    [6] Franschesca M. Rivera-Valle, a.k.a. “Cheska”

    [7] Joseph G. Ríos Vélez

    [8] Jomael Enrique Aponte Rivera, a.k.a. “Farru”

    [9] Abdiel Sánchez Negrón

    [10] Michael J. Marrero García, a.k.a. “Michael El Pato”

    [11] Héctor A. Rosado Matías, a.k.a. “Bebo/Bebito”

    [12] Christopher Santiago Rivera, a.k.a. “Gato”

    [13] Jesus D. Rodríguez Soto, a.k.a. “John”

    [14] Luis Joel Couret Clas, a.k.a. “Shaggy”

    [15] Julio E. Mangual Vargas, a.k.a. “Julio Maraña”

    [16] Fredwin Yomar Álvarez, a.k.a. “Bombilla”

    [17] Héctor M. Cotto Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Tello”

    [18] Ezequiel Soto Bonilla, a.k.a. “Bigote”

    [19] Carlos Mikel Rodríguez Núñez, a.k.a. “Mikel/Fosforito”

    [20] Carlos Obed La Llave Otero, a.k.a. “Security/El Gordo”

    [21] Michael Concepción Soto

    [22] Héctor Javier Surita Muñiz, a.k.a. “Coquito/Surita”

    [23] Merchisede Rivera Pérez, a.k.a. “Merquisedec Rivera Pérez/Melchicede Rivera Pérez/El Negro/Melqui”

    [24] José C. Colón-Félix, a.k.a. “Fresita”

    [25] Antonio M. López Olivencia, a.k.a. “Delivery”

    Fifteen defendants are charged in Count Seven with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and seven of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    The FBI thanks the PRPB Mayagüez Strike Force for their assistance in this investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and AUSAs Laura Díaz González, and Héctor Siaca Flores are prosecuting the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $19,710,000.

    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).

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Individuals Charged with Attempted Kidnapping of Man in Mayagüez

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 24, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging five individuals with conspiracy to kidnap and the attempted kidnapping of a man in Mayagüez on July 12, 2024, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office.

    According to the Indictment, beginning on a date unknown, but not later than on or about May 21, 2024, to on or about July 12, 2024, defendants  [1] Edilberto Aponte-Sánchez, [2] Anthony Esquilín-Guzmán, [3] Ramdy Kaleb Ocasio-Pagán, [4] Jocner Martínez-Correa, and [5] Dylan Camacho-Álvarez conspired and agreed with each other to unlawfully and willfully kidnap, abduct, or carry away and hold for ransom, reward, or otherwise, H.R.G. by using means, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in committing or in furtherance of the commission of the offense, namely motor vehicles, messaging applications, and cellular telephones in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1201(c). The defendants are also charged with the attempted kidnapping of the victim (H.R.G.) in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1201(d) and 2.

    On July 12, 2024, the defendants attempted to kidnap the victim (H.R.G.) from a parking lot in Mayagüez by trying to force him into a van. The victim fought back, and the defendants fled the scene.

    “I commend the tireless efforts of the FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and prosecutors in the investigation of this case,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “This case reinforces the importance of being aware of your surroundings at all times — whether you are leaving the bank or ATM after making a withdrawal of money, putting gasoline in your car, or just walking down the street while texting on your cell phone. If you see something that doesn’t look right, trust your instincts.”

    “Violence in our communities will never be tolerated,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will relentlessly investigate those who prey on innocent people — wherever they hide, however long it takes.”

    If convicted, the defendants face a sentence of up to life in prison as to the conspiracy to commit kidnapping and up to twenty years in prison for the attempted kidnapping. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Deputy Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit Jeanette Collazo and AUSA Corinne Cordero Romo are in charge of the prosecution of 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: Two More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Scheme to Transport Contraband into FCI McDowell with Drone

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus, 32, of Sanford, North Carolina, and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles, 37, of Poinciana, Florida, each pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2024, correctional officers at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell detected a drone flying over the prison facility. The flight path of the drone took it from the fence securing the prison facility to a cell in one of the housing units. Officers searched the cell and found a broken exterior window, numerous cell phones, tobacco, and marijuana within the cell.

    Officers traced the flight path back to the drone’s launch site, where they found and apprehended DeJesus, Aviles, and co-defendant Gamalier Rivera. Officers seized the drone, the drone’s remote controller, and contraband consistent with what was found in the cell.

    DeJesus and Aviles each admitted that they and Rivera participated in the introduction of the contraband into FCI McDowell by using the drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison facility. DeJesus and Aviles further admitted that they expected to be paid for their participation in the contraband introduction.

    DeJesus and Aviles are scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2025, and each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

    Rivera, 33, of Poinciana, Florida, pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025, to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.

    Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-127.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Dismisses Half Century Old Louisiana Consent Decree

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    In 1966, the United States sued Plaquemines Parish School Board seeking to desegregate its schools. By 1975, the Court found the schools had been properly integrated, but the case was never removed from the Court system. Thus, for nearly a half century the case remained open.  

    That ended today. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon righted a historical wrong, freeing the local school district of federal oversight. For decades, the Parish was forced to yield to the demands of past Administrations, unnecessarily subjecting schools and students to probing federal oversight.

    “No longer will the Plaquemines Parish School Board have to devote precious local resources over an integration issue that ended two generations ago,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This is a prime example of neglect by past administrations, and we’re now getting America refocused on our bright future.”

    “Louisiana got its act together decades ago, and it is past time to acknowledge how far we have come,” said Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Civil Rights Division. “America is back, and this Department of Justice is making sure the Civil Rights Division is correcting wrongs from the past and working for all Americans.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump says diversity initiatives undermine merit. Decades of research show this is flawed

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula McDonald, Professor of Work and Organisation, Queensland University of Technology

    Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

    US President Donald Trump declared earlier this year he would forge a “colour blind and merit-based society”.

    His executive order was part of a broader policy directing the US military, federal agencies and other public institutions to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

    Framing this as restoring fairness, neutrality and strength to American institutions, Trump argued DEI programs “discourage merit and leadership” and amounted to “race-based and sex-based discrimination”.

    In Australia too, debates over gender quotas and “the war on woke” have repeatedly invoked meritocracy as a rallying cry against affirmative action.

    The narrative of rewards going to the most qualified people is compelling. Yet decades of research show this is flawed. Far from being the great equaliser, an uncritical reliance on “merit” can perpetuate bias and inequality.

    The myths of meritocracy

    The merit rhetoric invokes the ideal of a neutral, objective system rewarding talent and effort, regardless of identity.

    In theory, merit-based evaluations such as exams, performance reviews, employee recruitment processes and competitive bids, should be impartial.

    In practice however, there are several myths associated with the notion of merit.

    1. Merit is purely objective or unbiased. In the employment context for example, studies show that even so-called objective and standardised cognitive or aptitude tests can systematically favour men due to the type of questions asked.

    Decision-makers may unknowingly redefine merit to fit whoever already belongs to a favoured group. A study of elite law firms, for example, found male applicants were rated as more qualified than identical resumes from women.

    This is known as “plasticity of merit”, meaning the criteria of excellence can bend to preference, all while appearing objective.

    Supposedly merit-based judgments can reflect unconscious bias, or comfort with candidates who fit a traditional mould. Over time, preference may be given to a particular type of candidate irrespective of their actual contribution. Privilege and prejudice can be baked into merit-based evaluations.

    2. Merit can be separated from social and historical context. Meritocracy or the so-called meritocratic promise assumes a level playing field, where everyone competes under the same conditions.

    In reality however, past inequalities shape present opportunities. What counts as merit is dynamic and socially shaped, not an eternal universal standard.

    For example, during the second world war there was a shortage of male workers. Qualities women brought to jobs previously held by men such as capacity for teamwork were suddenly deemed meritorious. But these same qualities were downgraded when the men returned.

    Merit is often defined in masculine terms. For example, physicality or hyper-competitive traits have long been seen as prerequisites for military service and policing.

    Merit is often defined in masculine terms commonly associated with military, policing and firefighting services.
    Charnsitr/Shutterstock

    This alignment of masculine norms with standards of merit has been termed “benchmark man”.

    Science careers too were built in an era when women were largely excluded. They were predicated on long-hours work and total availability – requirements that clash with caregiving responsibilities. The result is women in STEM careers leave or are pushed out.

    3. Outcomes are the result of personal choice or deficiencies, not structural barriers. Meritocracy carries a moral narrative: those at the top earned their place while those left behind didn’t measure up or chose not to compete.

    Research shows, for example, that when women don’t advance, it’s explained as lifestyle choices, or they lack ambition, or have opted out to prioritise caregiving.

    This narrative wilfully overlooks the structural constraints impacting choices. When a woman “chooses” a lower-paying, flexible job, it may be less about preference than inadequate social supports.

    By accepting unequal outcomes as the natural result of individual choices, institutions can conveniently obscure disadvantage and discrimination and erase responsibility to correct inequities.

    How the merit mandate undermines equality

    Trump’s vision is to remove equity initiatives and programs that monitor or encourage fair hiring and promotion, cease training that alerts employees to hidden biases, and fire or reassign DEI staff.

    This is conceptually flawed and will actually entrench the very biases and barriers that have kept institutions unequal.

    In the military, for example – an area highlighted by Trump – leaders have recognised they need to foster more inclusive cultures.

    For years, defence forces have grappled with sexual harassment, recruitment shortfalls and retention of skilled personnel. In Australia, the Australian Defence Force undertook major reviews to identify violent and sexist subcultures, understanding a more inclusive force is a more effective force.

    Yet Trump’s order bars the Pentagon from even acknowledging historical sexism in the ranks.

    Favouring the in-group

    Removing equity measures under a banner of neutrality means hiring and promotion will increasingly rely on informal networks and subjective judgements. These can tilt in favour of the in-group – usually white, male and affluent.

    DEI initiatives can increase representation of women, or people from diverse racial or cultural backgrounds, in an organisation or occupational group.

    However, without challenging the norms of merit, or without broadening the definitions of talent and leadership, people in those groups may continue to feel like outsiders.

    Australian experts and business leaders increasingly acknowledge objective merit is mythical.

    Redefining merit

    Fair rewards for effort can improve performance. However, we need to stop pitting merit against diversity. True fairness requires acknowledgement structural inequality exists and bias affects evaluations.

    Organisations need to re-imagine merit in ways that work with inclusion, rather than against it. This includes refining hiring and promotion criteria to focus on competencies that are measurable and relevant.

    Paula McDonald currently receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Trump says diversity initiatives undermine merit. Decades of research show this is flawed – https://theconversation.com/trump-says-diversity-initiatives-undermine-merit-decades-of-research-show-this-is-flawed-255100

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shelburne — Shelburne RCMP Detachment charge a man and recover stolen vehicle

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Shelburne RCMP Detachment has charged a man with multiple offences after responding to a report of a stolen truck.

    On April 25 at approximately 9:40 a.m., Shelburne RCMP Detachment responded to a report of a stolen GMC Sierra truck in the Jordan Falls area. During the investigation, officers identified two people of interest.

    Officers later received an unrelated report of two people on foot off Morvan Rd. near Shelburne. The two matched the descriptions of the people of interest. Investigators, including an RCMP Police Service Dog, conducted patrols in the area immediately. When one of the people was located, officers learned the other person may be in possession of a firearm.

    The Nova Scotia RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) and RCMP Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (drones) operators were dispatched to assist.

    At approximately 12:40 p.m., officers located the stolen vehicle abandoned on a side road near Shelburne. The officers seized evidence to support the investigation and returned it to its owner.

    Through the investigation, officers identified the suspect as Joseph Hayden, 34, of Jordan Ferry, and learned he was at a home on Sandy Point Rd. in Shelburne. Officers from Shelburne RCMP Detachment and ERT attended and safely arrested Hayden outside the home.

    Hayden has been charged with six offences including Motor Vehicle Theft, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Unauthorized Possession of Firearm, and Possession of Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized. He had a first court appearance on April 26 and was remanded into custody.

    The other person identified as part of the investigation was arrested and will face a charge of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime. They were released pending an upcoming court appearance.

    Hayden was not in possession of a firearm at the time of his arrest. Officers are continuing the investigation and conducting checks to determine if a firearm seized on April 28 at an unrelated call was also used during this incident.

    Shelburne RCMP Detachment appreciated cooperation from the public as officers made attempts to locate the suspect and the stolen vehicle.

    The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information who has not yet spoken with police is asked to contact Shelburne RCMP Detachment at 902-875-2490. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hidalgo county man receives 30 years for recording sexual abuse of minor on cellphone

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Jacob Ryan Arredondo, McAllen, pleaded guilty Nov. 27, 2023.

    U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now sentenced Arredondo to 360 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including how Arredondo took advantage of his relationship with the victim in order to sexually abuse him. The minor kept the secret for two years because of that relationship and because he feared Arredondo due to his size and age. Arredondo will serve 15 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. 

    “The defendant’s heinous conduct will undoubtedly leave a lasting scar on his victim, and so it’s only fitting that he received the 30-year sentence he did,” said Ganjei. “Arredondo won’t be able exploit children from behind bars, and he’ll have a good, long time to think about the consequences of his actions.”

    “Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) is resolute in its mission to combat online crimes that target children,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa. “This sentence marks a significant step in our ongoing efforts to protect young people from harm, and we will continue to pursue those who engage in these harmful activities.” 

    Arredondo came to the attention of authorities after a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in August 2023. A Google account had uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of minor males. The investigation revealed the identity of one of those victims. 

    He admitted to sexually abusing the minor and recording it on his cell phone. A forensic examination of his phone revealed a total of 234 images and seven videos of the victim. 

    The abuse began when the minor was only 10 years old and it continued for two years.  

    He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Members of trafficking ring sent to prison for high-caliber weapons purchases

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – Two men have been ordered to federal prison for firearms trafficking and related charges, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Mexican national Juan Antonio Cantu-Cavazos, 37, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to firearms trafficking and for being an alien in possession of a firearm. Jose Luis Caballero, 30, Alamo, admitted his guilt in September 2024 to firearms trafficking and illegal exportation of firearms.  

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now handed Cantu-Cavazos and Caballero each a 48-month-term of imprisonment. Caballero was further ordered to serve three years of supervised released following his prison term. Not a U.S. citizen, Cantu-Cavazos is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence. At the hearing, the court noted the significant number of weapons involved and that serial numbers were being obliterated prior to weapon’s exportation. Judge Crane also emphasized the dangerousness and complexity of the trafficking scheme. 

    In September 2022, Cantu-Cavazos had purchased 32 firearms, to include 15 AK-47s and three AR-15 variant rifles.  

    The investigation revealed Cantu-Cavazos was purchasing the firearms as part of a firearms trafficking ring. He was working with Caballero to acquire firearms a Mexican co-conspirator had requested. Cantu-Cavazos was to retrieve the firearms from various purchasers, disassemble and wrap them in cellophane and deliver them to warehouse or truck drivers so they could be trafficked into Mexico. Caballero’s role was to purchase firearms in various states, including Alabama and Texas, and coordinate their exportation.

    Cantu-Cavazos and Caballero purchased more than 150 firearms between October 2021 and September 2022, which were ultimately trafficked into Mexico. Most were high-caliber rifles. 

    Cantu-Cavazos will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Caballero was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender at a later date.  

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Fry prosecuted the case under the criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw purchasing of firearms.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Upshur County Man Admits to Firearms Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – John Felix Cathell, III, age 55, of French Creek, West Virginia, has admitted to the unlawful possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, officers were called to a shooting at a home. At the scene, Cathell admitted to shooting his neighbor’s dog. The defendant is prohibited from having firearms because of prior firearms convictions. Officers searched Cathell’s home and recovered multiple firearms, firearms parts, and ammunition.

    Cathell is facing up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office investigated.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourteen Members of a Jefferson County Drug Trafficking Organization Charged with Federal Drug and Gun Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An indictment charging 14 defendants in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and heroin was unsealed today. Eight of the defendants were arrested today and five defendants were already in custody on other offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

    A 59-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Eddie Jerry Jones, a.k.a. “Boss,” 47, of Fairfield, Alabama, Marcus Dewayne Johnson, a.k.a. “Moon,” 56, of Hoover, Alabama, Larry Denzel Rollins, Jr., a.k.a. “King” and “Blo,” 25, of Forestdale, Alabama, LaNicholas Demarco Rollins, 30, of Forestdale, Alabama, Zachary Holmes, a.k.a. “Stakks,” 31, of Birmingham, David Will Jones, 47, of Fairfield, Alabama, Juan Miguel Nation, 21, of Birmingham, Juan Pierre Nation, 50, of Birmingham, Cordero Reid, a.k.a. “Kojacc” 36, of Birmingham, Demetrius Emmanuel Preyer, 48, of Pleasant Grove, Alabama, Devante Marquis McKinney, a.k.a. “The Barber,” 37, of Birmingham, Marcus Orlandeo Bogus, a.k.a. “The Mechanic,” 55, of Center Point, Alabama, and Otis Kenneth Myree Hudson, 33, of Birmingham, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine base or “crack” cocaine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana between January 2021 and March 2025. The indictment also charges all defendants with at least one count of using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime.

    McKinney and Rollins, Jr. are also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The minimum prison sentence for this charge is five years in custody, and the sentence must be served after the completion of any other sentence related to the crime.  

    Eddie Jones is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The maximum penalty for this offense is 15 years.

    Eddie Jones, Rollins, Jr, and Holmes were in custody on capital murder charges pending in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama. David Jones was in federal custody on pending federal supervised release violations. Reid is serving a life sentence in the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Fountain Correctional Facility for Attempted Murder.

    The maximum penalty for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance is life in prison. 

    Each count of using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

    The indictment also includes special findings of the grand jury regarding the amount of narcotics attributable to various defendants as part of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

    “My office, along with our federal, state, and local partners, are committed to relentlessly investigate and prosecute drug trafficking organizations in our District, particularly those that distribute deadly fentanyl into the community and use firearms to commit their crimes,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “This case involved an immense amount of collaboration and dedication from our law enforcement partners and underscores the impact of the OCDETF program’s multi-agency approach.” 

    “The 59-count indictment underscores the unwavering commitment of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to dismantle drug trafficking networks that threaten our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer. “While these charges were filed in the Northern District of Alabama, the ripple effects of such widespread drug distribution reach far beyond those borders. We will continue to work tirelessly to hold accountable those who seek profit from the sale of these dangerous substances and bring them to justice.”

    “Drug trafficking and the prevalence of gun violence continue to plague the United States at alarming rates,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz. “The ATF will continue to work with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and charge those individuals who commit violent acts and distribute large amounts of narcotics throughout the communities that we serve.”

    “Criminals trafficking illegal drugs in our communities have a profound negative effect on Americans’ quality of life,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS-CI Atlanta Field Office. “The 59-count indictment filed today is an outcome of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office working together to break up drug trafficking organizations that pose a threat to the United States.”  

    “Today’s actions demonstrate the FBI’s persistence in combating violent crime in our communities,” said FBI Birmingham Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher DiMenna. “We will continue to strengthen and grow our federal, state, and local partnerships to meet our mission and to ensure the safety and security of the American people.”

    “Today’s indictments reflect the commitment and collaboration of our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle major drug-trafficking networks that threaten the safety of our communities,” said Birmingham Chief of Police Michael Pickett. “We will continue to pursue those who distribute dangerous narcotics with relentless focus and determination. I commend the dedication of all the investigators, agents, and prosecutors who made this operation a success.”

    The DEA, ATF, IRS, FBI, and the Birmingham Police Department Narcotics and Homicide units investigated the case, along with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Alabama Department of Corrections, Hoover Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison J. Garnett, Brett A. Janich, and Kristy M. Peoples are prosecuting the case.

    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).

    An indictment contains only charges.  Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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