NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a firearm.

    Marcus J. Porras, 31, was charged in a single-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas, City, Mo.  Today’s indictment replaces a federal complaint that was filed against Porras on April 14, 2025.

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, on April 13, 2025, officers of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department were dispatched to the area of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard to meet private security officers who had detained Porras for fighting.

    A security officer reported he was flagged down by patrons of the entertainment district regarding a fight inside an establishment within the Westport Entertainment District.  The security officer reportedly observed multiple females and two males physically fighting.  The females dispersed, and the two males continued to fight with one another.  One of the males pointed at Porras indicating that Porras had a firearm.

    Porras was taken into custody.  The security officer retrieved a Glock 43, 9mm pistol near the area of the incident.  The Glock 43 was loaded with one live 9mm round in the chamber.  The security officer also recovered a magazine loaded with six live 9mm rounds.

    Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.  Porras has prior felony convictions for robbery, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and resisting an arrest, detention, or stop.

    The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

    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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Woman Sentenced in Healthcare Fraud Scheme and Schemes to Defraud COVID-19 Relief Program

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Nakita Cannady, 49, to 14 months in federal prison to be followed by two years of supervised release for healthcare fraud and making false statements in connection with loan applications for the Covid-19 Relief Program.  The final sentencing hearing was concluded on April 4, 2025, with the entry of an order by Senior United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. directing the defendant to pay more than $500,000.00 dollars in restitution to the victims.  Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

    According to the original federal indictment in the healthcare fraud case, Cannady owned and operated What About Us In-Home Healthcare, a home healthcare services business that purported to provide custodial healthcare services 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to mostly elderly patients. From May 29, 2017 through December 23, 2019, Cannady fraudulently billed Cigna Insurance for 24 hours a day of home healthcare when she knew the patients had only received 8 or 12 hours a day of home healthcare. Cannady was ordered to make restitution to Cigna Insurance in the amount of $193,508.10.

    According to the second federal indictment, from June 17, 2020 through April 15, 2021, Cannady submitted six fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications for four purported businesses she controlled, specifically: What About Us Childcare, What About Us Foundation, What About Us Adult Daycare, and What About Us In-Home Healthcare. Cannady’s loan applications contained false information concerning the dates of operation, gross revenues, costs of goods sold, number of employees, and amount of payroll related to the businesses. Cannady was ordered to make restitution to the Small Business Administration in the amount of $346,882.13.   

    “Those who exploit health care programs for personal gain will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Nashville Field Office. “Health care fraud is a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work with our partners to investigate those who prioritize greed over the well-being of others.”

    Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Cotten and former Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney Lewis and Murrell Foster also assisted in the prosecution of this case.  The FBI Nashville Field Office – Memphis Resident Agency and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.

    ###

    For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Members of the Highs Street Gang Convicted of RICO Conspiracy and Premeditated Murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in Minneapolis convicted three Minnesota men today of RICO Conspiracy and Premediated Murder for their involvement in the violent Minneapolis criminal street gang known as the Highs and the August 7, 2021, gang-related murder of Darryl Wells.

    “Minneapolis criminal street gangs have inflicted devastating harm on our community for far too long.  Three years ago, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced our federal violent crime initiative to address the skyrocketing and completely unacceptable rates of violent crime in Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Since then, we have brought large RICO cases against three criminal street gangs—charging them as the violent enterprises they are.  Make no mistake:  we will not stop.  Criminal street gangs in Minneapolis will continue to see federal justice.  The citizens of Minnesota—the many victims of these crimes—deserve no less.”

    “These defendants participated in a senseless murder and other acts of violence that terrorized their community,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s conviction holds accountable members of a violent gang and shows the Department’s commitment to hold accountable criminal enterprises that use murder and intimidation to exert power. We remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantle violent gangs and secure justice for the victims and their loved ones.”

    “This was cold-blooded, calculated violence meant to control through fear,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “They believed violence gave them power — but today’s conviction proves that justice is stronger. The FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, are committed to dismantling these criminal enterprises and holding violent offenders accountable.”

    “Today’s conviction sends a strong message that violent street gangs will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “Through the power of the RICO statute, ATF agents, in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement, have been able to target the violent criminal activity of the Highs gang. This conviction is a direct result of the tireless work by our agents who are committed to dismantling these criminal organizations and ensuring that those who use violence to control neighborhoods are held accountable. ATF will continue to lead efforts to take down street gangs and protect the citizens of Minneapolis.”

    “Minneapolis has seen a significant drop in violent crime, especially gun violence, thanks to the outstanding work of MPD officers and our law enforcement partners. Most notably, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been instrumental in helping us target the small number of individuals driving violence, without causing harm to the broader communities we serve.  Together, we’re not just reducing crime — we’re rebuilding trust,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

    “Today’s verdict marks a decisive victory in the fight against violent criminal organizations,” said Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Reducing violence in this community has required a change in tactics and IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are perfectly poised to support our law enforcement partners in this effort. Our agents will continue to apply their financial expertise and investigative skills to bring justice to those who endanger our communities and threaten our way of life.”

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Keon Pruitt, 22, Dantrell Johnson, 32, and Gregory Hamilton, 29, each of Minneapolis, were all members of various “cliques” or subsets, of the Highs—a criminal enterprise that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. Evidence at trial proved that members of the Highs committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the enterprise.  As members of the Highs, the defendants were expected to retaliate against the rival Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue.

    Evidence produced at trial showed that, on August 7, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed by a Lows member at the Winner gas station, a Highs hangout.  The following day, August 8, 2021, Highs members organized a memorial for the deceased member at the gas staF. App’x tion, where they distributed firearms and encouraged one another to retaliate against Lows members for the murder.  Defendants Pruitt, Johnson, and Hamilton were all in attendance at the memorial.

    Later that day, Johnson and Hamilton drove to a Lows hangout—Wally’s Foods—and shot a Lows associate, who survived his injuries. Approximately two hours later, Johnson, Hamilton, and Pruitt drove to Skyline Market, another known Lows hangout, to shoot another Lows member. They mistakenly believed Darryl Wells was a Lows member and the store’s cameras captured them shooting Wells inside the store. Wells ran from the store and into the street. Pruitt, who was driving two juveniles in a stolen Porsche, let the juveniles out of the car. They then chased Wells into a nearby alley and fired additional shots at him. All told, Wells was shot at least eight times.

    The jury convicted Pruitt, Johnson, and Hamilton of Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Cause Death. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled in the near future.

    This is the first of several trials in this case, which charged a total of 28 defendants with RICO Conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses, and other charges related to their activities as members and associates of the Highs gang.  Sixteen defendants are pending trial.

    The ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the cases, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Lopez-Calhoun, Albania Concepcion, and Rebecca Kline of the District of Minnesota, and Trial Attorney Brian Lynch of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section, tried this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla Baumel and Trial Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein also worked on the investigation and trial. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Admits to Leading Drug Trafficking Operation in Eastern Panhandle

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

    ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, 52, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to leading a drug trafficking organization that sold large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Berkeley County.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Luna Mota, also known as “Papi,” was one of the leaders of the drug trafficking conspiracy, using his business located in Hagerstown, Maryland, as a central hub for the drug sales.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

    The FBI; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the  U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland;  and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: High-Ranking Tren de Aragua Member in Custody on Terrorism and International Drug Distribution Charges

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A five-count superseding indictment has been unsealed today charging a Venezuelan national and alleged high-ranking member of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).  

    Jose Enrique Martinez Flores also known as “Chuqui,” 24, is charged in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States.

    “TdA is not a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that put down roots in our country during the prior administration,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.”

    “For the past few years, foreign gangs like TdA have more or less been able to enter the country with impunity, coming here to distribute deadly drugs and terrorize American citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the SDTX. “That ends now. This Department of Justice is committed to uprooting this terrorist gang, dismantling its criminal operations, and either imprisoning its members or removing them from the country. SDTX is proud to lead this fight.”

    “TdA is a direct threat to our national security, to our communities, and to Americans,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI continues in our pursuit to eliminate this violent terrorist organization from our streets, and today’s announcement makes it clear that these criminals, especially the leaders of these cartels, have no place in our country.”

    “This joint Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-FBI operation — alongside partners in the United States and Colombia — is further evidence that we must continue to focus our efforts on members of TdA who continue to pump poison into our communities,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “This is another example of DEA’s tenacity to hunt these networks down, wherever they operate, and crush their evil grip on American lives.”

    Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia March 31 pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He remains in custody in Colombia pending further proceedings. 

    A federal grand jury in Houston returned the superseding indictment April 8. 

    According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges one count of international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more, and two substantive counts of international drug distribution.

    The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20. 

    According to information presented to the court, Flores is a high-ranking TdA leader in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.

    Flores also allegedly caused the delivery of approximately five kilograms or more of cocaine for international distribution, proceeds that were used to further TdA’s criminal goals. 

    If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. 

    The FBI Houston Field Office and DEA conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Colombian National Police and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). 

    JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Forearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

    This case is also a 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Illuminating NYS Landmarks for Work Zone Awareness Week

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced 13 State landmarks will be illuminated orange for “Go Orange Day” and to commemorate National Work Zone Awareness Week.

    “Safety for all New Yorkers is my top priority, especially those who have dedicated their careers to ensuring that our roadways are well maintained and safe for motorists,” said Governor Hochul. “This year, I encourage all New Yorkers to do their part by reducing speed, eliminating distractions and staying vigilant in work zones so that our hard-working and dedicated roadside workers are safe.”

    On Monday, Governor Hochul highlighted April 21-25, 2025 as National Work Zone Awareness Week. Throughout the week, the New York State Thruway Authority and State Department of Transportation will be hosting awareness events, lighting digital highway signs with safety messages and sharing important safety reminders on social media platforms. This continues the Governor’s commitment to traffic safety, from launching the public awareness campaign, “Slow Down, Move Over” and signing a bill to expand the “Move Over” law in 2023.

    Governor Hochul has proposed making the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program permanent and increasing penalties for repeat violators in her Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget, in addition to expanding the program to include Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels and New York State Bridge Authority properties. Additionally, the Governor has proposed enhancing penalties for assaults against transportation workers, extending protections similar to those provided to many MTA and retail workers. These actions will improve safety for both highway workers and drivers.

    New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “The lighting of state landmarks as part of ‘Go Orange Day’ is a fitting tribute to the highway workers across New York who work every day in dangerous conditions to make our roads and bridges safe for all New Yorkers. I thank Governor Hochul for her ongoing commitment to protect our state highway workers by supporting the work zone speed camera program and encouraging all motorists to exercise extreme caution in work zones across New York State.”

    New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “We express our gratitude to Governor Hochul for emphasizing and raising awareness about work zone safety. The Governor’s leadership and commitment to expanding New York’s Move Over Law, proposing to make the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program permanent, and increasing penalties for repeat offenders are crucial measures in safeguarding our hardworking individuals and ensuring they return home safely each day.”

    State Senator Lea Webb said, “As a champion of the ‘Move Over’ law which promotes driver and transportation safety, I’m proud that New York is standing up for our roadside workers. Seeing our state landmarks glow orange tonight is a powerful reminder of the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep our roads safe and accessible. It’s more than just a show of light – it’s a beacon of respect, appreciation and a call to action.”

    State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “As chair of the NYS Senate Transportation Committee, ensuring the safety of New York’s roadside workers is a top priority. By slowing down and practicing extra caution in work zones, we can do our part to ensure our dedicated roadside workers return home safely each night. I’m proud to support Governor Hochul’s ‘Move Over Law’ to make our roads safer for both motorists and workers.”

    Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli said, “Work Zone safety continues to be a priority for me as Chair of the Transportation Committee. In 2021, I was proud to sponsor and get passed into law legislation creating a pilot program for the use of speed cameras in work zones. Our workers deserve a safe working environment and to safely go home to their families at the end of their shifts.”

    Landmarks to be lit include:

    • 1WTC
    • Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
    • Kosciuszko Bridge
    • The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
    • Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
    • Empire State Plaza
    • State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
    • Niagara Falls
    • The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
    • Albany International Airport Gateway
    • MTA LIRR – East End Gateway at Penn Station
    • Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
    • Moynihan Train Hall

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Drug Dealer Receives 10 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW BERN, N.C. – Eric Harris, 38, of Wilmington, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Harris pled guilty to the charges on January 16, 2025. 

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement received information that Harris had traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to purchase methamphetamine that he planned to sell in Wilmington.  Between August 20 and September 9, 2024, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office made controlled purchases from Harris of more than 3 ounces of methamphetamine and 10 grams of fentanyl at the Campus Edge Apartments in Wilmington.  On September 9, 2024, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harris following the last controlled purchase and then searched Harris’ Campus Edge apartment.  Law enforcement found an additional two ounces of methamphetamine, nineteen grams of fentanyl, and a loaded firearm in the apartment.

    This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo  prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-cr-00092.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking Tren de Aragua Member in Custody on Terrorism and International Drug Distribution Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A five-count superseding indictment has been unsealed today charging a Venezuelan national and alleged high-ranking member of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).  

    Jose Enrique Martinez Flores also known as “Chuqui,” 24, is charged in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States.

    “TdA is not a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that put down roots in our country during the prior administration,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.”

    “For the past few years, foreign gangs like TdA have more or less been able to enter the country with impunity, coming here to distribute deadly drugs and terrorize American citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the SDTX. “That ends now. This Department of Justice is committed to uprooting this terrorist gang, dismantling its criminal operations, and either imprisoning its members or removing them from the country. SDTX is proud to lead this fight.”

    “TdA is a direct threat to our national security, to our communities, and to Americans,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI continues in our pursuit to eliminate this violent terrorist organization from our streets, and today’s announcement makes it clear that these criminals, especially the leaders of these cartels, have no place in our country.”

    “This joint Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-FBI operation — alongside partners in the United States and Colombia — is further evidence that we must continue to focus our efforts on members of TdA who continue to pump poison into our communities,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “This is another example of DEA’s tenacity to hunt these networks down, wherever they operate, and crush their evil grip on American lives.”

    Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia March 31 pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He remains in custody in Colombia pending further proceedings. 

    A federal grand jury in Houston returned the superseding indictment April 8. 

    According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges one count of international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more, and two substantive counts of international drug distribution.

    The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20. 

    According to information presented to the court, Flores is a high-ranking TdA leader in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.

    Flores also allegedly caused the delivery of approximately five kilograms or more of cocaine for international distribution, proceeds that were used to further TdA’s criminal goals. 

    If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. 

    The FBI Houston Field Office and DEA conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Colombian National Police and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). 

    JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Forearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

    This case is also a 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pontiac Man Pleads Guilty in $4M Identity Theft and Unemployment Fraud Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – A Pontiac man has pleaded guilty to committing aggravated identity theft and wire fraud as part of large-scale, multi-state Unemployment Insurance benefit fraud scheme in which he and co-conspirators fraudulently obtained debit cards loaded with more than $4 million in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today.

    Joining in the announcement were Megan Howell, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent-in-Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Charles Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, Douglas Zloto, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Sean McStravick, Acting Inspector-in-Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and Director Jason Palmer, State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.

    Terrance Calhoun, Jr., 36, of Pontiac, Michigan, pleaded guilty to committing aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and to possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices, all in relation to acts of unemployment insurance fraud.

    According to his plea agreement, Calhoun Jr., and others, used stolen personal identification and filed hundreds of false unemployment claims with state unemployment insurance agencies in Michigan, Arizona, and Maryland over a six-month period in the names of other individuals without their knowledge or consent. Those false claims resulted in hundreds of debit cards loaded with over $4 million in unemployment insurance funds being mailed to addresses controlled by Calhoun Jr. and his co-conspirators. Roughly $1.6 million dollars in purchases and cash withdrawals were then successfully made from the cards.

    As described within a prior complaint, when agents executed search warrants at the principal mailing addresses used for the fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit claims, including the residence of Calhoun Jr., agents seized numerous documents containing the personal identification information of other individuals, multiple debit cards in the names of numerous other individuals, and firearms.

    Calhoun now faces a possible sentence of up to 20-years’ imprisonment for each of the wire fraud counts to which he has pleaded guilty, a possible sentence of up to 10-years’ imprisonment for possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and a mandatorily consecutive 2-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft charge to which he has pleaded guilty.

    Sentencing is set for August 27, 2025 before United States District Court Judge Judith E. Levy.

    “Taxpayer money diverted into the pockets of criminals means less money going to Michiganders who actually need help getting through difficult financial times and who follow the rules when seeking assistance,” said Acting US Attorney Beck.  “These charges reflect our office’s ongoing commitment to the community by investigating such schemes and bringing those who commit these crimes to justice.”

    “Terrance Calhoun Jr and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud state workforce agencies in Michigan, Arizona, and Maryland by filing hundreds of fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims.  As a result, Calhoun enriched himself by stealing taxpayer resources intended for unemployed American workers.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI program from those who seek to exploit it,” said Megan Howell, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

    “Individuals who commit identity theft and unemployment insurance fraud of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).  “Terrance Calhoun, Jr. and Jermaine Arnett demonstrated a blatant disregard of the integrity of the multiple states’ unemployment insurance systems and caused immeasurable hardship to innocent victims. IRS-CI remains committed to the pursuit of identity theft and financial fraud, and together with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will hold those who engage in similar crimes accountable.”

    “The FBI in Michigan, alongside our law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in protecting the community and investigating individuals who violate federal law,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Today’s guilty plea by Terrance Calhoun, whose involvement in a multi-state fraud scheme, is a clear reminder that bad actors will be stopped, and we will ensure integrity will prevail.”

    The case was jointly investigated by agents from the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, and the State of Michigan -Unemployment Insurance Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carl D. Gilmer-Hill and Jessica A. Nathan.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Turns 45 – Dallas Division Reflects on Past Success, Continues Vigilance

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DALLAS – This week, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) R. Joseph Rothrock is joining FBI offices around the country in marking the 45th anniversary of the FBI’s first Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Formed in New York in 1980, the first JTTF became a model for law enforcement cooperation across the nation.

    JTTFs can be found at each of the FBI’s 55 field offices and many resident agencies—around 280 locations in all. The Dallas Field Office organized the North Texas JTTF in 1995 and it is comprised of dozens of investigative personnel from more than 20 agencies across the Division’s territory.

    JTTFs gather trained investigators, intelligence analysts, linguists, and tactical experts from federal, state, local, territorial, tribal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Task force members share intelligence and investigative leads and respond to threats and incidents.

    “We know from each potential crisis or thwarted attack that we cannot do this job alone,” said SAC Rothrock. “Each member of the North Texas JTTF brings unique skills and specialized resources from their agency to enhance our collective investigative capabilities. We are proud to work side-by-side with our partners in the fight against terrorism, and will continue to vigorously defend the Dallas Division’s territory.”

    The FBI’s JTTF model dates to 1979, when the New York Police Department and the FBI’s New York Field Office created a joint task force to tackle violent bank robberies. They imitated the model in 1980, when terrorist bombings, bomb threats, and other violence plagued the city, and announced the formation of the first JTTF in April 1980.

    “The JTTF has proven to be a world class model of what can be accomplished when law enforcement resources from federal, state, and local agencies converge to combat terrorism and disrupt the plans of evil actors throughout the United States,” said Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “The JTTF has been called upon to investigate some of the most horrific acts of violence imaginable and we should all be thankful for the work the JTTF does daily to keep communities across the United States safe.”

    After the 9/11 attacks, FBI leadership directed all FBI field offices to establish a JTTF. In addition, the FBI established its National Joint Terrorism Task Force to support the local task forces in June of 2002. The NJTTF, at FBI Headquarters, enhances communication, coordination, and cooperation from partner agencies.

    “This Office depends on the critical work of the JTTF in keeping Americans safe,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “We applaud the JTTF’s decades of significant efforts in partnership with the USAO-NDTX.”

    Nationally, JTTFs have disrupted dozens of plots in the past four decades. Notable investigations in Dallas’ territory include:

    •    Hosam Maher Husein Smadi: Sentenced to 24 years in prison for his attempted bombing of a downtown Dallas skyscraper in September 2009. According to documents filed, Smadi knowingly took possession of a truck that contained a weapon of mass destruction, and while the bomb was inert when Smadi took possession of it, it was a readily-convertible weapon of mass destruction.

    •    Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari: Sentenced to life in prison for the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in connection with his 2011 purchase of chemicals and equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his research of potential U.S. targets, including persons and infrastructure.

    •    Omer Kuzu: Pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism. In March 2019, Kuzu was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces, alongside 1,500 suspected ISIS fighters.  He was handed over to FBI custody, returned to American soil, and charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.  

    Report suspicious activity to 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). You can also submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov tips.fbi.gov.
     

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Over 500 Justice and Behavioral Health Professionals Attend 2025 Criminal Justice Conference Emphasizing Collaboration and Resiliency

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 23, 2025 – State College, PA

    Over 500 Justice and Behavioral Health Professionals Attend 2025 Criminal Justice Conference Emphasizing Collaboration and Resiliency

    The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) kicked off the 2025 Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB) Conference in State College. The two-day event brought together over 530 criminal justice and behavioral health professionals from across the Commonwealth, the largest gathering since the conference’s inception in 2007. Throughout the conference, participants engaged in discussions on new and reemerging issues impacting the criminal justice and behavioral health systems and innovative solutions to address evolving trends.

    Under the Shapiro-Davis Administration, the Commonwealth has achieved notable improvements in public safety. According to data released by CeaseFirePA, Pennsylvania has seen a 42% decrease in total victims of gun violence statewide, and a 38% drop in gun deaths by firearm since 2022. These outcomes reflect the impact of intentional, cross-system collaboration among law enforcement, behavioral health and criminal justice professionals, community-based organizations, courts, and policymakers.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Shapiro Administration and Local Partners in Lancaster County Celebrate Stream Restoration Investments to Little Conestoga Creek

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 23, 2025 – Lancaster, PA

    Shapiro Administration and Local Partners in Lancaster County Celebrate Stream Restoration Investments to Little Conestoga Creek

    Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley and members of the Lancaster Clean Water Partners gathered at the Blue Green Connector Project today to celebrate stream and floodplain restoration investments on Little Conestoga Creek, including more than $4 million in state funds, through the ongoing work of an innovative partnership led by the Little Conestoga Creek Foundation and Steinman Foundation.

    The Blue Green Connector in Lancaster County is a prime example of how sustained investments through programs like Growing Greener are restoring watersheds, reducing pollution, and increasing outdoor recreational opportunities across Pennsylvania’s share of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley and project partners offered remarks and toured a stream restoration site as part of DEP’s Earth Week events.

    “DEP is proud to be part of the ongoing effort to restore Little Conestoga Creek, reduce pollution, improve flood resiliency, and create the Blue Green Connector. This project will provide environmental education in a recreational setting, strengthening the community’s connection to nature,” said Acting DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Children who have meaningful environmental experiences become better stewards of our natural resources as adults, so it was fitting to visit this project serving an Environmental Justice area as we celebrate Earth Week.”

    Speakers Include:
    Shane Zimmerman – CEO of The Steinman Foundation
    Allyson Gibson – Executive Director of Clean Water Partners
    Jessica Shirley – Acting Secretary of Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Raytown Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machine Guns

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man plead guilty in federal court today for possessing and transferring two machine gun conversion devices.

    Darius R. Harris, also known as “D” and “D2,” 22, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts, to two counts of illegally possessing machine guns.

    On October 30, 2023, Harris sold a silver, Glock-type switch to an undercover agent for $350.  On November 9, 2023, Harris sold a Glock 9mm handgun, Glock-type switch, extended magazine and twenty-three rounds of ammunition to an undercover agent for $960.

    On April 1, 2025, Harris’ brother, Demetrius Harris, also known as “Meech,” 24, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill A. Morris, to one count of illegally possessing machine guns.  On Jan. 24, 2024, Demetrius Harris sold an AR-style firearm containing an auto sear, two additional auto sears, and ammunition to an undercover agent for $1,060.  Demetrius Harris is awaiting sentencing.

    Machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices.

    Under federal statutes, Harris is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

    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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Randolph County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – William Durnal, 60, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison for methamphetamine possession and distribution.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Durnal was part of a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Morgantown, West Virginia. A search of his home recovered hundreds of grams of methamphetamine. Durnal has a criminal history that includes theft, forgery, burglary, battery, and passing counterfeit money.

    Durnal will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley and Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    Investigative agencies include the Mon Metro Drug Task Force and the Mountain Region Task Force, both HIDTA-funded initiatives.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: D.C. Man Admits to 2023 Killing at Navy Yard Metro Station

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Tyriq Williams, 31, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder for the 2023 shooting murder of Terry Clark, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

    Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2025. The guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of between 14 and 18 years, followed by a period of supervised release. 

    On January 7, 2023, the defendant and his girlfriend encountered Mr. Clark on an escalator leaving the Navy Yard Metro Station. The defendant and Mr. Clark did not know each other. After both men left the station, Williams turned around and shot Mr. Clark one time, causing his death. The defendant then went back into the station and took the train to Congress Heights Metro Station, where he took a bus to his place of employment. Williams told a friend that he needed a ride, and his friend picked the defendant up and drove him to the bus stop, where Williams got back on the same bus that he previously rode. The shooting was not captured on video, but law enforcement located the defendant on other video surveillance, including Washington Metro Area Transit Authority surveillance around the metro station and on the bus.  After an investigation, Williams was apprehended, and detectives found, pursuant to a search warrant of the defendant’s home, distinctive clothing that he wore on the night of the shooting.

    Williams has been in custody since his arrest on January 20, 2023.

    This case is being investigated by detectives and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department and Metro Transit Police Department. 

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Jamie Carter. This case was investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante. 

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Charges Operators of Peppermint Palm Placement Services for Financial Elder Abuse

    Source: US State of California

    Wednesday, April 23, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the filing of felony charges against two operators of Peppermint Palm Placement Services (PPPS) for embezzling more than $350,000 from elderly victims through their placement agencies. The defendants operated over a dozen placement agencies, including PPPS, Peppermint Palm Senior Care, Porus Placements, Persimmon Placements, Red Cardinal Management Corporation, and others. They are being charged with 28 felonies, including theft from an elder, identity theft, grand theft by embezzlement, filing a false or forged document with a public office, money laundering, conspiracy, and a white-collar crime enhancement. 

    “When caregivers put illegal profit over the health and safety of those in their care, everyone loses,” said Attorney General Bonta. “At the California Department of Justice, we are dedicated to combating all forms of elder abuse and neglect. We will act swiftly to hold accountable anyone who harms or takes advantage of these at-risk members of our community.”

    The California Department of Justice received a report alleging that the operators of PPPS secured contracts with individuals seeking assistance for residential placements, charging them a placement fee equivalent to 150% of the client’s rent. Clients’ families or payees would send rent payments to PPPS with the understanding that PPPS would then forward the payment to the home operator or landlord. It is alleged that PPPS would obtain their “placement fee” and would then stop paying the rent and abruptly relocate the client to a different residence, restarting the cycle. Many of these clients struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues, and the majority are beneficiaries of Medi-Cal.  

    It is important to note that criminal charges must be proven in a court of law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    The California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) works to protect Californians by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for abuse, neglect, and fraud committed against elderly and dependent adults in the state, and those who perpetrate fraud on the Medi-Cal program.
     
    DMFEA receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
     
    A copy of the complaint can be found here.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced for Selling Sensitive Military Information to Individual Tied to Chinese Government

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government.

    Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information.

    “This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”

    “This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”

    “Those who collaborate with America’s foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.”

    “Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.”

    According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including:

    • His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
    • Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia conflict applicable to Taiwan’s defense;
    • Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems;
    • Information on Chinese military tactics and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
    • Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines;
    • Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
    • Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.

    Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

    As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.”  Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money.

    The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents.

    The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy. At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.”

    The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Nicholas Lugo of Chaska, Minnesota, has been charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, distributed multiple CSAM videos over the internet. Lugo has a 2021 conviction in Hennepin County for first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor.

    “Lugo is a child predator. He was convicted of sexually abusing a child.  And then—like so many sexual predators—went on to offend again,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “Minnesotans should have no tolerance for serial child sex offenders in our midst. The U.S. Attorney’s Office certainly doesn’t.  Defendants like Lugo who repeatedly prey on children should expect to see federal charges and do federal prison time.”

    Lugo is charged with one count of distribution child pornography.  At his arraignment hearing, Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster ordered that he remain in custody pending further court proceedings.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Chaska Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI. It 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. 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drugs and Ammunition

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Omar D. Milligan, 47, of Charleston, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring and possessing with intent to distribute 5 kilograms of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and being a felon in possession of ammunition.

    Evidence presented to the Court established that Milligan played a key role in a drug trafficking organization operating in Charleston, with national and international ties. On March 25, 2022, Milligan received approximately 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl, which he intended to deliver to another member of the organization for further distribution into the community. He had also arranged to obtain an additional 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl once the first shipment was delivered.

    As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement discovered that Milligan was using a local apartment as a base of operations for his drug trafficking activities. During the investigation, he was observed selling both fentanyl and cocaine directly to others. On Aug. 23, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the apartment and recovered a kilogram of marijuana, 6 grams of cocaine, and ammunition. Milligan previously served time in federal prison for drug and firearm related felony offenses.

    United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Milligan to 10 years in prison, to be followed by a 10-year term of court ordered supervision.

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Charleston Police Department, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury convicts illegal alien for unlawfully being in United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A Guatemalan national has been found guilty of illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    The jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding Leonardo Fernando Batz guilty as charged following a three-day trial.

    On Nov. 23, 2023, authorities found Batz in Harris County. At that time, the investigation revealed he was not a citizen of the United States and had a previous removal order from an immigration judge.

    Testimony revealed Batz had been previously removed in 2007 and in 2020.

    The jury heard from a Border Patrol agent who described his encounter with Batz in the Rio Grande Valley in September 2019. Batz had illegally entered the United States by raft on the Rio Grande River and subsequently pleaded guilty.

    A deportation officer also described how he rode with Batz when he was removed via plane from the United States to Guatemala in 2020.

    The jury saw evidence including Batz’s Guatemalan passport, a travel pass the Guatemalan consulate had issued and various other documents from Batz’s alien file. A fingerprint expert also identified Batz as the same person documented in various deportation materials.  

    The defense attempted to question the trustworthiness of the government’s evidence. The jury did not believe those claims and found Batz guilty as charged. 

    U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt presided over trial and set sentencing for May 1, 2025. At that time, Batz faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    He will remain in custody pending that hearing. 

    Immigration Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Carrie Law prosecuted 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Attorney and Administrative Officer Pleads Guilty to Attempted Smuggling of Firearms, Ammunition to Haiti

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – On April 18, 2025, Marcel Pierre Denis, 58, pled guilty to a two-count information charging him with April 2022 and October 2022 attempts to smuggle firearms from Miami to Haiti.

    In connection with the plea, Denis admitted that, in April 2022, law enforcement conducted an inspection of outbound cargo at a shipping warehouse in Miami-Dade County and discovered an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, a rifle magazine, and rifle ammunition in a cargo box manifested for shipment to Haiti. Denis was listed as the shipper on a shipping invoice for the box. Employees of the shipping carrier otherwise identified and recognized Denis as a frequent customer who had previously submitted cargo for shipment to Haiti. In a May 2022 interview, Denis acknowledged that he had attempted to ship the firearm and ammunition for Haiti and that he had not obtained any export permit or license for the shipment.

    In October 2022, law enforcement again conducted an inspection of outbound cargo at a shipping warehouse in Miami-Dade County. During this inspection, law enforcement encountered a cargo box manifested for shipment to Haiti that contained, among other items, a semiautomatic pistol that had been wrapped in duct tape and then concealed inside of a coffee container. Denis was again listed as the shipper on the shipping invoice for the box. Employees of the shipping carrier again identified Denis as the individual who had dropped off the cargo for shipment and filled out the shipping forms. Law enforcement conducted a trace and obtained purchase records for the pistol, which reflected that Denis had purchased the pistol from a retailer in the Southern District of Florida.

    In a November 2022 interview, Denis acknowledged his interactions with law enforcement after the April 2022 shipment, acknowledged his purchase of the pistol concealed among the October 2022 shipment, and stated that he intended to ship the firearms to an associate in Haiti for protection of a retail business.

    In connection with the plea, Denis admitted that he was aware of his need for an export license or permit to ship firearms or ammunition to Haiti, and that he was otherwise licensed to practice law and serving as an administrative hearing officer in the State of New York at the time of each shipment.

    U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez is presiding over the case. Denis faces a maximum term of ten years’ imprisonment as to each count. The sentencing hearing has been set for July 7, 2025. Judge Martinez will sentence Denis after a review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Division, announced the guilty plea. 

    HSI investigated the case. Customs and Border Protection provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr- 20139.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: April Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

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

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.

    The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

    Jose Alvizo-Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Alvizo-Ramirez, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2022. He is further charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender from January 6, 2025, to on or about March 26, 2025. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-143

    Richard Glenn Bexfield. Drug Conspiracy; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Destruction and Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Bexfield, 32, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2025 through Apr. 2025. He knowingly destroyed and disposed of property in an effort to prevent law enforcement from seizing the property. Further, Bexfield is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-136

    Cesar Castorena-Dondiego. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Castorena-Dondiego, 44, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Sep. 2018. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Heign is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-145

    Clint Allen Hubble. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Hubble, 46, of Afton, is charged with attempting to persuade and entice a minor child to engage in sexually explicit activity. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-146

    Wilber Martinez-Bonilla. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Martinez-Bonilla, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2014. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-147

    Paul Eugene McClain. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. McClain, 56, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of several felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-148

    Aaron Wilkie Murphy; Hong Thoa Thi Nguyen; Joshua Clay Murphy; Toymeka Louise Shackleford. Continuing Criminal Enterprise (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Count 2); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Count 3); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 & 6); International Travel to Promote, Manage, Establish, Carry On, and Facilitate Drug Conspiracy (Count 7) (superseding). Aaron Murphy, 51, of Broken Arrow, is charged with organizing, leading, and profiting from the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He knowingly conspired with several others to possess and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, while maintaining a residence for the purpose of drug distribution, and traveled to Mexico to manage and further promote his enterprise drug conspiracy. Nguyen, 45, of Tulsa, Joshua Murphy, 47, of Milfay, Shackleford, 49, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mar. 2022 through Feb. 2025. Nguyen is additionally charged with maintaining a residence for the purpose of narcotics distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Tulsa Field Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. The DEA Mexico City Country Office, along with the Hermosillo Mexico Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Mexico City Field Office, Mexican Marines, and the Mexico Federal Police, assisted in the arrest and return of Aaron Murphy and Nguyen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-199

    Roberto Perez-Cruz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Perez-Cruz, 21, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Oct. 2021. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-149

    Carlos Alberto Vazquez Parra. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Vazquez Parra, 33, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-150

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The origin story of the Anzac biscuit is largely myth – but that shouldn’t obscure the history of women during the war

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato

    Australian Comforts Fund buffet in Longueval, France, 1916. Australian War Memorial

    The Anzac biscuit is a cultural icon, infused with mythical value, representing the connection between women on the home front and soldiers serving overseas during the first world war.

    A baked good developed to survive the trip to the trenches and lift the spirits of the troops has the seductive appeal of folklore specific to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

    There is another story linked to the myth, however, about women who worked to provide necessities and small comforts to those serving in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

    The Anzac biscuit myth

    Soldiers at the front had biscuits, of a sort, in their rations but these were more like 18th century “ship’s biscuit”, or hard tack, called “tile”, “wafers”, or “army biscuits”.

    Made from flour, water and dry milk, tile was nonperishable and didn’t get mouldy, but it was so hard it had to be soaked before eating to avoid cracking a tooth. Soldiers would sometimes grate the moistened biscuit and cook it with water for an improvised porridge.

    The biscuits were so tough that soldiers even used them as stationery.

    Cakes and biscuits in sealed tins were requested as donations from the public, but had to meet requirements to ensure they would not spoil by the time they arrived.

    It is unlikely Anzac biscuits made according to today’s recipe were packed in tins by mothers, wives and girlfriends and shipped overseas to soldiers. As a matter of practicality, shredded coconut included in the recipe would have probably become rancid in transit.

    Australia soldiers at Ribemont, France, opening parcels from the Australian Comforts Fund, March 1917.
    Australian War Memorial

    The idea of our modern Anzac biscuits being sent to the front line is most likely an invented tradition, created after the fact. The first thing we would recognise as our current recipe did not appear until 1927.

    But women were sending biscuits, and more, to their men on the front lines in the crucial role of providing creature comforts.

    The War Chest Cookery Book

    The Australian Comforts Fund was a national group founded in 1916 to coordinate state volunteer organisations, run mainly by women.

    The War Chest Cookery Book, published in 1917.
    Trove

    In 1917, the New South Wales branch printed the The War Chest Cookery Book. Paid advertisements on every page allowed the fund to donate all proceeds from the sale of the cookbook “to substantially augment the funds of the War Chest”.

    In this book we find the first printed recipe for a biscuit with “Anzac” in the title. The recipe bears no resemblance to today’s version, except for the name. Neither oats nor coconut were included. Instead, the recipe called for eggs, rice flour, cinnamon and mixed spice, and the baked biscuits were sandwiched together with jam and topped with icing.

    The motto of the Australian Comforts Fund, “keep the fit man fit”, differentiated their mission from the lifesaving supplies delivered by the Red Cross.

    The war chest allowed the distribution of nonessential items that included necessities like such as socks, mittens and singlets, but also comforts of home like such as pyjamas, razor blades and tobacco.

    Special shipments included morale boosters like such as Christmas hampers with plum puddings, gramophones, sporting goods, postcards and pencils.

    Women from the Australian Comforts Fund distributing packages to soldiers in Abbassieh, Egypt, during the first world war.
    State Library Victoria

    Women in the fund also ran canteens near the front serving soup, coffee, tea, and cocoa. The fund provided twelve million mugs of hot drinks between January 1917 and June 1918 alone.

    A soldier’s memoir from the winter of 1916 in the Somme recalled how the promise of the kitchen kept him going:

    We desire to acknowledge our debt to the Australian Comforts Fund. Their soup kitchen was the goal to which even the weariest man persevered during the dreadful outward journeys from the line.

    A dubious debut: not your Nan’s Anzac biscuit

    Today, Anzac biscuits baked for commercial production and sale must adhere to the Australian Department of Veteran Affairs Guidelines, established in 1994, which regulate the use of the word Anzac (and prohibit the use of the word “cookie” to describe them).

    This first iteration of Anzac biscuits would most certainly not comply with the guidelines as they “substantially deviate from the accepted recipe” which features ingredients including oats, golden syrup and coconut.

    Two other recipes in the War Chest Cookbook for rolled oat biscuits are closer, and omit eggs, but they lack the binding power of golden syrup and the characteristic crunch of desiccated coconut.

    The combination of oats and golden syrup first appears in the Melbourne newspaper The Argus on September 15 1920 when Josephine, from East Brunswick, contributed her recipe for “ANZAC Biscuits or Crispies”.

    A recipe for Anzac biscuits with “cocoanut” was not published until the late 1920s, in the Brisbane Sunday Mail on June 26 1927.

    This late introduction of the full recipe is a reminder that while biscuits got sent overseas, they were not the “official” Anzac biscuits we know today.

    A recipe for Anzac biscuits with ‘cocoanut’ was not published until the late 1920s.
    May Lawrence/Unsplash

    The story behind the biscuit

    Defining and preserving the identity of the Anzac biscuit affirms a tangible symbol of national identity. While the recipe may have been invented after the fact, a consistent standard encourages the continuity of remembrance through the uniformity of a shared tradition.

    Women packing food for the Australian Comfort Fund’s war chests.
    Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

    The myth of domestic bakers dispatching this specific recipe to soldiers, however, should not eclipse the efforts of the Australian Comforts Fund, fundraising on a national scale, and running makeshift canteens in a war zone.

    Women weren’t just baking in their kitchens: they were organising and delivering resources at home and overseas, benefiting soldiers at the front lines.

    Garritt C. Van Dyk has received funding from the Getty Research Institute.

    – ref. The origin story of the Anzac biscuit is largely myth – but that shouldn’t obscure the history of women during the war – https://theconversation.com/the-origin-story-of-the-anzac-biscuit-is-largely-myth-but-that-shouldnt-obscure-the-history-of-women-during-the-war-252039

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fossil teeth show extinct giant kangaroos spent their lives close to home – and perished when the climate changed

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Laurikainen Gaete, PhD Candidate, University of Wollongong

    Chris Laurikainen Gaete

    Large kangaroos today roam long distances across the outback, often surviving droughts by moving in mobs to find new food when pickings are slim.

    But not all kangaroos have been this way. In new research published today in PLOS One, we found giant kangaroos that once lived in eastern Australia were far less mobile, making them vulnerable to changes in local environmental conditions.

    We discovered fossilised teeth of the now extinct giant kangaroo genus Protemnodon at Mount Etna Caves, north of Rockhampton, in central eastern Queensland. Analysing the teeth gave us a glimpse into the past movements of these extinct giants, hundreds of thousands of years ago.

    Our results show Protemnodon did not forage across great distances, instead living in a lush and stable rainforest utopia. However, this utopia began to decline when the climate became drier with more pronounced seasons – spelling doom for Mount Etna’s giant roos.

    Artist’s impression of Protemnodon in a lush rainforest ‘utopia’ before extinction.
    Queensland Museum & Capricorn Caves – Atuchin / Lawrence / Hocknull

    Mount Etna Caves

    The Mount Etna Caves National Park and nearby Capricorn Caves hold remarkable records of life over hundreds of thousands of years.

    Fossils accumulated in the caves because they acted like giant pitfall traps and also lairs of predators such as thylacines, Tasmanian devils, marsupial lions, owls, raptors and the now-endangered ghost bats.

    Reddish-coloured fossil deposits can be seen on the western side of Mount Etna mine, now part of Mt Etna National Park.
    Scott Hocknull

    Large parts of the region were once mined for lime and cement. One of us (Hocknull) worked closely with mine managers to safely remove and stockpile fossil deposits from now-destroyed caves for scientific research which still continues.

    As part of our study we dated fossils using an approach called uranium-series dating, and the sediment around them with a different technique called luminescence dating.

    Our results suggest the giant kangaroos lived around the caves from at least 500,000 years ago to about 280,000 years ago. After this they disappeared from the Mount Etna fossil record.

    At the time, Mount Etna hosted a rich rainforest habitat, comparable to modern day New Guinea. As the climate became drier between 280,000 and 205,000 years ago, rainforest-dwelling species including Protemnodon vanished from the area, replaced by those adapted to a dry, arid environment.

    You are what you eat

    Our study looked at how far Protemnodon travelled to find food. The general trend in mammals is that bigger creatures range farther. This trend holds for modern kangaroos, so we expected giant extinct kangaroos like Protemnodon would also have had large ranges.

    Teeth record a chemical signature of the food you eat. By looking at different isotopes of the element strontium in tooth enamel, we can study the foraging ranges of extinct animals.

    Chris Laurikainen Gaete in the lab with the laser system used to analyse Protemnodon fossil teeth.
    Chris Laurikainen Gaete

    Varying abundances of strontium isotopes reflect the chemical fingerprint of the plants an animal ate, as well as the geology and soils where the plant grew. By matching chemical signatures in the teeth to local signatures in the environment, we could estimate where these ancient animals travelled to obtain food.

    Eat local, die local

    Our results showed Protemnodon from Mount Etna didn’t travel far beyond the local limestone in which the caves and fossils were found. This is much a smaller range than we predicted range based on their body mass.

    We think the small foraging range of Protemnodon at Mount Etna was an adaptation to millions of years of stable food supply in the rainforest. They likely had little need to travel to find food.

    Protemnodon at Mount Etna probably only ranged over the orange area for food – a much smaller area than would be estimated from modern kangaroo data (solid red circle).
    Chris Laurikainen Gaete / State of Queensland (Department of Resources)

    Fossil evidence also suggests some species of Protemnodon walked on all fours rather than hopped. This would have constrained their ability to travel great distances, but is a great strategy for living in rainforests.

    One question remains to be answered: if they didn’t need to move far to find food, why did they grow so big in the first place?

    A local adaptation or a species trait?

    The extinction of Australia’s megafauna – long-vanished beasts such the “marsupial lion” Thylacoleo and the three-tonne Diprotodon – has long been debated. It has often been assumed that megafauna species responded in the same way to environmental changes wherever they lived.

    However, we may have underestimated the role of local adaptations. This particularly holds true for Protemnodon, with a recent study suggesting significant variation in diet and movement across different environments.

    Similar small foraging ranges have been suggested for Protemnodon that lived near Bingara and Wellington Caves, New South Wales. Perhaps it was common for Protemnodon populations in stable habitats across eastern Australia to be homebodies – and this may have proved their Achilles’ heel when environmental conditions changed.

    Extinction, one by one

    As a rule, creatures with a small home range have a limited ability to move elsewhere. So if the something happens to their local habitat, they may be in big trouble.

    At Mount Etna, Protemnodon thrived for hundreds of thousands of years in the stable rainforest environment. But as the environment became more arid, and resources increasingly patchy, they may have been unable to traverse the growing gaps between patches of forest or retreat elsewhere.

    One key result of our study is that Protodemnon was locally extinct at Mt Etna long before humans turned up, which rules out human influence.

    The techniques used in this study will help us to learn about how Australia’s megafauna responded to changing environments in more detail. This approach moves the Australian megafauna extinction debate away from the traditional continental catch-all hypotheses – instead we can look at local populations in specific sites, and understand the unique factors driving local extinction events.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Fossil teeth show extinct giant kangaroos spent their lives close to home – and perished when the climate changed – https://theconversation.com/fossil-teeth-show-extinct-giant-kangaroos-spent-their-lives-close-to-home-and-perished-when-the-climate-changed-250057

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MENG STATEMENT ON CUTS TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS), released the following statement on the Administration’s decision to cut more than 400 grants funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF):

    “I am deeply concerned by the Trump Administration’s decision to once again slash National Science Foundation (NSF) support for science, this time terminating more than 400 research and STEM education grants. The NSF has spent decades working to diversify our STEM workforce and support cutting-edge research that ultimately improves the lives of Americans. Its efforts to broaden participation in science have empowered our nation to become the global leader in research and innovation, leading to major discoveries and advancements in health care, manufacturing, national security, and other fields.

    Under this administration, our scientific research community has already faced illegal funding freezes and staffing cuts, with detrimental consequences. Terminating federal grants supporting this work will cause even more chaos and confusion at the NSF and research institutions across the country. Opportunities are being ripped away from our most promising young minds, and the uncertainty of federal support for research and development means we will lose our top talent to other countries or careers, stunting American research and innovation for generations to come. 

    Experts, not political agendas, should guide scientific research. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, I expect the NSF to meet its statutory obligations, restore this federal funding, and allow valuable research and STEM education projects to continue without political pressure.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced for Selling Sensitive Military Information to Individual Tied to Chinese Government

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government.

    Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information.

    “This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”

    “This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”

    “Those who collaborate with America’s foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.”

    “Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.”

    According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including:

    • His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
    • Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia conflict applicable to Taiwan’s defense;
    • Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems;
    • Information on Chinese military tactics and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
    • Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines;
    • Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
    • Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.

    Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

    As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.”  Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money.

    The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents.

    The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy. At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.”

    The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Grassley, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Combat Organized Retail Theft

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and colleagues reintroduced the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to crack down on flash mob robberies and intricate retail theft schemes, establish a coordinated multi-agency response, and create new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail theft.
    “If we can do anything to help law enforcement, we should,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Organized crime always looks to expand its territory. Let’s fight back.”
    The Combating Organized Retail Crime Actwould:
    Establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that combines expertise from state and local law enforcement agencies and retail industry representatives.
    Create new tools to assist in federal investigation and prosecution of organized retail crime and help recapture lost goods and proceeds.
    Cassidy and Grassley were joined by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ted Budd (R-NC), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in introducing the legislation.
    Background
    According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), more than 84 percent of retailers report that violence and aggression from criminal activities has become more of a concern since 2022, resulting in injuries and deaths among employees, customers, security officers, and law enforcement personnel. NRF also estimates that larceny incidents increased by 93 percent in 2023 compared to 2019. In recent years, criminal organizations have increasingly turned to retail crime to generate illicit profits, using internet-based tools to organize flash mobs, sell stolen goods, and move money.  
    The Combating Organized Retail Crime Actis supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the Reusable Packaging Association, the Association of American Railroads, the American Trucking Association, UPS, DHL, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Foundation, the Intermodal Association of North America, the Transportation Intermediaries Association, the PASS (Protect America’s Small Sellers) Coalition, the International Downtown Association, Amazon, the World Shipping Council, Pirate Ship, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), World Shipping Council, and the Home Depot.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard detains 12 Mexican fishermen, seizes 1,400 pounds of illegally caught fish off Texas coast

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 04/23/2025 03:30 PM EDT

     News Release  

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

     

    04/23/2025 02:50 PM EDT

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard interdicted and detained 12 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing and seized approximately 1,400 pounds of fish in federal waters off southern Texas, Monday.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Charges Maryland Man with Illegal Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Damarqus Moore, 33, of Suitland, Maryland, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

                Moore is charged in an indictment in federal court with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

                According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, MPD officers observed an automobile with illegal window tint and no front license plate idling in the area of 5826 Dix Street NE, Washington, D.C. Officers soon realized that the license plate affixed to the rear of the automobile was registered to a separate automobile. Moore was placed under arrest and officers recovered MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) tablets on Moore’s person. As officers searched the automobile for additional controlled substances, they quickly observed a firearm lodged in the steering column of the automobile.   The recovered firearm was a .40 caliber firearm, loaded, with an obliterated serial number.

                The defendant has been convicted of multiple felony offenses in the State of Maryland, including first degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.

                This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Remaining Two Defendants in Moorhead Methamphetamine Trafficking Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Two individuals from Moorhead, Minnesota, were convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to evidence presented at trial, on February 22, 2024, acting on a canine alert, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant on a suspicious package that had been intercepted in North Dakota. Inside the package, law enforcement found over nine pounds of methamphetamine. Agents removed a majority of the methamphetamine, added a tracking device to the package, and returned it to the intended delivery address, a rental unit in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

    Once delivered, law enforcement observed Alberto St. Martin Lopez, Jr., 58, retrieve the package and take it to his residence nearby. There, Lopez met with two of his other co-conspirators. At trial, evidence demonstrated that the trio recorded opening the suspect parcel. They departed quickly afterwards, each with different parts of the parcel evidence. One co-conspirator left in possession of the remaining methamphetamine and quickly met up with a fourth co-conspirator. A second co-conspirator left Lopez’s residence, recovered three additional pounds of methamphetamine separately stored on Lopez’s property, and left. Lopez left his residence with the GPS tracker. All were quickly apprehended and found in possession of the tracking device, the additional three pounds of methamphetamine, digital scales and other miscellaneous drug distribution materials.

    As proven at trial, Terri Lee Weideman, 46, worked at a Fargo property management company and since at least April 2023 had been providing the conspiracy with the addresses of rental units she knew to be vacant, thereby facilitating the shipments of methamphetamine from California.

    “Transnational criminal organizations continue to pour methamphetamine into Minnesota by various means, including by mail,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “As this case demonstrates, this office, working hand in glove with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to dedicate resources to stop the flow of methamphetamine into our state.”

    In total, once all search warrants had been executed, 12 pounds of methamphetamine was seized on February 23, 2023, at the time comprising the largest combined seizure of methamphetamine in Clay County, Minnesota.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Moorhead Police Department, and other supporting agencies.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Allen A. Slaughter Jr. tried the case.

    MIL Security OSI –