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Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Central African Republic faces ongoing challenges ahead of elections

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Peace and Security

    The recent attack on a UN patrol in the Central African Republic (CAR) which resulted in the death of a Tunisian peacekeeper, underlines the constant dangers facing peacekeepers from armed groups there, the head of the UN mission (MINUSCA) told the Security Council on Thursday.

    Valentine Rugwabiza condemned the incident early last week, calling on Central African authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

    Bordering South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the region – larger than Switzerland – has been a hotspot of conflict due to its strategic importance, intercommunal tensions and civil strife.

    Troubled past

    CAR has been grappling with conflict since 2012, as fighting between the mostly Christian anti-Balaka militia and the mainly Muslim Séléka rebel coalition left thousands dead and many more dependent on aid.

    In 2013, armed groups seized the capital and then President François Bozizé was forced to flee. After a brief period of reduced violence in 2015, and elections held in 2016, fighting intensified again.

    Peace talks got underway in early 2019 under the auspices of the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in CAR, led by the African Union (AU) with UN support. The deal was agreed in Khartoum, but formally signed in CAR’s capital, Bangui.

    Elections: Opportunities or risks?

    With local, legislative and presidential elections scheduled for 2025, Ms. Rugwabiza noted that the upcoming electoral cycle represents a key opportunity where “safe, transparent and inclusive elections” could “contribute towards addressing roots causes of recurring conflict in the CAR”.

    Progress has been recorded in electoral preparations, with voter list revisions successfully conducted in 11 out of 20 prefectures.

    MINUSCA supported the process, ensuring that 98 percent of registration centres were operational, allowing over 570,000 new voters to register.

    However, security challenges persist, and 58 voter registration centres remain closed.

    Security: Still precarious

    Despite some improvements, instability persists in CAR, particularly in border areas where armed groups exploit mining sites and transhumance corridors.

    Ms. Rugwabiza noted that the ongoing conflict in Sudan has further complicated security dynamics, necessitating strengthened cross-border cooperation.

    She highlighted the recent inauguration of CAR’s first multiservice border post in Bembéré, constructed with MINUSCA support, a milestone in border security efforts.

    Challenges in the peace process

    Six years after the signing of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, nine of the 14 signatory armed groups have disbanded. However, some factions remain active, undermining peace efforts.

    “There is an urgent need for increased political mobilisation, particularly from guarantors, namely the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States to facilitate the return of those armed groups leaders and subsequent long-term disarmament,” Ms. Rugwabiza stressed.

    Additionally, she called on CAR authorities to accelerate the operationalisation of the Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission (TJRRC), emphasising the importance of transitional justice and accountability for victims.

    Security sector reform

    Security sector reform also remains central to CAR’s stabilisation. Ms. Rugwabiza acknowledged recent progress, including the establishment of a military tribunal in Bouar.

    However, “the recruitment of former self-defence group members outside regulatory frameworks risks reversing security gains,” she cautioned, urging proper oversight.

    Human rights violations remain a pressing concern and while the recent passage of a national law to protect human rights defenders marks a positive step, Ms. Rugwabiza called on the Government to take decisive action against impunity.

    Women entrepreneurs driving recovery

    Addressing ambassadors via videolink, Portia Deya Abazene, President of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs of CAR, highlighted the role of women in driving the country’s economic recovery.

    She noted that despite legal frameworks guaranteeing equality, women in CAR represent only 15.5 percent of business owners in some sectors.

    In the past two years, her organization has facilitated training for more than 2,700 women who received education in leadership, digital marketing and finance.

    “The CAR cannot reach its full potential as long as more than 51 per cent of its population – I’m referring to women – remain marginalised,” she said.

    International support needed

    Looking ahead, Ms. Rugwabiza emphasised that “the allocation of timely and adequate resources remains critical to consolidate security gains and translate them into concrete improvements in the lives of the Central African people.”

    With elections on the horizon and security threats persisting, MINUSCA’s role remains vital in supporting CAR’s path to stability.

    However, without continued political and financial backing, the country’s hard-fought progress risks being reversed.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Western Balkan and Latin American Prosecutors meet in Peru to strengthen cross-border cooperation against organised crime

    Source: Eurojust

    20 February 2025|

    Prosecutors from the Western Balkans and Latin America gathered in Lima (Peru) for a meeting aimed at enhancing international cooperation in the fight against organised crime. The event, ‘’Networking for Impact: Enhancing Cross-Border Cooperation Between Western Balkan and Latin American Prosecutors in the Area of Organised Crime’’, took place between 18 – 20 February 2025 and marked a significant step towards advancing joint efforts to dismantle international criminal networks.

    The event, co-organised between the Western Balkans Criminal Justice (WBCJ) Project and EL PACCTO 2.0, focused on addressing pressing challenges in combating organised crime and ways to enhance cooperation. Leading prosecutors in charge of cross-border cases gathered together to exchange information and strengthen judicial ties.

    The event featured a series of discussions on crime trends, international cooperation, and strategies for enhancing cross-border efforts. Sessions included expert presentations on emerging threats, roundtable discussions on legal and operational challenges, and bilateral meetings aimed at fostering direct cooperation between countries.

    The meeting underscores the critical need for stronger international partnerships between the Western Balkans and Latin America to effectively tackle cross-border crime. By bringing judicial practitioners together, the event helped to create a platform to build a more coordinated and effective response against organised crime in the regions involved.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Luis Soto

    Source: US Marshals Service

    NOTICE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT: Before arrest, verify warrant through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). If subject is arrested or whereabouts known, contact the nearest U.S. Marshals Service office, American Embassy/Consulate, call the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or submit a tip using U.S. Marshals Service Tips.

    For More Information Scan Code Above.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Wanted for Killing Cleveland Mother in March of 2024 Arrested in Houston

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Houston, TX – This afternoon, members of the U.S. Marshals led Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force (GCVOFTF) arrested John Booth, 47.  Booth was wanted by the Cleveland Division of Police for aggravated murder.  

    On March 13, 2024, officers from the Cleveland Division of Police, 5th District, responded to an address in the 5800 block of Prosser Ave., Cleveland, Ohio for a non-responsive female. When officers arrived, they discovered Tosha Williams, 45, deceased in her bed with a gunshot wound to the neck. According to police, she was discovered by her 9-year-old child. John Booth was later identified as being involved in the deadly shooting incident and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

    An investigation into the whereabouts of Booth was initiated by the U.S. Marshals led – Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF), and this week information was developed that indicated Booth had fled Ohio to the Houston, Texas area. This afternoon, members of the GCVOFTF in Houston arrested Booth at an address located in the 8200 block of Koman Road, Houston, Texas.

    U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Sadly, the senseless incident this fugitive is being accused of left a child without a mother. Hopefully the arrest today will bring her one step closer to receiving justice for her mother’s death.”

    Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.  Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: A Snapshot of Trump’s First Month: Making America Safe Again

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    “President Trump said from the start: criminal illegals have no place in our homeland. He is keeping his promise.” – Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem

    WASHINGTON – In a single month, President Trump and Secretary Noem have made massive strides to address the crisis at the southern border and remove violent criminal aliens from American communities. This is just the beginning of the golden age of America. 

    PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT:   

    • On day one, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and restarted construction of the border wall.   
    • President Trump instantly reinstated “Remain in Mexico” and ended catch and release.   
    • The Trump administration has empowered our brave men and women in ICE, Border Patrol, and Coast Guard to use common sense to do their jobs effectively.   
    • DHS has repealed Biden Era rules that allowed criminal aliens to hide from law enforcement in places like schools and churches to avoid arrest.    
    • DHS returned to using the term “illegal alien” to use statutory language and stop political correctness from hindering law enforcement.   
    • ICE arrests of criminal aliens have doubled and arrests of fugitives at large has tripled.   
    • Daily border encounters have plunged 93% since President Trump took office.  
    • To fulfill President Trump’s promise to carry out mass deportations, the administration is detaining illegal aliens, including violent criminals, at Guantanamo Bay.    
    • President Trump designated international cartels and other criminal gangs, such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.    
    • President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act which mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.    
    • President Trump stopped the broad abuse of humanitarian parole and returned the program to a case-by-case basis.  
    • Secretary Noem ended the previous administration’s extension of Venezuelan Temporary Protected Status.   
    • DHS froze all grants to non-profit organizations that facilitate illegal immigration.   
    • DHS deputized  the Texas National Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, members of the State Department and the IRS to help with immigration operations.   
    • Secretary Noem clawed back $80 million that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to put illegal aliens up in luxury New York City hotels. 

    Bottom Line: Since President Trump was inaugurated, he’s made it clear there is a new sheriff in town. The President and Secretary Noem will continue fighting every day to secure our borders and keep American communities safe.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Commanding Officer of USS Harry S. Truman Relieved

    Source: United States Navy

    Snowden was relieved by Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8, after serving as the aircraft carrier’s commanding officer since December 2023. Snowden will be temporarily assigned to Naval Air Forces Atlantic.

    The relief occurred after Truman was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M on Feb. 12, while operating in the Mediterranean Sea in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt.

    The U.S. Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standard and takes action to hold them accountable when those standards are not met. Naval leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their Sailors and their ships.

    Capt. Christopher Hill, commanding officer of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), will temporarily serve as Harry S. Truman’s interim commanding officer.

    Dwight D. Eisenhower is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance at Norfolk Naval Shipyard after completing a nine-month deployment to U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command in July 2024.

    There is no impact to Harry S. Truman’s mission or schedule due to the relief. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is currently deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

    For questions related to this release, contact U.S. Sixth Fleet / Task Force SIX Public Affairs at cne_cna_c6fpao@us.navy.mil

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: S. 245, Insure Cybersecurity Act of 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    S. 245, Insure Cybersecurity Act of 2025, would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to establish an interagency working group on cyber insurance, composed of members from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the FTC. The working group would be required to report to the Congress no later than one year after it forms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Readout of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.’s Meeting with Chief of the Israeli General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi

    Source: US Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff

    Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs

    February 20, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joint Staff Spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey provided the following readout:

    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., met with Chief of the Israeli General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi at the Pentagon on Tuesday where they discussed a range of security topics.

    Gen. Brown thanked Lt. Gen. Halevi for their excellent working relationship during his time as chairman and congratulated him on a distinguished career. As part of his formal counterpart visit, Lt. Gen. Halevi participated in an Armed Forces Full Honor Arrival ceremony hosted by Gen. Brown at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

    For more Joint Staff news, visit: www.jcs.mil.
    Connect with the Joint Staff on social media: 
    Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube,
    LinkedIn and Flickr.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Syria: doubts increase over new regime’s commitment to women’s rights and inclusivity

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Katya Alkhateeb, Senior Researcher in International Human Rights Law & Humanitarian Law at Essex Law School and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex

    The capture of Damascus by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad last December sent shockwaves through Syria’s political landscape, heralding an unprecedented shift in power. The rise to power of HTS, formerly the Al-Nusra Front, is a litmus test for assessing whether militant Islamist organisations can evolve through state-building.

    At the heart of transforming Syria must be the development and safeguarding of women’s rights. This will prove a revealing lens through which to measure the sincerity of HTS’s professed reforms.

    But so far a stark disparity has emerged between their rhetoric of inclusivity and reality. This appears to involve perpetuating entrenched institutional practices of patriarchal conservatism.

    After seizing Damascus, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa took pains to project an image of inclusive governance. He claimed: “Syria is a nation of many identities and beliefs, and our duty is to ensure they coexist peacefully within a just system.” He highlighted that 60% of university students in the city of Idlib are women, and portrayed HTS as a moderate force that values women’s roles in society.

    Yet interviews with senior regime figures as well as policy decisions and governance practices expose these statements as hollow. Instead they suggest a deep-seated commitment to hardline religious conservatism.

    The new administration’s official spokesperson, Obaida Arnaout, said recently that appointing a woman to a role in the ministry of defence would not “align with her essence, her biological and psychological nature”. This was framed as acknowledging women’s suitability for other roles, but it ultimately reflects a deeply conservative, patriarchal attitude.

    Likewise, the appointment of Aisha al-Dibs to lead the office for women’s affairs initially appeared to signal progress. But her first few statements suggested a regressive agenda.

    Blaming civil society organisations for “rising divorce rates”, she vowed that “the constitution will be based on Islamic Sharia”. She added that she would “not allow space for those who disagree with my ideology”.

    Al-Dibs’s vision of empowerment appears to be rigidly conservative. It effectively reduces women’s roles to family, husband and domestic priorities.

    These two examples highlight in HTS what appears to be a strategy of commandeering state institutions to enforce a radicalised version of Islam, a key trait of political Jihadism.

    The new HTS-backed justice minister, Shadi al-Waisi epitomises this trend. In 2015, as a judge in the northern city of Idlib – at the time under the control of the Al-Nusra Front – he was recorded on video ordering women to be executed for adultery. An HTS representative has since dismissed this as “a phase we have surpassed”. But Al-Waisi still argues that since most people in Syria are Muslim, religious Sharia law should take priority.

    As far as women’s role in the judiciary is concerned, a statement from Arnaout casts doubt on whether they will be allowed to continue to act as judges, a hard-won right under the Assad regime. In 2017, 30% of judicial posts were occupied by women.

    But in an interview with Lebanese TV channel Al-Jadeed in December 2024, Arnaout said: “Certainly, women have the right to learn and be educated in any field, whether in education, law, the judiciary, or other fields, but the job has to suit her nature.” She added: “For a woman to assume a judicial position, this could be examined by experts, and it is too early to talk about it.”

    Education policy has also become a key battleground. The new administration has introduced sweeping reforms. These include dropping evolution and big bang theory from science and changing the history curriculum to reflect a more Islamic slant.

    Education minister, Nazir Al-Qadri, has downplayed these revisions as “small deletions and corrections”. But the changes reveal a deliberate effort to embed conservative radical Salafi ideology.

    Beyond the classroom, HTS’s hardline policies pervade public life. Women are segregated on buses, strict dress codes are heavily propagated. Meanwhile building new mosques is taking precedence over rebuilding war-torn infrastructure.

    HTS’s unwillingness to embrace genuine pluralism suggest the regime is more interested in rebranding its ideology than in reforming it.

    Diplomatic promises and realities on the ground

    While determining how to engage with the HTS regime, other countries need to be aware of this. They must act in the knowledge that rhetoric of inclusivity appears – at present at least – to be simply that: rhetoric. Firm pressure from international stakeholders such as the United Nations will be needed to hold HTS accountable to a transition to a fully inclusive new system of government.

    A conference held in Paris on February 13 and attended by representatives of a broad range of Arab and European countries underscored the international commitment to this principle. Delegates produced a joint statement that called for: “A peaceful, credible, orderly and swift inclusive transition … so that a representative and inclusive governance that represents all components of Syrian society and includes women from the onset can be formed.”

    The explicit mention of women and inclusive representation in this statement stands in stark contrast to the reality of the transitional process. Just a day earlier, on February 12, the appointed preparatory committee for the upcoming National Dialogue Conference, which will thrash out a new “political identity” for Syria, revealed the limitations of this commitment.

    While the seven-member committee includes two women, five members have strong ties to Islamist movements and three of the seven are directly linked to HTS.

    The committee’s composition notably fails to represent Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious communities, with no Kurdish, Alawite, or Druze representatives. This raises questions about the genuine commitment to inclusive governance in the transition process.

    The contradiction between HTS rhetoric and its actions on diversity and inclusivity, especially when it comes to respecting women’s rights, is not just a domestic issue but a critical test of its global standing.

    The new regime’s treatment of women and its enforcement of conservative ideology in violation of legal and human rights expose its broader intentions. Failing to address these signs risks condemning Syria to a repressive future.

    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. Syria: doubts increase over new regime’s commitment to women’s rights and inclusivity – https://theconversation.com/syria-doubts-increase-over-new-regimes-commitment-to-womens-rights-and-inclusivity-249305

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s art of the deal horrifies Ukraine and its allies

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    Browse through Donald Trump’s ghostwritten memoir, The Art of the Deal, and you’ll come across an aphorism which will go some way to explaining the US president’s approach to negotiating. Having established that he would do nearly anything within legal bounds to win, Trump adds that: “Sometimes, part of making a deal is denigrating your competition.”

    It’s an idea which makes a lot of sense when you consider Trump’s record. We saw it time and again on the campaign trail, as he sought to seal the deal with the US public by repeatedly denigrating first Joe Biden and then Kamala Harris. Which begs the question, in seeking to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine, exactly who he sees as the competition he needs to denigrate: Vladimir Putin or Volodymyr Zelensky?

    Trump has certainly gone out of his way to excoriate the Ukrainian president over the past day or two, both in public and on his TruthSocial platform. He has variously blamed Zelensky for starting the war, called him a “dictator without elections” and a “modestly successful comedian … very low in Ukrainian polls” who “has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died”.

    Putin, meanwhile, takes a rather different view of how to seal a deal with the US president. Far from denigrating Trump, he has set out to charm the flattery-loving president with a view to driving a wedge between the US and Europe, claiming that EU leaders had “insulted” Trump during his election campaign and insisting that “they are themselves at fault for what is happening”.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    The Russian president will be well pleased with the events of the past week or so. After three years of increasing isolation under the Biden presidency, he’s now back at the top table with the US president – two powerful men discussing the future of Europe.

    For the man who, in 2005, complained that the collapse of the Soviet Union had been “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe” of the 20th century, to be back deciding the fate of nations is a dream come true, writes James Rodgers of City St George’s, University of London.

    Rodgers, a former BBC Moscow correspondent, observes that Putin has fulfilled this mission having “conceded not an inch of occupied Ukrainian territory to get there. Nor has he even undertaken to give back any of what Russian forces have seized since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.”

    Not only that, but Putin also appears to have enlisted US support for one of the key objectives that encouraged him to invade Ukraine in the first place: preventing Ukraine from joining Nato. That much was clear from the US defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s speech to European defence officials last week. The views of Washington’s European allies (and of the Biden administration) – that Ukraine’s membership of Nato is a matter for the alliance members to decide with Ukraine as a sovereign state in control of its own foreign policy – don’t appear to matter to Trump and his team.



    Read more:
    Ukraine peace talks: Trump is bringing Russia back in from the cold and ticking off items on Putin’s wish list

    Meanwhile, Trump’s policy volte-face over Ukraine and, more broadly, European security in general has driven a dangerous wedge between the US and its allies in Europe. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, responded by convening a meeting on Monday of the leaders of what the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, described as “the main European countries”. This turned out to include Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as the Nato secretary-general and the presidents of the European Council and European Commission.

    Passing over the question of how the leaders of the Baltic states felt about this, given they all share a border with Russia (as does Finland) and presumably are well aware of the vulnerability of their position, the fact is Europe is deeply divided over its response to the situation.

    As Stefan Wolff observes, the Weimar+ group of countries that met in Paris only represent one shade of opinion within the EU. Meanwhile, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, is openly scathing about European efforts to support Ukraine, posting on X: “While President @realDonaldTrump and President Putin negotiate on peace, EU officials issue worthless statements.”

    Wolff, an expert in international security at the University of Birmingham, notes that disrupting European unity is a stated aim of the Project 2025 initiative which has guided, if not Trump himself, many of his close advisers. The past week, taking into account both Hegseth’s meeting with European defence ministers and the subsequent appearance by the US vice-president, J.D. Vance, at the Munich Security Conference, has gone a fair way down the path towards achieving that disruption.

    At the same time, Vance’s lecture to the conference – during which he was heavily critical of Europe as “the enemy within” which was undermining democracy and threatening free speech – will have united most of those present in anger and dismay at his remarks.



    Read more:
    Europe left scrambling in face of wavering US security guarantees

    Constitutional matters

    Trump has declared that Zelensky is a “dictator” because he cancelled last year’s election in Ukraine. In fact, Ukraine’s constitution provides that elections are prohibited during periods of martial law. And martial law has been in force since the day of the invasion on February 24 2022.

    Lena Surzhko Harned, a professor of political science at Penn State University, writes that the delegitimisation of Zelensky is a tactic Putin has been striving for from the very start. The Kremlin has pushed the narrative that there is no legitimate authority with which to negotiate a peace deal, and that Zelensky’s government is “illegitimate”.

    “What Putin needs for this plan to work is a willing partner to help get the message out that Zelensky and the current Ukraine government are not legitimate representatives of their country,” writes Harned. “And into this gap the new US administration appears to have stepped.”

    Despite Zelensky still enjoying relatively strong support in recent opinion polls, an election campaign in the middle of this conflict would be a needlessly divisive exercise. And that’s before you consider the potential for Russian interference, which would be seriously debilitating for a country fighting for its survival.

    Putin knows all this – and he also knows by framing the issue in a way that suggests Ukraine is dragging its feet over peace, he will enjoy a propaganda coup. And that’s what he is doing, with the apparent support of the US president.



    Read more:
    In pushing for Ukraine elections, Trump is falling into Putin-laid trap to delegitimize Zelenskyy

    Another way Putin hopes to discredit the Ukrainian leadership is by deliberately excluding it from the talks – at least for the present. Zelensky has said, with the support of his European allies, that there can be no deal without Ukrainian participation.

    It’s easy to see why Zelensky and his allies are so adamant that they should be involved, writes Matt Fitzpatrick, a professor of international history at Flinders University. History is littered with examples of large powers getting together to decide the fate of smaller nations that have no agency in the division.

    Three such shameful debacles determined the history of much of the 20th century – and not in a good way. The Sykes-Picot agreement divided the Middle East between British and French spheres of influence, and sowed the seed for discord which continues to this day. The Munich conference of 1938, at which the fate of Czechoslovakia was decided without any Czech input, showed Adolf Hitler that naked aggression really does pay. And having failed to learn from either of these, in 1945 the Big Three (Russia, the US and Britain) got together at Yalta to carve up Germany, thereby setting the scene for the cold war.



    Read more:
    Ukraine isn’t invited to its own peace talks. History is full of such examples – and the results are devastating

    Deal or no deal

    One of Trump’s assertions this week has been that Zelensky had his chance to strike a deal and avoid all the bloodshed and much of the territorial loss suffered by Ukraine in the three years of war. Reacting to questions about why Zelensky or any Ukrainian diplomats hadn’t been involved in the talks, he scoffed: “Today I heard: ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years … You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”

    Stephen Hall, who specialises in Russian and post-Soviet politics at the University of Bath, recalls the early talks in the spring of 2022. He says that the idea – also floated in the press by several commentators – that Ukraine should have concluded a peace deal in March or April of 2022 after talks in Istanbul is absurd.

    While there was momentum for peace, particularly on Kyiv’s part, the two sides were a long way apart on issues such as the size of Ukraine’s military and the fate of territories such as Crimea. “Had Ukraine done a deal based on the Istanbul communique, it would have essentially led to the country becoming a virtual province of Russia – led by a pro-Russian government and banned from seeking alliances with western countries,” Hall writes.



    Read more:
    Ukraine war: the idea that Kyiv should have signed a peace deal in 2022 is flawed – here’s why

    And in any case, back then there was scant support among Ukraine’s allies in Europe and the Biden White House for appeasing Putin by offering him concessions in return for aggression. But that’s now history. Trump and his team appear to have already granted the Russian president some of his dearest wishes before the negotiations proper have even started.

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Trump’s art of the deal horrifies Ukraine and its allies – https://theconversation.com/trumps-art-of-the-deal-horrifies-ukraine-and-its-allies-250461

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine war: the idea that Kyiv should have signed a peace deal in 2022 is flawed – here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Hall, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Russian and Post-Soviet Politics, University of Bath

    It has been an eventful and, for Ukraine and its European allies, alarming past week or so. First they heard that the US president, Donald Trump, had spent 90 minutes on the phone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. In one stroke, Trump upended three years in which his predecessor, Joe Biden, had sought to isolate Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    On the same day, February 12, Trump’s newly installed secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, told a gathering of senior defence officials in Brussels that Europe would no longer be the primary focus for US security policy, and that Ukraine could not hope to regain the territory Russia had illegally occupied since 2014, nor join Nato.

    Hegseth added that not only would the US not contribute to any peacekeeping force in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, but that any European peacekeeping operation would not be done under the protection of Nato’s Article 5.

    This was soon followed by the US vice-president, J.D. Vance, telling the Munich Security Conference that it was Europe, not Russia or China, that was the main security threat – the “enemy within” that fostered anti-democratic practices and sought to curtail free speech.

    This week, a US team led by the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, sat down with their Russian opposite numbers led by the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to discuss peace negotiations. Ukraine was not represented. Nor was Europe. Following that, and perhaps taking his cue from Hegseth, Lavrov declared that Russia would not accept any European peacekeepers in Ukraine – deal or no deal.

    Meanwhile, Trump has taken to his TruthSocial media platform to repeat several favourite Kremlin talking points. Ukraine was responsible for the war, he said. Its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was a “dictator” who had cancelled elections, and whose popularity with his own people was now as low as 4% (it’s actually 57%, at least 10 points higher than Trump’s rating in the US).

    Trump also mocked Zelensky’s concern at his country’s exclusion from the Riyadh talks, telling reporters: “Today I heard: ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years … You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”

    This leads us back to the Istanbul communique, produced at the end of March 2022 after initial peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Antalya, Turkey. Some US commentators have suggested Ukraine could now be better off had it signed this deal.

    Istanbul communique

    What happened in Istanbul, and how close Russia and Ukraine were to an agreement, has been hotly debated, with some arguing a deal was close and others refuting this.

    Ukraine reportedly agreed to a range of concessions including future neutrality, as well as giving up its bid for membership of Nato. Russia, in turn, would apparently have accepted Ukraine’s membership of the EU. This concession, incidentally, is still on the table.

    But there were sticking points, primarily over the size of Ukraine’s armed forces after a deal – Kyiv reportedly wanted 250,000 soldiers, the Kremlin just 85,000 – and the types of weaponry Ukraine could keep in its arsenal.

    There were also issues about Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territory, particularly Crimea – this was projected to be resolved over 15 years with Russia occupying the peninsula on a lease in the meantime. Another Kremlin demand was for Zelensky to stand down as president, with the presidency being taken up by the pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk.

    Negotiations continued through April 2022, only to break down when Russian atrocities were reported in Bucha, a town Ukrainian troops had retaken as part of their spring counter-offensive. But the fact is, an agreement was never really close.

    The UK’s former prime minister, Boris Johnson, has taken much flack over reports that he urged Zelensky not to accept the deal. But there was never a realistic chance this deal would be acceptable to Ukraine. A neutral Ukraine with a reduced military capacity would have no way to defend itself against any future aggression.

    Had Ukraine done a deal based on the Istanbul communique, it would have essentially led to the country becoming a virtual province of Russia – led by a pro-Russian government and banned from seeking alliances with western countries. As for joining the EU, it was the Kremlin’s opposition to Kyiv’s engagement with the EU in 2013 which provoked the Euromaidan protests and led to Russia’s initial annexation of Crimea the following year.

    What next?

    Kyiv signing the Istanbul communique may have quickly stopped the war and the killing. But the Kremlin has repeatedly shown it cannot be trusted to adhere to agreements – you only have to look at the way it repeatedly violated the Minsk accords of 2015, which attempted to end hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

    Further, a deal that rewards Russian aggression by agreeing to its taking of territory and demanding the neutrality of the victim would undermine global security, and encourage other illegal foreign policy adventurism.

    If the Trump administration has the blueprint of a fair peace deal, it’s hiding it well at this point. Instead, European leaders have been put in a position where they must face the prospect of having to fund Ukraine’s continued defence, while coping with a US retreat from its security guarantees for Europe as a whole.

    Either that or, as my University of Bath colleague Patrick Bury wrote on X this week, accept some pretty dire consequences.

    Europe is facing a crisis that it could have prepared for after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. With Trump back in power, the relationship between the US and Europe appears increasingly fractured. But Europe too is bitterly divided over how to approach this crisis.

    Britain and France initially talked up the idea of providing troops as peacekeepers in Ukraine – but Germany adamantly refused to go along with that plan. Both Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer have since rethought the idea (although there is a report that the UK prime minister has considered a scheme for a 30,000-strong “monitoring force” away from the ceasefire line).

    The Kremlin reacts to signals. While it was clearly preparing for the invasion in late 2021, Joe Biden’s statement that he would not send troops to defend Ukraine showed the limits to US involvement. A message that Europe is prepared to dispatch peacekeepers to Ukraine now would send a strong signal to Putin – and the Trump administration – that Europe is serious.

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

    – ref. Ukraine war: the idea that Kyiv should have signed a peace deal in 2022 is flawed – here’s why – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-the-idea-that-kyiv-should-have-signed-a-peace-deal-in-2022-is-flawed-heres-why-250423

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Flowers at London’s Saatchi Gallery: this exploration of flora in history and contemporary culture smells as good as it looks

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Judith Brocklehurst, Visiting Lecturer, BA Fine Art Mixed Media, University of Westminster

    On entering the Saatchi Gallery’s latest exhibition, which is simply titled Flowers, you might think that you have just walked into a supersized florist’s shop, surrounded by bunches and bunches of blooms.

    The aroma of dried flowers comes from Rebecca Louise Law’s monumental arrangement La Fleur Morte (2025), which was created through workshops with people from the local community. As in a flower shop, the viewer is overwhelmed by a heady mix of colour, shape and smell.

    Flowers offers an overview of flora not only in contemporary art but in their wider cultural significance. Rooms are loosely organised by theme and medium, with an occasional nod to more serious subjects, such as eroticism, death, danger or decay.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The first room, Roots, offers historical context for the show, from Van Gogh to William Morris’s floral designs. Dutch 17th-century paintings are recreated for the digital age in Bob and Nick Carter’s video work Transforming Flowers in a Vase (2016).

    The irreality of their digitally revived bunch of flowers, presented in a heavy wooden frame, reminds us that those masterly paintings were themselves a construct.

    Painters have often arranged flowers that bloomed at different times of the year together in one image. As Bart Cornelis, curator at London’s National Gallery, explained when discussing Dutch flower paintings in 2017, these arrangements are “not realism [but] “a construct … In a sense, that’s what makes it art”.

    In the next space, In Bloom, Jim Dine’s black-and-white lithograph Sunflowers (2011) stands out amid the profusion of bright yellows, reds, greens and pinks. With the colour stripped away, the eye is drawn to the flowers’ structure and their dark-seeded heart.

    Speaking about the connection between plants and people, artist and subject, Dine has said that “if my personality is revealed in a plant drawing … it would be just the emotion and the way I felt when I depicted it at that moment, that day – or as the days go on, the building up of layers like the unconscious”. This work feels deeply connected to those early Dutch paintings and their small, often-missed memento mori.

    In the same room, a whole wall is dedicated to an image of Jeff Koons’ two-storey sculpture Puppy (1992), a dog covered in bedding plants.

    Koons’ notorious overt commercialism leads the viewer back to the sense of being in a shop – this time offering high-end floral fashion and jewellery. In one corner, glass display cases hold jewelled brooches by “curatorial partners” Buccellati. Next to them are Marimekko prints in an oversized poster display rack.

    Beauty and danger

    Stepping into the next room, the viewer moves from shopping arcade back into a gallery to look at flowers in photography and sculpture. Here are more decadent arrays, where visitors are drawn like pollinators to William Darrell’s trippy kinetic sculpture The Machinery of Enchantment (2025).

    By the nature of its subject, this show is full of colour and form. It is a reminder that, as art writer Patrick J. Reed explained in relation to photographer and painter Edward Steichen’s 1936 exhibition of freshly cut bouquets of Delphiniums:

    The significance of flowers, then as now, is linked to traditions, tastes and class distinctions. To appreciate fine vegetation means to understand, if not possess, ‘well-bred’ decorum; to understand when and how to navigate manicured botanical refreshment.

    With Flowers, the Saatchi Gallery offers visitors this opportunity in abundance.

    Upstairs, the exhibition is more conceptually curated. The true symbolic power and pervasiveness of flower imagery comes to the fore in a room full of film posters, album sleeves and book covers.

    Among them are the disturbingly beautiful posters for Jonathan Glazer’s film Zone of Interest by Neil Kellerhouse. Images from the film spring to mind: the garden next to the concentration camp; the profusion of flowers fertilised by ashes from the ovens. Monstrous actions are shielded by nature.



    Read more:
    The Zone of Interest: new Holocaust film powerfully lays bare the mechanisms of genocide

    The relationship between beauty and danger becomes more overt in one of the final rooms, Science: Life or Death. Suddenly, we are amid less decorative fare. Here, under glass domes, are Emma Witter’s exquisitely intricate sculptures of flowers – chillingly, all made of tiny bones.

    These sculptures sit in stark visual juxtaposition to Banita Mistry’s minimal line paintings, which recall modernism yet are hand-drawn with Henna. These contrasting approaches to similar themes sit opposite historically laden botanical illustrations. Darker themes re-emerge and open up thoughts of the importance of contemporary artists engaging in debates around decolonisation.

    So, among the seductive splendour of form and colour lurks the reality of depictions of flowers in the contemporary art world. A construct balanced between the need to reflect on human frailty through the relationship with delicate mutable blooms and the harsh edge of producing seductive profitable goods.

    Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture is on display at London’s Saatchi Gallery until May 5 2025.

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

    – ref. Flowers at London’s Saatchi Gallery: this exploration of flora in history and contemporary culture smells as good as it looks – https://theconversation.com/flowers-at-londons-saatchi-gallery-this-exploration-of-flora-in-history-and-contemporary-culture-smells-as-good-as-it-looks-250094

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine’s natural resources are at centre stage in the ongoing war, and will likely remain there

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Nino Antadze, Associate Professor, Environmental Studies, University of Prince Edward Island

    Three years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world now knows the exact price for American military support of Ukraine. During a recent interview with Fox News, United States President Donald Trump put a $500 billion price tag on American aid to the war-torn country.

    But there was a catch: the exchange should be made in the form of Ukraine’s valuable natural resources, including rare earth minerals. “We have to get something. We can’t continue to pay this money,” Trump said in the interview.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has since told his aides to reject the proposal.

    Given the dizzying pace of events that have unfolded since the Trump interview, it’s unclear now whether any deal with Ukraine on its rare earth minerals will ever come to pass. This is especially true given Trump’s subsequent surprise phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and ongoing peace talks between the U.S. and Russia that have excluded Ukrainian and European Union officials.

    But there’s little doubt Ukraine’s natural resources will be an important element in future diplomatic negotiations.

    Always a strategic factor

    Ukraine’s rich natural resources have always been a strategic factor in the war. To some extent, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was driven by the interest to capture and control these resources — including critical minerals, fertile farmland and energy reserves.

    Ukraine’s previous attempts to develop its mineral deposits and energy reserves — such as oil and gas privatization in 2013 and later attracting investments for the development of its mineral resource extraction in 2021 — were cut short first by Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and then by the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.

    In 2021, the European Union signed a strategic partnership with Ukraine to include “activities along the entire value chain of both primary and secondary critical raw materials and batteries.”

    The timing of the military campaign against Ukraine may not have been determined solely by the country’s attempts to develop its natural resources, but they have certainly been a factor. Most of these deposits, including oil and gas fields, are located in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, which are currently either under Russian occupation or near the front line.

    Ukraine’s mineral wealth

    Ukraine’s mineral wealth amounts to about 20,000 mineral deposits and 116 types of minerals. Most of these deposits are unexplored, with only 15 per cent of all the deposits active prior to the Russian invasion.

    Rare earth minerals are among this mineral wealth as demand for them has skyrocketed in the past several years.

    According to recent estimates, Ukraine has the largest titanium reserves in Europe and seven per cent of the world’s reserves, as well as the largest lithium reserves in Europe. It also has significant production capacity when it comes to rare earth minerals.

    Ukraine also has confirmed deposits of beryllium, uranium and manganese. Before the war, Ukraine was the world’s fifth-largest producer of gallium and is a major producer of neon gas.

    In addition, Ukraine also has large reserves of nonferrous metals, including copper, zinc, silver, lead, nickel, cobalt, as well as one of the largest global reserves of graphite.

    Estimates vary, but Ukrainian critical mineral deposits could be worth trillions of dollars.

    These resources are important from a geopolitical perspective: China has become the major supplier of rare earth minerals on the global market. Not only has China led in the extraction of these minerals, but it also has the largest production and refinement capacity.

    As reliance on Chinese supply has increased, China used it as leverage during the U.S.-China trade dispute in 2019 and stopped rare earth exports to Japan in 2010.

    China’s dominance in this sector means diversifying the supply of rare earth minerals has geopolitical importance, especially for the U.S. and the EU. They want to ensure the supply comes from a strategic partner — Ukraine.

    Ukraine’s natural wealth

    Ukraine’s natural riches go beyond critical minerals and include large deposits of hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas. Ukraine ranks second for natural gas reserves in Europe and fourth in terms of natural gas production.

    Ukraine’s fertile soil — or chernozem, humus-rich grassland soils used extensively for growing cereals and raising livestock — is also economically and strategically important, making the country one of the largest exporters of food globally.

    In 2021, Ukrainian wheat exports accounted for 12 per cent of the global wheat supply, 16 per cent of the global corn supply, 18 per cent of the global barley supply and almost half of the global supply of sunflower seeds, mainly to developing countries.

    Last but not least, Ukraine’s biodiversity, landscapes and ecosystems — some of which have been severely damaged due to the war — are invaluable to the country’s natural environment and essential for the health and well-being of Ukrainians.

    The country’s nuclear facilities and radioactive sites are also at risk of being compromised, which would result in severe environmental and health ramifications in the region. In fact, a recent Russian drone attack reportedly damaged part of the Chernobyl nuclear facility.

    What’s next for Ukraine’s natural resources

    The fate of Ukraine’s mineral riches will largely depend on how the conflict and post-conflict processes unfold.

    But their existence has already proven to be of strategic importance in the war — first, to Russia, and now to the U.S. as well.

    Ukraine’s natural wealth and how it features in current conversations about the future of the conflict reminds us about the central role resource politics can play in shaping war and peace.

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

    – ref. Ukraine’s natural resources are at centre stage in the ongoing war, and will likely remain there – https://theconversation.com/ukraines-natural-resources-are-at-centre-stage-in-the-ongoing-war-and-will-likely-remain-there-249254

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation — Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes: youth charged in relation to homicides on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Saskatchewan RCMP has charged a 15-year-old male youth with four counts of first-degree murder, Section 235(1), Criminal Code in relation to the deaths of Tracey Hotomani, Sheldon Quewezance, Shauna Fay and Terry Jack.

    The male youth was arrested by Saskatchewan RCMP on February 18, 2025 on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation, SK.

    We will not be able to identify the youth as per the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

    The youth is scheduled to appear via phone in Regina Provincial Court this morning at 9:30 a.m.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Adds Murder and Other Charges Against Maryland Man Accused of Shooting a DCHA Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Victor Scott Terrill, 41, of Landover, Maryland, was charged in a 10-count superseding indictment, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court, with first-degree murder while armed and related counts, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                The new charges stem from the February 23, 2024, fatal shooting of a man identified as R.C., and the nonfatal shooting of another man, while Terrill was on pre-trial release in a D.C. Superior Court matter.

                Terrill was initially arrested on February 29, 2024, for the shooting of a District Housing Authority Police Officer at a Southeast apartment building in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood. He was subsequently charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer (felony) while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and related offenses for that conduct. A Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, recovered in a trashcan following his arrest, was also linked to the February 23 murder and nonfatal shooting. 

                With respect to the fatal shooting, Terrill is charged with one count of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. With respect to the nonfatal shooting of the other man, Terrill is charged with one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Terrill is further charged with committing these offenses while on pretrial release in a Superior Court matter.

                This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ariel Dean, Justin Song, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan for the District of Columbia.

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

    24cr145

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Mailing Threats to Federal Officials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Charles Morice Gilmore, 52, of Missouri, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez to concurrent statutory maximum sentences of 10 years in prison for Mailing Threatening Communications, and six years for Influencing Federal Official by Threat. Gilmore pleaded guilty to these crimes on October 1, 2024.

    Between February 28, 2023, and March 27, 2023, while an inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Tucson, Gilmore mailed letters to a federal judge claiming there were bombs in the courthouse where the victim worked and that the bombs could be remotely detonated. The letters to the judge contained religious slurs and asserted ties to the Hells Angels and the Ku Klux Klan. Gilmore also sent a threatening letter to a federal prosecutor who had previously handled one of his cases. Gilmore attached pipe bomb instructions to that letter. He claimed he had mailed the instructions to others outside the prison to carry out his orders. A third letter from Gilmore to a former cellmate with instructions for making pipe bombs and listing locations where the pipe bombs should be placed was also intercepted.

    Gilmore has a lengthy criminal history for violent offenses and is a career offender. Judge Martinez imposed concurrent stipulated sentences of 10 years for each mailing of threatening communications and six years for threatening a federal judge. The sentences will be consecutive to Gilmore’s 10-year federal sentence for mailing threatening communications in 2017; a 10-year sentence for threatening federal officials in 2014; a 90-month sentence in 2013 for mailing threatening communications to a different federal judge; and a 20-year prison sentence for stabbing an inmate in Jefferson City, Missouri in 2018. A separate case against Gilmore for mailing a hoax bomb threat to a state courthouse in Missouri was dismissed as part of the stipulated agreement in this case.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-2122-TUC-AMM
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-020_Gilmore

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    PROVIDENCE – A 49-year-old former Rhode Island man whom court records reflect is a career offender who has spent nearly half of his life incarcerated, has been sentenced to a further ten years in federal prison for trafficking multiple kilos of methamphetamine into Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

    Carl Sharp, 49, of Peoria, Arizona, who formerly resided in Rhode Island, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 120 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of federal supervised release. Sharp pleaded guilty on October 15, 2024, to a charge of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

    Court records reflect that Sharp was previously convicted and incarcerated on unrelated charges involving, among other things: drug trafficking, domestic violence, and assault. Sharp also previously faced a murder charge, but was acquitted of that charge after a key witness in the case died.

    According to court documents and information provided to the court in the current federal case, during an investigation into drugs being shipped through the U.S. Mail to Rhode Island from Western states, the United States Postal Inspection Service identified thirteen packages, six of which were mailed by Sharp. Court-authorized searches of three packages, two of which were mailed by Sharp, resulted in the seizure of a total of 4.44 kilograms of methamphetamine and 249 grams of cocaine.

    One of the packages shipped by Sharp was sent to a Rhode Island residence that he had used previously for his drug trafficking activities, and another parcel was mailed to the residence of an unsuspecting 85-year-old woman who lived alone. After opening the package and finding nearly two kilos of meth wrapped in clothing inside the package, a man knocked on her back door looking for the package.  The woman told the man that she did not have the package, and he left. She then brought the package to the post office.

    A financial investigation into Sharp’s assets determined that between January 2022 and May 2024, he deposited over $320,000 in unexplained cash into his personal bank account.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.

    The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the FBI.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: West Hartford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Participating in Catalytic Converter Theft Ring

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that YANQUEE RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Yankster Rodriguez,” 28, of West Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a catalytic converter theft conspiracy.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut.  A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves.  The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.

    The investigation revealed that Alexander Kolitsas owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford.  Kolitsas and Downpipe Depot purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Rodriguez, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.  Kolitsas instructed his suppliers on the types of converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale, and he would often meet with them and transact business at his home in Wolcott late at night or behind a family member’s restaurant in Middlebury after hours.

    Business records seized during the investigation revealed that Rodriguez was one of Downpipe Depot’s largest suppliers of stolen catalytic converters.  Between January 2021 and May 2022, Downpipe Depot paid Rodriguez $411,845 for catalytic converters.  Kolitsas paid Rodriguez and his other catalytic converter suppliers a total of more than $3.3 million during that time.

    Rodriguez was arrested on November 15, 2023.  On June 26, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

    Rodriguez, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 19.

    Kolitsas pleaded guilty to related charges and awaits sentencing.

    This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham, Colleagues Urge ATF To Strengthen Second Amendment Protections And Rescind Unconstitutional Biden Rules

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) joined U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and 28 of their Senate Republican colleagues today to send a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Deputy Director Marvin Richardson urging him to align the agency with President Trump’s Second Amendment priorities as laid out in his recent Executive Order.

    Graham and his colleagues called on Director Richardson to identify and rescind former President Biden’s unlawful firearms regulations, including the “Engaged in the Business” rule, pistol brace rule, so-called “ghost gun” rule, and “zero tolerance” policy under which ATF has revoked the licenses of federal firearm licensees (FFLs) over minor bookkeeping violations.

    The Senators wrote, “On Friday, February 7, 2025, President Donald J. Trump took decisive action to reaffirm law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment rights in issuing his Executive Order, Protecting Second Amendment Rights.  We urge you to immediately align ATF’s rules and policies with the President’s strong support for the Second Amendment.”

    “Under former President Joe Biden, ATF adopted numerous policies and rules that infringed upon Americans’ Second Amendment protections. President Trump’s Executive Order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to review and develop a plan of action regarding President Biden’s unlawful firearms regulations. We ask that you work with the Attorney General to quickly identify and rescind these policies.”

    Along with Graham and Cornyn, the letter was signed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Jim Justice (R-W Virginia), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Jim Banks (R-Indiana) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas).

    The full text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Sheriffs close drug house in Medicine Hat

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Justice Administration Amendments Advanced

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Amendments to legislation introduced today, February 20, will make targeted changes to help clarify processes for those representing others while in a position of trust, update legislation and make amendments to the Provincial Court Act.

    “Our laws need to keep pace with the needs of Nova Scotians,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan. “Today’s amendments will bring important legislation up to date and add additional safeguards for adults who need assistance in making important decisions.”

    The Justice Administration Amendment Act addresses four pieces of legislation, which include:

    • Following a first phase of amendments in 2022, the Powers of Attorney Act will be further modernized to better clarify roles and responsibilities. Changes include allowing remote witnessing of documents, compensation for those acting as a power of attorney and flexibility to delegate authority to a financial specialist.

    • The Adult Capacity and Decision-Making Act will be amended to improve the application process for personal representatives including allowing courts to waive the current bond requirement for representatives, aligning the times for notice of application and increasing safeguards by requiring the public trustee to be added as a party to proceedings.

    • The Interpretation Act will allow for legislation to be automatically repealed if it has not been proclaimed within ten or more years.

    • The Provincial Court Act will be amended to repeal the Family Court Act to reflect that family law matters are now heard in the unified family court and to clarify the composition of judicial council and the authority of the provincial court chief judge.

    Quick Facts:

    • the Interpretation Act will allow for the House of Assembly to pass a resolution to prevent the repeal of any statute; the governor-in-council will also have the authority to delay the automatic repeal for up to three years
    • the unified family court has been in place for several years; changes to the Provincial Court Act were needed to reflect this structure

    Additional Resources:

    Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-65-session-1

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, SH 73/Curletts Road, Christchurch

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    A busy Christchurch intersection is shut as emergency services respond to a crash involving a car and motorbike this morning.

    Curletts Road (State Highway 73) is blocked at the intersection of Lunns Road, following the 5.40am crash.

    The rider of the motorcycle is being treated for critical injuries.

    The Serious Crash Unit is attending and the intersection will likely be closed for some time.

    Motorists are advised to use alternative routes.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Services & Support for Youth Who Repeatedly Go Missing

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a new state initiative launched in Buffalo to connect youth who repeatedly go missing with services and support that address their needs and the circumstances that cause them to leave home. The Runaway Intervention Program: Services, Training, Opportunity, Prevention, or RIPSTOP, pilot program is designed to increase safety and stability and reduce multiple missing episodes, which put youth at risk of harm and victimization. The Scott Bieler Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf is partnering with the Buffalo Police Department and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to implement the pilot program developed by the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) with support from 10 other state agencies.

    “Public safety is my top priority and I’m committed to using every tool at my disposal to protect all New Yorkers, especially our most vulnerable population,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why my administration is supporting this pilot program and several other initiatives to provide assistance to our most vulnerable youth. We thank our partners in my hometown of Buffalo for helping us launch this pilot, which, if successful, will be replicated statewide.”

    The pilot will serve children younger than 18 who are involved with social services, and those who are not, providing opportunities to identify specific services and interventions that can reduce or eliminate runaway episodes. The initiative kicked off earlier this week with a community listening circle hosted by the Scott Bieler Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf to raise awareness about the pilot and seek community input. A second session is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the Martha Mitchell Community Center. The listening circle will be closed to the media to facilitate open and honest dialogue and protect privacy of youth and families in attendance.

    New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “Youth outreach and engagement are critical components in our efforts to prevent crime. When we invest in the future of our youth by providing support, services and opportunities, we improve lives, strengthen families and communities, and increase public safety. I thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to young New Yorkers and my DCJS staff for working with sister state agencies and other partners to spearhead this pilot.”

    The Scott Bieler Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf will administer the two components of the pilot: a Missing Youth Services Referral Program, and a Multi-Disciplinary Runaway Youth Treatment Team. BestSelf plans to hire a youth runaway coordinator to run the referral program, which is funded by a grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The Buffalo Police Department unit that responds to reports of missing persons, child abuse and domestic violence refers children to the Scott Bieler Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf and plans to have an officer at the Center daily as part of the pilot.

    BestSelf CEO and President Elizabeth Woike said, “We’re incredibly proud that our Scott Bieler CAC at BestSelf was chosen as the pilot program, consistently proving itself as the premier CAC in New York State. We are looking at the youth runaway crisis through a preventative lens to address larger health issues down the road. Our commitment remains strong to provide cutting-edge treatment and lead the way in collaboration and advocacy.”

    Youth who are reported missing are at risk of homelessness, exploitation for sex and/or labor trafficking, academic underachievement that can lead to dropping out of school, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. Children with multiple missing episodes are more likely to be depressed, have attempted suicide, and have mental health or substance use issues. Last year, 12,114 reports of missing children younger than 18 were entered into the New York State register, with 94 percent reported by police as runaways. More than half (6,161) of those reports involved a total of 1,772 children. DCJS identified Buffalo for the pilot due to the high number of missing children reports received by the city’s police department, which had already begun working with the Scott Bieler Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf to address the issue. During that same time period, the City of Buffalo had 522 missing child reports, with nearly 200 representing multiple incidents.

    Staff from the Missing Persons Clearinghouse at DCJS will oversee implementation of the pilot and foster ongoing communication and coordination among all national, state and local partners with the goal of improving how different systems respond and support these youth. The New York State Youth Justice Institute, a partnership between DCJS and the University at Albany, will evaluate the pilot’s implementation and outcomes to determine its success and whether it should be replicated in other communities. The Youth Justice Institute strives to build and strengthen the capacity of localities around New York State to adopt evidence-informed youth justice practices by disseminating information, assisting with implementation and assessing efficacy in existing youth justice programs, and by conducting cutting-edge research to advance the science and practice of evidence-based initiatives.

    The following state agencies are participating: the Department of Health; State Education Department; Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs; Office of Addiction Services and Supports; Office of Children and Family Services; Office of Mental Health; Office for People With Developmental Disabilities; Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence; Office of Victim Services; and New York State Police.

    The New York City Administration for Children’s Services; New York State Association of Chiefs of Police; New York State Sheriff’s Association; New York State Youth Justice Institute; St. Anne Institute; State of New York Police Juvenile Officers Association; National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; and National Child Protection Task Force also are partners in the initiative.

    City of Buffalo Mayor Christopher P. Scanlon said, “I want to thank Governor Hochul for her continued investment in our youth and for recognizing the urgent need to address the challenges facing vulnerable children in our community. One of my administration’s key priorities is collaboration, and the RIPSTOP pilot program is a powerful example of what we can accomplish when we work together. By bringing together New York State, the City of Buffalo, the Buffalo Police Department, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and the Scott Bieler Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf, we are ensuring that at-risk youth receive the care and support they need. This initiative reflects our collective commitment to building a safer, more supportive future for the children of Buffalo.”

    Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs Acting Executive Director Maria Lisi-Murray said, “We know from our work safeguarding vulnerable populations that runaway youth are particularly susceptible to trafficking, exploitation, and homelessness. They are also often reluctant to seek help from law enforcement or access critical intervention programs. The RIPSTOP pilot will help bridge those safety and communication gaps by getting youth the support they need sooner to reduce the likelihood of recurrent runaway episodes. Thank you to Governor Hochul for continuing to prioritize the safety of New York’s youth.”

    New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Providing accessible support services to our youth is imperative for their well-being and is key to reducing the number of runaway and missing episodes. The relationship between law enforcement partners, combined with the execution of effective initiatives are essential in carrying out the mission of keeping the youth of New York State safe. I commend Governor Hochul for her continued commitment in making sure each New Yorker has the assistance available they need.”

    Office of Addiction Services And Supports Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said, “Young people with an unstable home life are at increased risk of experiencing harm when it comes to their health, including the impacts of substance use and addiction. Programs like this support our goal to reach at-risk individuals and direct them to the services and help they need. As one of the agencies involved with the development of this pilot program, alongside our partners in state government and community stakeholders, we are looking forward to seeing the benefits that this will bring to youth in the Buffalo area.”

    Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson said, “Key to our mission at OVS is advocating for victims’ rights and working to ensure that systems designed to assist them are accessible and meet their needs. We are proud to partner with our sister agencies to improve state services for at-risk youth, protect them from harm and give them the support they need to thrive.”

    About the Division of Criminal Justice Services Missing Persons Clearinghouse

    The Missing Persons Clearinghouse at the State Division of Criminal Justice Services provides investigative support to local, state and national law enforcement, including cold case reviews; assists left-behind family members, and offers internet safety education programs for children and parents, among other responsibilities. Staff members have extensive experience in law enforcement, training and information technology, and the Clearinghouse accepts leads and tips about missing persons cases it has permission to publicize at [email protected] and 800-346-3543.

    About BestSelf Behavioral Health

    BestSelf Behavioral Health is the largest community-based behavioral health organization serving Western New York. It offers comprehensive services for mental health and substance use disorders. The organization serves over 41,000 individuals annually across more than 70 locations, focusing on trauma-informed care and person-centered treatment.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Big River First Nation — Update #3: Saskatchewan RCMP: stabbing incidents reported on Big River First Nation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    February 19, 2025
    Big River First Nation, Saskatchewan

    News release

    On February 19, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., Saskatchewan RCMP located and arrested 29-year-old Ryan Lachance at a residence on Big River First Nation.

    Ryan Lachance was wanted by Big River RCMP for charges including aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

    As a result of additional investigation, Ryan Lachance has also been charged with:

    • four counts possession of ammunition contrary to prohibition order section 117.01(1), Criminal Code; and
    • one count of failing to comply with a release order section 145(5)(a), Criminal Code.

    Ryan Lachance is scheduled to appear in Prince Albert Provincial Court on February 20, 2025.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    As a result of further investigation, Saskatchewan RCMP determined the third stabbing victim, an adult male, to be a suspect in the first two stabbings that occurred on February 15 on Big River First Nation. Once released from hospital, the adult male was arrested.

    25-year-old Jacky Lachance from Big River First Nation is charged with:
    • two counts, aggravated assault, Section 268(2), Criminal Code;
    • one count, robbery with a weapon, Section 344(1)(b), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, break and enter, Section 348(1)(b), Criminal Code.
    Jacky Lachance is scheduled to appear in Prince Albert Provincial Court on February 18, 2025 (Information #90564732).
    Saskatchewan RCMP continue to look for 29-year-old Ryan Lachance. As a result of continued investigation into the February 15 incidents, Ryan Lachance has been charged with:
    • two counts, aggravated assault, Section 268(2), Criminal Code;
    • two counts, robbery, Section 344(1)(b), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88, Criminal Code;
    • one count, mischief under $5000 – damage to property, Section 430(4), Criminal Code;
    • one count, break, enter and commit, Section 348(1)(b), Criminal Code; and
    • two counts, fail to comply with release order condition, Section 145(5), Criminal Code.

    He has also been charged for failing to attend court, Section 145(2)(b), Criminal Code in relation to a missed court date earlier in February.

    Ryan is also wanted on warrant from Big River RCMP in relation to an unrelated aggravated assault that occurred in November 2024.

    Ryan Lachance is described as approximately 5’6″ tall and 150 lbs. He has brown eyes and brown hair. Ryan has a teardrop tattoo under his left eye. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie with a large white logo on it, and black pants. If you see Ryan Lachance, do not approach him. He is considered armed and dangerous.

    Ryan Lachance may be in a stolen black KIA Optima with Saskatchewan license plate 649 NPP. This is not confirmed and Ryan’s whereabouts are currently unknown. On February 17, 2025, Big River RCMP located and seized the grey BMW SUV.

    If you see Ryan Lachance, the black Kia Optima, or if you have information about this investigation, please call police immediately. In an emergency call 911, and in a non-emergency call 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    Saskatchewan RCMP continue to investigate.

    ————————

    Saskatchewan RCMP continue to investigate three stabbing incidents on Big River First Nation.

    On February 15, 2025 at approximately 3:50 p.m., Big River RCMP received a report of a stabbing at a residence on Big River First Nation. Investigation determined an altercation occurred between a male and a female. As a result, the female was injured. The female victim was taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life threatening.

    At approximately 4:00 p.m., Big River RCMP received a report that a stabbing had occurred at a second residence on Big River First Nation. Investigation determined a group of people entered the residence and stabbed a male. The injured male was taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life threatening.

    At approximately 4:20 p.m., Big River RCMP received a report of a male who was stabbed on Big River First Nation. Officers responded and located the male at a third residence on Big River First Nation. The male was transported by STARS to hospital for treatment of his injuries.

    While officers were responding to the third stabbing, they received a report of an attempted armed robbery with a machete in Victoire, SK. Investigation determined a male approached a vehicle and threatened the driver. The driver exited the vehicle and fled. The male suspect was unable to steal the vehicle and fled on foot in an unknown direction.
    Saskatchewan RCMP continue to investigate.

    The Saskatchewan RCMP continue to look for a male suspect in relation to the stabbings. 29-year-old Ryan Lachance is wanted by Big River RCMP in relation to an unrelated aggravated assault that occurred in November 2024. Ryan Lachance is described as approximately 5’6″ tall and 150 lbs. He has brown eyes and brown hair. Ryan has a teardrop tattoo under his left eye. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie with a large white logo on it, and black pants.

    The suspect is considered armed and dangerous, and should not be approached. If you see him, call police immediately by dialling 911 in the case of an emergency, or 310-RCMP in a non-emergency.

    The last confirmed sighting of Ryan Lachance was around 5:30 p.m. on February 15, in the Victoire, SK area. Ryan may be in a stolen black KIA Optima with Saskatchewan license plate 649 NPP OR a grey BMW SUV, but this is not confirmed.

    If you see Ryan Lachance, the black KIA Optima, or the grey BMW SUV, call your local police immediately. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    Residents in the Big River First Nation area will note an increased police presence while this investigation continues. People are asked to avoid the areas where police officers are present and follow any police direction provided.

    Saskatchewan RCMP is not currently asking the public’s assistance in locating the second male, Kenneth Joseph, from the initial Crime Watch Advisory. Please remove his name from your reporting.

    ———————

    The Saskatchewan RCMP is investigating three stabbing incidents in the Big River First Nation. Investigators are trying to determine if the incidents are random. Two victims were taken to hospital for treatment.

    The Saskatchewan RCMP is asking members of the public to contact the police if they see Ryan Lachance, 29, who is wanted by the Big River RCMP detachment under an arrest warrant. Ryan Lachance is approximately 1.68 m tall and weighs 68 kg. He has brown eyes and hair. Ryan has a teardrop tattoo under his left eye. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a large white logo and black pants.

    The suspect is considered armed and dangerous, and should not be approached. If you see him, call the police immediately by dialing 911 in case of emergency, or 310-RCMP if the situation is not urgent.

    The last confirmed sighting of the suspect was at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the Victoire neighborhood of Saskatchewan. The suspect may be driving a black KIA with Saskatchewan license plate 649 NPP or a gray BMW SUV.

    The Saskatchewan RCMP has indicated that an increased police presence has been deployed in the Big River First Nation as part of this investigation. People are asked to avoid areas where police officers are present and to follow all instructions given by the police.

    We will provide an update on this investigation as soon as possible.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Providence Woman Sentenced in Conspiracy to Smuggle Contraband Inside the Wyatt Detention Center

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A Providence woman who previously admitted to a federal judge that she provided contraband that made its way into the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, RI, was sentenced today to two years of federal supervised release, the first six months to be served in home detention with GPS monitoring, and fined $1,500, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Yahaira Cristina Contreras, 32, admitted that in early 2021, she conspired with others to provide 201 suboxone strips containing buprenorphine that made its way to a Wyatt Detention Center correctional officer and into the facility. Contreras admitted that she provided the contraband and that she transferred $3,000 from her bank account to another person’s account to facilitate getting the suboxone strips inside the Wyatt Detention Center.

    Contreras’ sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose.

    Former Wyatt Detention Center correctional officer Kaii Almeida-Falcones, 30, of Smithfield, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to a charge of providing contraband to an inmate. He was sentenced on November 19, 2024, to six months in federal prison to be followed by twenty-four months of federal supervised release – the first six months to be served on home confinement.

    The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin.

    The matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and the Professional Standards Unit at the Wyatt Detention Center.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 29 Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in $5M COVID Fraud Investigation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBIA, S.C. —Twenty-Nine out of 31 indicted defendants have pleaded guilty in a five-year investigation into a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits led by SCDC inmates along with family members and friends outside the prison system.

    Evidence presented in court revealed that incarcerated inmates harvested personal information, such as social security numbers and dates of birth, from other inmates and used the information to apply for COVID unemployment benefits in the names of those inmates as well as themselves. Some inmates provided their details willingly to the named defendants in exchange for a portion of the proceeds derived from the unemployment benefits. Other inmates had no knowledge that unemployment benefits were being applied for on their behalf. The incarcerated defendants also obtained the information of unwitting individuals outside of the Department of Corrections using various extortion schemes.

    One of the primary schemes utilized by the defendants was known as “Johning.” Using contraband cellphones within the Department of Corrections, inmates posed as younger males or females and lured individuals to send them nude or compromising photos. After obtaining the photos, the inmates used a second line feature on their contraband cell phones and contacted the victim posing as law enforcement. The inmates then extorted the victims into sending them money and/or photos of their social security cards and driver’s license.

    After the defendants applied for unemployment benefits in the names of the extortion victims and Department of Corrections inmates, the benefits were diverted to the incarcerated defendants with the assistances of the non-incarcerated defendants. The non-incarcerated defendants received government checks and prepaid Visa debit cards in the mail. The non-incarcerated defendants then utilized ATM withdrawals, wire transfers, and mobile banking applications such as Zelle, Venmo, Green Dot, and Cash App to make the proceeds available to the incarcerated defendants.

    The indictment alleges the named defendants submitted COVID-19 unemployment applications in multiple states. Fraudulent benefit applications were filed in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, Missouri, Arizona, and California. In total, the fraudulent scheme resulted in a loss of approximately $4,996,673.00 to the United States Government. 

    “This extensive fraud scheme exploited and misused individuals’ personal information, some unknowingly, for financial gain at the expense of American taxpayers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “The individuals involved showed a complete disregard for the law and used deception, manipulation, and extortion to unlawfully obtain nearly $5 million in unemployment benefits. Our agencies remain committed to holding those responsible accountable and ensuring that such fraudulent schemes do not undermine public trust in vital government programs.”

    “Inmates using this brazen scheme stole millions of dollars from an effort to help everyday Americans survive the COVID-19 pandemic,” SCDC Director Bryan Stirling said. “It is shameful, and the taxpayers deserve better. I am grateful to everyone involved in bringing these defendants to justice.”

    Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Sherri A. Lydon has accepted 29 guilty pleas and handed down sentences for 14 of the defendants thus far. The remaining defendants will be sentenced after the court receives and reviews a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. One defendant, Jessica Ann Howell, passed away and another defendant, Christine Hankins, remains at large as a fugitive.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mission man sent to prison for drug trafficking, again

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 56-year-old convicted felon has been ordered to prison for drug trafficking while on federal supervision, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Salvador Noyola pleaded guilty May 3, 2024.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Noyola to serve 188 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. On supervised release when he committed the crime, the court included 18 months as part of the sentence for violating that term. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane warned Noyola, stating “You’ve got to get out of this business… I hope hat you will find another way to make money.”

    In December 2023, authorities arrested Noyola following a search at his residence.

    At the time of the search, law enforcement seized over a kilogram of powdered cocaine.

    Noyola will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    This case is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations Division are conducting the OCDETF operation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County Sheriffs Office and the Mission and Alton police departments. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr., Lance Watt and Brittany Jensen are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Net Asset Value(s) as at 31 January 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Volta Finance Limited (VTA / VTAS)
    January 2025 monthly report

    NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION, OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES

    Guernsey, February 20th, 2025

    AXA IM has published the Volta Finance Limited (the “Company” or “Volta Finance” or “Volta”) monthly report for January 2025. The full report is attached to this release and will be available on Volta’s website shortly (www.voltafinance.com).

    Performance and Portfolio Activity

    Dear Investors,

    Volta Finance started 2025 on a positive note as net performance reached +1.7% in January while Financial Half Year net performance for Volta settled at 11.4%. Both our investments in CLO Debt and CLO Equity performed positively over the course of the month, benefiting from positive market conditions for risky assets.

    In broader economic news, the Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates unchanged for the first time since it started cutting rates last September. This has led markets to expect that the easing cycle might resume in 2026. In Europe, the eurozone economy showed no growth despite anticipations of a +0.1pp expansion, and Christine Lagarde announced a 25 basis points cut in key European Central Bank interest rates. Although largely backed by the data divergence with the US, it is interesting to note the striking difference in terms of monetary path between the US and the European Union as we anticipate further cuts in Europe.

    Credit markets tightened significantly this month, although we noted heightened volatility in line with broader macro headlines around mid-month. In Europe, High Yield indices were roughly 20bps tighter while US CDX High-Yield tightened by 11bps. On the Loan side, Euro Loans prices increased by about 40cts up to 98.41% (Morningstar European Leveraged Loan Index), while US Loans rose by 28cts to 97.61%.

    The primary CLO markets started strong this year, especially in Europe with New Issue volumes up 120% vs. Jan 24 (down 21% in the US vs. Jan 24). In terms of performance, CLO markets performed in line with US High Yield at +1.4% over the month and better than Global Loans +0.9%. In line with all major rating agencies that expect Loan default rates to go down in 2025 we remain constructive on the CLO asset class and the performance of the underlying loan portfolios this year.

    CLO Equity distributions remained healthy in January, although as expressed earlier, the spread compression in the Loan market has slightly lowered these distributions. Over the last 6 month period, the cashflow generation was c. €27m equivalent of interests and coupons, representing c.19% of January’s NAV on an annualized basis, compared to c. €30m equivalent of interest and coupons received 6 months ago. Refinancing or Resetting CLO liabilities will continue to be a key focus for us in 2025.

    Regarding our portfolio activities, we took profits on a US Mezzanine position as the market was risk-on (c. USD 7mm nominal) while another USD 3mm of US CLO mezzanine debt redeemed at face value.

    Over the month, Volta’s CLO Equity tranches returned a 3% performance** while CLO Debt tranches returned +1.6% performance**, cash representing c.9.0% of NAV. The fund being c.21% exposed to USD, the recent currency moves had a negative impact of -0.1% on the overall performance.

    As of end of January 2025, Volta’s NAV was €279.0m, i.e. €7.63 per share.

    *It should be noted that approximately 0.16% of Volta’s GAV comprises investments for which the relevant NAVs as at the month-end date are normally available only after Volta’s NAV has already been published. Volta’s policy is to publish its NAV on as timely a basis as possible to provide shareholders with Volta’s appropriately up-to-date NAV information. Consequently, such investments are valued using the most recently available NAV for each fund or quoted price for such subordinated notes. The most recently available fund NAV or quoted price was 0.05% as at 31 December 2024, 0.11% as at 30 September 2024.

    ** “performances” of asset classes are calculated as the Dietz-performance of the assets in each bucket, taking into account the Mark-to-Market of the assets at period ends, payments received from the assets over the period, and ignoring changes in cross-currency rates. Nevertheless, some residual currency effects could impact the aggregate value of the portfolio when aggregating each bucket.

    CONTACTS

    For the Investment Manager
    AXA Investment Managers Paris
    François Touati
    francois.touati@axa-im.com
    +33 (0) 1 44 45 80 22

    Olivier Pons
    Olivier.pons@axa-im.com
    +33 (0) 1 44 45 87 30

    Company Secretary and Administrator
    BNP Paribas S.A, Guernsey Branch
    guernsey.bp2s.volta.cosec@bnpparibas.com 
    +44 (0) 1481 750 853

    Corporate Broker
    Cavendish Securities plc
    Andrew Worne
    Daniel Balabanoff
    +44 (0) 20 7397 8900

    *****
    ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED

    Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market for listed securities. Volta’s home member state for the purposes of the EU Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is subject to regulation and supervision by the AFM, being the regulator for financial markets in the Netherlands.

    Volta’s Investment objectives are to preserve its capital across the credit cycle and to provide a stable stream of income to its Shareholders through dividends that it expects to distribute on a quarterly basis. The Company currently seeks to achieve its investment objectives by pursuing exposure predominantly to CLO’s and similar asset classes. A more diversified investment strategy across structured finance assets may be pursued opportunistically. The Company has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris an investment management company with a division specialised in structured credit, for the investment management of all its assets.

    *****

    ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS
    AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-expert asset management company within the AXA Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with 2,700 professionals and €844 billion in assets under management as of the end of December 2023.  

    *****

    This press release is published by AXA Investment Managers Paris (“AXA IM”), in its capacity as alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of Directive 2011/61/EU, the “AIFM Directive”) of Volta Finance Limited (the “Volta Finance”) whose portfolio is managed by AXA IM.

    This press release is for information only and does not constitute an invitation or inducement to acquire shares in Volta Finance. Its circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no recipient may circulate copies of this document in breach of such limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer for sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States or to persons who are “U.S. persons” for purposes of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or otherwise in circumstances where such offer would be restricted by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration from the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any portion of the offer of such securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of such securities in the United States.

    *****

    This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The securities referred to herein are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance.

    *****
    This press release contains statements that are, or may deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes”, “anticipated”, “expects”, “intends”, “is/are expected”, “may”, “will” or “should”. They include the statements regarding the level of the dividend, the current market context and its impact on the long-term return of Volta Finance’s investments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Volta Finance’s actual results, portfolio composition and performance may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements. AXA IM does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements.

    Any target information is based on certain assumptions as to future events which may not prove to be realised. Due to the uncertainty surrounding these future events, the targets are not intended to be and should not be regarded as profits or earnings or any other type of forecasts. There can be no assurance that any of these targets will be achieved. In addition, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved.

    The figures provided that relate to past months or years and past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance or construed as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended to illustrate some of the investment methodologies and philosophies of Volta Finance, as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success or AXA IM’s belief in the future success, of any of these trades or strategies is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future results.

    The valuation of financial assets can vary significantly from the prices that the AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on behalf of the Volta Finance due to market conditions and general economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness or similar opinion and should not be regarded as such.

    Editor: AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of France, having its registered office located at Tour Majunga, 6, Place de la Pyramide – 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers under registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rail Division Local Chairmen Visit Winpisinger Center for Training

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Rail Division Local Chairmen, also known as lead or first stewards, recently attended the Basic Local Chairman Class at IAM Union’s William W. Winpisinger Center in Hollywood, MD.

    Helping to lead the class from District 19 were:

    • Reece Murtagh, President/Directing General Chairman
    • Marty Rosato, Secretary-Treasurer 
    • John Denny, General Chairman and Assistant President/Directing General Chairman
    • Kenny Krause, General Chairman and Assistant to the President/Directing General Chairman
    • General Chairs Heath Jacobs, James Orwan, Jason Gibbs and Daniel Tavares

    Transportation Communications Union/IAM’s Allison Parker and Cortney Anderson instructed the claim writing portion of the training, and IAM Associate General Counsel in the IAM Legal Department Connie Vallas spoke to the class about the intricacies of the Railway Labor Act.

    Josh Hartford, Special Assistant to the International President for the Rail Division, also stopped by to introduce himself and speak with local chairs.

    Representatives of United Healthcare, Locomotive Engineers and Conductors Mutual Protective Association (LECMPA), IAM Veteran Services, and the Law Office of Christy and Ferguson also contributed to the training about their respective association with rail workers.

    “This class focused mainly on claim writing and claim negotiations,” said Krause. “We also briefly touched on hearings and investigations. It was a great group of guys; they were engaged the whole week and said they’re leaving with a lot of things they didn’t know.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Tempe Man Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Animal Crushing

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Thomas Scionti, 36, of Tempe, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 47 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Scionti pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person and Animal Crushing in two separate cases on October 3, 2024. 

    On January 18, 2023, pursuant to a search warrant, federal agents seized six firearms and 1,826 rounds of ammunition from areas of a residence controlled by the defendant. Scionti had previously been convicted of multiple Arizona state felonies and was consequently prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    On September 29, 2023, federal agents received authorization to search records and information associated with Scionti’s email account. During that search, agents seized approximately 168 videos and 89 digital photographs depicting Scionti torturing and mutilating live pigeons.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigations in these cases. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecutions.
     

    CASE NUMBER:            CR-23-00600-PHX-JJT
                                           CR-24-00890-PHX-JJT
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-019_Scionti

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    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –