NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lee County Felon Pleads Guilty To Unlawfully Possessing Loaded Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Austin Charles Wesley (25, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Wesley faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

    According to court documents, on October 24, 2024, Wesley was pulled over for speeding by the Florida Highway Patrol on SR-82 in Lee County. During the traffic stop, law enforcement located a loaded Walther .22 caliber handgun concealed underneath Wesley’s clothing. As a multi-time convicted felon, who previously served sentences in Florida state prison for various crimes, Wesley is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.     

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOSHUWA DIAZ, 34, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to a narcotics trafficking offense.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Diaz was arrested on February 16, 2024, after a court-authorized search of his apartment on Orange Street in New Haven revealed approximately 75 grams of fentanyl, 278 grams of cocaine, 47 grams of crack cocaine, and a loaded P80 handgun with no serial number (“ghost gun”).

    Diaz pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”), and fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for May 7.

    Diaz is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

    In April 2013, Diaz was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 78 months of imprisonment for distributing heroin.

    This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, which includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Washington, D.C. and FBI Washington, D.C. arrest 7 illegal aliens in Northern Virginia operation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    February 12, 2025Annadale, VA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

    ANNANDALE, Va. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, assisted by the FBI, apprehended seven illegally present aliens during a routine enforcement operation in Annandale, Feb. 5.

    “These seven individuals were in the Northern Virginia area in violation of U.S. immigration laws,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. acting Field Office Director Patrick Divver. “ICE Washington, D.C.’s mission is to ensure the safety and security of our District of Columbia and Virginia communities through the arrest and removal of those individuals who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws. We take this mission extremely seriously, and we will continue to arrest and remove alien offenders.”

    During the targeted operation, ICE officers and FBI special agents arrested:

    • A 51-year-old, previously deported Mexican national convicted of DWI in Prince William County, Virginia, in April 2024.
    • A 36-year-old Nicaraguan national who refused to depart the United States to Nicaragua after being ordered to do so on Jan. 24 by a Department of Justice immigration judge.
    • A 24-year-old Honduran national, with no previous encounters with ICE, who illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, admission, or parole by a designated immigration official.
    • A 22-year-old Salvadoran national previously apprehended after illegally entering the U.S. in June 2019.
    • A 32-year-old Guatemalan national who entered the U.S. lawfully and violated the terms of his lawful admission.
    • A 24-year-old Guatemalan national, with no previous encounters with ICE, who illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, admission, or parole by a designated immigration official.
    • A 30-year-old Guatemalan national, with no previous encounters with ICE, who illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, admission, or parole by a designated immigration official.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROWashington.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RIDOH Launches Rental Registry’s Public Database

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    As part of work statewide to protect children and families from the hazards of lead exposure, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has launched its Rental Registry public database. (See link below.)

    With this dashboard, a resident can look up their rental property to see if the property’s landlord has secured a Certificate of Lead Conformance, or other lead certificate, for the property. These have been required by Rhode Island law for pre-1978 homes since 2005. They are issued by a licensed lead inspector and document that a property is in a lead-safe condition. The registry will also make the contact information of the property owner or manager available.

    “This new public database promotes transparency, safety, and accountability for people who rent their homes in Rhode Island,” said Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. “All children and families deserve to live in housing that is healthy and safe. By ensuring compliance with the requirement for landlords to provide lead-safe housing – which has been on the books for two decades – we are one step closer to that goal.”

    A requirement for landlords to register their rental properties by October 1, 2024 was laid out in the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (R.I. Gen. Laws � 34-18-58), which became law in Rhode Island in 2023. Through increased trainings and licensing professionals who were already license-holders in other states, RIDOH has significantly increased the number of licensed lead inspectors who are available to inspect properties for lead.

    In addition to allowing people who rent to search their properties, the new system also features a portal for landlords that makes it easier to register their rental properties. Landlords who have already registered their properties do not need to take any additional action right now. RIDOH will provide information to landlords about when re-registration is required. Landlords must re-register every year. (In the upcoming version of the Rental Registry, landlords will no longer need to upload their lead certificates. The new system will automatically recognize whether a property’s units are lead certificate compliant.)

    Most homes in Rhode Island were built before 1978 and likely have lead-based paint. (Lead paint was banned after 1978.) Lead paint and paint dust can harm young children’s health. Children younger than six years old are at greatest risk. Lead exposure can slow a child’s development and cause learning disabilities and behavior problems. The most effective way to prevent lead exposure is to properly maintain lead-painted surfaces or remove lead-based paints.

    RIDOH is continuing to focus its efforts on landlord education through broad social media and paid media campaigns right now. However, the failure to register and/or have a lead certificate can result in fines. RIDOH anticipates beginning to fine noncompliant landlords this summer. RIDOH will do additional, wide communication to landlords and the public before any fines are levied.

    The fine for failure to register is $50 per month, per unit. The fine for failure to obtain a valid lead certificate, where applicable, is $125 per month, per unit. A landlord who continues to fail to register or obtain a lead certificate is subject to additional, more significant penalties. Additionally, landlords cannot file for eviction for nonpayment of rent unless the property involved is registered in the Rhode Island Rental Registry.

    The rental registry includes rental properties that have been registered by landlords and properties that may be rental units that are still unregistered. (Potential rental properties were identified using tax assessor data and other public information.) As more properties are registered, the registry will become more complete. If tenants do not find their residence while searching the database, they can write to rentalregistry@health.ri.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Eurojust-hosted project widens scope of actions against impunity for war crimes and genocide beyond EU

    Source: Eurojust

    National Authorities Against Impunity (IMPNA) project

    View leaflet

    The practical aim of this project is to assist CSOs at regional and local level and set up platforms for their cooperation with judicial authorities outside the EU. This will assist organisations in dealing with the increase in violations of human rights due to the sharp rise of armed conflicts across the globe. 

    The number of armed conflicts worldwide has doubled over the last five years, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED). This has led to a stark increase in war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, so-called core international crimes. This brings particular challenges for the international community to pursue accountability in order to get justice done for the victims by exercising universal and extraterritorial jurisdiction. 

    Commenting on the launch of IMPNA, Eurojust Vice-President Ms Margarita Šniutytė-Daugėlienė said: ‘The fight against impunity for the most atrocious crimes requires cooperation on the broadest level to make sure perpetrators can be brought to justice. Especially with the rise of armed conflicts around the world, we need to work with as many actors as possible: national authorities, the International Criminal Court, fact-finding missions, the United Nations and civil society organisations. For this reason, I very much welcome this new project, as it will give a major impetus to cooperation efforts in the interest of all victims of core international crimes.’

    EU Member States constitute the majority of countries that initiate investigations and prosecutions in response to atrocities committed worldwide. Yet the nature and potential impact of universal jurisdiction calls for its use globally. By widening the scope of judicial actions against core international crimes, across regions and situations, the number of ’safe havens’ for perpetrators can be limited. 

    Furthermore, the fight against impunity benefits from the contribution of various actors who seek to advance the cause of justice. These include national authorities, international and hybrid criminal courts and tribunals, investigative mechanisms and fact-finding missions mandated by the United Nations and CSOs. 

    Over the years, CSOs have provided key contributions to accountability efforts, including by collecting and preserving information on core international crimes and human rights violations. The IMPNA project will bolster their capacities, as well as those of national authorities, to work together and enhance cooperation between all efforts undertaken in both EU Member States and third countries. A principal aim is to avoid duplication of efforts through better coordination and cooperation, with a special focus on victims, especially female survivors. 

    The project is funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) for four years, from October 2024 until September 2028. With its official launch today at Eurojust, IMPNA has now formally started. It will be implemented and hosted by Eurojust and the Genocide Network Secretariat, based at the Agency.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clearland — UPDATE: Missing person found safe

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The 28-year-old man who was reported missing on February 11 from Clearland has been found safe.

    The RCMP thanks Bridgewater Police Service for their assistance with this investigation, and Nova Scotians for assisting with missing persons files through social media shares and offering tips.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Natuashish — Natuashish RCMP investigates serious assault; victim airlifted for medical treatment, woman arrested

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Following an investigation into a serious assault that occurred at a home in Natuashish on February 10, 2025, 32-year-old Antonia Jacobish was arrested and charged by Natuashish RCMP.

    Shortly before midnight on Monday, Natuashsish RCMP received a report of the assault. A woman received serious injuries resulting from a physical attack that occurred inside a home. The victim was airlifted out of the community for urgent medical attention.

    The investigation, which was assisted by RCMP NL’s West District General Investigation Section, resulted in the arrest of Jacobish on February 11, 2025. She attends court today, charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. The victim of the crime is recovering from injuries that are now considered non-life threatening.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Massachusetts Resident Sentenced on Gun and Drug Convictions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Taylor, age 29, of Malden, Massachusetts, was sentenced last month to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

    When he pled guilty in September 2024, Taylor admitted that he sold multiple firearms and controlled substances to another person in Rensselaer County between September 2023 and January 2024. Taylor admitted that he had sold two firearms to this person on separate occasions in October 2023, and on both occasions also distributed controlled substances. In December 2023, Taylor and a co-conspirator sold this person over 400 fentanyl pills along with approximately 25 grams of fentanyl powder.

    United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 4-year term of post-incarceration supervised release.

    ATF investigated this case with assistance from the Troy Police Department, the Brookline (Massachusetts) Police Department, and the Cambridge (Massachusetts) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph S. Hartunian prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Construction and Property Management Companies and Company Owners Plead Guilty to Asbestos Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.–A construction company operating in Hood River, Oregon, and a property management company operating in The Dalles, Oregon, together with the owners, pleaded guilty Friday to violating asbestos work standards and negligent endangerment by discharging a hazardous pollutant in violation of the Clean Air Act.

    The property management company Horseshoe Grove, LLC pleaded guilty to violating asbestos work practice standards, and its owner and operator, Ryan Richter, 44, of The Dalles, pleaded guilty to negligent endangerment by discharging a hazardous pollutant.

    The construction and demolition company Chamness Dirt Works Inc. pleaded guilty to violating asbestos work practice standards, and its owner and president, Ronald Chamness, 58, of Hood River, pleaded guilty to negligent endangerment by discharging a hazardous pollutant.

    According to court documents, in November 2022, Horseshoe Grove purchased a property operating as a mobile home rental site with approximately thirty tenant spaces. The property also contained two dilapidated structures located near the actively rented tenant spaces. At the time of sale, Richter received an asbestos survey completed in 2021 which reported over 5,000 square feet of asbestos within the dilapidated structures. Richter also received a demolition estimate from Chamness Dirt Works to sample, test and remove asbestos containing materials but excluded the costs for asbestos abatement.

    In February 2023, Richter and Horseshoe Grove hired Chamness Dirt Works to demolish the two asbestos-laden structures. On February 20, 2023, Chamness received a quote from an asbestos abatement contractor for the proper removal and disposal of asbestos containing materials. Despite knowing the structures contained asbestos, Chamness and Richter, through and with their companies, knowingly violated the Clean Air Act by demolishing the structures without hiring a certified asbestos abatement contractor or implementing the precautionary measures mandated by federal regulations for handling such materials.

    On November 19, 2024, Richter, Chamness, Horseshoe Grove, and Chamness Dirt Works were charged by criminal information with negligent endangerment and violating the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards.

    Richter and Chamness each face a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. Horseshoe Grove and Chamness Dirt Works each face a maximum sentence of five years’ probation and $500,000 fine. As part of the plea agreement, Richter and Chamness have agreed to conduct asbestos remediation on the property. They will be sentenced on April 3, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernández.

    This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency and is being prosecuted by Bryan Chinwuba, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian Man Indicted for Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Brazilian man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.    

    Rafael De Jesus-Ribeiro, 39, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. De Jesus-Ribeiro was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 13, 2025. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

    According to the indictment, De Jesus-Ribeiro was deported from the United States on July 17, 2019. It is alleged that sometime after his July 2019 removal, De Jesus-Ribeiro illegally reentered the United States without permission.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of an imposed sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah Foley and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Michael Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Collin Ray Delorme, also known as Collin Ray Delorme Sr., age 30, from St. Michael, North Dakota, appeared in United States District Court for the District of North Dakota in Fargo today and was sentenced by Chief Judge Peter Welte to serve 40 years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release during which time he will be required to follow a number of conditions. Delorme was also ordered to pay restitution, joint and severally with his codefendant, for medical and funeral expenses.

    On February 18, 2023, Baker called 911 from a home in St. Michael, North Dakota within the boundaries of the Spirit Lake Reservation. Delorme’s co-Defendant, Kenzie Rose Baker, reported her one-year-old child was not breathing. The child was transported to CHI St. Alexius in Devils Lake, North Dakota and was pronounced dead. An autopsy concluded the cause of death was “battered child” due to multiple, repeated injuries of various ages, evident upon external and internal examination. The child’s internal injuries were untreated which created infection and sepsis.

    Two of the charges to which Delorme pled are related to his abuse of the deceased one-year-old child.  The third charge is the result of his abuse of a three-year-old child that included hitting the child on the arms and throwing him on a bed.

    On August 16, 2024, Baker pleaded guilty to charges of Accessory after the Fact; Child Abuse in Indian country; Child Neglect in Indian country. Baker is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2025.

    “This sentence provides a measure of accountability for the horrendous abuse and tragic death of a toddler,” Schneider said. “Through their work on multi-disciplinary teams on each reservation with tribal social services, law enforcement, tribal court prosecutors, and behavioral health partners, our Indian country prosecutors are committed to preventing child abuse. They also will not hesitate to bring forceful prosecutions against child abusers in federal court. Our hope is that today’s sentence serves as a deterrence in our efforts to keep children safe.”

    “The abuse and neglect that these children experienced is truly horrific. No child should ever endure such suffering,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI and our partners’ commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities and ensuring that those who harm children are brought to justice.”

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lori H. Conroy and SheraLynn Ternes.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Juvenile Charged With August 2024 Armed Carjacking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – Aniq-Kai Covington, 16, of Washington, D.C., was charged as an adult (under Title 16) on February 11, 2025, in Superior Court with armed carjacking in connection with an August 13, 2024 incident in Southeast D.C. The charge was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

               According to documents filed in court, on August 13, 2024, at approximately 9:15 p.m., police officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of  31st Street S.E., where they located the victim of an armed carjacking. The victim told the officers that at least two suspects approached the victim, who was sitting in their vehicle waiting for a family member. One suspect approached the victim’s driver’s side door and pointed a firearm at the victim, ordering the victim to get out of the vehicle. Another suspect attempted to open the victim’s passenger door. The victim complied and got out of the car. The first suspect then demanded money and took the victim’s wallet and cell phone, before the suspects fled northbound on 31st Street, SE in the victim’s car.  The victim borrowed a phone from a family member and called 911. 

               The victim’s vehicle was located in the 2500 block of High Street S.E., stationary and unoccupied, just before 9:30 p.m., approximately 15 minutes after police were dispatched to the scene of the carjacking.  The victim’s vehicle was forensically processed, and a latent fingerprint recovered from the interior passenger’s side door handle was later determined to belong to Covington. 

               Covington was presented in court yesterday and ordered detained. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 14, 2025.

               The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Winer is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Prison Guard Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Smuggle Drugs into Virginia Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Virginia man was sentenced yesterday for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and launder drug proceeds with co-conspirators in Massachusetts and Virginia.

    Kenneth J. Owen, 24, of Charlotte Court House, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 21 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2024, Owen pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute MDMA and buprenorphine and two counts of money laundering conspiracy.

    In December 2019 and January 2020, Owen conspired with Sathtra Em, a Lowell resident, and Michael Mao, an inmate at the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Va., to smuggle MDMA and buprenorphine in the form of Suboxone and generic Suboxone sublingual films into the prison. At the time, Owen was working as a correctional officer at Buckingham.  

    As part of the conspiracy, Em mailed the drugs to Owen’s residence and paid him $1,600 in bribes to deliver the drugs and other contraband to Mao in the prison. Mao then sold the smuggled drugs to other inmates at Buckingham and Em collected the drug debts on behalf of Mao in the same Cash App accounts she used to pay the bribes to Owen. Owen used a Cash App account with the name “Carlos” to receive the bribes from Em, and he cashed out the funds to his bank account within minutes of receiving them.    

    Em and Mao previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. In August 2024, Em was sentenced to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Mao was sentenced to 121 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, in November 2024.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations and the Virginia Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Groundwater: How Scientists Study its Pollution and Sustainability

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    An aquifer is a porous rock that is water bearing and from which water can be extracted (Infographic: Adriana Vargas/IAEA).

    Groundwater accounts for around 30 per cent of the world’s freshwater, making it an important resource for addressing current global issues, such as world population growth, agricultural intensification and increased water use in different sectors like oil and gas extraction and mining, apparel and textile manufacturing and livestock farming. To protect groundwater from the threats of overextraction and pollution, and to manage it sustainably for the future, it is essential to understand where groundwater in specific locations is originating from, what its quality is and how quickly it replenishes. Scientists can perform this kind of research by analyzing the water ‘fingerprints’ called “isotopes”, which are variations of atoms in the water molecule.

    What is groundwater?

    Groundwater is water found underground. It can be hidden in the cracks and spaces within rocks and sediments, forming an underground resource, hosted in what is known as an “aquifer”. Depending on the characteristics or the aquifer, groundwater can be extracted, using pumping wells, for irrigation, drinking and industrial water supply and other human activities.

    How are aquifers formed and why should we use them wisely?

    Groundwater is part of the water cycle. Following rainfall, some water soaks into the soil and, driven by gravity, migrates downwards continuously through the subsoil and moves until it is eventually stopped by compact, impermeable rock, called an aquiclude. Many aquifers are connected to, and fed by, rivers and other surface water bodies, during the dry season. In the wet season, this system can be reversed with groundwater moving back into rivers and lakes and replenishing them.

    Aquifers are an integral part of the water cycle, and their replenishment rate depends on rainfall, among other factors (Infographic: Adriana Vargas/IAEA).

    The rate at which an aquifer is replenished depends on the climate and environment in the location where recharge is happening. Aquifers in an area of low rainfall might take centuries to get refilled. In contrast, shallow aquifers in an area of substantial rainfall may be replenished almost immediately. Thus, climate change, which results in more intense droughts, but also more intense localised rainfall, has an impact on how fast aquifers refill and, by extension, on how much groundwater people can use sustainably.

    The intensive use of groundwater for human activities, such as agriculture and industry, at a scale that exceeds the speed at which aquifers refill, may put at risk not only the integrity of the aquifers, which risk collapse if they are drained, but also the global amount of water that people can use, because groundwater constitutes an important part of the world’s available freshwater.

    Additionally, groundwater may not always be clean enough for human use. Human activities carried out on the surface, such as sewage disposal and the overuse of pesticides and fertilizers, including animal manure, are among the main sources of contamination and pollution of groundwater. Knowing the origin of pollutants, therefore, is the first step toward addressing problems of water quality.

    Potential sources of groundwater pollution by human activities (Infographic: Adriana Vargas/IAEA).

    What are isotopes and how can they help scientists understand water?

    The water molecule is composed of atoms of oxygen and hydrogen. Some variations of the atoms of the same chemical element, called isotopes, can be used to study the water cycle, including groundwater.

    Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

    Different “isotopic” techniques are used to measure isotope amounts and proportions, and to trace their origin, history, sources and interactions in the environment.

    Water has a different or unique isotopic “fingerprint”, or “isotopic signature”, depending on where it comes from. Scientists analyze isotopes to track the movement and pollution sources of water along its path through the water cycle.

    How do scientists use isotopes to establish whether groundwater is being overused?

    Scientists use isotopes in large-scale studies on water, to assess its amount, age, and origins, and to establish whether the amount being used by people is sustainable.

    For example, radioisotopes naturally present in groundwater, such as tritium, carbon-14, and noble gases helium-3, helium-4 and krypton-81, are used to learn more about how old groundwater is and the timescales of groundwater flow. By analyzing the concentration of different combinations of both stable and radio-isotopes, scientists can calculate when exactly the water is recharged in aquifers, how fast groundwater flows, and how long it takes to replenish. With this data, it is possible to establish, for example, whether or not agricultural activities in a specific area are demanding an amount of groundwater that will not be replenished fast enough to sustain irrigation needs in the long run.

    By analyzing the isotopes in groundwater, scientists can establish how old the water is, and deduce how long it will take for an aquifer to recharge based on how much water is being pumped for human activities (Infographic: Adriana Vargas/IAEA).

    How do scientists use isotopes to study groundwater pollution?

    Scientists use specific isotopes like nitrogen-15, oxygen-18, and sulfur-34 to identify pollutants such as nitrate and sulphates. They also use these isotopes to establish whether the groundwater in a specific location is safe for human use.

    For example, scientists can establish whether water contaminated with an excessive amount of nitrate is being polluted by either human waste or by fertilizers. Nitrate ions are made up of nitrogen and oxygen, and nitrogen has two isotopes while oxygen has three. The ratio of these isotopes is different in human waste and in fertilizers. Therefore, the source of pollution can be identified based on these isotopic differences. Knowing the origins of pollutants is a milestone in addressing problems with water quality and working toward the sustainable management of water resources.

    What is the role of the IAEA?

    • The IAEA uses isotope hydrology to support Member States in water resources assessment and sustainable water management. The Agency also provides assistance and training to laboratories and scientists on analytical services through its Isotope Hydrology Laboratory.
    • Offering a wide range of courses, the IAEA provides training on the fundamentals of isotope hydrology and isotopic analyses of stable isotopes, tritium and noble gases.
    • Through its technical cooperation programme, the IAEA collaborates closely with its Member States to improve the availability and sustainability of freshwater resources through science-based, comprehensive water resources assessments.
    • Partnering with the World Meteorological Organization, the IAEA operates the Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation, which contains scientific advice, logistics and technical support in isotope hydrology.

    This article was first published on 22 March 2023.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Apprehends Mother’s Boyfriend for Injury to a Child

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Austin, TX – The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested a man sought by Austin Police for injury to a child following an incident on February 7th that resulted in the hospitalization of a 2-year-old victim.  

    Marcos Amaya Maldonado, 25, of Del Valle, is alleged to have committed the injury while the child was in his custody during the day at the child’s mother’s residence in the 9900 block of Dessau Road. According to an affidavit by an investigator with the Austin Police Department (APD) Child Abuse Unit, Maldonado is the boyfriend of the victim’s mother. 

    When the mother arrived at the residence from work, she observed bruising to the side of the child’s face, according to the affidavit. After noticing an increase in bruising and swelling to the child’s face, and a “rash” under the diaper area, the mother called 911.

    Medical personnel at a nearby hospital reported the victim had sustained a large contusion to her head and extensive bruising to her genitalia and vaginal lacerations. 

    Following an investigation on February 9th, the APD Child Abuse Unit obtained a warrant in the City of Austin Municipal Court and requested assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force-Austin Division to locate and apprehend Maldonado. 

    Members of the task force initiated a fugitive investigation and arrested Maldonado in the 100 block of Fortuna Drive in Del Valle.

    Maldonado was transported to the APD Child Abuse Unit and booked into the Travis County Jail where he will await judicial proceedings.  

    Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin:

    Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
    Georgetown, Round Rock, and San Marcos Police Department
    Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
    Texas Attorney General’s Office
    Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG
    Texas Department of Public Safety
    U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
    U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police make arrest over Birkenhead aggravated robbery

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    An arrest has been made following the aggravated robbery of a Cash in Transit van in Birkenhead on Tuesday afternoon.

    Overnight, Police executed a search warrant at a Northcote address as part of the investigation.

    Acting Detective Inspector Simon Harrison, of Waitematā CIB, says a man was taken into custody.

    “We have charged the 43-year-old man with serious offences,” he says.

    The man will appear in the North Shore District Court today.

    He is facing charges including aggravated robbery and commission of a crime with a firearm.

    Acting Detective Inspector Harrison says the investigation team have been working hard to investigate the case since Tuesday.

    “It’s pleasing we have made an arrest so soon into the investigation, given the brazen nature of this alleged offending.

    “We will not tolerate this offending, especially when a firearm is allegedly presented.

    “I know news of this arrest will bring some reassurance to the Birkenhead community.”

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrests illegal Turkish national charged with witness intimidation, assault, battery on intellectually disabled person

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SOMERVILLE, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present Turkish national charged in Massachusetts with assault and battery against a household member, witness intimidation, and two counts of assault and battery against a person with an intellectual disability when officers arrested Berkan Karamurtlu, 27, in Somerville, Jan. 22.

    “This is a tragic example of what can go wrong when local jurisdictions refuse to honor immigration detainers,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “The local jurisdiction ignored our detainer and released Berkan Karamurtlu into the community. Unfortunately, he re-offended resulting in a second arrest for assaulting an intellectually disabled resident. Fortunately, the local authorities honored our second detainer and Karamurtlu is now in ICE custody. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing egregious alien offenders.”

    Karamurtlu lawfully entered the United States Oct. 11, 2021, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York but later violated the terms of his lawful admission.

    The Somerville District Court arraigned Karamurtlu Dec. 24, 2024, for the offenses of assault and battery on an intellectually disabled person and witness intimidation. ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Karamurtlu with the Somerville District Court, which ignored the detainer and released Karamurtlu from custody.

    The Somerville District Court again arraigned Karamurtlu Jan. 21 for the offenses of assault and battery on a person with intellectual disabled person and assault and battery on a family or household member. ICE then lodged an immigration detainer against Karamurtlu with the Medford Police Department.

    ICE served Karamurtlu with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge following his arrest.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

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

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CORIS ADDISON (“ADDISON”), age 42, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on February 5, 2025, by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, after previously pleading guilty to violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act by participating, along with others, in a methamphetamine conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

    According to court records, one of ADDISON’s co-conspirators sold approximately seven grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agent, and another individual, on August 29, 2023 at a Westbank, New Orleans apartment.

    Another drug deal was set for the following day at the same apartment, but before the deal took place, two of ADDISON’s co-defendants robbed the undercover ATF agent, and the other individual, at gun point.  To escape the danger, the undercover ATF agent, and the other individual, went onto the third-floor balcony of the apartment and began climbing down.  The agent fell during his escape and sustained severe injuries.  Although ADDISON did not participate in the robbery, he and others were later arrested  at the apartment.

    Judge Lemelle sentenced ADDISON to serve 80 months in prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

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

    The investigation was conducted primarily by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department and Crimestoppers GNO. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, and Nolan Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thirty-Eight Defendants Sentenced in Massive Prison-Based Drug Trafficking Ring

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

    ATLANTA, Ga. – Thirty-eight members of a drug trafficking organization, including several State of Georgia prison inmates, have been sentenced for their roles in coordinating and distributing deadly heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl throughout the metro-Atlanta area, as well as laundering drug proceeds to Mexico.

    “The successful dismantling of this large organization is a result of a tenacious multi-year effort from federal, state, and local authorities to root out narcotics trafficking originating from state prisons,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.  “Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to leverage all resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute entire networks of offenders responsible for distributing deadly drugs into our communities.” 

    “These sentences mirror the destructive impact on the community caused by this violent drug trafficking organization,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Wherever you operate, if you distribute dangerous drugs, DEA will find you and hold you accountable.”

    “Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, thirty-eight members of this extensive drug distribution network will spend significant time behind bars where they will no longer be able to plague our community with poison,” said Sean Burke, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. 

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: During the investigation, federal special agents learned that a network of prison inmates was using contraband cell phones to broker drug transactions throughout the metro-Atlanta area, including importing drug shipments from Mexico and other states. These prison brokers relied on conspirators on the outside to store, package and distribute multiple types of illegal drugs. Other members of the organization were responsible for laundering the proceeds from the drug sales to Mexico using local money remitters.  The organization also repeatedly threatened violence to uncooperative members.  In one case, agents learned of a plot to abduct and murder a narcotics dealer.  In response, law enforcement quickly mobilized to disrupt the plan.

    After the first phase of the investigation concluded, a Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment against 19 of the conspirators for drug trafficking and money laundering offenses.  During the second phase of the investigation, agents identified additional conspirators including two of the high-level prison brokers, Jesus Sanchez-Morales and Juan Ramirez, who were later indicted by the Grand Jury for drug trafficking offenses.  After Ramirez was brought into federal custody, he used another contraband cell phone to broker drug deals, including the attempted distribution of fentanyl.  The Grand Jury later charged him with this new conduct.  

    Through this multi-year investigation, agents seized over 250 kilograms of methamphetamine, 25 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, more than 12,000 fentanyl pills, kilogram-quantities of fentanyl powder, heroin, and marijuana, and over $450,000 in drug proceeds. 

    The defendants were convicted and sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May:

    • Juan Ramirez was sentenced earlier today to 27 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release .  Ramirez was convicted of ten drug trafficking counts including Conspiracy and Possession with the Intent to Distribute  Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl, after a jury found him guilty of these charges on July 25, 2024.
    • Jesus Sanchez-Morales was sentenced to 27 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Sanchez-Morales was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on June 22, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Martin Maldonado was sentenced to 19 years, seven months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Maldonado was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on April 26, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Benjamin Villareal Perez was sentenced to 19 years, seven months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Perez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on September 17, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jaime Chavez was sentenced to 17 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chavez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on April 30, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Aszavious Anderson was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Anderson was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on May 28, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Kristofer Ty Armistead was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Armistead was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 7, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Mario Castillo was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Castillo was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on September 25, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Aricus Cantrell Holloway was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Holloway was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on April 24, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Cristian Hernandez-Lovo was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hernandez-Lovo was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on September 24, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jesus Antonio Molina-Ortiz was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Molina-Ortiz was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on August 10, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jamar Tyrone Zanders was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Zanders was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on September 24, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Brandon Richard Duncan was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Duncan was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 9, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Joseph Dominic Edwards was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Edwards was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on August 4, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Rafael Alvarez was sentenced to 13 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Alvarez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on August 13, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jason Garcia-Lara was sentenced to 13 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Garcia-Lara was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 23, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Jordan Duane Bowers was sentenced to 12 years, six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Bowers was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Heroin on May 10, 2022, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Emmanuel De Santos Nieto was sentenced to 12 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. De Santos Nieto was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on September 9, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Salvador Valencia-Zavala was sentenced to 11 years, three months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Valencia-Zavala was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on January 27, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Marvin Gaye Banks was sentenced to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Banks was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 15, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Samantha Fagundes was sentenced to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Fagundes was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl, on January 15, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Alejandro Vasquez-Lopez was sentenced to 10 years, nine months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Vasquez-Lopez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on May 24, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Shelly Denise Class was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Class was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 10, 2019, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Edgar Ochoa Martinez was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Martinez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on July 22, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Allison Nichole Daniel was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Daniel was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on May 27, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Enrique Rodriguez-Govea was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rodriguez-Govea was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on May 30, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Taurus Basil Stephens was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Stephens was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on December 16, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Raheem Jamal Morris was sentenced to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Morris was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 26, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Lilia Martinez Rodriguez was sentenced to eight years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez Rodriguez was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on September 21, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Roberto Rojas was sentenced to eight years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rojas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 13, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Nicholas Charles Johnson was sentenced to seven years, eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 10, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Leonardo Rosas was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rosas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 3, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Daniel Gonzalez was sentenced to five years, four months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Gonzalez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on July 11, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Juan Torres Chavez was sentenced to a time-served sentence of approximately four years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Chavez was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on December 14, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
    • David Chavez-Ortiz was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chavez-Ortiz was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 21, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
    • Antwonette Jarnez Thomas was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Thomas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 7, 2021, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Erin Cortez was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cortez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 22, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
    • Joaquin Flores, Jr. was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Flores was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 19, 2024, after he pleaded guilty. 

    Eusebio Paniagua-Paz remains a fugitive.  If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact your local law enforcement agency. 

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Atlanta Police Department, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia State Patrol, and the South Fulton Police Department.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Alison B. Prout, Amy M. Palumbo, Elizabeth M. Hathaway, Sarah Klapman, and Nicholas Evert, together with former Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Mann, Scott McAfee, and Erin H. Harris, prosecuted the case.

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

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orleans Parish Man Guilty of Carjacking and Weapons Violations

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

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on February 4, 2025, RICHARD CARR (“CARR”), age 29, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty in connection with a carjacking and gun violations that occurred on January 12, 2023, in New Orleans.

    Specifically, CARR pled guilty to carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1); brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii); and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Court documents revealed that on January 12, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers were dispatched to Conti Street in response to an armed robbery/carjacking.  The victim said he met CARR that day and drove with him to various areas in the city after which,  CARR produced a firearm and demanded the victim’s cell phone and  car keys for his silver Toyota CHR.  On January 13, 2023, NOPD Officers observed the victim’s stolen silver Toyota CHR, minus the license plate , parked in front of a Franklin Ave gas station.  Police then saw a male sleeping in the front seat with a firearm in on his lap.   NOPD then secured the firearm, a Glock Model 43, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, and arrested CARR.  CARR was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.

    As to the carjacking and felon in possession charges, CARR faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release. As to the charge for brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, CARR faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.  

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

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Paris AI summit marks a tipping point on the technology’s safety and sustainability

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Robert Diab, Professor, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University

    United States Vice President JD Vance made headlines this week by refusing to sign a declaration at a global summit in Paris on artificial intelligence.

    In his first appearance on the world stage, Vance made clear that the U.S. wouldn’t be playing ball. The Donald Trump administration believes that “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off,” he said. “We’ll make every effort to encourage pro-growth AI policies.”

    His remarks confirmed a widespread fear that Trump’s return to the White House will signal a sharp turn in tech policy. American tech companies and their billionaire owners will now be shielded from effective oversight.

    But upon a closer look, events this week point to signs that just the opposite may be unfolding. A host of nations took notable steps towards address growing safety and environmental concerns about AI, indicating that a regulatory tipping point has been reached.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered the keynote address at the AI Action Summit in Paris, France.

    Wide consensus

    The two-day global summit in Paris, chaired by France and India, led to broad consensus. Some 60 countries signed on to a Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable AI. This included Canada, the European Commission, India and China.

    Both the U.S. and the United Kingdom declined to sign on. But the prevailing winds are against them.

    The meeting in Paris was the third global summit on AI, following meet-ups at Bletchley Park in the U.K. in 2023 and in Seoul, South Korea, in 2024. Each of them ended with similar declarations widely endorsed.

    The Paris communiqué calls for an “inclusive approach” to AI, seeking to “narrow inequalities” in AI capabilities among countries. It encourages “avoiding market concentration” and affirms the need for openness and transparency in building and sharing technology and expertise.

    The document is not binding. It does little more than tout principles, or affirm a collective sentiment among the parties. One of these — perhaps the most important — is to keep talking, meeting and working together on the common concerns that AI raises.

    Environmental challenges

    Meanwhile, a smaller group of countries at the Paris summit, along with 37 tech companies, agreed to form a Coalition for Sustainable AI — setting out a series of goals and deliverables.

    While nothing is binding on the parties, the goals are notably specific. They include coming up with standards for measuring AI’s environmental impact and more effective ways for companies to report on the impact. Parties also aim to “optimize algorithms to reduce computational complexity and minimize data usage.”

    Even if most of this turns out to be merely aspirational, it’s important that the coalition offers a platform for collaboration on these initiatives. At the very least, it signals a likelihood that sustainability will be at the forefront of debate about AI moving forward.



    Read more:
    AI is bad for the environment, and the problem is bigger than energy consumption

    Signing the first international treaty on AI

    A further notable event at the summit was that Canada signed the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. In recent months, 12 other countries had signed, including the U.S. (under former president Joe Biden), the U.K., Israel and the European Union.

    The convention commits parties to pass domestic laws on AI that deal with privacy, bias and discrimination, safety, transparency and environmental sustainability.

    The treaty has been criticized for containing no more than “broad affirmations” and imposing few clear obligations. But it does show that countries are committed to passing law to ensure that AI development unfolds within boundaries — and they’re eager to see more countries do the same.

    If Canada were to ratify the treaty, Parliament would likely revive Bill C-27, which contained the AI and Data Act.



    Read more:
    The federal government’s proposed AI legislation misses the mark on protecting Canadians

    The act aimed to do much of what Canada agrees to do under the convention: impose greater oversight of the development and use of AI. This includes transparency and disclosure requirements on AI companies, and stiff penalties for failure to comply.

    What does this really mean?

    While the U.S. signed the convention on AI and human rights, democracy and rule of law in the fall of 2024, it likely won’t be implemented by a Republican Congress. The same might happen in Canada under a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre. He could also decide not to fulfil commitments made under other agreements about AI.

    And if Poilievre comes to power by the time Canada hosts the next G7 meeting in June, he might decline to honour the Trudeau government’s commitment to make AI regulation a central focus of the meeting.

    The Trump administration may have ushered in a period of more lax tech regulation in the U.S., and Silicon Valley is indeed a key player in tech — especially AI. But it’s a wide world, with many other important players in this space, including China, Europe and Canada.

    The events in Paris have revealed a strong interest among nations around the globe to regulate AI, and specifically to foster ideas about inclusion and sustainability. If the Paris summit was any indication, the hope of sheltering AI from effective regulation won’t last long.

    Robert Diab 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. The Paris AI summit marks a tipping point on the technology’s safety and sustainability – https://theconversation.com/the-paris-ai-summit-marks-a-tipping-point-on-the-technologys-safety-and-sustainability-249706

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Eight Venezuelan Nationals Charged with Offenses Related to their Roles in a Transnational Commercial Sex Enterprise

    Source: US State of Vermont

    A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Middle District of Tennessee charging eight defendants with various offenses arising from their respective roles in a transnational commercial sex enterprise.

    According to court documents, the defendants, all of Venezuela, Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, 51; Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, 35; Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca, 39; Wilmarys Del Valle Manzano Solorzano, 22; Frankyanna Del Valle Romero-Rivero, 30; Endrik Alexander Morales-Rivero, 25; Jesus Enrique Castillo Rodriguez, 24; and Ariannys Beatriz Gutierrez-Carrillo, 24, operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking enterprise out of Nashville motels from July 2022 through March 2024.

    According to the indictment, once the defendants facilitated the victims’ arrival in the United States, the defendants utilized online commercial sex websites to post advertisements for the victims and then used the internet and their cellular phones to direct commercial sex buyers to engage in commercial sex with the victims at the motels before collecting the proceeds from that commercial sex for the defendants’ benefit.

    “This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We are coming after transnational criminal organizations like TdA, but this case shows that we will also do whatever it takes to stop those who would traffick women and girls no matter who is behind their suffering.”

    “The success of this operation to stop Tren da Aragua operating in our communities is a significant step forward in our ongoing battle against human trafficking and transnational organized crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville. “This investigation exemplifies the importance of collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in ending these crimes in our communities while leaving a trail of suffering in their wake.”

    “We will not allow TdA – or any criminal organization – to get a stronghold in Tennessee,” said Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. “We are thankful for our local, state, and federal partners who joined us in investigating this case, and we stand prepared to continue aggressively investigating human trafficking in our state, holding traffickers and buyers accountable and helping victims take their first steps toward becoming survivors.”

    “Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This devastating crime exploits vulnerable members of communities nationwide, including those in Tennessee. The FBI and our partners are committed to rescuing victims, investigating and prosecuting traffickers, and supporting survivors.”

    “While the focus of this investigation centers around human trafficking, Tren de Aragua is involved in all manner of criminal activity, to include the sale of narcotics and dangerous drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA)’s Louisville Division. “The dedicated men and women of DEA will continue to work side by side with our federal, state and local partners to rid our communities of the transnational criminal gangs, like TdA.”

    “The trafficking of human beings is abhorrent to all of us, it’s a modern-day form of slavery,” said Chief John Drake of the Metro Nashville Police. “I want to be very clear, our police department will always make human trafficking an investigative priority regardless of where the suspects are from and will work with our partners for an intentional and coordinated law enforcement response.”

    A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee previously returned the four-count indictment charging all eight defendants for their respective roles in facilitating the recruiting of young women from impoverished parts of Venezuela and other South and Central American countries, then facilitating their transportation across the U.S. southern border and across state lines to engage in commercial sex in the Nashville area.

    Three of the defendants — Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, and Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca — are additionally charged with a sex trafficking conspiracy for conspiring to use force, fraud, and coercion to compel the women into engaging in commercial sex acts for the defendants’ profit that include invoking alleged ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and its reputation for violence.

    The indictment further charges defendant Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.

    Mother and son defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero are charged with conspiring to impose a coercive debt scheme upon the victims to compel them to continue engaging in commercial sex acts until the defendants deemed their debts repaid. Defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero previously were arrested and detained on state charges relating to their conduct.

    If convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

    If convicted of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, Mota-Rivero also faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

    The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and additional federal, state, and local Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) partners who coordinated related law enforcement operations across multiple jurisdictions. OCDEFT identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Venezuelan Nationals Charged with Offenses Related to their Roles in a Transnational Commercial Sex Enterprise

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Middle District of Tennessee charging eight defendants with various offenses arising from their respective roles in a transnational commercial sex enterprise.

    According to court documents, the defendants, all of Venezuela, Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, 51; Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, 35; Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca, 39; Wilmarys Del Valle Manzano Solorzano, 22; Frankyanna Del Valle Romero-Rivero, 30; Endrik Alexander Morales-Rivero, 25; Jesus Enrique Castillo Rodriguez, 24; and Ariannys Beatriz Gutierrez-Carrillo, 24, operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking enterprise out of Nashville motels from July 2022 through March 2024.

    According to the indictment, once the defendants facilitated the victims’ arrival in the United States, the defendants utilized online commercial sex websites to post advertisements for the victims and then used the internet and their cellular phones to direct commercial sex buyers to engage in commercial sex with the victims at the motels before collecting the proceeds from that commercial sex for the defendants’ benefit.

    “This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We are coming after transnational criminal organizations like TdA, but this case shows that we will also do whatever it takes to stop those who would traffick women and girls no matter who is behind their suffering.”

    “The success of this operation to stop Tren da Aragua operating in our communities is a significant step forward in our ongoing battle against human trafficking and transnational organized crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville. “This investigation exemplifies the importance of collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in ending these crimes in our communities while leaving a trail of suffering in their wake.”

    “We will not allow TdA – or any criminal organization – to get a stronghold in Tennessee,” said Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. “We are thankful for our local, state, and federal partners who joined us in investigating this case, and we stand prepared to continue aggressively investigating human trafficking in our state, holding traffickers and buyers accountable and helping victims take their first steps toward becoming survivors.”

    “Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This devastating crime exploits vulnerable members of communities nationwide, including those in Tennessee. The FBI and our partners are committed to rescuing victims, investigating and prosecuting traffickers, and supporting survivors.”

    “While the focus of this investigation centers around human trafficking, Tren de Aragua is involved in all manner of criminal activity, to include the sale of narcotics and dangerous drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA)’s Louisville Division. “The dedicated men and women of DEA will continue to work side by side with our federal, state and local partners to rid our communities of the transnational criminal gangs, like TdA.”

    “The trafficking of human beings is abhorrent to all of us, it’s a modern-day form of slavery,” said Chief John Drake of the Metro Nashville Police. “I want to be very clear, our police department will always make human trafficking an investigative priority regardless of where the suspects are from and will work with our partners for an intentional and coordinated law enforcement response.”

    A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee previously returned the four-count indictment charging all eight defendants for their respective roles in facilitating the recruiting of young women from impoverished parts of Venezuela and other South and Central American countries, then facilitating their transportation across the U.S. southern border and across state lines to engage in commercial sex in the Nashville area.

    Three of the defendants — Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, and Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca — are additionally charged with a sex trafficking conspiracy for conspiring to use force, fraud, and coercion to compel the women into engaging in commercial sex acts for the defendants’ profit that include invoking alleged ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and its reputation for violence.

    The indictment further charges defendant Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.

    Mother and son defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero are charged with conspiring to impose a coercive debt scheme upon the victims to compel them to continue engaging in commercial sex acts until the defendants deemed their debts repaid. Defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero previously were arrested and detained on state charges relating to their conduct.

    If convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

    If convicted of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, Mota-Rivero also faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

    The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and additional federal, state, and local Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) partners who coordinated related law enforcement operations across multiple jurisdictions. OCDEFT identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: U.S. 6th Fleet Celebrates 75th Anniversary, 250th Navy birthday

    Source: United States Navy

    U.S. 6th Fleet held a joint celebration of its 75th anniversary and the Navy’s 250th birthday onboard its flagship, the Blue Ridge-Class Command and Control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) Feb. 12, 2025.

    Originally named U.S. Naval Forces, Mediterranean, U.S. Sixth Fleet was established February 12th, 1950. Sixth Fleet provides credible combat forces to Europe and Africa, promoting regional security and stability to ensure safety for the world’s oceans and sea lanes.

    “As we mark the 75th anniversary of the U.S. 6th Fleet, we honor the enduring legacy of our Sailors, past and present, who have worked tirelessly to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Mediterranean,” said Vice Adm. J.T. Anderson, Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet. “Sixth Fleet has been a cornerstone of U.S. Naval presence in Europe and Africa and we remain committed to defending our nation’s interests and upholding the principles of freedom and security that have guided us since our founding.”

    Sixth Fleet has enhanced transatlantic security through support to NATO, building partnership capacity and working with partners to promote trade and freedom, stop unlawful activity at sea, and ensure enduring relationships with allies.

    This year’s celebration coincides with the 250th birthday of the U.S. Navy, on Oct. 13. For 250 years, America’s Navy has promoted prosperity and security, deterred aggression, and protected the American way of life. The U.S. Navy, through Sixth Fleet, deploys its force of combat-ready Sailors, alongside Allies and partners, in waters and coasts throughout Europe and Africa.

    Gaeta served as the home of U.S. Sixth Fleet from 1967-2005 when it was united with U.S. Naval Forces Europe in Naples, Italy. One of the Navy’s first visits to Gaeta came in 1849 when Pope Pius IX visited former flagship USS Constitution. It marked the first time a Pope stepped foot on sovereign U.S. territory.

    Mount Whitney became Sixth Fleet’s flagship when it transited to Italy and relieved USS LaSalle (AGF 3) in 2005. The ship’s current Commanding Officer, Capt. Colin Price, assumed command Jan. 31.

    “Mount Whitney has proudly served as the Sixth Fleet Flagship for the last 20 years,” Price said.  “Our ship and crew enables the Sixth Fleet Commander to lead both U.S. and NATO forces at sea and deliver decision advantage to Vice Adm. Anderson and his staff. We’re honored to be a part of this team and to play a role in writing the next chapter in the Sixth Fleet’s storied history.”

    Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 89th INTERPOL General Assembly

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    23 – 25 November, Istanbul, Turkey

    The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and comprises delegates appointed by the governments of member countries.

    It meets once a year and takes all the major decisions affecting general policy, the resources needed for international cooperation, working methods, finances and programmes of activities. These decisions are in the form of resolutions.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Gabbard confirmation vote, Senator Coons tells colleagues ‘we cannot’ trust her to be Director of National Intelligence in speech on Senate floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, delivered remarks on the Senate floor yesterday opposing President Donald Trump’s nominee Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard was confirmed with solely Republican votes this morning.
    In his speech, Senator Coons highlighted how Gabbard’s confirmation poses a significant threat to the trust that is the foundation of our national security. He also raised significant concerns about Gabbard’s troubling past statements and actions undermining U.S. foreign policy. From defending whistleblower Edward Snowden, to blaming the U.S. and NATO for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to defending recently deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad—Senator Coons pointed out these actions make America less safe and are directly opposed to the efforts of our intelligence services. Gabbard has also become a favorite with Russian state media for her habit of spewing pro-Kremlin talking points.
    “Our nation faces massive threats that are growing day by day,” Senator Coons said on the floor. “Our nation is facing threats around the world from North Korea and Iran, from China and from Russia, and we need an intelligence service equipped to respond to these challenges. Can we trust Tulsi Gabbard to lead our intelligence services and to respond to these threats? I cannot, we cannot, and we should not.”
    At a time when the United States faces an increasingly hostile world and threats from Russia, China, Iran, and other adversaries, Senator Coons believes our nation needs intelligence leadership that protects and strengthens American interests. Gabbard has shown she is not up to this role, and the Senate should have rejected her nomination.
    A video and transcript of Senator Coons’ comments are available below.
    WATCH HERE.
    SENATOR COONS: Mr. President, trust––trust is at the very center of our national security. The trust that we share with allies and partners around the world, the trust that the American people have in us and in our armed services and in our intelligence services, the trust that vital allies have that causes them to share with us information about threats, challenges, opportunities—that’s the very foundation of our national security, and today I rise to warn my colleagues about the risks to our national security posed by the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence.
    As the Ranking Member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I have a significant involvement in our nation’s intelligence apparatus, and over the course of the confirmation hearings and the debate here on the floor about former Congresswoman Gabbard, I’ve concluded that she has an alarming record, revealed more fully in her confirmation hearings, but also in a review of her speeches, her travels, her positions as a Democrat, as a Congresswoman, as a candidate for president, as a supporter for President Trump. 
    She has gone quite a distance. She has defended Edward Snowden. Snowden is widely viewed by folks in our intelligence community, our national security apparatus, our armed forces, and many here as a traitor who betrayed some of the most important secrets that are critical to keeping the United States secure. She would not in her confirmation hearings answer the question: is Edward Snowden a traitor?
    Ms. Gabbard bemoaned the rise of [Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham] in Syria, which recently overthrew the brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad, without mentioning the fall of Assad. She mentioned how tragic it was that HTS overran Damascus, without mentioning the side benefit of the fall of a brutal dictator, and in her confirmation hearings repeatedly dodged questions about FISA and section 702, key tools for our intelligence community. All of this is in keeping with a long-standing record as an apologist for authoritarians and even enemies of the United States. She has repeatedly blamed the United States and NATO for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
    I will tell you as someone who is about to go to the Munich Security Conference this weekend with a broad and bipartisan delegation from this body and from the House, I will never forget being at the Munich Security Conference just before Russia invaded Ukraine, broad spectrum.
    They had been in Eastern Ukraine for years. They had occupied Crimea and then launched a war into the eastern part of Ukraine. It was days after the Munich Security Conference in February of 2022, that tens of thousands of Russian troops, whole divisions, poured over the line in a broad-spectrum invasion that included brutality against civilians, bombardment of the entire nation, ultimately—cruel acts of violence against women and children, fully documented in the press and courts around the world. And yet, Ms. Gabbard blamed the United States and NATO for provoking this invasion by Russia of a sovereign nation––a nation where the United States, in writing, guaranteed its sovereignty in the 1994 agreement that led to them giving up their nuclear weapons. 
    Ms. Gabbard visited Syria and met with Bashar al-Assad for several days in 2017 and relied on pro-Assad sources to cast doubt on the use of chemical weapons against his own people. She has a history of repeating pro-Kremlin talking points and is a favorite on Russian state media. She appears frequently because she frequently is attacking the United States in Russian state media.
    Mr. President, this body will all too soon take up the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard. We should not proceed. We should not vote for her. Our nation—our nation faces massive threats that are growing day by day. Our nation is facing threats around the world from North Korea and Iran, from China and from Russia, and we need an intelligence service equipped to respond to these challenges. Can we trust Tulsi Gabbard to lead our intelligence services and to respond to these threats? I cannot, we cannot, and we should not. This body should not vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as the next Director of National Intelligence. Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bienville Parish Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Committing Wire Fraud Involving the Cares Act and Paycheck Protection Program

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Shaquaila Lewis a/k/a Shaquaila Lewis-Chatman, 36, of Gibsland, Louisiana, has been sentenced on one count of wire fraud. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Lewis to 27 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date. 

    In March 2020 Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the CARES Act, the Small Business Administration (SBA) provided Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which were low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. The CARES Act also provided authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).

    Lewis devised a scheme to defraud the SBA and various financial institutions by falsifying PPP and EIDL Program loan applications, forms, and other documents, and submitting fraudulent loan applications. At the sentencing hearing, the court found that Lewis was responsible for over $1.1 million in loss as a result of multiple fraudulent loans involving herself and others.

    As an example, in February 2021, Lewis electronically submitted a false and fraudulent PPP application to Square Capital in the name of Perfect Memories Travel seeking approximately $20,833 in PPP funds. Lewis signed the application and falsely certified that the application and all information provided was true and accurate. Lewis falsely certified that the funds would be used “to retain workers and maintain payroll.” She also falsely certified that she had used the full loan amount from a prior PPP application submitted on behalf of Perfect Memories Travel only for eligible expenses. A few days later, Square Capital disbursed approximately $20,583 in loan benefits to a bank account held by Lewis, and she used those funds for personal expenses.

    The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg and Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard of the Department of Justice Criminal Division – Fraud Section.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brainerd Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl in the Brainerd Lakes Area

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Brainerd man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on August 1, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Brainerd that belonged to Dazaughn Ellis West, 28. Inside the unit, officers found between 13,000 and 15,000 pressed fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 2.8 pounds. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at West’s home in Brainerd, where they found an additional 150 grams of fentanyl pills, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber rifle, and distributable quantities of cocaine.

    On February 6, 2025, West was sentenced in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to 120 months’ imprisonment.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, Brainerd Police Department, and the Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division (LADID).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren O. Roso prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, Cromwell-Clyde Road

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police can confirm two people have died following a crash on State Highway 8/Cromwell-Clyde Road yesterday evening.

    The two-vehicle crash, involving a vehicle and a motorbike, was reported to emergency services at 5pm.

    Sadly, both the motorbike rider and the sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene.

    The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Secures $6 Million Judgment Against Unlicensed Cannabis Store in Brooklyn

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $6 million judgment against the owner of Big Chief Smoke Shop (Big Chief), an unlicensed cannabis store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Big Chief sold cannabis for more than a year without a license and ignored repeated orders by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and other law enforcement authorities to stop operating without a license. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and OCM obtained a judicial closing order that shut down Big Chief in December 2023. This judgment requires Big Chief’s owner to pay nearly $5.9 million in penalties for selling cannabis without a license and continuing to do so after being ordered by OCM to stop, $121,000 in disgorgement of illegal profits, and $44K in costs and attorney’s fees.

    “Rules and regulations, especially over the cannabis industry, are designed to protect New York consumers and keep neighborhoods safe,” said Attorney General James. “Big Chief Smoke Shop ignored repeated warnings to stop operating without a license and instead they kept their doors open, putting New Yorkers at risk. My office secured a $6 million judgment against the owners of Big Chief Smoke Shop for brazenly violating the law and disrupting the local community. Hopefully this judgment will serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can ignore our laws and endanger our communities.”

    “New Yorkers need and expect a safe, regulated cannabis market where business owners play by the rules,” said Senator Andrew Gounardes. “By repeatedly refusing to do the right thing, Big Chief did an immense disservice to our community in Bay Ridge and to all the licensed retailers operating in New York. I’m grateful to Attorney General James for holding Big Chief accountable. Let this be a message to all other retailers trying to skirt the law: New York will shut you down.”

    “Of all the unlicensed cannabis operators who worked to undermine the rollout of the legalized cannabis industry in New York, Big Chief was one of the worst bad actors I’ve seen,” said New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan. “Beyond endangering their customers and our community by selling untaxed, unregulated, and illegal products, they were bad neighbors who hosted illegal activity, frequently trashed the area outside their premises, and blatantly mocked and provoked residents, elected officials, and law enforcement in the press. People in Bay Ridge took notice – Big Chief was certainly not the only illegal cannabis store in our neighborhood, but they generated more complaints to my office, in the one-plus year they were open, than any other single legal or illegal establishment in my district since I took office in 2018. I am grateful to Attorney General James for making sure Big Chief must now pay for the price.”

    New York’s Cannabis Law requires any person who cultivates, processes, or sells any cannabis product to be registered and licensed by the New York State Cannabis Control Board. The law imposes a penalty of up to $10,000 for each day an individual sells cannabis without a license, and a penalty of up to $20,000 for each day an individual continues to sell cannabis after receiving an order to cease operating from OCM. Additional revenue-based civil penalties may also be imposed based on the amount of the unlicensed sales. The $6 million judgment against Big Chief Smoke Shop resulted from a combination of disgorgement, administrative fines, daily penalties, and revenue-based penalties for Big Chief’s unlicensed activities.

    Big Chief Smoke Shop had been selling cannabis without a license since at least November 2022. In August 2023, OCM and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) investigators conducted an inspection of Big Chief, confirmed Big Chief was selling cannabis without a license, and seized more than 400 pounds of cannabis and cannabis products. At the inspection, OCM served Big Chief with an order to stop operating without a license and posted the violation, cease order, and warning notices informing the public of the dangers of illicit cannabis on the front windows of the store.

    In a follow-up inspection in October 2023, OCM investigators observed that the violation, cease order, and warning documents OCM posted on the front windows of Big Chief were removed or covered over and that the store was still actively selling cannabis without a license. During the inspection, investigators seized more than 200 pounds of illicit cannabis and issued another violation notice and order to stop operating. OAG and OCM obtained a court order mandating the closure of Big Chief in December 2023.

    Cannabis products sold by unlicensed businesses are not lab tested by OCM-licensed facilities, can be unsafe to consume, and are not taxed. The OAG is authorized upon request by OCM to bring a proceeding against any person who violates the Cannabis Law.

    Attorney General James thanks OCM, DTF, and the governor for their collaboration.

    This is the latest judgment secured by Attorney General James against unlicensed cannabis stores in New York. In October 2024, Attorney General James and OCM secured a $9.5 million judgment against an unlicensed cannabis store owner in Ontario County. In May 2024, Attorney General James and OCM secured a $15.2 million judgment against the owner of seven unlicensed cannabis stores in upstate New York.

    This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Deborah Diamant of the Brooklyn Regional Office, under the supervision of Assistant Attorney General in Charge Michael Barbosa with support from Investigators Crystal Combs and Crystal John. Assistant Attorney General Rudolph Baptiste of the Suffolk Regional Office also assisted with this matter. The Division of Regional Affairs is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Jill Faber and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –