Source: United States Coast Guard
05/16/2025 07:16 PM EDT
For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac
Source: US Congressman Gabe Amo (Rhode Island 1st District)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today in the House Committee on the Budget, Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI) voted against on the disastrous Republican reconciliation package that would kick over 13 million people off their health care, gut food assistance for about 11 million people, and steal the dream of higher education from over 4 million Americans to fund tax breaks for billionaires.
“Rhode Islanders know that cutting health care and food assistance for millions of Americans to give the richest few an extra $82,000 a year is a bad deal,” said Congressman Gabe Amo, a Member of the House Committee on the Budget. “Some Republicans, however, think it does not cut enough, making clear once again that cruelty is their north star. Republicans are betraying working Americans to fund giant tax breaks for their billionaire buddies, so I voted against this bill.”
BACKGROUND
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police are investigating after a child was struck with an arrow in Palumpa yesterday.
Around 5:30pm, police received a report of a disturbance in Palumpa involving multiple people allegedly armed with weapons.
A short time later, local clinic staff contacted police advising a 4-year-old male child had been presented to the clinic by his mother, with an arrow protruding through his right foot.
The injuries are considered non-life-threatening and the child is being conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital for treatment.
Initial investigations indicate up to for males approached a residence, with one firing a crossbow through the front door, striking the child.
Police have identified the alleged offender and efforts are currently underway to locate him.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444 or to visit your local station.
Source: – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: More power to the people
Canada is entering the age of customer-owned power generation
By Phil McKay, Senior Director, Distributed Energy Resources and Grid Integration, Canadian Renewable Energy Association
Welcome to the new age of customer-owned power generation! The promise of making your own electricity, at your own apartment, house or business, is within reach. On-site, or Behind-the-Meter (BTM) solar and energy storage, can power your appliances, heating, cooling, cars and anything else you can think of. This can provide emergency backup power and protect against energy cost fluctuations. Smart BMS (Building Management Systems) can provide usage data and controls to improve your lifestyle and your business profitability.
So who is holding the key to unlocking these benefits? Your electricity utility.
Right now, Canada’s utility professionals are protecting customers by keeping costs low and reliability high. While wrestling with a whole new world of energy needs: People need more electricity because they are electrifying things that never used to get plugged in; data centres are changing the game; industrial processes are shifting.
The dominant, central power-production model that has been used to push huge amounts of electricity along transmission and distribution lines has already been disrupted. Wind, solar and energy storage are scalable solutions, allowing power-generation projects to contribute energy and services to the grid in hundreds of locations distributed across Canada.
Now, electricity grids need more resilience in the face of a changing climate, and they must meet new demands from customers connecting fleets of electric vehicles and power-hungry data centers. People want cleaner power and a more equitable distribution of infrastructure to support their communities.
As a result, we’re seeing the next disruption. Canada is about to cross the milestone of 100,000 solar projects installed behind meters by customers like you and me.
Over the past three years as the Executive Director of CanREA’s Electricity Transition Hub, I have learned a lot about Canada’s electricity utilities and system operators. We recently concluded this three-year capacity building project, supported by NRCan’s SREPs funding.
I’ve had the chance to work with dozens of utilities and system operators, helping them make sense of the overwhelming volume of information on the clean-energy transition, and bridge the gap between global learnings and Canada’s specific regional needs.
Continuing with CanREA as Senior Director, Distributed Energy Resources and Grid Integration, I will expand our work with utilities, system operators, regulators, government agencies and other organizations, while also addressing the next big disrupter: behind-the-meter (BTM) distributed energy resources (DERs).
I will work with CanREA’s growing BTM membership of solar installers, suppliers and supporting organizations, to address the barriers to a full-scale transformation of neighbourhoods, cities, industrial parks and rural networks.
At this moment in Canada’s future energy story, the ability to produce and manage power on-site is not available to everyone. There are financial barriers to upgrade a legacy system, both at the utility level and within Canada’s existing building stock.
There are also connection barriers, with some utilities having prohibitive requirements, or processes based on legacy-protection schemes. Unlocking every electricity meter in the country demands a standardized connection approach and financial mechanisms that allow everyone to participate.
There has been a lot of progress in some areas of the country. In other places, customers just can’t get at the same opportunities. I think everyone should have the opportunity to build, buy and grow their clean-energy lifestyle or business in their own way, through strong policies, supportive regulations and standards that keep everyone safe and empowered.
Until Canada’s net-zero emissions economy is within reach, the knowledge-transfer from global learnings to Canadian contexts will not be complete. That’s why I’m excited to work on these two complimentary programs: our Utility GRID Integration Program focuses on finding answers to some of the utility sector’s toughest questions; our BTM Program focuses on hearing from the ‘boots on the ground’ (or on the roof).
Contact us for more information on either of these two exciting programs and to learn more about membership options that work for you.
As CanREA’s new Senior Director, Distributed Energy Resources and Grid Integration, I am really looking forward to leading these two programs and supporting the industry in the months and years ahead, as we bring in learnings from around the world and chart the course for Canada’s just, affordable, resilient and clean power system of the future.
The post More power to the people appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
Source: United States Coast Guard
05/14/2025 06:35 PM EDT
For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
The United States of America celebrates May 11, 2025, through May 17, 2025, as National Police Week. The U.S. House of Representatives voted on three measures during National Police Week to help law enforcement:
U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) voted in favor of all three measures.
On Thursday, May 15, Congressman Griffith attended the 44th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The ceremony honored the country’s fallen law enforcement officers. During the ceremony, Vice President J.D. Vance delivered remarks. Second Lady Usha Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Border Czar Tom Homan also attended the Service.
The Service featured a roll call of the 147 fallen police officers who perished in the last year, including Smyth County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Hunter Reedy. In August of 2024, Deputy Reedy was killed by gunfire and his partner, Deputy Michael Fedorchuk, was injured. Deputy Reedy’s family participated in the Service while Smyth County Sheriff “Chip” Shuler and some of Deputy Reedy’s colleagues were in attendance.
Following the week of DC activities, Congressman Griffith issued the following statement:
“Many Virginia communities are equipped with safe streets and peaceful neighborhoods thanks to the firm support and care of our law enforcement officers. I will continue to ‘back the blue’, fight against efforts to defund the police and honor the courageous service of our law enforcement. My heart and prayers go out to the family of Deputy Reedy, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office and the greater law enforcement community of Southwest, Southside and Central Virginia. The emotional service at the Capitol demonstrates America’s rich culture in celebrating the contributions and sacrifices of law enforcement.”
BACKGROUND
Congressman Griffith submitted into the Congressional Record an Extension of Remarks honoring the courageous service of Deputy Hunter Reedy.
Congressman Griffith also requested a flag be flown over the U.S. Capitol.
Congressman Griffith presented Deputy Reedy’s family with a printed copy of the Congressional Record and the flag during a ceremony at the Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.
A copy of the remarks in the Congressional Record can be found here.
A video of Deputy Reedy’s name being called at the Memorial Service can be found here.
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Source: US Department of Energy
WASHINGTON—The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced new emergency actions to provide urgent and immediate assistance to the American citizens of Puerto Rico and strengthen the island’s failing power system. Just one month after Puerto Rico’s most recent island-wide blackout, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is issuing two emergency orders authorized by the Federal Power Act Section 202(c) to address critical grid security issues and improve grid resiliency. These orders, issued by the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order: Declaring a National Energy Emergency, will unlock emergency protocols and empower Puerto Rico’s government to address immediate problems plaguing the already fragile grid system and prevent further widespread outages ahead of peak summer demand season.
In addition to issuing the emergency orders, DOE’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO) will review the $365 million in funding from the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF) to ensure all DOE assistance is used to support practical fixes to the grid and benefits all residents of Puerto Rico.
“Access to energy is essential for all modern life, yet the current energy emergency jeopardizes Puerto Ricans’ access to basic necessities. This system is unsustainable, and our fellow citizens should not be forced to suffer the constant instability and dangerous consequences of an unreliable power grid,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “With President Trump’s leadership, we are prioritizing immediate and comprehensive actions that will mitigate the greatest threats to the grid and benefit a vastly larger portion of the population, including critical facilities like hospitals and community centers.”
“I thank President Trump and Secretary Wright for their leadership and commitment to address once and for all Puerto Rico’s energy emergency. This Administration clearly understands the urgency of the crisis and is utilizing available, existing emergency authorities to put words into action. With today’s Section 202(c) orders, we will have the necessary flexibilities to begin stabilizing our power grid infrastructure and ensure an affordable, secure, and reliable supply of energy for all of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million Americans,” said Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón. “Energy is essential for both the well-being of our citizens and the island’s economic development, particularly as we seek to attract investment and support the Administration’s re-shoring initiatives. I look forward to continuing our partnership, because when Puerto Rico thrives, America thrives.”
Puerto Rico’s electrical grid is facing an energy crisis, with insufficient reserve capacity and recent system-wide blackouts demonstrating its fragility and vulnerability. As Puerto Rico approaches the start of both the summer and hurricane season, challenges around balancing energy supply and demand, along with emergency preparedness, become paramount. Emergency protocols are necessary to address these issues and prevent further widespread outages.
The first emergency order directs the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to dispatch generation units necessary to expand baseload generation for the island and maintain grid reliability, closing the gap in generation shortfall. The second order directs PREPA to perform vegetation management activities, including the clearing of overgrown brush, trees, and vines that present risk of shortages and fire. This vegetation clearing to re-establish a right-of-way will help ensure operational availability of the Specified Transmission Facilities.
These emergency activities have been carefully coordinated with the Puerto Rican energy industry, FEMA, HUD, and DOE power experts to streamline efforts and ensure maximum effectiveness. Both Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón and Energy Czar of Puerto Rico Josué A. Colón-Ortiz have expressed strong support for these emergency activities. DOE is continuing to work closely with the Governor and all stakeholders to address Puerto Rico’s energy challenges. These collaborative efforts will continue to create a more secure and reliable energy future for all Puerto Ricans.
Learn more about the Federal Power Act section 202 (c).
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Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
WASHINGTON — An indictment unsealed May 16 in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf, following a groundbreaking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and joint law enforcement partner investigation.
“We will never allow criminal gangs and cartels to terrorize American communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. “The days of unchecked gang and cartel violence are over.”
“Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere.” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”
According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.
On Jan. 20, President Trump directed ICE, the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. ICE, DOJ and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.
“Supplying grenades to a designated terrorist organization — while trafficking firearms, narcotics, and human beings — is not just criminal; it’s a direct assault on the security of the United States,” said ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons. “Sanchez acted as a key enabler of violence who empowered cartels and terrorist organizations. Her crimes extended beyond smuggling; she was involved in firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Her actions endangered countless lives and undermined our efforts to protect the nation’s borders and communities. Confronting this level of criminality demands more than resolve — it requires a unified, all-of-government response, and that’s exactly what we demonstrated today: a coordinated effort to identify, disrupt, and bring to justice those who profit from violence and human suffering.”
“As alleged, the defendant engaged in multiple of the most insidious kinds of criminal activity: firearms trafficking, narcotics trafficking, human and bulk cash smuggling, and even providing grenades to CJNG,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the Criminal Division’s hard work and commitment to eliminate cartels and foreign terrorist organizations like CJNG.”
“The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that U.S. law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”
“The arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez should send a clear message to people who wish to align themselves with terrorist groups that they will be sought out and held to the highest extent of the law,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “I’m extremely proud of the dedicated men and women of the FBI and its law enforcement partners who work tirelessly every day to protect Americans and keep our communities safe.”
“The brutality and destruction inflicted by cartels and terrorist organizations is devastating communities across the United States and around the world,” said Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acting Director Dan Driscoll. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez demonstrates what international law enforcement cooperation can achieve when united against the threat posed by these violent networks. ATF and our partners will use every tool at our disposal to relentlessly hunt down, dismantle, and bring to justice every trafficker, every cartel operative, and every individual who dares to threaten the safety and sovereignty of our communities.”
“This case lays bare the true nature of the threat we face,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “A cartel associate providing support to a designated foreign terrorist organization is not just a criminal threat — it is a national security threat. DEA will use every tool of law enforcement to dismantle CJNG and its network that floods our streets with poison, traffics in human lives, and wages violence against law and order. We are not just keeping our communities safe from dangerous, illegal drugs — we are fighting a national security crisis.”
Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs. ICE Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, the FBI, ATF, and DEA assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, investigated the case. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.
Human smuggling is a multibillion-dollar industry for transnational criminal organizations that do not value human safety and take advantage of vulnerable people. HSI investigates human smuggling networks that pose a national security and public safety risk, jeopardize lives, or engage in violence, abuse, or extortion.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, CBP, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and the El Paso Police Department.
Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-DHS-2-ICE. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: US GOIAM Union
IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) District 142 members who are Network Operations Control Customer Planners (NOCs) announced a tentative agreement with Southwest Airlines, marking a significant milestone in the union’s efforts to deliver strong first contracts across the airline industry.
The IAM members are part of the Southwest Customer Service Employees, also known as Passenger Service Employees (PSEs), which is the class and craft of employees. PSEs process passengers at the airport and handle customer reservations.
This tentative agreement is the first for the NOC group after a majority of the workgroup signed authorization cards to join the IAM in 2024. It reflects months of negotiations and represents a major step forward in recognizing the essential work performed by these professionals in maintaining and enhancing Southwest’s operational network.
The 2.5-year tentative agreement includes:
Click here for full highlights of the agreement.
“An industry-leading IAM Union contract is exactly what our newest Southwest Airlines members have earned,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “Southwest Airlines’ NOCs are critical to the carrier’s everyday operations – and we couldn’t be prouder to have delivered this agreement for our members and their families.”
“These members know just how important they are to Southwest Airlines, and this industry-leading first contract will set the stage for many years to come,” said IAM District 142 President/Directing General Chair John M. Coveny, Jr. “I am especially proud of our negotiating team. Their dedication and commitment to their fellow members were unmatched, and this agreement resulted from their hard work.”
“As a Southwest Customer Service employee, I know that our power grows when we have more members in the IAM family,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser. “This agreement sets a new standard in the industry and shows all airline workers the true power of North America’s largest airline union.”
“It was a pleasure to work with Southwest NOCs in their successful quest for a first agreement,” said IAM Airline Coordinator Tom Regan. “We’re excited to build on this momentum and continue to grow our bargaining strength at Southwest and throughout the airline industry.”
IAM District 142 represents thousands of airline industry workers across the United States and continues to lead the way in securing strong contracts and workplace protections.
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Source: US State of Colorado
Lt. Governor Inducted into Delta Omega National Honorary Society in Public Health
AURORA — Yesterday, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera was officially inducted as an Honorary Member of the Delta Omega National Honorary Society in Public Health at the Colorado School of Public Health’s 2025 Awards Banquet, held at the Anschutz Health Sciences Building in Aurora.
The Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Delta Omega, housed within the Colorado School of Public Health, selected Lt. Governor Primavera for her lifelong commitment to advancing health equity, public policy, and patient advocacy in Colorado and beyond. In addition to serving as Lt. Governor, she serves as the Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care. Under her leadership, the Office has championed cutting health care costs through reinsurance, the Colorado Option, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, capping the cost of insulin, and more.
In her remarks, Lt. Governor Primavera spoke about the personal and professional path that brought her to public service — a path shaped in part by her experience facing cancer four times and her steadfast belief that no one should have to fight for care or face illness alone.
“This recognition means so much to me because I know the power of public health — not just from a policymaking standpoint, but as someone whose life has been directly shaped by it,” said Lt. Governor Primavera and Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care. “I’ve always believed that health care is a human right, and I’m honored to join a community that works every day to make that belief a reality.”
The event celebrated the achievements of students, alumni, faculty, and public health professionals who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, research, and service. Lt. Governor Primavera also highlighted her administration’s collaborative work with the School of Public Health — including a first-of-its-kind Long COVID surveillance system designed to assess the burden of the condition on Coloradans and guide targeted responses.
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Source: US Marshals Service
Denver, CO – The U.S. Marshals Service Colorado Violent Offender Task Force located and arrested a Lakewood homicide suspect Wednesday night in Colorado Springs.
Philix Baca, 20, is wanted by the Lakewood Police Department (LPD) on a felony arrest warrant for first-degree murder in connection to the April 13, 2024 shooting death of a 14-year-old male in Lakewood. A warrant for Baca’s arrest was issued on April 15, 2024. In the days following the homicide, multiple co-defendants were apprehended, but Baca fled and had been on the run since.
On Wednesday, Task Force Officers (TFOs) from LPD’s Special Enforcement Team (SET) who are assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service’s Colorado Violent Offender Task Force (COVOTF) in Denver developed information indicating Baca may be in the Colorado Springs area. The LPD TFOs joined Deputy U.S. Marshals in Colorado Springs as well as other COVOTF TFOs from the Fountain Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to set up a surveillance operation. While conducting surveillance, a person matching Baca’s description was observed exiting a vehicle and going inside a residence in the 5000 block of Whimsical Drive in Colorado Springs. COVOTF investigators then obtained a search warrant for the residence.
Due to the violent nature of the case and the potential of the suspect being armed, COVOTF investigators requested assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU) in contacting the residence. CSPD TEU executed the search warrant at the residence and Baca was safely taken into custody.
Baca was transported to the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center where he was booked on the outstanding homicide warrant.
The success of this arrest represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between the Lakewood Police Department, U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force, Colorado Springs Police Department, Fountain Police Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Colorado Violent Offender Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional fugitive task force that targets the most violent offenders to include those wanted for murder, assault, sex offenses, and other serious offenses throughout the state and country. Nationally, the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.
Tips can be submitted to the U.S. Marshals Service directly and anonymously by downloading the USMS Tips app to your Apple or Android device. You can also follow the latest news and updates about the U.S. Marshals Service on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter); @USMarshalsHQ or @USMSDenver.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Central Bank of Russia –
Why do we need a digital ruble, will it become mandatory and what will a single QR code give us?
And yet, in the financial sphere, we are ahead of the rest of the world! Well, or at least among the world leaders. The financial sphere is one of the most technologically advanced in Russia, many countries would envy such a level of development of payment technologies. Large banks are actively introducing innovations that change and simplify our lives.
And the rules of the game in this market are set by the Central Bank. And it also creates new entities. For example, the same digital ruble. What changes await us in the coming years? And how will this affect our wallets? Zulfiya Kakhrumanova, Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia, spoke about this and much more in an exclusive interview with KP.RU.
THE THIRD FORM OF THE RUSSIAN CURRENCY
— You are responsible for digitalization at the Central Bank. There are many conspiracy theories surrounding it. Everyone is especially scared by the digital ruble. Can you briefly explain what it is?
— It’s simple. The digital ruble is another form of Russian currency. It will circulate alongside cash and non-cash rubles. At the same time, all forms will be absolutely equivalent: just as 1 ruble in cash is equivalent to 1 non-cash ruble now, so 1 digital ruble will be equivalent to each of them. And what’s important is that the choice of what to use remains with the person.
— Why do we need a digital ruble in principle?
— For citizens — for free transfers. For businesses — to reduce the costs of accepting payments, because the commissions are several times lower than for cards.
— Now transfers have essentially become free. We can transfer up to 30 million rubles a month between our accounts in different banks…
— Yes, you can. And you can transfer digital rubles without commissions not only to yourself, but also to other people, and any amount that you have in your digital wallet. In addition, this is also a very convenient transfer service according to your rules and conditions using smart contracts.
— Sounds like something on cryptocurrency (it is believed that smart contracts became famous after being used on the platform of the second largest cryptocurrency, Ethereum, — Ed.)…
— That’s what you think. In fact, a smart contract is an opportunity to perform certain actions, including payments, according to a predetermined algorithm, with specific conditions. For example, if you want your parents’ account to be automatically replenished from your account when a certain minimum balance is reached. Or if a company wants payment to occur only upon delivery of goods. Not in advance and not after the fact. This is also a smart contract that guarantees a safe transaction for both parties.
– Why can’t this be organized in the banking sector? Do they really lack the technological capabilities?
— It is possible in the banking sector. But each bank has its own product. Different people and different companies can have different banks. For such transactions, they need to be integrated with each other.
And the digital ruble platform is unified. Everyone will be connected to it. It will be possible to receive different types of services through different banks. And at the same time, you won’t have to constantly transfer money between your accounts in different banks. In this sense, smart contracts are a new technological service that will develop our payment infrastructure, complement it, adding convenience to people.
WHEN IS THE MASS LAUNCH?
— Can hackers steal our digital rubles?
— The platform implements the highest levels and means of information protection, data protection from possible fraudulent schemes. It is simply impossible to steal them.
At the same time, if a person transferred digital rubles to a fraudster, then the wallets of the owner of the money and the fraudster can be quickly identified. Because the scheme of transferring money from bank to bank to confuse the tracks and drag out time will not work, because both wallets are on the same platform. This will help to quickly take appropriate measures.
— The introduction of the digital ruble was recently postponed. When will it appear now?
— As such, it has already been implemented. We are testing on real digital rubles, and it continues. We have postponed the mass launch. I would like to emphasize that the mass launch means a must for banks: they will have to provide the ability to pay with digital rubles. Each person will decide voluntarily whether to use this opportunity or not.
Currently, about 2.5 thousand citizens are participating in our pilot. We want to attract many times more. Plus, we are discussing various technological aspects with banks, the government, and corporations. By the end of the year, we will determine the date of the mass launch. The digital ruble is a payment technology platform with huge potential. There are many prospects for using digital rubles. We are already planning services that would be impossible without such a unified infrastructure.
— Is it true that at some point they will start paying pensions, benefits, salaries to public sector employees, and so on in digital rubles? For example, as it was with the MIR card.
— No, we have no such plans. The digital ruble is an addition, an opportunity for voluntary choice. If a person does not want to use it, he will continue to use the services he is used to.
WITH NEW CODE!
— Speaking of services. Digital payments have become commonplace for many Russians. Making a transfer takes five seconds. Even the sanctions have hardly complicated our lives. Yes, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay don’t work, but we didn’t have to carry the card for long. Stickers, QR codes, and so on have appeared…
— We have a systematic movement to simplify the lives of citizens and businesses. Including through the provision of a large number of remote payment channels. You can pay with cards, through the Fast Payment System, by QR code. You can forget your card at home or not carry it with you on principle.
— It turns out that we are following the Chinese path. There, almost all purchases are paid for with the help of Qiar…
— It cannot be said that we are exactly following the Chinese path. But this is a global trend — to simplify life when making not only payments, but also any of our actions in any spheres. We have already gotten used to this convenience. It seems that just a little bit more, and we will be controlling applications on our phone with the help of artificial intelligence by moving our eyes.
— True, sometimes difficulties arise. You come to a cafe with only your phone, and at the checkout it turns out that the QR code is not suitable or cannot be read. Why does this happen?
— This is due to the fact that this particular point may not accept your bank’s payment service, which you are used to paying with. In this case, you need to look for a card, cash, or make a transfer.
— Are there many ways to pay now? Sometimes you go to a self-service checkout and there are a bunch of options — a card, SBP, QR code, some Pay, and so on. You don’t know where to press…
— Yes, now there are three or even five options on average at a point. Each bank has the right to issue its own QR, set its own rules and standards. In this case, if you use the payment service of another bank, and your bank does not have integration with the bank that provided this service on the payment terminal, then, in fact, you may be denied payment via QR.
– What to do with this? It’s like a plug and socket problem…
— Yes, that’s right. And, in our opinion, there shouldn’t be such problems. QR should be uniform and recognized by any payment service that you have on your phone. That’s why we are currently working on creating a universal QR that will work according to a single standard. Then you won’t have to think about what exactly to attach to the payment terminal. Point the phone camera, press the “Pay” button and move on.
— What about cashback? Will it remain? After all, banks only give cashback when paying with a card, they don’t credit it when using QR code…
— If you are used to paying with a payment service of a certain bank that returns you cashback, then nothing will change. Let’s say you pay at gas stations with a certain card, receiving bonuses, reducing your fuel costs. You will continue to use the payment service of this bank. Universal QR does not cancel all the payment services you are used to. It gives you an entry point, and there you decide for yourself what you would like to pay with at this point.
— So, there will be some kind of single entrance? And then it will be possible to choose how to pay?
— Yes, it will always be one QR at the checkout. You scan it with your phone camera, and a payment page appears with different options: pay with SBP, digital rubles, or bank payment services. You choose and pay in the way that is most convenient or profitable for you. With subsequent purchases, the last three services that you are used to working with will appear at the very beginning of the list. This is maintaining the customer journey and adapting this page to you.
SINGLE RAIL FOR MONEY MOVEMENT
— Some large banks are resisting the introduction of a single QAR. Why?
— Large banks periodically don’t like what we do. But we have different missions. It is important for us that it is convenient for citizens and businesses, so that they do not overpay for services, do not find themselves in a situation where they have no right to choose. It is important for us to ensure this right to choose. And those banks that can dictate their terms, rules, and tariffs resist a single QUAR. The willingness to switch to uniform rules and tariffs for them looks like a potential loss of income.
— That is, now they take a certain percentage from businesses for this service, but with a single QR they will lose this profit?
— Universal QR provides equal rules and opportunities for everyone. For businesses, there will be a fee for the payment service. But it will not be set by a specific bank, these will be uniform tariffs.
— So, like with the Fast Payment System? If earlier banks could have any fees for transfers to other banks, now we have unification and a free limit…
— Yes, these are such unified rails. Moreover, if in the future we need to roll out some new technological function inside this QR, it will happen quite quickly — in two or three weeks. And it will be available to all participants at once. This is a unified technology based on the infrastructure of the National Payment Card System (NSPK). It will allow everyone to have the same connection rules, the same standards, the same technological components. And taking a commission in our time for a transfer that costs banks practically nothing, it looks, to put it mildly, strange.
— Plus, it certainly affects the companies’ expenses. Compare the 2–3% that a business pays to a bank for acquiring (a service that allows accepting payments from clients) when paying by card, and 0.5% if the client pays via the SBP. The difference is significant…
– Yes, this is especially important for small businesses.
— Where else can this QR code be used?
— It can be any type of service that is interesting for entrepreneurs. Any type of parking, tips, various types of payments in e-commerce. Many different areas. The unified infrastructure of the universal QR allows each new service to be quickly replicated without adding costs to all participants.
— When is it planned to introduce it?
— Discussions are underway now. In the near future, the date will be determined and written into the law.
Tricky Question
— And how do these ideas appear in the Central Bank? They are often quite advanced. And many people are hostile to them. Well, we lived normally without digital rubles and all these QR codes and smart contracts…
— We look at technological trends and international experience. We analyze how the market is developing in our country. The services that we have now are super-technological. If we look at how Europeans live, how they work in other countries, we will see that many services that we have long been accustomed to are not there. We predict what will be in demand in the coming years, take into account the demands of market participants, analyze the experience of neighboring industries. We understand what we need to respond to proactively, calculate how this will develop and create competitive conditions for this.
Evgeny Belyakov, Komsomolskaya Pravda
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HTTPS: //vv. KBR.ru/Press/Event/? ID = 24607
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
Washington, May 16, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) released the following statement regarding the provision House Republicans included in their tax bill to let President Trump revoke tax-exempt status from charities and nonprofits — without due process:
“Hidden deep in the Republican tax bill is one of the worst provisions I’ve ever seen: it would allow Donald Trump to weaponize the IRS and punish nonprofits he doesn’t like. That’s a direct hit on reproductive rights, climate, veterans’ services, and civic organizations across the country — just to name a few. I’ll be voting against this authoritarian nonsense if this bill reaches the House floor.”
House Republicans advanced the tax bill through the House Ways and Means Committee after rejecting every Democratic amendment — including Rep. Gomez’s proposals to ensure billionaires pay their fair share, support paid leave, protect health care coverage for working moms and kids, and make housing more affordable. The bill includes sweeping tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy while slashing Medicaid and food assistance for working families. It could reach the House floor as soon as next week.
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Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the XVI International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2025”.
Alexey Overchuk held a meeting with the Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar
During the conversation, a keen exchange of opinions took place on the current state and prospects for the development of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Afghanistan.
Both sides noted significant potential for growth in trade volumes. “For the full development of trade and economic cooperation between our countries, it is important to ensure stable and predictable conditions for business interaction,” said Alexey Overchuk, noting the need to work on the formation of a regulatory framework for bilateral interaction.
“We are convinced that sustainable development and stability in Afghanistan are in the interests of the entire Eurasian region,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
In turn, Abdul Ghani Baradar noted the high interest of the Afghan Government in the comprehensive development of trade and economic ties with Russia, including joint projects that will allow the realization of Afghanistan’s transport and logistics potential and strengthen economic connectivity in Eurasia.
The parties agreed to establish a regular interdepartmental dialogue to discuss the parameters for implementing projects in various sectors of the economy and increasing the volume of mutual trade.
Following the intergovernmental meeting, a number of bilateral documents were signed, including a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in the field of transport and transit.
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Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
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Vitaly Savelyev took part in the panel discussion “International Transport Corridor “North-South”” within the framework of the XVI International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2025”
Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev took part in the panel discussion “International North-South Transport Corridor” within the framework of the XVI International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2025”. The session was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, Minister of Transport Roman Starovoit, head of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov, Governor of the Astrakhan Region Igor Babushkin, representatives of the project partner countries and the international business community.
Decree of the President of Russia dated May 7, 2024 No. 309 sets the task of increasing the volume of transportation along the ITC by at least one and a half times by 2030 compared to 2021 figures by increasing the global competitiveness of routes. The development of the North-South ITC is aimed at solving this problem.
In November 2024, by decree of the President, Vitaly Savelyev was appointed special representative of the President for the development of the North-South ITC; by order of the President, a special working group was also formed under the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Over the past three years, the Russian side has managed to make significant progress in developing the infrastructure of the North-South international transport corridor and in organizing transportation along its routes.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that intensive work continues on all sections of the corridor. This demonstrates the interest of Russia and partner countries in continuing active cooperation in developing the North-South ITC.
In particular, the practical implementation of the project for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line in Iran, 162 km long, has started. The day before, on May 15 of this year, a ceremonial handover by the Iranian Government of the first land plots for engineering and survey work was held in the Iranian province of Gilan. The construction of the Rasht-Astara line will ensure uninterrupted transit from Ust-Luga to Bandar Abbas and the transportation of at least 15 million tons of cargo per year.
“Today, the North-South transport corridor is acquiring strategic importance for trade with the countries of South Asia, Africa through friendly states of the Transcaucasus, the Caspian region, and Central Asia. When the North-South corridor starts operating at full capacity, the route from Ust-Luga to Bandar Abbas will be reduced from 30-45 days to 15-20. Cargo turnover last year amounted to more than 24 million tons, we feel obvious potential and prospects for its increase,” noted Vitaly Saveliev.
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Translation. Region: Russian Federal
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Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the prospective development of electric power in the Far Eastern Federal District. On the left is Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, on the right is Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov
Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the prospective development of the electric power industry in the Far Eastern Federal District. The meeting was attended by Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov, representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development, heads of Far Eastern regions and representatives of energy companies.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin set the task of creating the best conditions in Russia for doing business in the Far East. The investment attractiveness of the region is largely determined by the cost of providing electricity. We have gathered to make the necessary decisions,” Yuri Trutnev opened the meeting.
The issues of supporting the energy market were discussed. Since January 1, 2025, the phased launch of the energy market has begun in the territory of the United Energy System of the East (Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Amur Oblast, Yakutia and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast). The expected effect of the launch of the energy market is the opportunity to use market instruments to attract investment in the construction and modernization of generating capacities on a competitive basis. On the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, this process should be carried out with the condition of not allowing electricity prices for consumers to rise above the Russian average. Thanks to the measures taken, including maintaining tariff regulation for most of the cheap electricity from hydroelectric power plants, actual prices for consumers in the first months of the energy market’s operation this year were 5-6% lower than the Russian average. Compared to the same period last year, the price in this territory increased by 10% with an average Russian growth of 14%.
The deficit of generating capacities limits further development of the macro-region economy. In accordance with the instructions of the President of Russia, unprecedented conditions for economic development have been created in the Far East, thanks to which the implementation of more than 2.9 thousand investment projects with a total investment volume of 10.2 trillion rubles has been launched. More than 900 enterprises with an investment volume of 5.2 trillion rubles have already been put into operation. Work to attract investments has already given and will continue to form a large load on the electric power infrastructure of the macro-region. According to Rosstat, the growth of electricity consumption in the Far East over the past 10 years has amounted to 26%, which is twice as high as the Russian average. It is predicted that by 2030 this figure will be 5% annually, which is also more than twice as high as the Russian average. At the same time, by 2030, in order to eliminate the predicted deficit of electric energy and capacity in the territory of the Far Eastern Federal District energy systems, it is necessary to build approximately 2.2 GW of thermal power plant capacity and at least 1.7 GW of renewable energy sources.
During the meeting, issues of updating the list of new investment projects implemented in the Far East and their inclusion in the scheme and program for the development of Russian electric power systems for 2026–2031 were discussed. Work to determine the need to build generating capacities to supply energy to new investment projects is being carried out by the Ministry of Energy jointly with the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Ministry of Economic Development, as well as constituent entities of the Russian Federation and JSC SO UES.
As noted by the Minister of Energy Sergey Tsivilev, on the instructions of the President of Russia, an Energy Strategy for the period up to 2050 has been developed. The document was approved by the Government in April of this year. As part of the implementation of the Energy Strategy, two fundamental planning documents for the long-term development of the electric power industry have been developed and approved: the General Scheme for the Placement of Electric Power Facilities until 2042 and the Scheme and Program for the Development of Electric Power Systems of Russia for Six Years, which is approved annually. The System Operator of the Unified Energy System, as the competence center for planning the long-term development of the electric power industry, collects data on current needs and determines the forecast demand of regions for electricity and electric capacity for the development and subsequent updating of these documents.
On the instructions of Yuri Trutnev, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, together with the regions, carried out work to update new investment projects not included in the long-term planning documents in order to determine the need to build generation for their energy supply. The Far Eastern regions have declared about 500 additional investment projects with a total required capacity of almost 8 GW. Of these, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, together with JSC KRDV, verified 138 projects with a total required capacity of 2.7 GW until 2030. In order to continue work on assessing the need to build new generating capacities, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, the Ministry of Economic Development and the System Operator will work out the issue of taking into account additional verified projects in the medium-term forecast for electricity consumption and capacity. Also, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, the Ministry of Energy and the Far Eastern regions will work out the regulatory consolidation of additional criteria for accounting for investment projects in long-term planning documents and corresponding liability measures to guarantee demand for electricity and capacity.
Yuri Trutnev instructed the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Energy and the System Operator to finalize the algorithm for selecting investment projects that require the construction of generation facilities to supply them with energy.
Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Alexey Chekunkov reported on the work being done to provide benefits of preferential regimes of the Far East and the Arctic for generating companies: “Implementation of investment projects for the creation of generation under preferential regimes will reduce the financial burden on investors and the final cost of electricity for consumers, and shorten the implementation time of such projects. The Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, JSC KRDV, together with investors, are assessing the necessary conditions and the effectiveness of using preferential regimes for each project included in the general scheme.”
Yuri Trutnev instructed the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East to work out the issue of providing benefits for preferential regimes in the Far East and the Arctic for generating companies together with the Ministry of Finance and to report on the situation in the near future. The Ministry of Energy, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East together with the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District were instructed to organize monitoring of the creation of energy capacities for investment projects. “We must monitor how construction is progressing and do everything possible to reduce the time for commissioning energy facilities,” emphasized Yuri Trutnev.
According to the Ministry of Energy, in recent years, the Eastern IES has seen a steady increase in electricity consumption by an average of 5%, which is in line with the forecast figures. Over the next 18 years, the Far East is expected to maintain growth rates of electricity consumption that exceed the Russian average. Thus, in 2024–2030, it is forecast to be 4.9% (2.1% in the country) and 1.38% (0.94% in the country) in subsequent periods. At the end of 2024, the Ministry of Energy approved the scheme and program for the development of Russian electric power systems for 2025–2030. The government approved the General Scheme for the placement of electric power facilities until 2042. In the near future, the Ministry of Energy will submit proposals to clarify the program, dividing it into periods up to 2030, 2036 and 2042.
According to Yuri Trutnev, plans to create new energy capacities should not only take into account the needs of investment projects already being implemented and planned for implementation, but also create a surplus of electricity in the Far Eastern regions.
The meeting considered projects for the construction and reconstruction of generating and power grid facilities in the Far Eastern Federal District to prevent a shortage of electric energy and capacity. In particular, the discussion focused on the implementation of the macroregion’s hydroelectric potential and the construction of geothermal power plants, as well as the expansion of the Primorskaya GRES and the implementation of promising projects for the construction of coal-fired power generation in the Far Eastern Federal District.
It was noted that currently PJSC Rosseti, in accordance with the President’s instruction, has begun implementing measures related to the unification of the parallel synchronous operation of the power systems of Siberia and the East. Also among the largest projects that are under implementation, the construction of a 500 kV substation and a 500 kV energy transit Primorskaya GRES – Varyag for the transmission of additional capacity to the south of Primorsky Krai was named. Work is underway to supply electricity to large industrial facilities, including the Albazinskoye non-ferrous metal deposit, the Kultuminsky and Udokan mining and processing plants and other enterprises.
The development of hydropower was discussed. The general scheme for the placement of electric power facilities provides for the construction of five hydroelectric power plants and one pumped-storage power plant with a total installed capacity of 3.8 GW in the Far East: Nizhne-Zeyskaya HPP (400 MW), Kankunskaya HPP (1000 MW), Nizhne-Nimanskaya HPP (300 MW), Mokskaya HPP (1200 MW), Ivanovskaya HPP (210 MW) and Primorskaya PSPP (600/662 MW). Currently, design and estimate documentation is being developed for the Nizhne-Zeyskaya HPP, a declaration of intent to build is being developed for the Primorskaya PSPP, and such a declaration has already been developed for the Nizhne-Nimanskaya HPP. For other plants, the previously developed design and estimate documentation needs to be updated. In addition to the power engineering facilities already included in the general scheme, the Far East has a huge hydroelectric potential, which allows for the construction of at least 10 more hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of about 7.5 GW. For its effective development, a mechanism is needed to ensure the return of investments in the construction of hydroelectric power plants with the required profitability. Such a mechanism was previously in effect for hydroelectric power and has now been extended for nuclear power. Another extremely important issue is the provision of financing for the construction of hydroelectric power plant reservoirs, which are federal property.
The construction of nuclear power plants was considered. In Primorsky Krai, a 2 GW nuclear power plant is planned. The possibility of building a nuclear power plant in Khabarovsk Krai is being discussed. A low-power nuclear power plant is being built in the village of Ust-Kuyga in the Ust-Yansky District of Yakutia. In Chukotka, the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant operates. It generates 60% of the electricity of the Chaun-Bilibinsky power hub, covering the needs of mining enterprises and ensuring grid stability.
“Our task is to choose the optimal method of obtaining electricity in terms of the final cost of a kilowatt-hour. For example, we have already said that nuclear power plants will be built in Primorsky Krai. But at the same time, this region has both coal and gas plants – this combination provides maximum efficiency. Hydropower generation and renewable energy sources should also be used in the Far East. In general, the hydro potential of our country is estimated at 250 GW, while in reality only 50 are used. In addition, there is a program for the complete modernization of existing power plants, which not only allows for an extension of their service life, but also in some cases increases capacity by up to 20%,” said Sergei Tsivilev, emphasizing the importance of joint work with the heads of the Far Eastern regions, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Ministry of Energy.
Yuri Trutnev drew the special attention of the leadership of the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, and the heads of the Far Eastern Federal District regions to the need to work out issues of using renewable energy sources.
“Today, the issues of energy supply to the Far East were discussed. Today, the growth of energy consumption in the Far East is twice as high as the average Russian rate, which corresponds to the task set by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin for the accelerated development of the macro-region. In my opinion, the work of the Ministry of Energy is carried out professionally: there is an understanding of how this work will be managed. There is a lot of work ahead. There are “narrow points” related to the selection of investment projects. On the one hand, we must provide all investment projects with electricity. And on the other hand, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance must be confident that all declared projects will be implemented, the energy capacities will be in demand and will bring profit to the budget of the Russian Federation. But we need to strive to ensure that we cover the needs for electricity with a reserve,” Yuri Trutnev summed up.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The government has expanded the list of areas within the framework of the implementation of the Guillotine 2.0 project, which is aimed at revising and reducing mandatory requirements for the construction and operation of social infrastructure facilities. The project has been implemented since 2024 in such areas as “School”, “Redevelopment (re-equipment) of premises”, “Hospital”, “Runway (airport)”, “Hotel”. To these have been added “Organization of cultural events” and “Development and improvement of the availability of infrastructure for sports”.
“The idea of the “regulatory guillotine” is to reduce redundant and irrelevant norms and rules. The business community is actively involved in this work. Together, we have already reviewed over 300 thousand mandatory requirements, and more than a third of them have been cancelled. Now we have moved on to more targeted work in individual areas with the aim of further reducing administrative barriers to the implementation of social projects,” commented Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko.
For example, within the framework of the “Hotel” direction, the period for checking the grounds for putting a land plot up for auction has been reduced from two months to one. And within five days, the winner of the auction will be required to send a signed contract for the sale and purchase or lease of the land plot. The corresponding changes have been made to the Land Code.
By September 2025, a simplified procedure for connecting to power grids will become available for hotels with 120–200 rooms (medium-sized hotels with energy consumption of up to 670 kW), as is currently the case for facilities with energy consumption of up to 150 kW. The period for reviewing an application for technological connection will be reduced from 20 to 10 days.
A number of changes are planned within the framework of the direction “Organization of cultural events” and “Development and improvement of accessibility of infrastructure for sports activities”. For example, the Government has lifted restrictions on the frequency of free visits to parks, museums and exhibitions for large families. Now large families can visit them free of charge at any convenient time when the institution is open. This rule has become uniform throughout the country. The corresponding Government resolution has already been issued. Also, within the framework of the project, it is planned to eliminate excessive requirements for the preservation of cultural heritage sites. Applications for assignment of sports titles can be submitted electronically.
Large-scale work to revise mandatory requirements for carrying out business activities (the so-called regulatory guillotine) began in 2019 on the instructions of the President. It is carried out jointly with business representatives and the expert community – 43 industry groups have been created. They analyze both old and new mandatory requirements for their redundancy and irrelevance. According to business communities, the annual economic effect of the “regulatory guillotine” is about 200 billion rubles. These groups are also actively involved in the new project – “Guillotine 2.0”.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for violent crime violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Patrick Lee Bridgewater, 22, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 16, 2025.
According to court documents, on April 14, 2023, local law enforcement officers responded to a report of an armed robbery in progress at the Speedy Stop on College Street in Beaumont. Witnesses reported two men entered the store and demanded money from the clerk at gunpoint. A description of the men and the vehicle they fled in was broadcast to law enforcement. The vehicle was quickly located traveling eastbound on College Street. A traffic stop was initiated, but the vehicle evaded police resulting in a high-speed chase eventually ending in Nederland. Bridgewater was a passenger in the vehicle, which had been reported stolen and was being driven by a minor. Evidence from the robbery was found in the vehicle.
This case was sentenced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by FBI’s Beaumont field office and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Crane Regional Defense Group hosted its annual Connect to Mission (C2M) event at the WestGate Academy last week in Odon, Indiana, spotlighting the strategic priorities of NSWC Crane’s Global Deterrence & Defense Department. The event served as a high-impact forum for collaboration among defense leaders, elected officials, and industry partners working to advance U.S. strategic mission capabilities.
The Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) Other Transaction Authority (OTA), managed by the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL), played a key role in the event by supporting NSWC Crane in facilitating meaningful discussions around current and future defense acquisition needs. The S²MARTS team engaged in 13 focused networking discussions with prospective industry partners, fostering connections and laying the groundwork for agile prototyping pathways that accelerate delivery and innovative solutions through the OTA model.
“Events like Connect to Mission are critical to aligning government and industry around urgent national security priorities,” said Tony Kestranek, VP of NSTXL, S²MARTS. “By helping NSWC Crane connect with non-traditional innovators, S²MARTS enables faster, more collaborative approaches to solving critical challenges – not just nationally, but right here in Southern Indiana. These conversations aren’t just networking, they’re where the next generation of solutions takes shape.”
C2M 2025 emphasized Southern Indiana’s unique value as a regional innovation hub, bringing together talent across the defense industrial base. With participation from 13 NSWC Crane offices and 11 key industry partners, the event generated new opportunities for technical collaboration, workforce development, and long-term economic impact in the area surrounding Crane, Indiana.
Guest speakers included Dr. Angie Lewis, Technical Director at NSWC Crane; Greg Goode, State Director for U.S. Senator Todd Young and Indiana State Senator; along with technical leaders from various Crane divisions including Strategic Microelectronics, Trusted Microelectronics, and Strategic Systems Guidance Navigation & Control.
The presence and active engagement of the S²MARTS team demonstrated how agile acquisition vehicles like OTAs are becoming essential tools in bridging the gap between government requirements and innovative commercial solutions. Through C2M and ongoing collaboration, NSTXL and NSWC Crane are helping to accelerate technology development that supports the nation’s most critical strategic deterrence and spectrum missions—while also fueling growth in Indiana’s defense innovation ecosystem.
About S²MARTS
The Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS), managed by NSTXL, is the premier rapid OT contracting vehicle for the Department of Defense (DoD) in trusted microelectronics, strategic & spectrum mission, and other critical mission areas. The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division created S²MARTS to grow and engage an elite network of innovators, shorten the path to defense prototype development, and advance national security efforts.
For media inquiries contact:
press@nstxl.org
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the following statement on findings by the Joint Economic Committee that more than 262,000 Virginians are set to lose their health insurance under the cuts being proposed by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress:
“Donald Trump wants to give another massive tax break to his billionaire friends, and Republicans in Congress are planning to pay for that by ripping health care away from working families. These findings make clear that cutting health care to offset the cost of tax breaks will hurt millions of Americans, including 262,400 Virginians who would quickly find themselves with no insurance and no way to pay for a doctor’s visit or the medication they rely on. To make matters worse, these cuts would also deliver a massive blow to rural communities, where hospitals are often able to stay open only because of the dollars they receive from Medicaid. Virginians deserve better than this.”
The cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are being proposed as part of the President’s “big, beautiful” tax bill, which seeks to give trillions of dollars in tax breaks to the rich.
According to the Joint Economic Committee, these cuts are set to affect approximately 262,400 Virginians, including 100,826 who would lose coverage under the Affordable Care Act and 161,614 who would lose Medicaid coverage. Medicaid serves primarily low-income families, including children, parents, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
These calculations are based on the latest numbers available, including from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO)’s initial analysis released on Sunday evening – which found that cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act would result in roughly 13.7 million people losing their health insurance by 2034.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Top appropriators and authorizers call on Interim Head of AmeriCorps to reverse layoffs and grant terminations that have debilitated the agency’s core functions
Washington, D.C. — Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, alongside Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today sent a letter to the Interim Agency Head of AmeriCorps calling for the immediate reversal of layoffs and grant terminations that have debilitated the agency’s core functions and run counter to its longstanding, bipartisan support in Congress.
“While a recent court order instituted a 14-day temporary restraining order on staff reductions at AmeriCorps, the damage of firing staff and eliminating $400 million in grants has already been felt across the country,” wrote Murray, DeLauro, Scott, Baldwin, and Sanders. “The grant terminations and potential issues awarding fiscal year 2025 grant funding will have a catastrophic impact on the ability of AmeriCorps members to carry out work in communities all over the country — responding to natural disasters, serving as classroom teachers, providing tutoring services, and helping build housing in rural communities.”
Late last month, President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE illegally terminated over a thousand AmeriCorps grants to states, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations across the country – totaling nearly $400 million, or roughly 41% of the agency’s grant funding. Grantees were not given statutorily required notices before these grants were terminated. The cuts are already seriously impacting communities where AmeriCorps projects were ongoing as well as their selfless members and volunteers.
Last year, nearly 200,000 AmeriCorps volunteers prepared today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs, connected veterans to services, fought the opioid epidemic, helped seniors live independently, rebuilt communities after disasters and led conservation efforts nationwide.
“We urge the swift reversal of the termination of NCCC members’ service terms so that they can get back to helping communities,” concluded the lawmakers. “These illegal grant terminations attempt to supersede congressional intent at the expense of communities in need of crucial services. More than 1,000 programs will be forced to close and over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will be released from their service terms early… Further, by laying off nearly the entire agency staff, AmeriCorps is violating the law.”
Read the full letter here.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Trump plan takes $437 million away from blue states and moves $258 million toward red states—overall, 64-33 percent red to blue split in Trump admin’s Army Corps work plan versus roughly 50-50 split in budget request, FY25 House and Senate appropriations bills
ICYMI: Senator Murray on Trump Defunding Blue State Army Corps Construction: “This is Some Corrupt B-S”
***WATCH HERE; DOWNLOAD HERE***
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, held a virtual press conference with Tacoma Public Utilities and the Covington Water District to speak out against President Trump’s outrageous decision to zero out and significantly cut Army Corps of Engineers construction projects in blue states such as Washington state—including the complete elimination of construction funding for Howard Hanson Dam.
The Howard Hanson Dam facility in Washington state was poised to receive $500 million this year in funding Senator Murray secured in the fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill she wrote as Chair and passed through committee in August 2024, as well as in House Republicans’ fiscal year 2025 bill. The funding was needed for the Army Corps to execute a construction contract option this year, allowing construction to begin in 2026 as scheduled. But instead of working with Democrats to pass full-year funding bills that would have directed that funding, Republicans in Congress passed a yearlong continuing resolution (CR) that enabled the administration to determine how to allocate the funding it did provide—a scenario Murray repeatedly warned about. The Army Corps’ work plans released Thursday—which lay out how the Army Corps will spend the funding provided by Congress under Republicans’ yearlong continuing resolution for fiscal year 2025—include zero funding for the project.
“President Trump’s Army Corps construction plan utterly tramples all of the careful, painstaking negotiations we did in Congress to reach a bipartisan understating about what projects need funding, and replaces it with his own partisan vision—a vision that rips away hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars from blue states like mine. There is just no getting around it: this plan is utterly partisan—and sets a truly egregious precedent. We should all be outraged,” said Senator Murray. “The balance of states Trump wants to give more funding to, and the states he wants to cut funding from—is completely lopsided—roughly two-thirds for red states, and one-third for blue states. For comparison, the budget request, our bipartisan Senate bill, and yes, even House Republicans’ bill, split funding between red and blue states about 50-50. We are talking about critical Army Corps projects to maintain and build foundational water infrastructure, from dredging for our ports, to protecting communities from flood waters, or maintaining major dams.”
“Back in Washington state, this plan cuts us out, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars,” continued Senator Murray. “It is completely outrageous. It is completely unacceptable…I will not let defunding Howard Hanson Dam stand in any future bipartisan spending bill. However, that could be a long ways away. So, I’ll be speaking with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and making clear to them we have to rein Trump in—or he is going to keep trampling the powers of Congress, and he is going to keep trampling the communities we all came here to fight for. It may not be your state today, but what happens when your governor disagrees with the President?”
Overall, the Army Corps’ plans released by the Trump administration would steer roughly $258 million dollars more in construction funding to red states while ripping away roughly $437 million dollars in construction funding for blue states, relative to the president’s fiscal year 2025 request—which, historically, has been fully funded and was fully funded in the draft fiscal year 2025 bills produced on a bipartisan basis in the Senate and by House Republicans in the House. This includes the complete elimination of Army Corps construction funding for states like California. Trump’s work plan steers two-thirds of all Army Corps construction funding to red states—the budget request and House and Senate bills would have split it roughly 50-50 to red and blue states.
“Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) has made significant investments in the Howard A. Hanson Dam for decades. This project is one of the most significant steps toward ensuring long-term water reliability for over one million people across our broader region—not just for today, but for generations to come,” said Heather Pennington, TPU Water Superintendent.
“Without this key part of the project, the District may not have enough summertime supply to meet our current and future customer needs starting as early as the mid-2030s. That’s not very far from now folks. For the District, it feels like we purchased a 4 bedroom home, but having the builder tell us we can occupy 2 bedrooms. Not to mention, this action will further delay access for endangered salmon to over 100 miles of pristine spawning habitat above Howard Hansen Dam. It is just unfair on many levels,” said Thomas Keown, General Manager of the Covington Water District. “For instance, the decision is also unfair to the many local stakeholders who have invested time and money, hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars in infrastructure and watershed benefits in and along the Green River in preparation of the project coming online. This is now unfortunately shaping up as a waste of a perfectly good ‘shovel ready’ project that is likely to be mothballed for who knows how long.”
Supporting the Howard Hanson Dam has been a longtime priority for Senator Murray, and she has pressed the Army Corps to prioritize funding for the Dam for years. Under the last administration, Senator Murray was able to secure critical funding boosts for Howard Hanson Dam, including $220 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $50 million to begin construction of the Fish Passage facility in the funding bills for fiscal year 2024 that Murray wrote as then-Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Back in 2010, Murray secured $44 million in badly needed emergency funds for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Howard Hanson Dam. In the draft fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill she cleared unanimously out of Committee last year, Senator Murray secured $500 million for the construction of a fish passage facility, which would also address flood risk and water supply issues for cities like Tacoma and Covington. $500 million was also included in the House’s draft fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill. The funding is needed to execute a construction option on the contract for the project, which would have allowed construction to begin in 2026 as scheduled.
Congress typically provides specific, detailed instructions in its annual appropriations bills on how the Army Corps (and so many other agencies) must spend funding provided by Congress. Annual appropriations bills note exactly what Army Corps projects must be funded and at what levels. But instead of working with Democrats to pass full-year appropriations bills that deliver for communities across America, Republicans in Congress put forth a yearlong continuing resolution (CR) that failed to include hundreds of specific directives on how funding must be spent. For months, Senator Murray warned of the dangers of passing Republicans’ slush fund CR, noting, for example, that it would allow the administration to zero out funding for Army Corps projects.
Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are available below and HERE:
“Yesterday, the Trump Administration released a plan to blatantly rob blue states and completely politicize federal funding for crucial projects. We are talking historically blatant thuggery from the White House here.
“President Trump’s Army Corps construction plan utterly tramples all the careful, painstaking negotiations we did in Congress to reach a bipartisan understating about what projects need funding and replaces it with his own partisan vision—a vision that rips away hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars from blue states like mine.
“There is just no getting around it: this plan is utterly partisan—and sets a truly egregious precedent. We should all be outraged.
“The balance of states Trump wants to give more funding, and the states he wants to cut out off—is completely lopsided—roughly two-thirds for red states, and one-third for blue states.
“For comparison, the budget request, our bipartisan Senate bill, and yes, even House Republicans’ bill, split funding between red and blue states about 50-50.
“We are talking about critical Army Corps projects to maintain and build foundational water infrastructure, from dredging for our ports, to protecting communities from flood waters, or maintaining major dams.
“Back in Washington state, this plan cuts us out, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
“We are losing some funding for our waterways and fish mitigation, funding for our ports, and we are completely losing funding for the Howard Hanson Dam, which—before Trump meddled with these funds—was set to receive $500 million to execute a necessary construction contract this year.
“This is a crucial project, years in the making, that is important to safeguard our water supply, protect our communities from dangerous flooding, and save our salmon. I have pounded the pavement getting support for this project. This funding had bipartisan support—our Committee cleared a bill for this unanimously.
“Howard Hanson was even fully funded in the House Appropriations bill drafted by Republicans—every cent! But now, thanks to this administration, it’s dust. Trump is completely defunding Howard Hanson Dam.
“They are not giving us even a hint of a real explanation why—but the motivation here is obvious and it is alarming. Especially when Trump’s budget completely zeros out Army Corps Construction in California. That’s right—he just completely cut the most populous state in the country out of Army Corp construction funding.
“It is completely outrageous. It is completely unacceptable. And it is exactly why I voted against Republicans’ partisan CR.
“I warned, repeatedly, that we should not give Trump new flexibility to move Army Corps funding around and hang this threat over everyone. That’s a reckless amount of power to give any President—and certainly not this one, who shows us every minute of every day that he will abuse it.
“This has never been a President we can expect to operate in good faith. This has never been a President we can expect to follow precedent, decency, or even basic common sense. But Republicans’ slush fund CR passed and gave Trump dangerous authority, and it should be no surprise to anyone—he is using it.
“I am speaking out today: I will not let defunding Howard Hanson Dam stand in any future bipartisan spending bill.
“However, that could be a long ways away. So, I’ll be speaking with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and making clear to them we have to rein Trump in—or he is going to keep trampling the powers of Congress, and he is going to keep trampling the communities we all came here to fight for.
“It may not be your state today, but what happens when your governor disagrees with the President? What happens you vote against him and your state loses out on funding? What happens when there is a new President and this is just how things work now?
“We have to push back now—today. That’s exactly what I am doing. I will fight tooth and nail to prevent this completely partisan vision from becoming a reality.
“And I have with me some people who can speak more to just how crucial this Army Corps funding is—and why we are not going to stop fighting.”
US Senate News:
Source: The White House
class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Since the time the United States was but a coalition of villages and settlements, America’s Jewish citizens have played an indispensable role in our national story. They arrived as farmers, soldiers, tailors, and merchants, settling quickly and contributing greatly to the fields of law, art, science, and medicine. At crucial moments, Jewish Americans have joined their fellow citizens in working towards America’s unique vision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The New World allowed those Jewish people emigrating from Europe to freely practice their faith without persecution, for the American experiment offered something providential — an escape from every indignity, every abuse, and every tragedy visited upon the Jewish people over their long history.
In my proclamation declaring Jewish American Heritage Month in 2019, I drew from the words President George Washington drafted and sent to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island, on August 18, 1790, addressing the Jewish citizens of our new Republic. President Washington’s letter contained a blessing, that “the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”
During my first 4 years as President, in the several proclamations I issued for Jewish American Heritage Month, I often had the unfortunate task of contrasting President Washington’s timeless blessing with whatever violent acts of anti-Semitism had occurred in the previous year. Each time, it was an all too painful reminder of the fragility of President Washington’s words.
Then, October 7, 2023, happened, shattering the peace, not only abroad but also at home. Since those horrific attacks, the Jewish community in the United States — and around the world — has faced an incredible trial, though one that was not unfamiliar in Jewish history. College campuses and city streets erupted into violence. Blood libels were displayed proudly at protests. Those wearing yarmulkes were openly assaulted in the streets. The America that its Jewish citizens felt that they once knew appeared to have shifted completely.
In his letter, President Washington championed a different vision: “For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens.”
Since the day I resumed my duties as President — and following President Washington’s example — my Administration has been determined to confront anti-Semitism in all its manifestations. I say that at home and abroad, on college campuses and in city streets, this dangerous return of anti-Semitism — at times disguised as anti-Zionism, Holocaust denialism, and false equivalencies of every kind — must find no quarter.
We proudly celebrate the history and culture of the Jewish people in America, and we hold that President Washington’s words, though nearly 250 years old, still carry the revolutionary promise of our Republic: that every citizen who demeans himself as a good citizen shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree — a covenant added to a blessing.
I believe there has never been a greater friend to the Jewish people than my Administration. We will never deviate from our conviction that anti-Semitism has no place in the greatest country in the world. As the 47th President of the United States, I will use every appropriate legal tool at my disposal to stop anti-Semitic assaults gripping our universities. We will proudly stand with our friend and ally, the State of Israel. I will never waver in my commitment.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2025 as Jewish American Heritage Month. I call upon Americans to celebrate the heritage and contributions of American Jews and to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thissixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth. DONALD J. TRUMP
US Senate News:
Source: The White House
class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Throughout our history, the United States has been strengthened by the contributions of citizens from every background, united in the shared pursuit of the American Dream. As we recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the deep and enduring impact that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have had on our Nation. Forged by hardship and trial, they have never wavered in their contributions toward the advancement of our common destiny.
In the 1980s, Lakshmi and Radhakrishna Chilukuri immigrated from India to the United States and dedicated their lives to higher education. They built a life in America and raised a family, their daughters Usha and Shreya, instilling in them the values of hard work, perseverance, and a love of learning. Their daughter, Usha, now serves as the Second Lady of the United States. Tulsi Gabbard, a native of American Samoa, has dedicated her career to protecting our Republic, serving in the military and now as the Director of National Intelligence. Today, more than 77,000 Asian American and Pacific Islanders heroically serve our Nation in the Armed Forces. Their stories, along with many others, have helped build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous country.
This month, we honor the proud legacy of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions to the vast constellation of all our national triumphs. They are woven into the fabric of our Republic, reminding us that the American spirit is one of resilience, independence, and relentless pursuit of freedom and opportunity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2025 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The Congress, by Public Law 102-450, as amended, has also designated the month of May each year as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.” I encourage all Americans to learn more about those of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thissixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
EL PASO, Texas – An indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf.
“Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”
According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.
On Jan. 20, President Trump directed the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.
“The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that United States law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”
“Today’s historic indictment of Navarro-Sanchez, a high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) for providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization sets a precedent and sends an unmistakable message,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “The FBI is fully committed to using every resource at our disposal to dismantle this, and any other transnational criminal organization, and bring to justice all who enable, support, or profit from their deadly operations within the United States. The FBI El Paso Field Office is doubling down on our partnerships, both locally and with our Mexican counterparts to relentlessly pursue these cartels, violent gangs, and the organized networks that support them by continuing to aggressively disrupt their supply chains, cut off their funding, and take down their leadership, piece by piece, operation by operation.”
“The carnage left behind in the wake of the cartel is devastating to so many in the US and abroad,” stated Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, aka Fernanda, aka Chayo, is a groundbreaking demonstration of what international law enforcement authorities can do to fight the scourge of firearm trafficking and the menace that is the narcotics cartels. This may be one of the first of these charges, but it won’t be the last. Thanks to the multi-agency, ATF-led El Paso Operation Southbound Firearms Trafficking Task Force, for their nonstop commitment to take out one of the key players in the trafficking of firearms across our borders.”
“DEA is known for investigating and successfully convicting numerous narco-terrorism targets,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Arellano for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Division. “But this case is a prime example of how DEA is expanding and incorporating more terrorism-related investigative authorities. The men and women of the DEA welcome every tool and every measure available to us to defeat CJNG.”
“This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. “These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that “This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. “These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that crosses borders, devastating communities through the distribution of deadly drugs and inciting chaos and violence.”
Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s (JTFA) work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.
The FBI, ATF, DEA, Customs and Border Protection and HSI in El Paso investigated the case, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The DEA, CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.
The case announced today is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from CBP, HSI, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD).
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Source: Office of United States Attorneys
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMON APELLANIZ, also known as “Kristopher Rockefeller” and “Kris,” 40, of Middletown, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a health care fraud offense related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.
The Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) is a Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons. CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Apellaniz previously operated The Gemini Project, LLC (“Gemini”), a Newington-based business that offered counseling to patients with mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders. According to the State of Connecticut’s public license database, Apellaniz is not a licensed provider. In 2020, Apellaniz was charged by the state with larceny, health care fraud, and identity theft offenses related to his providing services to numerous Medicaid beneficiaries as a non-licensed provider, and Gemini billing Medicaid for those services, or for services that were not rendered at all. Medicaid paid Gemini and Apellaniz $909,268 for the false claims. Apellaniz pleaded nolo contendere and, on April 17, 2024, was sentenced in Hartford Superior Court to eight years in prison, execution suspended after 15 months, and five years of parole. He was released from Department of Correction custody on November 19, 2024.
Suhail Aponte was the sole principal and registered agent of Minds Cornerstone LLC, dba Minds Cornerstone Behavior Therapy Services (“Minds Cornerstone”), an Autism Specialist Group, which was registered with the State of Connecticut in June 2021. Aponte also in not a licensed provider. Although Apellaniz does not appear on any of Minds Cornerstone’s Medicaid enrollment forms, had no ownership interest in the company, and had no signatory authority to any of its bank accounts, he conspired with Aponte and ran the company under a pseudonym, including while he was incarcerated in state custody.
Beginning in approximately November 2021, Apellaniz and Aponte used Minds Cornerstone to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting fraudulent claims for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”). The scheme involved billing for Medicaid for services purportedly rendered to patients when company payroll records indicate employees were not compensated for the associated services; direct supervision services purportedly provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (“BCBA”) of a behavioral technician, when the corresponding procedure code for behavioral technician services was not billed; services purportedly rendered to patients who were actually in an inpatient hospital; and services purportedly rendered when parents of patients and former employees of Minds Cornerstone confirmed those services did not occur.
Between November 2021 and January 2025, Apellaniz and Aponte submitted or caused to be submitted to Medicaid fraudulent claims that resulted in a loss of approximately $1,876,617 to the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
The investigation revealed that Apellaniz used some of the funds Minds Cornerstone received to pay a portion of the restitution he owes as a result of his state prosecution.
From approximately May 2022 until November 2024, Aponte was also employed by the State of Connecticut in the Office of Policy and Management.
Apellaniz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 15. Apellaniz has been detained since his arrest on January 16, 2025.
Aponte pleaded guilty to the same charge on April 30 and awaits sentencing.
Apellaniz and Aponte have agreed to the forfeiture of approximately $469,000 in funds seized during the investigation, as well their interest in additional bank accounts and two parcels of land in Hartford.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 153 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2025.
Dayvon Sanchez, age 26, was sentenced to one year and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sanchez was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 10, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident on February 24, 2024, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation when law enforcement observed Sanchez driving recklessly in Mission and initiated a traffic stop. Rather than stop, Sanchez eluded law enforcement until he wrecked his vehicle. Sanchez was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. A pistol and ammunition were located in Sanchez’s vehicle.
In 2018, Sanchez was convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. As a result of this felony conviction, it is illegal for him to possess firearms or ammunition. Sanchez will forfeit ownership of the firearm and ammunition to the United States.
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.
This case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Sanchez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted Dimitric Wilson, a Twin Cities resident originally from Detroit, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and evidence at trial, law enforcement set out to discover a supplier of fentanyl in Wisconsin and Minnesota, including in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. After an extensive investigation, Dimitric Timopkin Wilson, 46, was identified and stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol as he traveled back to the Twin Cities from Detroit. When apprehended by law enforcement, Wilson and the other passenger gave inconsistent stories regarding their activities in Detroit. The State Patrol used a drug dog to sniff the car for narcotics. The drug dog alerted to the odor of drugs, resulting in a search of the vehicle. State troopers noticed an electrical panel that was altered. The officers opened the panel and located four separate vacuum-sealed packages hidden with a natural void accessible from the panel area. The packages contained multiple sub-packages and were ultimately found to contain approximately a kilogram of fentanyl, a package containing heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, and another package containing crack cocaine. After being charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and given terms of release pending trial, Wilson was documented selling fentanyl to a government informant.
On May 15, 2025, a jury convicted Wilson of all three counts on which he was indicted. Wilson was previously sentenced to a state misdemeanor conviction for maintaining a drug house, a state felony conviction for carrying a concealed weapon, and a federal felony conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin. Due to his prior federal conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin, Wilson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for the possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute conviction and a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for his conviction for distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release.
“I laud the hard work of the agents and officers who exposed Wilson as a major fentanyl trafficker, running routes from Detroit to Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Wilson showed that he would not be stopped—despite a prior federal conviction, he peddled his poison to the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. Outrageously, after being released from custody, Wilson yet again trafficked in fentanyl, this time selling drugs to a government informant. Wilson rightly faces serious federal time. Wilson—and others who would bring deadly fentanyl to Minnesota and to our vulnerable Indian reservations—should be prepared to spend decades in federal prison.”
“Fentanyl continues to ravage communities across the country, fueling addiction, tragedy, and loss,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “One of the FBI’s top priorities is to protect the American people, and that means holding accountable the individuals and networks responsible for pushing fentanyl into our communities. The FBI and our partners are committed to removing these drug traffickers from our neighborhoods and stopping the flow of fentanyl at its source.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, the East Central Drug Task Force, the Sawyer County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Lac Courte Oreilles (Wisconsin) Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Campbell Warner and Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Corpus Christi residents have been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jesse Martinez, 51, and Gabriel Galindo, 46, both long-time Texas Syndicate gang members, pleaded guilty Jan. 2.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has ordered Martinez to serve 360 months, while Galindo was ordered to serve a 288-month-term of imprisonment. Both must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.
The court held Martinez responsible for over two kilograms of heroin and almost eight kilograms of methamphetamine. Galindo was held responsible for almost 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and over a kilogram of heroin. However, the court heard that throughout the investigation, authorities calculated that the Texas Syndicate drug trafficking organization was likely distributing approximately two kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of methamphetamine per month from September 2020 to May 2024.
The court also considered their criminal histories including convictions for theft, burglary, weapons and drug charges for Martinez. Galindo’s criminal history began at the age of 14 and includes burglary of a habitation, multiple cocaine convictions – with a federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute – and possessing a stabbing weapon while incarcerated.
Furthermore, the court heard Galindo was found with a shank, methamphetamine and suboxone strips while incarcerated for this offense and that he was dealing suboxone to other inmates.
The investigation began in 2020 when law enforcement was looking into the drug trafficking activities of the Texas Syndicate. They discovered Martinez was receiving kilogram amounts of methamphetamine and heroin. Galindo was one of his top distributors in the Corpus Christi area.
On May 21, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Martinez’s residence and found he was in possession of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and synthetic marijuana as well as three unsecured firearms. Several children were also living in the home.
Galindo was also found in possession of almost a kilogram of methamphetamine, a kilogram of heroin and four firearms at the time of his arrest.
Both men have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and police departments in Corpus Christi and Robstown. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara J. De Pena and Brittany Jensen prosecuted the case.