NewzIntel.com

Category: US Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts South Carolina man on sex trafficking and firearms charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a South Carolina man today on charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; transportation with the intent to engage in prostitution; transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in prostitution; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, during July 2024, Johnny Thiel Banks, 30, of Summerville, transported a minor, identified as Jane Doe, from North Carolina to Virginia on multiple occasions. While in Virginia, he sex-trafficked Jane Doe at hotels, a truck stop, and a gas station in Hampton Roads, including in Suffolk and Virginia Beach. Jane Doe was 15 years old at the time and had just finished the 8th grade. Banks repeatedly threatened Jane Doe and her family to get her to comply with his demands. He also had her pose for and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM). When she did not want to go back to Virginia to engage in commercial sex, he threatened to have her “floating in a creek.”

    On July 31, 2024, while armed with a firearm, Banks took Jane Doe from a residence and brought her to a hotel in Virginia Beach to sex traffic her. He set up multiple commercial sex appointments that night. After they arrived in Virginia Beach, he argued with Jane Doe and strangled her, and she called a family member for help. After receiving information that Jane Doe was missing from Charlotte, the Virginia Beach Police Department quickly located Jane Doe in the parking garage of a hotel. As officers spoke with Jane Doe, Banks walked by and was detained.

    Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and recovered Banks’ loaded handgun from his rental vehicle. As a previously convicted felon, Banks cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Police also obtained search warrants for three cellphones that contained CSAM and evidence of sex trafficking.

    Banks is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19 and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the verdict.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Megan M. Montoya are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-15.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FORMER MAYORAL CANDIDATE SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ARMED ROBBERY OF DOLLAR GENERAL

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

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Whitfield Leland III, 45, was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment in federal court today for Hobbs Act Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and being an Armed Career Criminal in Possession of a Firearm. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this career criminal will no longer be able to victimize and terrorize our community.  My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting violent criminals to hold them accountable to the full extent of the law in order to keep our communities safe.”

    Court documents reflect that Leland robbed a Tallahassee Dollar General at gunpoint on May 20, 2024. During the robbery, Leland pointed a pistol at the store manager and demanded that the manager open the safes. A customer observed the robbery in progress and called 911. Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department responded within minutes and surrounded the store while Leland was still inside. Leland then stole the manager’s Dollar General shirt and exited the store pretending to be an employee. Leland made it outside the store in his disguise but kept running when ordered to stop. Officers chased Leland and were able to follow a trail of dropped money to where he was hiding in nearby bushes, still wearing the Dollar General shirt and with additional money stuffed into his pants. Officers were able to recover $689 stolen during the robbery.

    Leland is a 13-time convicted felon who qualified as an Armed Career Criminal because he had convictions for three violent felonies committed on separate occasions: two separate incidents of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence and one conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Leland was a 2022 candidate for Tallahassee mayor.

    Leland received a sentence of 22 years in prison, which will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Leland was also ordered to pay restitution.

    “The safety of our community is always our top priority,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “Thanks to the quick actions of our officers and strong collaboration with our federal partners, a repeat violent offender is off the streets. This outcome reflects our continued commitment to protecting Tallahassee’s residents and businesses from harm.”

    The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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).

    As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: KC Man Indicted for Illegal Firearms, Meth Trafficking

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing firearms and drug trafficking.

    Victor Roseberry, 60, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on June 27, 2025.

    The indictment was unsealed and made public today following Roseberry’s arrest.

    The indictment charges Roseberry with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

    The indictment alleges Roseberry possessed firearms on June 9, 2023, and July 4, 2024.  The indictment also alleges that on July 4, 2024, Roseberry possessed 5 or more grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.  The indictment alleges Roseberry is an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

    Roseberry has prior felony convictions for robbery, domestic assault, aggravated assault, tampering, and possession of a firearm by a person with three prior convictions for crimes of violence.

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

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

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

    Operation Take Back America

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Nearly $2 Million Settlement with Janitorial Franchising Companies Barring Use of Franchising to Misclassify Workers

    Source: US State of California

    Settlement includes $1,700,000 in restitution for underpaid CleanNet janitorial workers 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a nearly $2 million settlement with CleanNet USA, Inc. and its four California Area Operators resolving an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, which found that some of CleanNet’s janitorial franchisees were misclassified as independent contractors under CleanNet’s franchising model in violation of state law. CleanNet USA is a nationwide company that provides janitorial franchising and commercial cleaning services under the “CleanNet” brand name and grants franchising rights to its California Area Operators, who sell CleanNet unit franchises to individuals and entities in California and enter into franchise contracts with these unit franchisees. After the payment of an initial franchise fee, CleanNet assigns cleaning services contracts to unit franchisees, who then provide cleaning services for CleanNet’s customers. As a result of CleanNet’s unlawful misclassification of certain individual franchisees who personally performed cleaning work, these workers were denied the protections of California’s employment laws, such as the right to minimum and overtime wages, regular meal and rest periods, reimbursement of business expenses, and accurate and itemized wage statements, and were further subjected to unlawful deductions from their wages. Under the settlement, CleanNet will pay $1,700,000 in restitution and $150,000 in civil penalties and comply with injunctive terms requiring it to cease its misclassification of certain cleaners, notify all former and current workers of the settlement, and undergo monitoring for three years, among other terms. 

    “Too often, franchising is used by predatory businesses to misclassify vulnerable workers and avoid paying a fair wage and other employee benefits,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I hope this settlement sends a strong message to others in the janitorial or other sectors who might consider skirting the law to save a quick buck. My office is watching, and we won’t hesitate to enforce our employment laws.”

    Misclassification of workers occurs when an employer improperly classifies their employees as independent contractors so that they do not have to pay payroll taxes, minimum wage or overtime, or comply with other wage and hour law requirements such as providing meal periods and rest breaks. “Employees,” unlike “independent contractors,” are entitled to a wide range of rights, benefits, and protections under California law, including workers’ compensation coverage if injured on the job, the right to family leave, unemployment insurance, the legal right to organize or join a union, and protection against employer retaliation. As courts across the country have found, the use of a franchising business model does not shield companies who use these models to misclassify their workers from liability.

    Under the settlement, CleanNet USA and its four California area operators, CleanNet of Southern California, Inc. (DBA CleanNet of Southern California), D&G Enterprises, Inc. (DBA CleanNet of the Bay Area), Paqnet, Inc. (DBA CleanNet of San Diego), and FCDK, Inc. (DBA CleanNet of Sacramento), (collectively, CleanNet) will change their franchising business model, pay civil penalties, and provide restitution to their cleaners for the losses the cleaners incurred due to their unlawful deductions, failure to reimburse cleaners for their supplies, and failure to pay at least the minimum wage for all hours worked. All current and former cleaners will be notified by CleanNet with next steps to claim restitution.

    Additionally, CleanNet will preserve all documents and records necessary to demonstrate its compliance with the terms of the stipulated judgment and make those records available to the California Department of Justice for at least three years. CleanNet will also provide training to all current and future cleaners as part of a mandatory initial certification program to ensure that all cleaners understand their duties as employers when they hire other workers to perform cleaning work for CleanNet’s customers, and that they are aware of the liabilities and risks associated with misclassifying their own employees as independent contractors. The franchise will also remove a clause from its template customer service agreement that restrains employee mobility.

    Attorney General Bonta is dedicated to upholding workers’ rights and combating unfair labor practices. In 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed 31 criminal charges against US Framing for wage theft and tax evasion; defended wages and overtime owed in the West Coast Drywall lawsuit; and secured a settlement with Amalfi Stone & Masonry Company, Inc., resolving allegations of unfair competition, payroll tax, and labor violations. In 2023, Attorney General Bonta launched a historic investigation into gender discrimination in the National Football League; joined 17 attorneys general in supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rule limiting non-compete agreements; launched a legal fight for in-home-healthcare workers; and fought for the rights of transportation workers and immigrant children.

    A copy of the complaint and stipulated judgment, which is subject to court approval, is available here and here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas charges 204 this week alone in relation to border enforcement efforts

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

    HOUSTON – A total of 201 new cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from July 18-24, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Among those are 87 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 98 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while 11 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration crimes and assault of officers.

    Some of those facing new criminal charges are five Mexican nationals, all of whom have previous felony convictions, according to their charges. One is Cristian Jesus Rodriguez-Cuarenta who allegedly has a prior conviction for conspiracy to transport an illegal alien and had just been removed in January. Four others – Juan Manuel Perez-Tamez, Ramiro Rodriguez-Esquivel, Jose Martinez-Lemus and Hector Esael Gonzalez-Garcia – are also alleged to be convicted felons of crimes including drug trafficking, multiple driving while intoxicated instances or illegal reentry. Despite their previous removals on varying dates between 2019 – 2022, authorities allegedly discovered all five men in the Edinburg area without any authorization to be in the United States. They face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.

    Also in the McAllen area this week, a suspicious vehicle led to the arrest of three, two of whom are Mexican nationals, and the discovery of nearly three dozen illegal aliens. They are now charged with human smuggling after authorities discovered 24 illegal aliens hidden in a tractor trailer at a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint, which included defendant Elbis Lisandro Moreno Uruqia. Joe Michael Cruz and Uruqia allegedly transported the aliens from Mission to Hebbronville. According to the charges, Uruqia and Cruz smuggled 18 aliens two weeks earlier. A related search at a Mission residence led to the arrest of Jesus Felipe Hernandez Rangel and the discovery of 10 additional illegal aliens, according to the complaint. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    In addition to the new cases, Laredo resident Juan Francisco Reyna was ordered to federal prison. He led a multi-year human smuggling operation that used social media, inclement weather and the Covid-19 pandemic to transport over 100 illegal aliens, including minors, across the United States. Reyna coordinated the scheme through Facebook, paid drivers to monitor checkpoints and scheduled crossings during storms to avoid detection. Authorities linked him to stash houses in Laredo and San Antonio where they seized over $56,000 in U.S. currency and ammunition. He received a sentence of 63 months.

    “Over the past six months, the Department of Justice has made securing our national border the number one priority, and the Southern District is putting that promise into action,” said Ganjei. “Human smugglers may have had an easy time over the past few years, but those days are over. If you engage in these crimes, if you break our nation’s immigration laws, you will be caught and you will be punished. Simple as that.”

    An armed cartel carjacker was also sentenced this week. Mexican national Johnathan Mata-Espinoza received 108 months for two counts of armed carjacking. On July 27, 2023, he threatened two adults and a child, stealing their vehicle after they refused to give him a ride to the bus station, saying, “You better take me because if not, I will kill you all.” Authorities later linked him to a second armed encounter that same night, during which he threatened another victim and displayed a concealed firearm.

    In Corpus Christi, a 40-year-old Mexican national illegally living in Houston pleaded guilty to leading a human smuggling organization and unlawfully reentering the United States. Edgar-Ruiz-Briones coordinated transportation of illegal aliens crossing the southern border, recruited drivers from as far as Kansas and managing over 100 smuggling trips into the United States over an 18-month period. He handled payments from aliens and paid drivers to move them from stash houses to destinations across the country. Ruiz-Briones, who had previously been removed multiple times, now faces up to 30 years in federal prison.

    Jose Pascual Soliz received a sentence of 240 months in federal prison after admitting to recruiting Clara Miranda Aleman and others as well as coordinating the transportation of methamphetamine hidden in a vehicle’s gas tank. Aleman helped smuggle the drugs into the United States as part of a Laredo-based trafficking operation tied to Cartel De Noreste. Authorities seized more than 11.85 kilograms of methamphetamine from the pair, noting it was part of a larger shipment. The court also found Soliz had multiple felony convictions, including one for narcotics trafficking. Aleman previously received a 41-month sentence.

    A Corpus Christi jury also convicted a former Texas National Guard soldier of smuggling illegal aliens. Mario Sandoval coordinated smuggling trips in the Rio Grande Valley and sent text messages to a co-conspirator about law enforcement activity. The defense attempted to convince the jury no conspiracy existed, and his text messages were out of context. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    In Houston, a 32-year-old Mexican national was ordered to serve 42 months after again illegally reentering the country. Juan Medina-Garcia has felony convictions for possession, aggravated assault and illegal reentry. He also has two prior removals from the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the sentence should serve as a significant deterrence to prevent any future illegal reentries.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

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

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa: Correctional Services Committee Expresses Concern Over Low Success Rate of Legislation to Address Overcrowding

    Source: APO


    .

    The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services today expressed concern over the low success rate of the current legislation in reducing overcrowding in correctional facilities in the country.

    The committee received a briefing from the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) on the use of Section 49G of the Correctional Services Act (CSA) and Section 62F of the Criminal Procedures Act (CPA) applications. Both sections are about strategies to reduce overcrowding in correctional facilities.

    Committee Chairperson, Ms Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, encouraged the executive of the DCS and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD) to continue working together in order to strive for better ways to implement these pieces of legislation effectively to increase the success rate of matters referred.

    Section 49G of the CSA refers to the maximum period of incarceration and provides that the period of incarceration of a Remand Detainee (RD) must not exceed two years from the initial date of admission into the remand detention facility without such matter having been brought to the attention of the court concerned in the manner set out in this section: provided that no RD shall be brought before a court in terms of this section, if such RD appeared before a court three months immediately prior to the expiry of such two year period and the court during that appearance considered the continued detention of such detainee.

    Whilst Section 62F of CPA provides that any court before a charge is pending in respect of which bail was granted, may at any stage, whether bail was granted by court or any other, on application by the Prosecutor, add any further condition of bail. The section further provides that the accused shall be placed under the supervision of a probation officer or Correctional Official. The committee heard that both strategies are driven by the DCS and may result in the reduction of the inmates.

    The committee heard that the success rate under Section 49G of the CSA for the 2022/23 financial year is 1.25% of 12 283 court referrals nationally with the Eastern Cape and Western Cape both indicating a 0% success rate. In terms of 2023/24, the Eastern Cape once again showed a 0% success rate. In the 2024/25 financial year the province had 142 court referrals and only one was successful and in the current financial year it has had two successful court referrals.

    The committee also heard that approximately 40% of the total sentenced offender population are serving sentences above 15 years, inclusive of those serving life sentences. Lifers will typically remain incarcerated for longer periods of time and are sentenced/ convicted of serious crimes. This means that bed spaces will not become readily available, which places more pressure on already overcrowded correctional facilities.

    Ms Ramolobeng said the DCS needs to capacitate and improve the functioning of community corrections so that the courts can have confidence in the system and place more remand detainees under correctional supervision.

    “In terms of the outcomes of Section 49G application, especially relating to the Eastern Cape, it’s a very serious concern. The committee will raise this with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development that deals with referrals,” said Ms Ramolobeng.

    She said the committee will continue the implementation of both the sections that can address overcrowding in facilities if implemented efficiently and effectively.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Civil Rights Division Moves to Dismiss Court-Ordered Agreement Regarding Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has moved to dismiss a 2015 Court-Ordered Settlement Agreement regarding the Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center (the Center) in Greenwood, Mississippi because the Center has achieved sustained substantial compliance with all areas of the Settlement Agreement.  

    The Center implemented reforms to ensure that children are not subjected to undue restraint use; children who feel suicidal or need to talk to mental health are connected to a mental health provider within hours; children are not punished with isolation and instead receive programs and activities that include cooking and robotics classes; sleeping rooms are clean and have appropriate beds. Additionally, the Center implemented an outstanding compliance review system and staff misconduct is taken seriously and handled professionally.

    “All children deserve to be protected from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We thank the Center’s leadership and staff for their commitment over the years to ensuring safety for these children and for the community of Leflore County.”

    “The counties and municipalities that this center serves can now move forward, knowing that when they make use of this facility to hold juveniles, that they can do so with the knowledge that these youths are held safely in a constitutionally compliant manner,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Civil Rights Division Moves to Dismiss Court-Ordered Agreement Regarding Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has moved to dismiss a 2015 Court-Ordered Settlement Agreement regarding the Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center (the Center) in Greenwood, Mississippi because the Center has achieved sustained substantial compliance with all areas of the Settlement Agreement.  

    The Center implemented reforms to ensure that children are not subjected to undue restraint use; children who feel suicidal or need to talk to mental health are connected to a mental health provider within hours; children are not punished with isolation and instead receive programs and activities that include cooking and robotics classes; sleeping rooms are clean and have appropriate beds. Additionally, the Center implemented an outstanding compliance review system and staff misconduct is taken seriously and handled professionally.

    “All children deserve to be protected from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We thank the Center’s leadership and staff for their commitment over the years to ensuring safety for these children and for the community of Leflore County.”

    “The counties and municipalities that this center serves can now move forward, knowing that when they make use of this facility to hold juveniles, that they can do so with the knowledge that these youths are held safely in a constitutionally compliant manner,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Civil Rights Division Moves to Dismiss Court-Ordered Agreement Regarding Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Today, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has moved to dismiss a 2015 Court-Ordered Settlement Agreement regarding the Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center (the Center) in Greenwood, Mississippi because the Center has achieved sustained substantial compliance with all areas of the Settlement Agreement.  

    The Center implemented reforms to ensure that children are not subjected to undue restraint use; children who feel suicidal or need to talk to mental health are connected to a mental health provider within hours; children are not punished with isolation and instead receive programs and activities that include cooking and robotics classes; sleeping rooms are clean and have appropriate beds. Additionally, the Center implemented an outstanding compliance review system and staff misconduct is taken seriously and handled professionally.

    “All children deserve to be protected from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We thank the Center’s leadership and staff for their commitment over the years to ensuring safety for these children and for the community of Leflore County.”

    “The counties and municipalities that this center serves can now move forward, knowing that when they make use of this facility to hold juveniles, that they can do so with the knowledge that these youths are held safely in a constitutionally compliant manner,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: HAWTHORNE MAN CHARGED WITH DRUG AND FIREARM OFFENSES

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

    GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – William Hernandez, 27, of Hawthorne, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possessing with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.

    Hernandez is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida on July 29, 2025, at 2:15 p.m.

    If convicted, Hernandez faces up to life imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Adam Hapner.

    An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: HAWTHORNE MAN CHARGED WITH DRUG AND FIREARM OFFENSES

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

    GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – William Hernandez, 27, of Hawthorne, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possessing with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.

    Hernandez is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida on July 29, 2025, at 2:15 p.m.

    If convicted, Hernandez faces up to life imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Adam Hapner.

    An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Sorensen Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Keep Schools Safe for Kids

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    Congressmen Eric Sorensen (IL-17) and Zach Nunn (IA-03) reintroduced their bipartisan Safe Schools and Communities Act aimed at improving school safety programs in our communities. The legislation creates competitive grants at the Department of Education for school districts to prevent human trafficking, raise awareness about drug abuse, reduce gang activity, and eliminate community violence.

    “When parents send their kids to school, they want to know they are going to return home safely,” said Congressman Sorensen. “We can make our schools and communities safer by equipping our teachers with the tools they need to raise awareness about keeping kids safe, preventing drug abuse, and eliminating violence among students. Too many of our neighbors across Central and Northwestern Illinois have lost a loved one to violence or addiction, and this bipartisan legislation will help put a stop to generational cycles of trauma and addiction.”

    “I’m proud of the work we’ve done to crack down on traffickers through smart legislation like the HALT Fentanyl Act—but that’s only half the battle,” said Congressman Nunn. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill puts resources to work in our schools to give educators the tools to intervene early, support students, and prevent drug use, exploitation, and gang involvement before it starts.”

    “Keeping our young people safe is a shared responsibility, and the Center for Prevention of Abuse (CFPA) is proud to work with more than 140 schools throughout Central Illinois to stop abuse before it begins through comprehensive, age appropriate, evidence-based prevention education,” said Carol Merna, CEO of Center for Prevention of Abuse. “We should all work together to arrive at the day when no young person will be lost to human trafficking and other forms of violence and abuse. The Safe Schools and Communities Act will equip schools with important prevention education resources.  It is more than policy, it’s a bold affirmation that safety isn’t a privilege, it’s a right.”

    “This legislation is critically important to begin to address the root cause issues that lead to long term trauma for our children,” said Demario Boone, Director of School Safety at Peoria Public Schools. “Minimalizing these traumas early on not only helps our schools, but our communities. It combats the traumas of human trafficking, drug abuse, gang activity and community violence. Prevention instead of reaction should be the primary goal of any legislation. This is it.”

    According to the U.S. Department of Justice, crimes like human trafficking and drug use often stem from gang activity. Gang-involved youth are more likely to abuse substances and face long-term challenges such as dropping out of school, family instability, and difficulty finding steady employment.

    Over 70,000 drug related deaths in 2021 were attributed to synthetic opioids other than methadone—primarily fentanyl. Fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18-45.  
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Winner, South Dakota, Man Guilty of Sex Trafficking of Children and Production of Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Richard Alan Kucera, age 67, of Winner, South Dakota, was found guilty of two counts of Sex Trafficking of a Child and two counts of Production of Child Pornography following a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 18, 2025.

    Each count of Sex Trafficking of a Child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Each count of Production of Child Pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

    Kucera and co-defendant Ivy Heron, age 37, also of Winner, South Dakota, were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.

    At trial, the evidence established that between 2019 and 2021, Kucera and Heron entered into an agreement to recruit local girls to engage in sexual activity with Kucera in exchange for payment.  Heron received a fee for each girl she recruited whom Kucera selected. Between 2020 and 2021, Heron recruited two sixteen-year-old girls, each of whom Kucera paid to engage in sexual activity.  Kucera also created child pornography images and videos of both minor victims, which he uploaded to Facebook. The arrangement between Kucera and Heron was discovered in June 2022, when the minor victims were interviewed by law enforcement.

    Heron pleaded guilty on April 9, 2025, to Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Child.  She is in custody awaiting sentencing.

    This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not yet been set. Kucera was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Laredo, Texas, Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Smuggling Over 100 Illegal Aliens in Locked Trailer

    Source: US FBI

    LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old resident of Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Juan Manuel Aguirre pleaded guilty Feb. 6.

    U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Aguirre to serve 63 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered Aguirre’s history of smuggling aliens on multiple occasions and the danger he posed by transporting them in a sealed, locked, dark and unventilated trailer that required authorities to open with a bolt cutter. 

    “Human smuggling is an incredibly dangerous enterprise, and it requires the trafficker to care absolutely nothing about the lives and safety of those they transport,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, there were no deaths in this case, but the underlying facts indicate that several of those transported had difficulty breathing and feared for their life. The Southern District of Texas will make sure that all human smugglers pay a serious price for their callousness.”

    On Dec. 2, 2024, law enforcement observed several individuals being loading into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot. Aguirre was the driver of the truck hauling it. After he departed the location, authorities conducted a traffic stop which resulted in the discovery of 101 aliens locked inside the trailer, 13 of whom were children as young as 13 years old.

    Multiple illegal aliens reported they had difficulty breathing and feared for their life due to the conditions in the trailer. They were from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Honduras.

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

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Laredo, Texas, Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Smuggling Over 100 Illegal Aliens in Locked Trailer

    Source: US FBI

    LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old resident of Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Juan Manuel Aguirre pleaded guilty Feb. 6.

    U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Aguirre to serve 63 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered Aguirre’s history of smuggling aliens on multiple occasions and the danger he posed by transporting them in a sealed, locked, dark and unventilated trailer that required authorities to open with a bolt cutter. 

    “Human smuggling is an incredibly dangerous enterprise, and it requires the trafficker to care absolutely nothing about the lives and safety of those they transport,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, there were no deaths in this case, but the underlying facts indicate that several of those transported had difficulty breathing and feared for their life. The Southern District of Texas will make sure that all human smugglers pay a serious price for their callousness.”

    On Dec. 2, 2024, law enforcement observed several individuals being loading into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot. Aguirre was the driver of the truck hauling it. After he departed the location, authorities conducted a traffic stop which resulted in the discovery of 101 aliens locked inside the trailer, 13 of whom were children as young as 13 years old.

    Multiple illegal aliens reported they had difficulty breathing and feared for their life due to the conditions in the trailer. They were from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Honduras.

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

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Deputy Charged with Receipt and Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US FBI

    MIAMI – Carle Miranda Blum, 51, a sworn uniformed deputy with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, was arrested today following the filing of a federal complaint charging her with receipt of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors and production of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors.

    According to the complaint, Blum received multiple videos and images of the victim, who was 17 years old at the time, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In the spring of 2025, Blum traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, where she recorded multiple videos of herself engaging in sex acts with the then-minor victim.

    The charge of production of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors carries a mandatory-minimum of 15 years in prison and a statutory maximum of up to 30 years. The charge of receipt of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors carries a mandatory-minimum of 5 years in prison and a statutory maximum of up to 20 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office provided assistance in the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and FBI Atlanta assisted in Blum’s apprehension and arrest.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilana R. Malkin and Major Crimes Deputy Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Astigarraga are prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate better, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.

    “To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the HSI and other law enforcement agencies.”

    To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-mj-02786.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Padilla Applaud Senate Judiciary Committee Passage of the TRACE Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) applauded the passage of the TRACE Act out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The TRACE Act is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would require the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to include an additional category to the existing National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems (NamUs) database so the public and law enforcement partners can denote cases where the person went missing or was identified on federal land or territorial waters of the United States —including by providing specific location details. 
    The bill also requires DOJ to submit an annual report to Congress on the number of cases of persons missing or suspected of going missing on public lands or territorial waters of the United States from the previous year. With this new feature, family and friends of people who have gone missing on public lands could more easily find and include this information in NamUs, while law enforcement agencies can simultaneously work to improve the national records of individuals missing on public lands.  
    “Every year, people go missing on public lands without being recorded in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System,” said Senator Tillis. “This oversight is impeding law enforcement from keeping track of those who go missing to help search and rescue efforts. I applaud the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation so these cases can be added to the database and potentially save hundreds of lives in the future, and I look forward to supporting this legislation on the Senate floor.”
    “Thousands of people go missing on public lands every year in the United States, but without an effective tracking system, law enforcement faces significant challenges in finding them,” said Senator Padilla. “Public lands should be safe for everyone. That’s why I will keep working with Senator Tillis and my colleagues across the aisle to pass this bipartisan legislation to improve data accuracy and accessibility, give law enforcement better tools to resolve cases, and bring peace of mind to affected families.”
    Background:
    According to a NamUs report, over 600,000 people go missing in the United States annually. While the majority of these cases are resolved, tens of thousands of people remain missing every year. There are approximately 640 million acres of federal land which include national parks, national forests, and Bureau of Land Management lands. 
    Estimates suggest that at least 1,600 people have gone missing on public lands, though the number is likely much higher, as isolated or rugged terrain on public lands can make it especially difficult to find or identify people who go missing. Despite this, there is no functional system to report people who have gone missing on public lands. Having accurate data on how many people go missing on our public lands every year is crucial to aid search and rescue efforts and resolve cases. 
    NamUs is the main system used by law enforcement, families and friends of missing persons, medical examiners, and coroners to report unidentified remains and missing persons, and is also used by the public.  
    The TRACE Act is endorsed by the Public Lands Solution, Jewish Women’s Institute, Major County Sheriffs Association, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), NDAA, Raven, National Association to End Sexual Violence, and the Outdoor Industry Association.
    Full text of the bill is available HERE.
      

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mobile Man Sentenced to 156 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

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

    MOBILE, AL – Joseph Ambrose Wilburn, Jr., of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced to 156 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. 

    According to court documents, on April 11, 2024, the Mobile Police Department received information about an active arrest warrant for Wilburn in connection to him using a firearm to kidnap and sexually assault a woman.  Later that day, Wilburn was stopped pursuant to a traffic stop where he was found to be in possession of two additional firearms.  Wilburn has multiple prior felony convictions including multiple convictions of Domestic Violence – Assault, and convictions of Criminal Trespass, Possession/Receipt of a Controlled Substance, and Reckless Endangerment, among others. As a convicted felon, Wilburn is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

    Wilburn was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty to the charge.  United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moore sentenced Wilburn to 156 months in prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for illegally possessing the firearm.

    U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.

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

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill and Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Multi-State Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: US FBI

    ROME, Ga. – Wilfort Foster, III, 41, of El Monte, California, was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to narcotics and money laundering conspiracy charges.  Foster, a convicted felon serving a sentence of probation during a portion of the offense, led an operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as significant quantities of fentanyl, from California to the North Georgia area and elsewhere, and then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. 

    “Our office partnered with a host of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle a significant, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering network,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Foster’s 28-year prison sentence should serve as a robust warning to others who might consider trafficking deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine in North Georgia.”

    “DEA is committed to going after money laundering networks that move cash made from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “We will continue to follow the money trail while working alongside our partners to hold those accountable who profit from the distribution of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine.” 

    “This sentencing marks the end of a years-long effort to dismantle a dangerous drug trafficking network that was pushing lethal fentanyl and methamphetamine into our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains focused on dismantling these dangerous organizations at every level—from supply to distribution to laundering the proceeds of their crimes.”

    “This significant sentence reflects the massive danger that fentanyl and illicit narcotics pose to our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of HSI and our law enforcement partners, Wilfort Foster, III, who led a major drug trafficking ring, will no longer be able to endanger lives with these deadly substances.”

    According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in 2017 and continuing into 2022, Foster and others conspired to transport methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Cartersville, Georgia and other areas. Foster ran a stash house and illegal gambling operation in his California barbershop, which he used to supply his network with large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine for sale. In one instance, Foster supplied a co-defendant with more than 22 kilograms of methamphetamine that law enforcement subsequently seized. 

    After Foster’s operation sold drugs, conspirators in Georgia laundered more than $600,000 in cash to Foster by using shell companies and flying with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to California. Foster maintained tight control of his network and once broke a co-defendant’s jaw during a feud over the co-defendant’s drug debt. 

    During the multi-agency investigation, law enforcement seized significant quantities of narcotics and more than a dozen firearms, including an AR-15. Foster continued his drug and money laundering operation in Georgia despite being on probation in California in a case involving the seizure of over nine kilograms of methamphetamine and two firearms. 

    Earlier today, United States District Judge William M. Ray II sentenced Foster to serve 28 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Foster was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering on January 6, 2025, after he pleaded guilty. 

    Another member of Foster’s organization, Steven Ham, 43, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release on November 26, 2024, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

    Additionally, the following defendants have pleaded guilty as part of this case and are awaiting sentencing:

    • Clifford Alexander, 39, of Gadsden, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
    • Frank Miller, 47, of Cartersville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
    • Kenneth Antoine Scott, 41, of East Point, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • Lori Silvers, 46, of Rockmart, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
    • Nia Thomas, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Cartersville Police Department, Cedartown Police Department, Polk County Police Department, Acworth Police Department, Kennesaw Police Department, El Monte (CA) Police Department, Los Angeles (CA) Sheriff’s Department, Rutherford County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Kansas City (KS) Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III, Matthew R. LaGrone, and Jeffrey Brown; former Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Beaulieu and Zachary Howard; and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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 effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FLORIDA MAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF MACHINE GUNS AND ASSAULTING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

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

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John Caleb Allen, 26, of Bristol, Florida, has been charged by federal criminal complaint for assault of a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a machine gun. The charges were announced today by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    Court documents allege that, on July 24, 2025, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives with the assistance of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, were executing a federal search warrant at the subject’s residence when Allen opened fire on law enforcement. After firing multiple rounds at the agents, Allen was arrested without the agents discharging their weapons. Agents suffered minor, non-critical injuries as a result of the assault.

    Allen is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick today, at 3:00 pm at the Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.

    If convicted, Allen faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment on the assault of a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon count, a minimum of ten years up to life imprisonment on the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence count, and up to ten years’ imprisonment on the illegal possession of a machinegun count.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney James McCain is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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).

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation by a sworn affiant that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to due process, to include a fair trial, during which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien Charged With Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm And Illegal Reentry

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

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the  return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Aristeo Ceron-Morales (48, Sarasota) with unlawful possession of a firearm and illegal reentry. If convicted on all counts, Ceron-Morales faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Ceron-Morales that the United States intends to forfeit a Sig Sauer P226 firearm, a Savage 410 shotgun, Hornady 9 mm ammunition, and Remington .38 ammunition, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

    According to the indictment, Aristeo Ceron-Morales is a convicted felon and illegal alien. In 2002, he was convicted of “Sex Offense Against Child Fondling – Conduct by Person 18 Years of Age or Older.” Ceron-Morales possessed firearms and ammunition despite not being able to legally do so based on his status as a convicted felon and illegal alien. Additionally, Ceron-Morales was previously removed from the United States in 2003 and had returned to the United States illegally. 

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. 

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bradenton Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Possession of Stolen Firearms, Including Sawed-Off Shotgun, Lands Mustang Felon in Federal Prison for More Than Seven Years

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

    OKLAHOMA CITY – MICHAEL LOWELL BONJOUR, 39, of Mustang, has been sentenced to serve 87 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after previous felony conviction, possession of stolen firearms, and possession of an unregistered firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    According to public record, Bonjour was arrested on state charges by officers with the El Reno Police Department in March 2024 when he was discovered to be in possession of a stolen firearm. Six months later, in September 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department arrested him after he was stopped driving a stolen vehicle and found to be in possession of three stolen firearms – including a sawed-off shotgun. 

    Prior to these arrests, Bonjour had been convicted of multiple felonies, including convictions in Canadian County District Court for bringing contraband into a jail/penal institution in case number CF-2023-232; possession of a stolen vehicle in case number CF-2023-298; and stalking in case number CF-2023-325, as well as a total of four misdemeanor convictions for violations of a protective order.

    On November 6, 2024, a federal grand jury charged Bonjour with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of stolen firearms, and possession of an unregistered firearm.  On February 28, 2025, Bonjour pleaded guilty and admitted he knowingly possessed stolen firearms despite his previous felony convictions, and further admitted that one of the firearms was not properly registered to him despite its modified barrel.

    At a sentencing hearing on July 18, 2025, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Bonjour to serve 87 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the need to deter additional criminal conduct and to protect the public.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Edmond Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the El Reno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Eighth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to Belt and Road Initiative held in Beijing (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and relevant central ministries held the eighth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) in Beijing today (July 25).
     
         Vice Chairman of the NDRC Mr Zhou Haibing attended the conference with Mainland officials led by him, including representatives from the NDRC, the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Supreme People’s Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Transport, the People’s Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR.
     
         The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in his capacity as chairperson of the Working Group on Belt and Road (B&R) Development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, led HKSAR Government officials to attend the conference. They included the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, who was also the Hong Kong-side Convenor of the Joint Conference, and representatives from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB), the Department of Justice, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Belt and Road Office of the CEDB, and the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing. The Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Professor Frederick Ma, and a representative from the Airport Authority Hong Kong also attended the meeting.
     
         Mr Lam said that the HKSAR Government has been taking forward B&R co-operation to go deeper and deliver outcomes, thereby fully participating in and contributing to the B&RI under the continued guidance of the eight major steps the country has been taking to support high-quality B&R co-operation, with a view to facilitating Hong Kong’s active integration into overall national development. With the country’s support, Hong Kong will continue to deepen international exchanges and co-operation and will actively utilise its own advantages to exert a greater role in the country’s high-level opening up to the world.
     
         He pointed out that over the past year, the HKSAR Government has actively served as a proponent for institutional openness through Hong Kong’s strengths as a platform for two-way opening up; a pioneer for co-operation in new fields through strengths in education, science and technology and talent; and a facilitator for people-to-people bonds through strengths as a melting pot of diversified cultures. The HKSAR Government has been exploring emerging markets such as the Middle East, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other B&R countries, while making full use of Hong Kong’s professional services aligned with international standards, thereby building Hong Kong as the gateway between the country and the world and highlighting Hong Kong’s role as the premier B&R functional platform. He expressed gratitude to the Central Government for the staunch support of hosting the International Organization for Mediation headquarters in Hong Kong, which will help strengthen Hong Kong’s roles as an international dispute resolution services centre and a capital for international mediation.
     
         Mr Yau stated in the meeting that the HKSAR Government will fully capitalise on the 10th Belt and Road Summit to showcase Hong Kong’s important roles as an active participant and the premier B&R functional platform to the Mainland and overseas. He reported on Hong Kong’s progress in carrying out B&R work, including the CEDB’s ongoing pursuit of the early accession of Hong Kong to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the pursuit of early conclusion of ongoing negotiations for free trade and investment agreements, and actively following up on the plan to establish Economic and Trade Offices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to fully take forward the economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and B&R countries.
     
         The meeting also focused its discussion on the seven work proposals on further promoting the B&RI that the HKSAR Government put forward for consideration by central ministries, covering capacity building, deepening exchanges and co-operations with B&R countries, legal and dispute resolution services, cross-boundary financing, and the expansion of international co-operation and ties in innovation and technology. Representatives of relevant Joint Conference Mainland ministries introduced their respective work in supporting Hong Kong’s participation in and contribution to the B&RI and provided feedback on the HKSAR Government’s work proposals. The HKSAR Government is grateful for the support expressed by relevant central ministries at the meeting on various work proposals and will actively follow up with them.
     
         In addition, the meeting noted the HKSAR Government’s key areas and major work in its future participation and contribution to the B&RI, including leveraging Hong Kong’s role as a B&R functional platform to explore business opportunities and facilitating business matching and participation in B&R projects. The HKSAR Government will continue to consolidate Hong Kong’s unique advantage of connecting with the Mainland and the rest of the world under “one country, two systems”, seize the enormous opportunities brought about by national development, strengthen and deepen exchanges and co-operations with B&R countries, and give full play to its role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”.
     
         The Arrangement between the NDRC and the HKSAR Government for Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to the B&RI, signed between the HKSAR Government and the NDRC in 2017, provides the direction and a blueprint for Hong Kong’s full participation in and contribution to the B&RI, as well as sets up the Joint Conference mechanism to discuss relevant matters, with meetings convened at least once a year.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock, Ossoff Urge DOJ to Investigate Conditions at Bibb County Jail

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) urged the Department of Justice to open a federal investigation into conditions at the Bibb County Jail in Macon, Georgia.

    Senator Reverend Warnock and Senator Jon Ossoff: “given the extremity of the reported health, safety, and civil rights concerns that persist in the jail, we urge the DOJ to conduct a full and thorough investigation into conditions at this jail and whether the rights of any individuals who work at or are incarcerated at these facilities may have been violated.”

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) urged the Department of Justice to open an investigation into conditions at the Bibb County Jail in Macon, Georgia. The Senators are demanding action following recent reports of health, safety, and civil rights concerns at the facility. In recent years, multiple inmates have been killed or injured in outbreaks of violence at the jail, including a 22-year-old inmate who was stabbed to death at the facility in June.

    “The reports emerging from Bibb County Jail are disturbing. On June 4, 2025, Breele Jahiem Johnson, 22, was stabbed to death. Multiple other inmates were injured in the same incident. Unfortunately, violence at this facility is not rare. In April, an inmate had boiling water thrown on his face, causing severe burns. In May 2024, an inmate died after being tasered by officers. Just last week, another inmate was stabbed and had to be taken to a local hospital. Since 2020, four individuals have died by suicide. The pattern of violence at this facility is troubling.” the Senators wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi. “We have been encouraged by local officials’ recent efforts to address Bibb County Jail conditions. However, given the extremity of the reported health, safety, and civil rights concerns that persist in the jail, we urge the DOJ to conduct a full and thorough investigation,” the Senators added. 

    The effort builds on Senator Warnock’s previous work to ensure humane conditions in prisons in Georgia and across the nation. In February of 2024, Senator Warnock led his colleagues in successfully urging the Justice Department prioritize the investigation into Fulton County Jail following multiple deaths at the facility in recent years. In 2025, the Justice Department entered a consent decree over the conditions at Fulton County Jail.

    Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

    Dear Attorney General Bondi:

    We are writing you today to request that the Department of Justice (DOJ) open an investigation into conditions at the Bibb County Jail in Macon, Georgia.

    Throughout our time in office, we have conducted oversight and taken action to expose and address civil and human rights abuses in prisons and jails, including in federal, state, and local institutions across Georgia. The reports emerging from Bibb County Jail are disturbing. On June 4, 2025, Breele Jahiem Johnson, 22, was stabbed to death.1 Multiple other inmates were injured in the same incident. Unfortunately, violence at this facility is not rare. In April, an inmate had boiling water thrown on his face, causing severe burns. In May 2024, an inmate died after being tasered by officers. Just last week, another inmate was stabbed and had to be taken to a local hospital. Since 2020, four individuals have died by suicide.6 The pattern of violence at this facility is troubling.

    Living conditions at the Bibb County jail are also unacceptable. After touring the jail, the president of the Georgia NAACP stated that the “cracked walls, broken plumbing, poor lighting and unsanitary conditions create an environment no human should be subjected to.” According to others, rodents and waste are regularly seen in the hallways.

    We have been encouraged by local officials’ recent efforts to address Bibb County Jail conditions. However, given the extremity of the reported health, safety, and civil rights concerns that persist in the jail, we urge the DOJ to conduct a full and thorough investigation into conditions at this jail and whether the rights of any individuals who work at or are incarcerated at these facilities may have been violated. Our offices are ready to assist your work in any capacity.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Reintroduced Bill To Combat Alarming Rise In Domestic Terrorism Threats

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    July 24, 2025
    As the Trump Administration reallocates resources away from domestic terrorism prevention efforts to fund an illegal mass deportation campaign, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would codify and bolster key tools and resources to combat domestic terrorist threats
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reintroduced legislation to address the growing domestic terrorism threat. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2025 would enhance the federal government’s efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by establishing offices dedicated to combating this threat; requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess this threat; and providing training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing it, among other things.
    “There is zero justification for discrimination and hate in our country—regardless of ideology. Tragically, we’re witnessing the Trump Administration reallocate resources away from domestic terrorism and hate crimes prevention efforts across the government, which are meant to protect Americans of all backgrounds against discrimination.
    “With the alarming rise in domestic terrorism threats in America, we need to bolster our government’s capabilities to detect, curb, and prevent potential attacks. I believe—and the American people believe—that’s a central responsibility of our government: to keep us safe, secure, and free. This should be a bipartisan solution, and I will again push for it to become law,” said Durbin.
    The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2025 authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offices that are responsible for monitoring, analyzing, investigating, and prosecuting domestic terrorism. The bill also requires these offices to issue joint biannual reports to the House and Senate Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Intelligence Committees that assess the domestic terrorism threat posed by white supremacists; analyze domestic terrorism incidents that occurred in the previous six months; and provide transparency through a public quantitative analysis of domestic terrorism-related assessments, investigations, incidents, arrests, indictments, prosecutions, convictions, and weapons recoveries. DHS, DOJ, and FBI offices would be required to focus their limited resources on the most significant domestic terrorism threats, as determined by the number of domestic terrorism-related incidents outlined in the joint report.
    The legislation also:
    Codifies the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee (DTEC), an interagency task force, which was originally created by the Department of Justice in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing;
    Provides additional clarity regarding which federal law enforcement officials shall serve on the DTEC authorized by the bill; and
    Requires that the Executive Committee meet with local community groups to foster greater collaboration and dialogue to help combat domestic terrorism.
    Additionally, the bill requires DOJ, DHS, and the FBI to provide training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in understanding, detecting, deterring, and investigating acts of domestic terrorism. Finally, the legislation would establish an interagency task force to combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the uniformed services.
    In May 2022, Senate Republicans filibustered the House-passed Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act.
    Bill text is available here.
    During his tenure as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin held a hearing entitled “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America.” The hearing examined the threats facing marginalized communities and how the federal government can better protect the civil rights and safety of all Americans, including Jewish, Arab, and Muslim Americans. Durbin also raised the issue in a March 2025 hearing on combatting antisemitism.
    Additionally, under Durbin’s leadership as Chair, the Committee held several other hearings to examine the issue of hate crimes and domestic terrorism, including a hearing on “Combating the Rise in Hate Crimes” shortly after the January 15, 2022, synagogue attack in Colleyville, Texas, and a hearing examining the “Metastasizing’ Domestic Terrorism Threat After the Buffalo Attack,” which explored the continued threat posed by violent white supremacists and other extremists, including those who have embraced the so-called “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, after a mass shooting by a white supremacist in Buffalo on May 14, 2022. The white supremacist who murdered 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 also embraced this conspiracy theory.
    Durbin first held a hearing on domestic terrorism threats in 2012, after a white supremacist murdered seven Sikh worshipers in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
     
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin On Trump’s Extreme Judicial Nominees: The Only Qualification That President Trump Looks For In His Nominees Is Loyalty To Him And His MAGA Agenda

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    July 24, 2025
    Durbin took to the Senate floor to denounce President Trump’s extreme and unqualified judicial nominees
    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized the Trump Administration’s unqualified and extreme judicial nominees. In his remarks, Durbin spoke out against the nomination of Emil Bove to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, pointing toward Bove’s unwavering loyalty to President Trump. During his remarks, Durbin also denounced the confirmation of Joshua Divine to serve as a judge on the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri.
    “The first Trump Administration put forward some of the most extreme and unqualified judicial nominees ever considered by the Senate. Several Trump nominees had little or no experience in a courtroom, no litigation experience,” Durbin said. “Three district court nominees—Kathryn Mizelle, Justin Walker, and Sarah Pitlik—won unanimous support from Committee Republicans, despite having never tried a case.”
    “Many Trump nominees took some unusual, if not controversial, if not just plain wrong [positions]. [Take] Lawrence Van Dyke, [a] Ninth Circuit nominee. We asked him to affirm that he would be fair to LGBTQ individuals. He wouldn’t say it, just couldn’t get the words [out] of his mouth,” Durbin continued. “Michael Truncale, an Eastern District of Texas nominee, said of President Obama, he was ‘an un-American imposter.’ Those are the words of this man seeking the federal bench, about the former president. He said he [Obama] would ‘bow to Arab sheikhs and other world leaders.’ Where did you find that nominee?”
    During his first term, President Trump put forward ten judicial nominees who were found to be “Not Qualified” by the American Bar Association. Despite strong objections from Senate Democrats, eight of the ten unqualified nominees were confirmed by Senate Republicans.
    “Historically, the American Bar Association did its own background check on nominees for the federal bench. Where would they go? Well, they would go into the community. They would go to the judges that this person has appeared before. They would go to the fellow attorneys. They would try to find character references. And they would dig deep. They had some basic rules. You had to have [12] years of experience as an attorney to even be considered for the federal bench. Then they rated people ‘Qualified,’ ‘Not Qualified,’ ‘Well Qualified,’ and such… Even when the American Bar Association says you’re unqualified to serve on the bench, it didn’t discourage the [Trump Administration],” Durbin said.
    “President Trump seems intent on outdoing himself by putting forth nominees who are even more extreme, partisan, and fundamentally unqualified [than his first Administration]. Instead of finding more qualified judicial nominees, Attorney General Bondi ordered the Justice Department to stop cooperating with the American Bar Association in rating nominees,” Durbin continued.
    “She didn’t want to run into the embarrassment that they did in the first Trump term, with ten of them being found unqualified. She said the way to solve that is to not find a better nominee, but to get rid of the American Bar Association. If they’re not going to give a grade to these nominees, we don’t have to worry about their being unqualified. She overturned a practice in place nearly 70 years, going back to Dwight Eisenhower. Both Republican and Democratic presidents had followed the rule. Now the only qualification that President Trump looks for in his judicial nominees, he says as much, is loyalty,” Durbin said.
    Durbin then spoke out against Emil Bove’s nomination, laying out his troubling record as an insurrection apologist and his belief that he does not need to abide by federal court rulings, both of which disqualify him from serving on the federal bench.
    “As a senior official in the Justice Department, Mr. Bove has done nothing but cater to President Trump’s every whim… Mr. Bove personally ordered the termination of federal prosecutors who put violent January 6 rioters in prison… When asked to justify his actions in firing the attorneys who prosecuted these insurrectionists, Mr. Bove claimed ‘heavy-handed tactics’ by prosecutors were ‘equally unacceptable’ as physical violence against law enforcement. That is an outrageous and offensive statement by a man who wants to be a federal judge for life,” Durbin said.
    “Mr. Bove also led the Justice Department’s efforts to strike a corrupt bargain with New York City Mayor Eric Adams. This is an outrage, what he did. Mr. Bove stated that charges would be dropped without prejudice so that Adams could ‘devote full attention and resources to…illegal immigration and violent crime.’ In other words, President Trump needed Mayor Adams to do his bidding on his deportation policy,” Durbin continued. 
    “If that was not enough, Mr. Bove has shown utter disdain for our courts. A whistleblower stepped forward, gave his name, risked his future to tell us what Mr. Bove had told to the attorneys working on cases [at the Justice Department]… According to this credible whistleblower who provided ample documentation to back up his claims, Mr. Bove told Department of Justice attorneys that they might need to say, ‘f— you’ to federal courts that issue orders this Administration doesn’t agree with,” Durbin said. “That is the most dangerous comment that a person in the position of authority can make in the executive branch, that they will ignore the court orders that are issued against them.”
    Durbin also decried Joshua Divine’s confirmation to serve as a judge on the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri. Divine, who has litigated for only five years, has repeatedly peddled extreme positions on women’s right to health care and voting rights, hearkening back to deeply racist Jim Crow laws.
    “Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Joshua Divine to the federal bench. [He’s] 34 years old, received his law degree nine years ago, litigated for five years. Beyond his troubling lack of experience, Mr. Divine has taken extreme positions,” Durbin said. “He calls himself a ‘zealot’ when it comes to [being] anti-choice.”
    “He has challenged women’s ability, in his state, to access the abortion drug mifepristone and has undermined the decision of Missouri voters to codify abortion access in their state constitution,” Durbin said.
    “Also deeply troubling, Mr. Divine argued in favor of literacy tests at the ballot box, stating that people who ‘aren’t informed about issues or platforms…have no business voting.’ Now where does that come from in America? Literacy tests, where does that come from? It comes from the era of Jim Crow,” Durbin continued. “It turns out, Mr. Divine believes that literacy tests should be restored. It shouldn’t be controversial for anyone to say that the nominee has disqualified himself. The fact that the Senate confirmed Mr. Divine is outrageous.”
    Durbin concluded his floor speech by calling on his Republican colleagues to put aside their unbridled loyalty to President Trump and prevent extreme, unqualified nominees from sitting on the federal bench.
    “These nominees are just the tip of the iceberg. President Trump will continue to nominate extreme and unqualified individuals unless the Senate takes a stand,” Durbin said.
    “I urge my colleagues to vote against Mr. Bove and all future nominees whose only loyalty is to the President, and not to the Constitution,” Durbin concluded.
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
     
    -30-
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Applauds DOJ Lawsuit to Hold NYC Accountable for Dangerous Sanctuary Policies

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    July 24, 2025

    (NEW YORK, NY) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis issued the following statement regarding the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against New York City over its sanctuary city policies.

     

    “I thank Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice for taking action to hold New York City accountable for its dangerous sanctuary policies, which have enabled violent crime in our streets, cost innocent lives, and resulted in billions of taxpayer dollars coming out of New Yorkers’ pockets. 

     

    Restoring public safety in our communities starts with New York City cooperating with ICE’s detainer requests. Failing to do so keeps dangerous criminals on our streets. I filed a Freedom of Information Law request that revealed just how far-reaching the consequences of these failed policies have become. The data showed that over 16,000 crimes were committed by thousands of perpetrators who were residing at hotels and shelters at taxpayer expense. The facts speak for themselves: sanctuary policies aren’t just misguided they are costly and dangerous.

     

    I look forward to continuing to work with the Department of Justice and the Trump Administration to enforce immigration laws, protect our communities, and hold city officials accountable for putting politics before public safety.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Intros Bipartisan Bill to Help Tribes Combat MMIWP Crisis and Fentanyl Trafficking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.24.25

    Cantwell Intros Bipartisan Bill to Help Tribes Combat MMIWP Crisis and Fentanyl Trafficking

    Bipartisan legislation would boost federal benefits to help recruit and retain tribal law enforcement officers; This week – local, federal, and tribal law enforcement indict 12 individuals in major drug trafficking operation on Yakama Nation lands

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Representative Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04) and Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03) introduced the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act of 2025. The legislation would help tribal police departments hire and retain tribal law enforcement officers by providing access to federal retirement, pension, death, and injury benefits on par with law enforcement officers from non-tribal jurisdictions.

    “Tribes need more law enforcement officers to fight both the fentanyl and murdered and missing indigenous people epidemics and to respond to emergencies in their communities,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act will help tribal communities get the law enforcement resources they need to keep their communities safe.”

    “Tribal police departments work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities in Oklahoma and around the nation,” said Sen. Mullin. “Tribal police should receive equal treatment and resources needed for the safety of their communities without going through excessive red tape. I’m proud to join with my colleagues on this and support our Tribal law enforcement.”

    “As the missing and murdered indigenous women crisis continues to plague tribal communities across the country, tribal law enforcement agencies are facing serious challenges with recruiting and retaining officers and resources,” said Rep. Newhouse. “This bipartisan legislation empowers tribal law enforcement to build and maintain strong, well-trained forces who will be far better equipped to address the MMIW crisis, counter illicit drug flow, and protect tribal communities in Central Washington. I thank members of the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle who understand the scale of these challenges and are helping to lead towards a solution.”

    According to the Department of Interior, public safety and justice at the Bureau of Indian Affairs is funded at just 13% of need and over 25,600 personnel are needed to adequately serve Indian Country. This includes at least 13,000 more tribal law enforcement officers to meet FBI Community Safety Standards.

    “The Colville Tribes strongly supports the ‘Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act.’ The bill would implement long overdue reforms and remove administrative barriers to tribal law officers enforcing federal laws on their reservation lands. It will also assist the Colville Tribes and other tribes in recruiting and retaining officers, which is critical for rural tribes that have large land bases and not enough officers to adequately patrol.” – Jarred-Michael Erickson, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

    “Bolstering support for Tribal law enforcement recruitment and retention is crucial to addressing the many serious and systemic public safety issues in Indian Country. The issue is particularly pressing for the Yakama Nation and other tribes with large-land bases and a severe lack of resources to adequately patrol such a vast area. At Yakama we are facing an overwhelming confluence of public safety crises. We have experienced a surge in violent and property crimes, the highest rate of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/People in the region, and a terrifying rise in outside gang and cartel-related drug activity coming onto our lands, including the pervasive and deadly fentanyl epidemic. The recent coordinated, multi-agency drug trafficking interdiction “Operation Overdrive” that dismantled a large drug distribution network operating on the Yakama Reservation shows what is possible when all levels of government work together to make our communities safer. The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act will help give the Yakama Nation and other tribes the tools and funding necessary to protect our communities and people who live, work, and raise their families on our lands. The Yakama Nation appreciates Senator Cantwell and Congressman Newhouse’s partnership with us and their continued work to address long-standing impediments to Tribal sovereignty and our public safety efforts.” – Jeremy Takala, Law & Order Committee Chairman, Yakama Nation Tribal Council

    “The Chehalis Tribe strongly supports the bill. Our Tribe is fortunate in that we are able to pay our law enforcement officers competitive salaries but competitive retirement benefits are currently out of reach for Chehalis and most other tribes around the country. If enacted, this will allow Chehalis and other tribes to take care of the officers that patrol and keep our communities safe.” – Dustin Klatush, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation

    “Many tribal police departments are chronically understaffed and massively underfunded. The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act would level the playing field for tribal police benefits, retirement, and pension, allowing tribes to improve retention and recruitment of officers on tribal lands. Ultimately, passage of the act would help improve overall safety in tribal communities. We are grateful to Senator Cantwell, Congressman Newhouse, Congresswoman, Gluesenkamp Perez, and their colleagues for championing this act and hope the overwhelming tribal support will ensure its approval.” – Chairman Glen Nenema, Kalispel Tribe of Indians

    “As a tribal law enforcement officer and an elected tribal leader, I know firsthand how hard it is to recruit and retain law enforcement officers. This bill will make it so much easier to achieve that objective by ensuring tribal law enforcement officers have access to proper retirement benefits. This bill will make our community safer.” – Vice-President Everett Ekdahl, Jr. Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

    “The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act will provide tribal nations with the tools necessary to recruit and retain law enforcements officers. It shows Congress’s commitment to public safety on tribal lands and the fair treatment of tribal law enforcement officers. We are grateful for Senator Cantwell, Congressman Newhouse, and Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez for their leadership on this important issue.” – Chairman Leonard Forsman, Suquamish Tribe

    “The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act represents a crucial advancement in ensuring that tribal law enforcement agencies, such as Hopi Law Enforcement Services, have the support they need to protect those that live and work on the Hopi Reservation. The Hopi Tribe is grateful to Senator Cantwell, Congressman Newhouse, Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez, and their colleagues for their leadership strengthening recruitment, retention, and public safety across tribal nations.” – Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma, Hopi Tribe

    “Access to resources is critical to improving the recruitment and retention tribal law enforcement officers. The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act removes administrative barriers and provides the necessary reforms to protect our community. The Nisqually Tribe thanks Senator Cantwell and Representative Newhouse for their leadership in strengthening safety and security across tribal communities.” – Chairman Ken Choke, Nisqually Tribe

    “Jurisdictional gaps in Indian Country have allowed far too many criminals to fall through the cracks. We appreciate Senator Cantwell’s leadership in taking meaningful action to close these gaps. By allowing qualified Tribal officers operating under 638 contracts to enforce federal law and receive federal protections, this bill strengthens our ability to respond to serious criminal activity on our reservation.” Chairman Anthony Hillaire, Lummi Nation

    Combatting the Fentanyl Epidemic

    Sen. Cantwell is a strong advocate for increasing the presence of tribal law enforcement officers on reservations to help combat the fentanyl epidemic and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) crisis among Native communities.

    Sen. Cantwell first introduced the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act in July 2023. The bipartisan bill was first considered at a U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on May 1, 2024. During a hearing on the fentanyl crisis in Indian Country later that month, Sen. Cantwell pressed federal officials about the need to help tribes hire and keep more tribal law enforcement officers and highlighted several tribes in Washington state that urgently need more resources to improve chronic understaffing issues.

    In October 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the leaders of the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee requesting that the committee hold an oversight hearing on how to address the fentanyl crisis in Indian Country. Soon after, the committee announced two hearings on the topic. At the November 2023 hearing titled: “Fentanyl in Native Communities: Native Perspectives on Addressing the Growing Crisis,” Sen. Cantwell invited Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillarie to testify.

    In December 2023, Vanessa Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, and Glen Melville, Deputy Bureau Director at the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services and member of the Makah Tribe, participated in the second hearing titled: “Fentanyl in Native Communities: Examining the Federal Response to the Growing Crisis.” At the hearing, both Waldref and Melville commented that fentanyl traffickers often target tribal lands due to lack of tribal law enforcement.

    A background document on Sen. Cantwell’s legislative track record and advocacy to combat the fentanyl crisis is available HERE.

    Fighting Against MMIWP Crisis

    In 2020, Sen. Cantwell’s Savanna’s Act was signed into law to help federal, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies better respond to cases of missing and murdered indigenous women and people by improving coordination among all levels of law enforcement, increasing data collection and information sharing, and providing tribal governments with vital resources.

    In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell announced she sent a letter to the Biden Administration urging them to prioritize funding to assist Tribes and organizations working to combat the MMIWP crisis.

    Following Sen. Cantwell’s urging, in June 2023 the U.S. Department of Justice announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program, which dedicated five Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five coordinators to the task of resolving the cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. This included dedicated personnel based in Eastern Washington.

    In October 2024, Sen. Cantwell announced $6.9 million in federal funding for state and municipal law enforcement agencies, tribal justice departments and programs, and medical examiner offices to help fight the fentanyl crisis, gun violence, and violence against women and children.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Columbia’s $200M deal with Trump administration sets a precedent for other universities to bend to the government’s will

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Cantwell, Associate Professor of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, Michigan State University

    Students at Columbia University in New York City on April 14, 2025. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

    Columbia University agreed on July 23, 2025, to pay a US$200 million fine to the federal government and to settle allegations that it did not create a safe environment for Jewish students during Palestinian rights protests in 2024.

    The deal will restore the vast majority of the $400 million in federal grants and contracts that Columbia was previously awarded, before the administration withdrew the funding in March 2025.

    It marks the first financial and political agreement a university has reached with the Trump administration in its push for more control over higher education – and stands to have significant ripple effects for how other universities and colleges carry out their basic operations.

    Amy Lieberman, the education editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Brendan Cantwell, a scholar of higher education at Michigan State University, to understand what’s exactly in this agreement – and the lasting precedent it may set on government intervention in higher education.

    Palestinian rights demonstrators march through Columbia University on Oct. 7, 2024, marking one year of the war between Hamas and Israel.
    Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

    What’s in the deal Columbia made with the Trump administration?

    The agreement requires Columbia to make a $200 million payment to the federal government. Columbia will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

    Columbia will need to keep detailed statistics about student applicants – including their race and ethnicity, grades and SAT scores – as well as information about faculty and staff hiring decisions. Columbia will then have to share this data with the federal government.

    In exchange, the federal government will release most of the $400 million in frozen grant money previously awarded to Columbia and allow faculty at the university to compete for future federal grants.

    How does this deal address antisemitism?

    The Trump administration has cited antisemitism against students and faculty on campuses to justify its broad incursion into the business of universities around the country.

    Antisemitism is a real and legitimate concern in U.S. society and higher education, including at Columbia.

    But the federal complaint the administration made against Columbia was not actually about antisemitism. The administration made a formal accusation of antisemitism at Columbia in May of this year but suspended grants to the university in March. The federal government had initially acknowledged that cutting federal research grants did nothing to address the climate for Jewish students on campus, for example.

    When the federal government investigates civil rights violations, it usually conducts site visits and does very thorough investigations. We never saw such a government report about antisemitism at Columbia or other universities.

    The settlement that Columbia has entered into with the administration also doesn’t do much about antisemitism.

    The agreement includes Columbia redefining antisemitism with a broader definition that is also used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The definition now includes “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” – a description that is also used by the U.S. State Department and several European governments but some critics say conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism.

    Instead, the agreement primarily has to do with faculty hiring and admissions decisions. The federal government alleges that Columbia is discriminating against white and Asian applicants, and that this will allow the government to ensure that everybody who is admitted is considered only on the basis of merit.

    The administration could argue that changing hiring practices to get faculty who are less hostile to Jewish students could change the campus climate, but the agreement doesn’t really identify ways in which the university contributed to or ignored antisemitic conduct.

    Is this a new issue?

    There has been a long-running issue that conservatives and members of the Trump administration – dating back to his first term – have with higher education. The Trump administration and other conservatives have said for years that higher education is too liberal.

    The protests were the flash point that put Columbia in the administration’s crosshairs, as well as claims that Columbia was creating a hostile environment for Jewish students.

    The administration’s complaints aren’t limited to Columbia. Harvard is in a protracted conflict with the administration, and the administration has launched investigations into dozens of other schools around the country. These universities are butting heads with the administration over the same grievance that higher education is too liberal. There are also specific claims about antisemitism on university campuses and the privileges given to nonwhite students in admissions or campus life.

    While the administration has a common set of complaints about a range of universities, there is a mix of schools that the administration is taking issue with. Some of them, such as Harvard, are very high profile. The Department of Justice forced out the president at the University of Virginia in January 2025 on the grounds that he had not done enough to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the public university. The University of Virginia may have been a target for the administration because a Republican governor appointed most members of its governance board and agreed with Trump’s complaints.

    How could this change the makeup of Columbia’s student population?

    The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that Harvard’s affirmative action program, which considered race in admissions, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This effectively ended race-based affirmative action for all U.S. colleges and universities.

    Now, with the Columbia deal, the government could say that it would expect to see a proportion of students who are white increase and students who are Black and Latino to decrease at Columbia. That’s a legal approach that America First Legal, a conservative legal advocacy group founded by Stephen Miller, a Trump administration official, has already tried.

    Back in February 2025, America First Legal alleged in a federal lawsuit that the University of California, Los Angeles, was using illegal admissions criteria, because of the number of Black and Latino students that were admitted by the school. That lawsuit is ongoing.

    Claire Shipman, Columbia University’s acting president, speaks during the school’s May 2025 commencement ceremony.
    Jeenah Moon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    What does this agreement mean for US higher education as a whole?

    It is an enormous, unprecedented shift in how the federal government works with higher education. Since the McCarthy era in the 1940s and ’50s, when professors were blacklisted and fired because of their alleged communism, Americans have not seen the federal government interrogate education.

    The federal government does have a role in securing people’s civil rights, including in the context of higher education, but this is very, very different from how the federal government has done civil rights investigations and entered into agreements with universities in the past.

    This agreement is very broad and gives the federal government oversight of things that have long been under universities’ control, such as whom they hire to teach and which students they admit.

    The federal government is now saying it has the right to look over universities’ shoulders and guide them in this work that has long been considered independent. And the government is willing to be extremely coercive to get universities to comply.

    What signal does this agreement send to other universities?

    This agreement sets a precedent for the government to direct colleges and universities to comply with its political agenda. This violates the long tradition of academic independence that had helped to make the U.S. higher education system the envy of the world.

    Columbia can afford paying $200 million to the federal government. Most universities can’t afford to pay $200 million.

    And most campuses cannot survive without federal resources, whether that comes in the form of student financial aid or research grants. This agreement sets a standard for other universities that, if they don’t immediately do what the federal government wants them to do, the government could impose penalties that are so high it could end their ability to operate.

    Brendan Cantwell is a Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University.

    – ref. Columbia’s $200M deal with Trump administration sets a precedent for other universities to bend to the government’s will – https://theconversation.com/columbias-200m-deal-with-trump-administration-sets-a-precedent-for-other-universities-to-bend-to-the-governments-will-261902

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Arizona Woman Sentenced for $17M Information Technology Worker Fraud Scheme that Generated Revenue for North Korea

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    An Arizona woman was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for her role in a fraudulent scheme that assisted North Korean Information Technology (IT) workers posing as U.S. citizens and residents with obtaining remote IT positions at more than 300 U.S. companies. The scheme generated more than $17 million in illicit revenue for Chapman and for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea).

    Christina Marie Chapman, 50, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, pleaded guilty on Feb. 11 in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. In addition to the 102-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Chapman to serve three years of supervised release, to forfeit $284,555.92 that was to be paid to the North Koreans, and to pay a judgment of $176,850.

    “Christina Chapman perpetrated a years’ long scheme that resulted in millions of dollars raised for the DPRK regime, exploited more than 300 American companies and government agencies, and stole dozens of identities of American citizens,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Chapman made the wrong calculation: short term personal gains that inflict harm on our citizens and support a foreign adversary will have severe long term consequences.  I encourage companies to remain vigilant of these cyber threats, and warn individuals who may be tempted by similar schemes to take heed of today’s sentence.”

    “North Korea is not just a threat to the homeland from afar. It is an enemy within. It is perpetrating fraud on American citizens, American companies, and American banks. It is a threat to Main Street in every sense of the word,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “The call is coming from inside the house. If this happened to these big banks, to these Fortune 500, brand name, quintessential American companies, it can or is happening at your company. Corporations failing to verify virtual employees pose a security risk for all. You are the first line of defense against the North Korean threat.”

    “The North Korean regime has generated millions of dollars for its nuclear weapons program by victimizing American citizens, businesses, and financial institutions,” said Assistant Director Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “However, even an adversary as sophisticated as the North Korean government can’t succeed without the assistance of willing U.S. citizens like Christina Chapman, who was sentenced today for her role in an elaborate scheme to defraud more than 300 American companies by helping North Korean IT workers gain virtual employment and launder the money they earned. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that the FBI will work tirelessly with our partners to defend the homeland and hold those accountable who aid our adversaries.”

    “The sentencing today demonstrates the great lengths to which the North Korean government will go in its efforts and resources to fund its illicit activities. The FBI continues to pursue these threat actors to disrupt their network and hold those accountable wherever they may be,” said Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke of the FBI Phoenix Field Office.

    “Today’s sentencing brings justice to the victims whose identities were stolen for this international fraud scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office. “The scheme was elaborate. If this sentencing proves anything, it’s that no amount of obfuscation will prevent IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners from tracking down those that wish to steal the identities of U.S. nationals, launder money, or engage in criminality that jeopardizes national security.”

    The case involved one of the largest North Korean IT worker fraud schemes charged by the Department of Justice, with 68 identities stolen from victims in the United States and 309 U.S. businesses and two international businesses defrauded.

    According to court documents, North Korea has deployed thousands of highly skilled IT workers around the world, including to the United States, to obtain remote employment using false, stolen, or borrowed identities of U.S. persons. To circumvent controls employed by U.S. companies to prevent the hiring of illicit overseas IT workers, the North Korean IT workers obtain assistance from U.S.-based collaborators.

    Chapman helped North Korean IT workers obtain jobs at 309 U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 corporations. The impacted companies included a top-five major television network, a Silicon Valley technology company, an aerospace manufacturer, an American car maker, a luxury retail store, and a U.S media and entertainment company. Some of the companies were targeted by the IT workers, who maintained a repository of postings for companies that they wanted to employ them. The IT workers also attempted to obtain employment at two different U.S. government agencies, although these efforts were generally unsuccessful.

    Chapman operated a “laptop farm” where she received and hosted computers from the U.S. companies at her home, deceiving the companies into believing that the work was being performed in the United States. Chapman also shipped 49 laptops and other devices supplied by U.S. companies to locations overseas, including multiple shipments to a city in China on the border with North Korea. More than 90 laptops were seized from Chapman’s home following the execution of a search warrant in October 2023.

    Christina Chapman organized and stored U.S. company laptops in her home, and included notes identifying the U.S. company and identity associated with each laptop.

    Much of the millions of dollars in income generated by the scheme was falsely reported to the IRS and Social Security Administration in the names of actual U.S. individuals whose identities had been stolen or borrowed. Additionally, Chapman received and forged payroll checks in the names of the stolen identities used by the IT workers and received IT workers’ wages through direct deposit from U.S. companies into her U.S. financial accounts. Chapman further transferred the proceeds from the scheme to individuals overseas.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Phoenix Field Office, and the IRS-CI Phoenix Field Office. Assistance was provided by the FBI Chicago Field Office.

    Trial Attorney Ashley R. Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein for the District of Columbia, the Victim Witness Unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section also provided assistance.

    ***

    In a coordinated effort, FBI Phoenix also issued guidance for HR professionals on detecting North Korean IT workers, and the Department of State issued guidance on the North Korean IT worker threat.

    Prior guidance was issued by the FBI, State Department, and the Department of the Treasury on this threat in a May 2022 advisory, and by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in October 2023. The FBI issued updated guidance in May 2024 regarding the use of U.S. persons acting as facilitators by providing a U.S.-based location for U.S. companies to send devices and a U.S.-based internet connection for access to U.S. company networks and in January 2025 concerning the extortion and theft of sensitive company data by North Korean IT workers, along with recommended mitigations.

    MIL Security OSI –