NewzIntel.com

Category: US Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Government Seizes Approximately 145 Criminal Marketplace Domains

    Source: US FBI

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today the seizure of approximately 145 darknet and traditional internet domains, and cryptocurrency funds associated with the BidenCash marketplace. The operators of the BidenCash marketplace use the platform to simplify the process of buying and selling stolen credit cards and associated personal information.

    BidenCash commenced operations in March 2022. BidenCash administrators charged a fee for every transaction conducted on the website. The BidenCash marketplace had grown to support over 117,000 customers, facilitated the trafficking of over 15 million payment card numbers and personally identifiable information, and generated over $17 million in revenue during its operations.

    The BidenCash marketplace domains will no longer be operational and will be redirected to a U.S. law enforcement-controlled server, preventing future criminal activity on these sites. The marketplace also sold compromised credentials that could be used to access computers without proper authorization.

    Between October 2022 and February 2023, the BidenCash marketplace published 3.3 million individual stolen credit cards for free to promote the use of their services. The stolen data included credit card numbers, expiration dates, Card Verification Value (CVV) numbers, account holder names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.

    According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize cryptocurrency funds that BidenCash marketplace used to receive illicit proceeds from its illegal sales.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John Szydlik, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office; and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office, the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Investigative Section, and the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.

    The Department of Justice thanks the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit, The Shadowserver Foundation and Searchlight Cyber for their assistance with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell in these matters.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: ICYMI: Texas Ends In-State Tuition for Illegals After DOJ Lawsuit

    Source: US Whitehouse

    From CBS News Texas:

    “Texas has agreed to end in-state tuition rates for undocumented immigrants.

    The Department of Justice sued Texas on Wednesday over a long-standing state education policy, which it says illegally favors undocumented foreign students. The lawsuit accuses Texas of discriminating against out-of-state American students by offering in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants. 

    That same day, Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a joint motion along with the Trump administration to end the law.

    It’s one of the latest efforts by the Trump administration to crack down on immigration into the country. President Trump issued two executive orders to prevent ‘benefits or preferential treatments’ from going to undocumented immigrants.”

    Click here to read the full story.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Texan Receives Over 17 Years for Attempting to Coerce and Entice International Child Pornography Using Popular Apps

    Source: US FBI

    McALLEN, Texas – A 20-year-old Edinburg man has been sentenced for attempting to coerce and entice the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a Finnish minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Brandon Roy Alvarez pleaded guilty Oct. 9, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton has now sentenced Alvarez to 210 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including that Alvarez would collect child pornography and store it on multiple devices. He would then pose as a minor and utilize the CSAM he collected to entice his victims to produce more. Alvarez will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Alvarez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

    The investigation began after authorities discovered a 10-year-old minor victim residing in Finland had received sexually explicit messages and CSAM videos from an English-speaking individual through various social media and other applications. They identified Alvarez as that person.

    He had attempted to entice the minor victim into sending him a nude photo and/or a video of the victim masturbating from on or about Sept. 17-20, 2023.

    Alvarez admitted he used his accounts to meet underage children online. He said he would pretend to be a minor female child to gain the other user’s trust and then use child pornography he collected to lure minors into sending sexually explicit photographs and videos.

    FBI conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man from El Salvador charged with making false statement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Oscar David Contreras Guzman, 49, a citizen of El Salvador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making a false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in the early morning hours of May 17, 2025, Guzman was driving a commercial truck bearing Maryland license plates at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry. When asked for identification during primary inspection, Guzman presented a Maryland State Driver’s License. He also claimed to be a citizen of Mexico and indicated that he had been refused entry into Canada, after making a wrong turn onto the Lewiston Bridge, on his way to Michigan. Guzman was referred to secondary to determine his immigration status in the United States. During secondary inspection, Guzman again stated that he was a citizen of Mexico and had in his possession a Mexican Consular ID card. A fingerprint check determined that he was in fact Oscar David Contreras Guzman, a citizen of El Salvador, and was previously removed from the United States in April 2007.

    This investigation 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.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan man pleads guilty, sentenced for making false statement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Gendry Amilcar Niz-Niz, 25, a native of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to making a false statement before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Niz-Niz was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that on March 16, 2025, during a traffic stop, Niz-Niz provided a name and identification card, which did not match his true identity, to law enforcement. During the traffic stop, law enforcement learned, through fingerprint analysis and immigration checks, Niz-Niz’s identity.

    This investigation 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.

    The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott and U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Martin B. Coombs.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 06/4/2025 Blackburn Introduces Legislation to Protect Federal Law Enforcement Officers from Doxxing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act to make it illegal to dox federal law enforcement officials following the dangerous actions of Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and his office to publicly release the names of law enforcement officers last week. This puts them at a higher risk of being targeted by criminal gangs, including MS-13 and Tren De Aragua.
    “Blue city mayors are doing everything they can to obstruct the Trump administration’s efforts to deport criminal illegal aliens,” said Senator Blackburn. “Just last week, Nashville Mayor O’Connell and his office doxxed federal law enforcement officers after the Trump administration worked with Tennessee Highway Patrol to arrest criminal illegal aliens. My Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act would make this illegal and hold blue city mayors accountable for obstructing enforcement of our immigration laws by putting law enforcement officers in harm’s way.”
    BACKGROUND
    Last year, an illegal alien from Mexico was charged with criminal homicide and evidence tampering after Nashville restaurant owner, Matt Carney, was tragically killed in a hit-and-run crash. Just a few months earlier, another illegal alien was charged with attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, public intoxication, and evading arrest after he followed a woman into the bathroom and groped her at the Nashville Sundae Club in the Gulch.
    Click here for a list of examples of the criminal illegal aliens who were arrested during a joint operation in Nashville by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, including convicted rapists, drug dealers, and individuals affiliated with MS-13. Senator Blackburn praised this operation in a recent column published by The Tennessean.
    Following this operation, Mayor O’Connell and his office doxxed federal law enforcement officers, putting them at risk of being targeted by criminal gangs. 
    Senator Blackburn has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the actions of Mayor O’Connell and his office for attempting to undermine President Trump and ICE’s work to get dangerous criminals out of Tennessee communities.
    THE PROTECTING LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM DOXXING ACT
    The Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act would make it illegal to publish the name of a federal law enforcement officer with the intent to obstruct a criminal investigation or immigration operation.
    Under this legislation, an individual found guilty of doxxing a federal law enforcement officer would face a fine and/or imprisonment of five years. 
    Click here for bill text.
    RELATED

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Senate Floor, Grassley Pushes Back Against Baseless Democrat Obstruction of DOJ Nominees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is calling out Senate Democrats for obstructing Department of Justice (DOJ) nominees and undermining the Senate’s advice and consent role. 
    Grassley today went to the Senate floor to request unanimous passage of Patrick Davis’ nomination to be Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA). Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has announced a blanket hold on all DOJ political nominees, objected to Grassley’s request. 
    Citing his reasons for objecting, Schumer claimed to have received insufficient response from DOJ regarding the Qatari jetliner gifted to the United States. Davis, as head of the DOJ OLA, would be responsible for facilitating this and all other DOJ responses to Congress. By obstructing Davis’ swift confirmation, Schumer is hamstringing his own efforts to communicate with DOJ.  
    “Obstructing [Davis’] nomination serves absolutely no one,” Grassley said on the Senate floor. “Many senators – myself included – have outstanding requests to the Justice Department that we expect answers to. I understand that some senators may complain that they haven’t received a response to their own outstanding requests. I’ve made such complaints myself over the years, under both Republican and Democrat administrations. But I don’t believe that obstructing this particular qualified nominee, who can help get the responses we need, will address their concern.”
    Schumer additionally stated that, by seeking unanimous consent on Davis’ nomination, “Republicans want the Senate to quietly rubber stamp a political nominee for the DOJ… no hearing, no debate, no scrutiny.” The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Davis’ nomination on March 26 and both debated and advanced his nomination on April 10.
    The Senate confirmed the last two heads of the DOJ OLA – Carlos Uriarte and Stephen Boyd – by voice vote. Grassley has repeatedly stressed holds should be used selectively and urged Democrats to work with Republicans to confirm nominees in a bipartisan manner. 
    Video and a transcript of Grassley’s remarks follow. 
    [embedded content]
    VIDEO
    I come to the floor today concerned that the Senate’s advice and consent role is being undermined. It’s being undermined by obstruction from Senate Democrats that threaten to keep the Justice Department from functioning as the American people expect and the American people deserve. 
    The Office of Legislative Affairs serves as the crucial bridge between the Justice Department and this Congress. This relationship is essential, not only for the legislative process but also for maintaining constitutional oversight and accountability. 
    The Office of Legislative Affairs ensures that we, as lawmakers, have the timely information needed to craft legislation, conduct oversight and fulfill our constitutional duties. When we seek answers—whether it’s on criminal justice, or immigration, or national security—it’s the Office of Legislative Affairs that takes our questions and returns the responses. This function can’t run on autopilot.
    Yet today, the Office of Legislative Affairs is hobbled. It lacks a Senate-confirmed Assistant Attorney General to lead that office. Why? Because Senate Democrats have decided to impede the confirmation of all Justice Department nominees without exception. That is not the constitutional role of advice and consent; that is obstruction.
    Every senator has the right to raise concerns about nominees—that’s our constitutional role, that’s our duty. And holds of specific nominees for specific reasons at times is very appropriate. It’s an appropriate tool for any senator to use. I have even used that tool, and I’ve also done it on nominees.  
    But the process demands fairness and common sense. We should weigh each nominee individually, not slam the brakes on an entire agency, especially one [responsible] for keeping Americans safe.
    So I’m here at the floor because of the nomination of Patrick Davis, [who has been] pending on the Senate calendar for now two months. This is regrettable, because he’s an exceptionally qualified nominee. And this senator should know, because he worked for this senator. 
    Mr. Davis brings a strong record of public service and a deep understanding of the legislative process, gained from his time working for me on the Senate Judiciary Committee. I’m confident he will lead the Office of Legislative Affairs with diligence, with fairness and with integrity. He should be confirmed today, and I’m here to ask my colleagues to do just that.
    Obstructing his nomination serves absolutely no one. Many senators—myself included—have outstanding requests to the Justice Department that we expect answers to. I understand that some senators may complain that they haven’t received a response to their own outstanding requests. I’ve made such complaints myself over the years, under both Republican and Democrat administrations. But I don’t believe that obstructing this particular qualified nominee, who can help get the responses we need, will address their concern.
    I also understand that some senators are unhappy with the current administration and are using [holds on] Justice Department nominees to make their displeasure known. 
    To these colleagues, I’ll simply say that the obstruction of qualified nominees to lead the Office of Legislative Affairs makes it harder for the Department of Justice to engage with Congress, and harder for Congress to do its job. This ultimately ends up hurting the American people.
    I’m asking this body to uphold a fair confirmation process so that the Justice Department can effectively engage with Congress. 
    Blocking the confirmation of Patrick Davis does not serve the Senate, it does not serve the interests of justice and it does not serve the American People.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Restricting The Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
    During my first Administration, I restricted the entry of foreign nationals into the United States, which successfully prevented national security threats from reaching our borders and which the Supreme Court upheld.  In Executive Order 14161 of January 20, 2025 (Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats), I stated that it is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes. 
    I also stated that the United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests.  More importantly, the United States must identify such aliens before their admission or entry into the United States.  The United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists or other threats to our national security.
    I directed the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, to identify countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries pursuant to section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1182(f).  After completing that process, the Secretary of State determined that a number of countries remain deficient with regards to screening and vetting.  Many of these countries have also taken advantage of the United States in their exploitation of our visa system and their historic failure to accept back their removable nationals. 
    As President, I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.  I remain committed to engaging with those countries willing to cooperate to improve information-sharing and identity-management procedures, and to address both terrorism-related and public-safety risks.  Nationals of some countries also pose significant risks of overstaying their visas in the United States, which increases burdens on immigration and law enforcement components of the United States, and often exacerbates other risks related to national security and public safety.
    Some of the countries with inadequacies face significant challenges to reform efforts.  Others have made important improvements to their protocols and procedures, and I commend them for these efforts.  But until countries with identified inadequacies address them, members of my Cabinet have recommended certain conditional restrictions and limitations.  I have considered and largely accepted those recommendations and impose the limitations set forth below on the entry into the United States by the classes of foreign nationals identified in sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that, absent the measures set forth in this proclamation, the immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of persons described in sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and that their entry should be subject to certain restrictions, limitations, and exceptions.  I therefore hereby proclaim the following:
    Section 1.  Policy and Purpose.  (a)  It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks and other national security or public-safety threats.  Screening and vetting protocols and procedures associated with visa adjudications and other immigration processes play a critical role in implementing that policy.  These protocols enhance our ability to detect foreign nationals who may commit, aid, or support acts of terrorism, or otherwise pose a safety threat, and they aid our efforts to prevent such individuals from entering the United States.
    (b)  Information-sharing and identity-management protocols and practices of foreign governments are important for the effectiveness of the screening and vetting protocols and procedures of the United States.  Governments manage the identity and travel documents of their nationals and residents. They also control the circumstances under which they provide information about their nationals to other governments, including information about known or suspected terrorists and criminal-history information.  It is, therefore, the policy of the United States to take all necessary and appropriate steps to encourage foreign governments to improve their information-sharing and identity-management protocols and practices and to regularly share their identity and threat information with the immigration screening and vetting systems of the United States.
    (c)  Section 2(b) of Executive Order 14161 directed the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, within 60 days of the date of that order, to jointly submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, a report identifying countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension on the entry or admission of nationals from those countries pursuant to section 212(f) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)).
    (d)  On April 9, 2025, the Secretary of State, with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, presented the report described in subsection (c) of this section, recommending that entry restrictions and limitations be placed on foreign nationals of several countries.  The report identified countries for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full suspension of admissions and countries that warrant a partial suspension of admission.
    (e)  In evaluating the recommendations from the Secretary of State and in determining what restrictions to impose for each country, I consulted with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, appropriate Assistants to the President, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.  I considered foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism goals.  And I further considered various factors, including each country’s screening and vetting capabilities, information sharing policies, and country-specific risk factors — including whether each country has a significant terrorist presence within its territory, its visa-overstay rate, and its cooperation with accepting back its removable nationals. 
    I also considered the different risks posed by aliens admitted on immigrant visas and those admitted on nonimmigrant visas.  Persons admitted on immigrant visas become lawful permanent residents of the United States.  Such persons may present national security or public-safety concerns that may be distinct from those admitted as nonimmigrants.  The United States affords lawful permanent residents more enduring rights than it does to nonimmigrants.  Lawful permanent residents are more difficult to remove than nonimmigrants, even after national security concerns arise, which increases the costs and aggravates the dangers of errors associated with admitting such individuals.  And although immigrants are generally subject to more extensive vetting than nonimmigrants, such vetting is far less reliable when the country from which someone seeks to emigrate maintains inadequate identity-management or information-sharing policies or otherwise poses risks to the national security of the United States.
    I reviewed these factors and assessed these goals, with a particular focus on crafting country-specific restrictions.  This approach was designed to encourage cooperation with the subject countries in recognition of each country’s unique circumstances.  The restrictions and limitations imposed by this proclamation are, in my judgment, necessary to prevent the entry or admission of foreign nationals about whom the United States Government lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose to the United States.  The restrictions and limitations imposed by this proclamation are necessary to garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.
    (f)  After reviewing the report described in subsection (d) of this section, and after accounting for the foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives of the United States, I have determined to fully restrict and limit the entry of nationals of the following 12 countries:  Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.  These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants.
    (g)  I have determined to partially restrict and limit the entry of nationals of the following 7 countries:  Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.  These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants. 
    (h)  Sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation describe some of the identity-management or information-sharing inadequacies that led me to impose restrictions.  These inadequacies are sufficient to justify my finding that unrestricted entry of nationals from the named countries would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.  Publicly disclosing additional details on which I relied in making these determinations, however, would cause serious damage to the national security of the United States, and many such details are classified.
    Sec. 2.  Full Suspension of Entry for Nationals of Countries of Identified Concern.  The entry into the United States of nationals of the following countries is hereby suspended and limited, as follows, subject to the categorical exceptions and case-by-case waivers described in section 5 of this proclamation:
    (a)  Afghanistan
    (i)   The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan.  Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.  According to the Fiscal Year 2023 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry/Exit Overstay Report (“Overstay Report”), Afghanistan had a business/tourist (B-1/B-2) visa overstay rate of 9.70 percent and a student (F), vocational (M), and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 29.30 percent.
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Afghanistan as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (b)  Burma
    (i)   According to the Overstay Report, Burma had a B‑1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 27.07 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 42.17 percent.  Additionally, Burma has historically not cooperated with the United States to accept back their removable nationals.
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Burma as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (c)  Chad
    (i)   According to the Overstay Report, Chad had a B‑1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 49.54 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 55.64 percent.  According to the Fiscal Year 2022 Overstay Report, Chad had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 37.12 percent.  The high visa overstay rate for 2022 and 2023 is unacceptable and indicates a blatant disregard for United States immigration laws.  
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Chad as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (d)  Republic of the Congo
    (i)   According to the Overstay Report, the Republic of the Congo had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 29.63 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 35.14 percent.
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of the Republic of the Congo as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (e)  Equatorial Guinea
    (i)   According to the Overstay Report, Equatorial Guinea had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 21.98 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 70.18 percent.
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Equatorial Guinea as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (f)  Eritrea
    (i)   The United States questions the competence of the central authority for issuance of passports or civil documents in Eritrea.  Criminal records are not available to the United States for Eritrean nationals.  Eritrea has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals.  According to the Overstay Report, Eritrea had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 20.09 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 55.43 percent.
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Eritrea as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (g)  Haiti
    (i)   According to the Overstay Report, Haiti had a B‑1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 31.38 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 25.05 percent.  Additionally, hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded into the United States during the Biden Administration.  This influx harms American communities by creating acute risks of increased overstay rates, establishment of criminal networks, and other national security threats.  As is widely known, Haiti lacks a central authority with sufficient availability and dissemination of law enforcement information necessary to ensure its nationals do not undermine the national security of the United States. 
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Haiti as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (h)  Iran
    (i)   Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism.  Iran regularly fails to cooperate with the United States Government in identifying security risks, is the source of significant terrorism around the world, and has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals. 
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Iran as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby suspended.
    (i)  Libya
    (i)   There is no competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents in Libya.  The historical terrorist presence within Libya’s territory amplifies the risks posed by the entry into the United States of its nationals.
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Libya as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (j)  Somalia
    (i)   Somalia lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.  Somalia stands apart from other countries in the degree to which its government lacks command and control of its territory, which greatly limits the effectiveness of its national capabilities in a variety of respects.  A persistent terrorist threat also emanates from Somalia’s territory.  The United States Government has identified Somalia as a terrorist safe haven.  Terrorists use regions of Somalia as safe havens from which they plan, facilitate, and conduct their operations.  Somalia also remains a destination for individuals attempting to join terrorist groups that threaten the national security of the United States.  The Government of Somalia struggles to provide governance needed to limit terrorists’ freedom of movement.  Additionally, Somalia has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals.
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Somalia as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (k)  Sudan
    (i)   Sudan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.  According to the Overstay Report, Sudan had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 26.30 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 28.40 percent. 
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Sudan as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    (l)  Yemen
    (i)   Yemen lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.  The government does not have physical control over its own territory.  Since January 20, 2025, Yemen has been the site of active United States military operations.
    (ii)  The entry into the United States of nationals of Yemen as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.
    Sec. 3.  Partial Suspension of Entry for Nationals of Countries of Identified Concern.
    (a)  Burundi
    (i)    According to the Overstay Report, Burundi had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 15.35 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 17.52 percent. 
    (ii)   The entry into the United States of nationals of Burundi as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended.
    (iii)  Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Burundi to the extent permitted by law.
    (b)  Cuba
    (i)    Cuba is a state sponsor of terrorism.  The Government of Cuba does not cooperate or share sufficient law enforcement information with the United States.  Cuba has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals.  According to the Overstay Report, Cuba had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 7.69 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 18.75 percent.
    (ii)   The entry into the United States of nationals of Cuba as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended.
    (iii)  Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Cuba to the extent permitted by law.
    (c)  Laos
    (i)    According to the Overstay Report, Laos had a B‑1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 34.77 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 6.49 percent.  Laos has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals. 
    (ii)   The entry into the United States of nationals of Laos as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended.
    (iii)  Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Laos to the extent permitted by law.
    (d)  Sierra Leone
    (i)    According to the Overstay Report, Sierra Leone had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 15.43 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 35.83 percent.  Sierra Leone has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals. 
    (ii)   The entry into the United States of nationals of Sierra Leone as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas is hereby suspended.
    (iii)  Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Sierra Leone to the extent permitted by law.
    (e)  Togo
    (i)    According to the Overstay Report, Togo had a B‑1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 19.03 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 35.05 percent. 
    (ii)   The entry into the United States of nationals of Togo as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas is hereby suspended.
    (iii)  Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Togo to the extent permitted by law.
    (f)  Turkmenistan
    (i)   According to the Overstay Report, Turkmenistan had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 15.35 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 21.74 percent. 
    (ii)   The entry into the United States of nationals of Turkmenistan as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas is hereby suspended.
    (iii)  Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Turkmenistan to the extent permitted by law.
    (g)  Venezuela
    (i)    Venezuela lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.  Venezuela has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals.  According to the Overstay Report, Venezuela had a B‑1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 9.83 percent.
    (ii)   The entry into the United States of nationals of Venezuela as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B‑1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas is hereby suspended.
    (iii)  Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Venezuela to the extent permitted by law.
    Sec. 4.  Scope and Implementation of Suspensions and Limitations.  (a)  Scope.  Subject to the exceptions set forth in subsection (b) of this section and any exceptions made pursuant to subsections (c) and (d) of this section, the suspensions of and limitations on entry pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation shall apply only to foreign nationals of the designated countries who:
    (i)   are outside the United States on the applicable effective date of this proclamation; and
    (ii)  do not have a valid visa on the applicable effective date of this proclamation.
    (b)  Exceptions.  The suspension of and limitation on entry pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation shall not apply to:
    (i)     any lawful permanent resident of the United States;
    (ii)    any dual national of a country designated under sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation when the individual is traveling on a passport issued by a country not so designated;
    (iii)   any foreign national traveling with a valid nonimmigrant visa in the following classifications:  A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO‑2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6;
    (iv)    any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State;
    (v)     immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (e.g., DNA);
    (vi)    adoptions (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4);
    (vii)   Afghan Special Immigrant Visas;
    (viii)  Special Immigrant Visas for United States Government employees; and
    (ix)    immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.
    (c)  Exceptions to the suspension of and limitation on entry pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation may be made for certain individuals for whom the Attorney General finds, in her discretion, that the travel by the individual would advance a critical United States national interest involving the Department of Justice, including when individuals must be present to participate in criminal proceedings as witnesses.  These exceptions shall be made only by the Attorney General, or her designee, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    (d)  Exceptions to the suspension of and limitation on entry pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation may be made case-by-case for individuals for whom the Secretary of State finds, in his discretion, that the travel by the individual would serve a United States national interest.  These exceptions shall be made by only the Secretary of State or his designee, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security or her designee.
    Sec. 5.  Adjustments to and Removal of Suspensions and Limitations.  (a)  The Secretary of State shall, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director for National Intelligence, devise a process to assess whether any suspensions and limitations imposed by sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation should be continued, terminated, modified, or supplemented.  Within 90 days of the date of this proclamation, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, describing his assessment and recommending whether any suspensions and limitations imposed by sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation should be continued, terminated, modified, or supplemented.
    (b)  The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, shall immediately engage each of the countries identified in sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation on measures that must be taken to comply with United States screening, vetting, immigration, and security requirements.
    (c)  Additionally, and in light of recent events, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, shall provide me an update to the review of the practices and procedures of Egypt to confirm the adequacy of its current screening and vetting capabilities.
    Sec. 6.  Enforcement.  (a)  The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall consult with appropriate domestic and international partners, including countries and organizations, to ensure efficient, effective, and appropriate implementation of this proclamation.
    (b)  In implementing this proclamation, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
    (c)  No immigrant or nonimmigrant visa issued before the applicable effective date of this proclamation shall be revoked pursuant to this proclamation.
    (d)  This proclamation shall not apply to an individual who has been granted asylum by the United States, to a refugee who has already been admitted to the United States, or to an individual granted withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment (CAT).  Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the CAT, consistent with the laws of the United States.
    Sec. 7.  Severability.  It is the policy of the United States to enforce this proclamation to the maximum extent possible to advance the national security, foreign policy, and counterterrorism interests of the United States.  Accordingly:
    (a)  if any provision of this proclamation, or the application of any provision of this proclamation to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and the application of its other provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby; and
    (b)  if any provision of this proclamation, or the application of any provision of this proclamation to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid because of the lack of certain procedural requirements, the relevant executive branch officials shall implement those procedural requirements to conform with existing law and with any applicable court orders.
    Sec. 8.  Effective Date.  This proclamation is effective at 12:01 am eastern daylight time on June 9, 2025.
    Sec. 9.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty‑five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                 DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Whitehouse, colleagues demand answers from Justice Dept. on decision to shutter specialized unit for cracking down on global drug crime

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and several of their colleagues sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi questioning the Department of Justice’s plan to end the successful Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. 

    “As the Department’s website notes, OCDETF ‘is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation.’ OCDETF oversees coordination of thousands of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to implement a national strategy to dismantle transnational drug cartels, the financial networks that support them, and the flow of drugs from these cartels into the United States,” wrote the senators.

    The OCDETF program is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. In just the past two months, OCDETF resources have been used to secure prison sentences for two individuals operating a clandestine fentanyl lab in South Carolina and to take down three prolific Chinese money launderers who have pled guilty to laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds. Many OCDETF investigations target the cartels’ financial networks, an often-overlooked component of the U.S. strategy to combat drug-trafficking organizations. In Fiscal Year 2023, OCDETF investigations resulted in forfeitures and seizures totaling more than $423 million. 

    Reporting from Bloomberg revealed that the Trump administration plans to eliminate the OCDETF program, including its support for specialized investigators and prosecutors. Such a decision would kneecap America’s ability to dismantle cartels trafficking illicit fentanyl.

    “We seek to fully understand the Department’s plans to cease OCDETF operations. We also seek to ensure that the federal government continues to have a coordinated strategy for working with state and local stakeholders to investigate and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations operating in, or financing the operations of organizations that operate in, the United States,” added the senators.

    The senators requested answers to the following questions by June 13, 2025:

    1. How many cases has OCDETF led, or supported with funds, intelligence, or other resources, that disrupted fentanyl traffickers’ production, distribution, financing, or money laundering networks?
    2. Does the Department intend to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?  If so, please specify how. 
    3. If the Department intends to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations:
      1. Why is the department choosing to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?
      2. How will the department ensure that ongoing OCDETF investigations and prosecutions continue uninterrupted?
      3. According to GAO, “OCDETF cases must have a financial component” to facilitate the targeting of financial networks underpinning drug trafficking organizations. How will the Department ensure that OCDETF-enabled inter-agency coordination on investigations into the financial networks of fentanyl traffickers and transnational criminal organizations continues uninterrupted?
      4. How will the department ensure that federal, state, and local law enforcement relying on OCDETF’s Fusion Center intelligence products are not hampered by a cessation or reduction of OCDETF operations? 
      5. Does the department intend to designate another entity to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of transnational criminal organizations, unrelated to low-level offenders?  If so, which entity?

    In addition to Senators Coons and Whitehouse, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

    The text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reviewing Certain Presidential Actions

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERALTHE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
    SUBJECT:       Reviewing Certain Presidential Actions
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby directed:
    Section 1.  Background.  The President of the United States, as the unitary head of the executive branch, holds tremendous power and responsibility through his signature:  words on paper can become the law of the land, individuals are appointed to some of the highest offices in Government, national policies can be created or eliminated, and prisoners can go free.  In sum, the Nation is governed through Presidential signatures.
    In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority.  This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.  The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.  
    For years, President Biden suffered from serious cognitive decline.  The Department of Justice, for example, concluded that, despite clear evidence that Biden had broken the law, he should not stand trial owing to his incompetent mental state.  Biden’s cognitive issues and apparent mental decline during his Presidency were even “worse” in private, and those closest to him “tried to hide it” from the public.  To do so, Biden’s advisors during his years in office severely restricted his news conferences and media appearances, and they scripted his conversations with lawmakers, government officials, and donors, all to cover up his inability to discharge his duties. 
    Notwithstanding these well-documented issues, the White House issued over 1,200 Presidential documents, appointed 235 judges to the Federal bench, and issued more pardons and commutations than any administration in United States history.  For instance, just 2 days before Christmas in 2024, the White House announced that Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 most vile and monstrous criminals on Federal death row, including several child killers and mass murderers.
    Although the authority to take these executive actions, along with many others, is constitutionally committed to the President, there are serious doubts as to the decision making process and even the degree of Biden’s awareness of these actions being taken in his name. 
    The vast majority of Biden’s executive actions were signed using a mechanical signature pen, often called an autopen, as opposed to Biden’s own hand.  This was especially true of actions taken during the second half of his Presidency, when his cognitive decline had apparently become even more clear to those working most closely with him.
    Given clear indications that President Biden lacked the capacity to exercise his Presidential authority, if his advisors secretly used the mechanical signature pen to conceal this incapacity, while taking radical executive actions all in his name, that would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of the power of the Presidency, a circumstance that would have implications for the legality and validity of numerous executive actions undertaken in Biden’s name.
    Sec. 2.  Investigation.  (a)  The Counsel to the President, in consultation with the Attorney General and the head of any other relevant executive department or agency (agency), shall investigate, to the extent permitted by law, whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden’s mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.  This investigation shall address:
    (i)    any activity, coordinated or otherwise, to purposefully shield the public from information regarding Biden’s mental and physical health;
    (ii)   any agreements between Biden’s aides to cooperatively and falsely deem recorded videos of the President’s cognitive inability as fake;
    (iii)  any agreements between Biden’s aides to require false, public statements elevating the President’s capabilities; and
    (iv)   the purpose of these activities, including to assert the authorities of the President.
    (b)  The Counsel to the President shall also investigate, in consultation with the Attorney General and the head of any other relevant agency, the circumstances surrounding Biden’s supposed execution of numerous executive actions during his final years in office. This investigation shall address:
    (i)   the policy documents for which the autopen was used, including clemency grants, Executive Orders, Presidential memoranda, or other Presidential policy decisions; and
    (ii)  who directed that the President’s signature be affixed.
    Sec. 3.  General Provisions.  This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
                                 DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Directs Review of Certain Presidential Actions

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    INVESTIGATING EXECUTIVE ACTIONS UNDER BIDEN’S PRESIDENCY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum directing an investigation into who ran the United States while President Biden was in office.
    The Memorandum directs an investigation into whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden’s mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.
    The Memorandum also mandates an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Biden’s purported execution of the numerous executive actions during his final years in office, examining policy documents signed with an autopen, who authorized its use, and the validity of the resulting Presidential policy decisions.
    QUESTIONING WHO WIELDED THE EXECUTIVE POWER DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: The combined nature of Biden’s documented cognitive decline and the repeated use of an autopen raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of his actions.
    Reports indicate that, for years, Biden suffered from serious cognitive decline.
    For example, although the Department of Justice found that Biden had violated the law by willfully retaining and disclosing classified materials, it ultimately concluded that Biden was unfit to stand trial given his incompetent mental state.

    Biden’s cognitive issues and apparent mental decline were reportedly even “worse” in private, with those closest to him attempting to conceal it from the public.
    Biden’s advisors severely restricted his news conferences and media appearances, scripting his conversations with lawmakers, government officials, and donors.

    Despite Biden’s cognitive deficiencies, the White House issued over 1,200 Presidential documents, appointed 235 judges to the Federal bench, and issued more pardons and commutations than any Administration in U.S. history.
    Just two days before Christmas in 2024, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 most vile and monstrous criminals on Federal death row, including several child killers and mass murderers.

    The authority to take these executive actions is constitutionally reserved for the President, yet the Biden White House used an autopen to execute the vast majority of Biden’s executive actions, particularly during the second half of his Presidency.
    RESTORING PRESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTABILITY: President Trump believes Americans deserve answers as to whether President Biden signed these documents, and if not, who signed them, and under what circumstances.
    President Trump: “And you know what, they ought to find out who was using that autopen. Because whoever that person was, he or she was like the President of the United States … I think a President should sign it, not use an autopen. And we’re going to find out whether or not he knew what the hell he was doing. … So I think it’s something that we should really look at because that’s so important.”
    President Trump: “The real question – who ran the autopen, OK? Who ran the autopen? Because the things that were signed were signed illegally, in my opinion.”
    Since returning to office, President Trump has held numerous open-press signing events where the American public can witness President Trump’s signature and knowledge regarding the matters in question with their own eyes.
    Even the legacy media admits that President Trump is on track to becoming the most-accessible President in modern history.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Announces Action Against Wisconsin Elections Commission for Lacking Complaint Procedure Required by Federal Law

    Source: US State of California

    Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to the Wisconsin Elections Commission regarding its failure to provide a complaint process or hearing for Wisconsin voters, in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

    The letter states that the Wisconsin Elections Commission failed to meet HAVA’s requirement of a state-based administrative complaint procedure. Compliance with all federal elections laws is mandatory, and the receipt of federal funds under HAVA is conditioned on compliance with the Act.

    Election integrity and compliance with federal elections laws are essential to protect our constitutional republic. Wisconsin’s refusal to give complainants any recourse to report violations they may have observed or experienced while voting is a significant violation of federal law, and a betrayal of the confidence of the American people.

    “Courts across the land, including our highest court, have repeatedly defended measures to ensure election integrity,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, “We have made it our highest priority to identify jurisdictions that fail to follow our elections laws and vigorously enforce the law by all means available.”

    The letter issued today also notifies the U.S. Election Assistance Commission of Wisconsin’s unlawful actions and calls for the withholding of federal funds to Wisconsin for violating HAVA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Action Against Wisconsin Elections Commission for Lacking Complaint Procedure Required by Federal Law

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to the Wisconsin Elections Commission regarding its failure to provide a complaint process or hearing for Wisconsin voters, in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

    The letter states that the Wisconsin Elections Commission failed to meet HAVA’s requirement of a state-based administrative complaint procedure. Compliance with all federal elections laws is mandatory, and the receipt of federal funds under HAVA is conditioned on compliance with the Act.

    Election integrity and compliance with federal elections laws are essential to protect our constitutional republic. Wisconsin’s refusal to give complainants any recourse to report violations they may have observed or experienced while voting is a significant violation of federal law, and a betrayal of the confidence of the American people.

    “Courts across the land, including our highest court, have repeatedly defended measures to ensure election integrity,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, “We have made it our highest priority to identify jurisdictions that fail to follow our elections laws and vigorously enforce the law by all means available.”

    The letter issued today also notifies the U.S. Election Assistance Commission of Wisconsin’s unlawful actions and calls for the withholding of federal funds to Wisconsin for violating HAVA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Whitehouse, Durbin, Blumenthal, Coons Question DOJ Decision to Shutter Specialized Unit for Cracking Down on Transnational Crime

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program has helped arrest fentanyl traffickers, seize hundreds of tons of narcotics, and confiscate billions in dirty money

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi questioning the Department of Justice’s plan to end the successful Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. 

    “As the Department’s website notes, OCDETF ‘is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation.’ OCDETF oversees coordination of thousands of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to implement a national strategy to dismantle transnational drug cartels, the financial networks that support them, and the flow of drugs from these cartels into the United States,” wrote the senators.

    The OCDETF program is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. In just the past two months, OCDETF program resources have been used to secure prison sentences for two individuals operating a clandestine fentanyl lab in South Carolina and to take down three prolific Chinese money launderers who pleaded guilty to laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds. Many OCDETF investigations target the cartels’ financial networks, an often-overlooked component of the U.S. strategy to combat drug-trafficking organizations. In Fiscal Year 2023, OCDETF investigations resulted in forfeitures and seizures totaling more than $423 million. 

    Reporting from Bloomberg in May revealed that the Trump Administration plans to eliminate the OCDETF program, including its support for specialized investigators and prosecutors, in a move that would kneecap America’s ability to dismantle cartels trafficking illicit fentanyl. 

    “We seek to fully understand the Department’s plans to cease OCDETF operations.  We also seek to ensure that the federal government continues to have a coordinated strategy for working with state and local stakeholders to investigate and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations operating in, or financing the operations of organizations that operate in, the United States,” added the senators.

    The senators requested answers to the following questions by June 13, 2025:

    1. How many cases has OCDETF led, or supported with funds, intelligence, or other resources, that disrupted fentanyl traffickers’ production, distribution, financing, or money laundering networks?
    1. Does the Department intend to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?  If so, please specify how.
    1. If the Department intends to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations:
    1. Why is the Department choosing to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?
    1. How will the Department ensure that ongoing OCDETF investigations and prosecutions continue uninterrupted?
    1. According to GAO, “OCDETF cases must have a financial component” to facilitate the targeting of financial networks underpinning drug trafficking organizations.  How will the Department ensure that OCDETF-enabled inter-agency coordination on investigations into the financial networks of fentanyl traffickers and transnational criminal organizations continues uninterrupted?
    1. How will the Department ensure that federal, state, and local law enforcement relying on OCDETF’s Fusion Center intelligence products are not hampered by a cessation or reduction of OCDETF operations? 
    1. Does the Department intend to designate another entity to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of transnational criminal organizations, unrelated to low-level offenders?  If so, which entity?

    The text of the letter is below and a PDF is available here.

    Dear Attorney General Bondi:

    We write to request information on the Department of Justice’s plans to terminate its Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program.  On May 5, 2025, Bloomberg reported that DOJ has begun the process of “closing down” OCDETF and “zeroing” out its budget in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.

    As the Department’s website notes, OCDETF “is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation.”  OCDETF oversees coordination of thousands of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to implement a national strategy to dismantle transnational drug cartels, the financial networks that support them, and the flow of drugs from these cartels into the United States.  By leveraging resources from its participating and partner agencies, OCDETF can pursue investigations into the highest-level criminal actors behind these drug crime networks.

    OCDETF’s intelligence products and insights enhance the capacity of federal, state, and local law enforcement.  In FY 2023, OCDETF Fusion Center analysts disseminated 4,141 intelligence products to 36,693 law enforcement personnel across the country.  These resources buoy state and local agencies that may otherwise lack the expertise or funds to launch longer, more complex investigations. 

    According to DEA, “since OCDETF’s inception tens of thousands of arrests have been made and hundreds of tons of narcotics and billions in currency, real property, and conveyances have all been seized.”  And as the Department of Justice noted upon the 40th anniversary of President Reagan’s establishment of OCDETF, “[s]ome of the department’s most notable successes against drug cartels have resulted from OCDETF coordinated investigations and prosecutions.”  These successes include “taking down the powerful Colombian cartels of the 1980s, the notorious and violent Mexican cartels . . . in the 1990s; and the methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and opioid threats from all over the world in the last two decades.”

    OCDETF investigations continue to deliver.  This month, DOJ announced that “three members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organizations plead[ed] guilty to laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds.”  In April, DEA reported that two individuals operating a clandestine fentanyl lab in South Carolina “were each sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.”  OCDETF resources were used for both cases.     

    Many OCDETF-supported investigations that result in financial forfeitures or seizures channel money into government funds, which can be used to pay for the expenses associated with forfeiture operations, as well as certain investigative costs.  In FY 2023, closed OCDETF investigations resulted in forfeitures and seizures totaling $423.1 million.  These benefits are in addition to money judgments resulting from ODCETF investigations, which ranged between $125 million to over $750 million from FY 2019 to FY 2023. 

    We seek to fully understand the Department’s plans to cease OCDETF operations.  We also seek to ensure that the federal government continues to have a coordinated strategy for working with state and local stakeholders to investigate and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations operating in, or financing the operations of organizations that operate in, the United States.  Thus, we request that you provide answers to the following questions.

    1. How many cases has OCDETF led, or supported with funds, intelligence, or other resources, that disrupted fentanyl traffickers’ production, distribution, financing, or money laundering networks?
    1. Does the Department intend to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?  If so, please specify how.
    1. If the Department intends to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations:
    1. Why is the Department choosing to cease or significantly reduce OCDETF operations?
    1. How will the Department ensure that ongoing OCDETF investigations and prosecutions continue uninterrupted?
    1. According to GAO, “OCDETF cases must have a financial component” to facilitate the targeting of financial networks underpinning drug trafficking organizations.  How will the Department ensure that OCDETF-enabled inter-agency coordination on investigations into the financial networks of fentanyl traffickers and transnational criminal organizations continues uninterrupted?
    1. How will the Department ensure that federal, state, and local law enforcement relying on OCDETF’s Fusion Center intelligence products are not hampered by a cessation or reduction of OCDETF operations? 
    1. Does the Department intend to designate another entity to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of transnational criminal organizations, unrelated to low-level offenders?  If so, which entity?

    Please provide your response to our questions no later than June 13, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Public Servants Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    MIAMI – Angelo Stephen, 33, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer, and George Arestuche, 47, a former Miami-Dade County Aviation Department employee, were sentenced in separate cases after pleading guilty to defrauding COVID-19 relief programs. 

    Angelo Stephen

    On May 22, Stephen was sentenced to four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $75,513 in restitution by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Chief Judge Altonaga also entered a forfeiture money judgment against Stephen in the additional amount of $71,166. The sentence follows Stephen’s conviction for wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), as well as his participation in two bank account takeover schemes.

    During his change of plea hearing, Stephen admitted that on August 4, 2020, he submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application in his own name to the Small Business Administration (SBA), claiming to be an independent contractor and the sole owner of a business that provided event planning and entertainment services with 10 employees.  The EIDL application falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, the business had approximately $62,018 in gross revenue and a cost of goods sold of $0. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen received $20,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA. 

    Stephen additionally admitted to fraudulently obtaining two PPP loans. On April 24, 2021, Stephen submitted a first-draw PPP loan application, claiming to be the sole proprietor of a non-existent business with $106,554 in gross income in 2020. In support of the application, Stephen submitted a fraudulent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen received $20,833 in PPP loan proceeds from an SBA-approved lender.  On May 11, 2021, Stephen submitted a second-draw PPP loan application, making the same false claims about his nonexistent business that was supported by submission of the identical false Schedule C. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen obtained $20,833 in PPP loan proceeds from a different SBA-approved lender. 

    Stephen also admitted to taking part in two bank account takeover schemes. On March 30, 2023, Stephen received a $20,000 wire transfer from the account of an unsuspecting victim in Virginia. Stephen quickly withdrew all illegally obtained money through a series of cash withdrawals and Zelle transfers to others. In the second takeover scheme, Stephen and his accomplices obtained new checks from the credit union account of a different unsuspecting victim. Stephen subsequently used one of those checks to obtain $8,500 in cash that he was not entitled to. 

    George Arestuche

    On May 28, Arestuche was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck to five years of probation to include 210 days in home detention and ordered to pay $114,679 in restitution, plus community service. The sentence follows Arestuche’s conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application for an EIDL.

    According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing, Arestuche and a co-conspirator devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by submitting a false and fraudulent application for Arestuche to obtain an EIDL and EIDL advance. As part of the conspiracy, Arestuche agreed to pay the co-conspirator a large fee.

    On July 9, 2020, Arestuche’s co-conspirator submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application to the SBA on behalf of Arestuche, claiming that Arestuche was an independent contractor and the sole owner of an automotive repair business with 10 employees. The EIDL application falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, the business had $600,000 in gross revenue and a cost of goods sold of $184,000. In reality, Arestuche was not an independent contractor and did not own any type of business.  The EIDL application was supported by a fraudulent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. As a result of this false and fraudulent EIDL application, Arestuche obtained $149,900 in EIDL proceeds and a $10,000 EIDL advance from the SBA. Arestuche subsequently paid his co-conspirator $17,275 for helping him fraudulently obtain the money from the SBA. Since pleading guilty, Arestuche has paid $50,000 in advance restitution payments. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Amber Howell of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s Fraud Detection Office (DOJ-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region; acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami; and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG) made the announcement.

    DOJ-OIG and SBA-OIG investigated the Stephen case.  SBA-OIG and the FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDC-OIG, investigated the Arestuche case. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted both cases. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling forfeiture matters in the Stephen case.

    In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred.  EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

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

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

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

    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 numbers 25-cr-20014 (Stephen) and 25-cr-20001 (Arestuche).

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Sentenced in Eastern Panhandle Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Operation

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

    MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eight people have been sentenced for their roles in an Eastern Panhandle drug trafficking organization.

    The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Gary Brown, Jr. and eighty-one others, charged that the defendants caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.

    Those sentenced this week include:

    • Eric Garner, also known as “Pops,” age 58, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 300 months.
    • Gary Rodriguez, also known as “Mr. T,” age 34, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced to 240 months in prison.
    • Benjamin Paul Knotts, age 49, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison.
    • Damian Costello, age 28, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in prison.
    • Michael Bradley Decker, age 44, of Inwood, West Virginia, was sentenced to 97 months.
    • Gary Brown, III, age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 36 months.
    • Wendy Diane Crites, age 58, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.
    • Michael Regale Luckett, age 47, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison.

    Of the 82 defendants, 81 have been convicted. Including this week’s eight, 70 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.

    U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

    Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service;  the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia).

    This investigation 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: Tampa Man Sentenced To 20 Years For The Sex Trafficking Of Two Minors And Producing Child Sex Abuse Material

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Dontae D. Burton (40, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor and production of child sex abuse material.  A federal jury found Burton guilty on January 15, 2025.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Burton arranged commercial sexual activity for two minors, ages 16 and 17, by creating and posting ads for them on adult escort websites. Burton handled all communications with clients, scheduled dates, determined the amount of money to be paid for the sex acts, and transported the victims to and from the dates. Burton managed the money and kept approximately half of what the clients had paid for the sex acts. Burton also recorded and edited a video of one of the victims performing a sex act on him.

    “This sentence reflects the severity of Dontae Burton’s crimes of exploiting two vulnerable minors for commercial sex and creating child sexual abuse material in the process,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa assistant Special agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Protecting children from predators who traffic and abuse them remains one of HSI’s highest priorities, and we will continue to pursue justice for the victims.”

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

    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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USMS Inaugural Heroes Blood Drive Honors Four Fallen on April 29, 2024

    Source: US Marshals Service

    On April 7, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) held a blood drive at its headquarters in Arlington, VA. The blood drive and its timing were set up to honor four law enforcement officers who were killed on duty in North Carolina just one year ago, on April 29, 2924.

    Joshua Eyer, William Alden Elliott, Samuel Poloche, and Thomas “Tommy” Weeks Jr. were executing a fugitive apprehension operation as part of the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force when the suspect shot out, injuring eight law enforcement officers and ultimately killing four. This attack is believed to be the deadliest against U.S. law enforcement officers in eight years. Officers Sam Poloche and William Elliot both were part of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, Officer Joshua Eyer was from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and Tommy was a Deputy U.S. Marshal working in the Western District of North Carolina.

    To honor their service, and to help collect blood that can be used to help others critically injured, the USMS hosted the inaugural Heroes Blood Drive. Donating blood is important, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Whether from surgery, chronic illness treatment, or traumatic injuries, people need blood that can only come from donations.

    While the initial goal for the USMS blood drive was 35 donations, these expectations were quickly exceeded. People from the USMS, the State Department, the Department of Justice, and Homeland Security Investigations donated. Even with having to delay the start of the blood drive due to inclement weather, 76 donations were made that day. Additionally, 58% of those who donated were first time donors with the Red Cross.

    The USMS also hosted a partner blood drive in North Carolina in the Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force space a few weeks later. They had 33 units of life saving blood donated that day. Of those, a high percentage were first time donors and five were Power Red donations. Power Red donations collect double the amount of red blood cells while the remaining blood components are returned to the donor. This allows for a donor to double the impact of their individual donation.

    The inaugural Heroes Blood Drive had an impressive showing to commemorate the fallen heroes with a righteous cause. Those donating blood were also able to learn live saving first aid and CPR skills. With the tremendous success of this year’s Heroes Blood Drive, everyone hopes to see a similar, if not larger, turnout next year.

    If you were unable to participate in the blood drive at USMS HQ or Charlotte, and would like to donate in honor of any of our fallen heroes, you can sign up to donate at your local Red Cross here: https://rcblood.org/4iToXtg.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Arrested for his Unlawful Reentry into the United States and for Distributing Fentanyl and One Pound of Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CONCORD – A Dominican man was arrested in connection with immigration and drug offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Robely Eladio De Jesus Guerrero, 37, a citizen of the Dominican Republic unlawfully residing in Massachusetts, was charged with unlawful reentry of a deported alien and distribution of controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine and fentanyl. He appeared in federal court today and was detained. His next hearing is scheduled for June 20, 2025.

    According to the charging documents, De Jesus Guerrero was deported to the Dominican Republic from the United States in November 2021. He was encountered again by law enforcement in August and September 2024 in New Hampshire.

    Between August and September 2024, De Jesus Guerrero allegedly distributed approximately 120 grams of fentanyl and approximately one pound of methamphetamine.

    The charges of distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carry a sentence of up to 20 years’ incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised released, and a fine up to $1,000,000. 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.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting the case.

    This effort 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).

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jackson Man Sentenced to Over 18 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A Jackson man, Marcus Guice, was sentenced on May 30, 2025 to 175 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 175 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, both sentences and terms of supervised release to run concurrently.  Since his criminal conduct was in violation of his federal supervised release, Guice was also sentenced to an additional 46 months in federal prison to run consecutive to the 175-month prison term.      

    According to court documents, in and around December 2019 and continuing through January 2020, communications between Guice and his coconspirators were intercepted wherein they negotiated and conducted the sale of marijuana, cocaine, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), and methamphetamine in the Jackson, Mississippi area.  Guice and his coconspirators are responsible for over 69,000 kilograms of converted drug weight being sold in the Jackson, Mississippi area in a two-month period.

    In addition to the prison sentence, Guice was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Police Department and Ridgeland Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.

    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).
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods in Chicago

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

    CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced an expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”)—a key component of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy—to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city.

    The PSN program is a federally funded, nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  Until today, the PSN program was deployed in seven Chicago neighborhoods on the West and South sides of the city.  The expansion announced today will implement the program in parts of three police districts in downtown financial zones that represent the economic engines of the city and region, as well as on the CTA trains that bring residents and visitors to those areas from every neighborhood of Chicago and from the city’s two international airports.  Today’s announcement represents the first time anywhere in the country that the program will be deployed on mass transit.

    The PSN expansion was announced by U.S. Attorney Boutros and members of the PSN Chicago Task Force, including the Chicago Police Department.  Substantial assistance to the PSN program is provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

    “Downtown Chicago is the capital of the region’s economy and the cultural and civic heart of the Midwest, where interstate commerce runs strong,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who was sworn in as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025.  “Many billions of dollars of revenue, taxes, and investments are anchored in our city’s financial districts, and when violence and criminal activity cause our residents, businesses, and tourists not to feel safe to live, invest, and shop in Chicago, everyone suffers, whether at the federal, state, or local level. By investing PSN resources in our urban economic centers and the public transit system that feeds into them, we will help foster a downtown that is both safe and friendly to economic vitality for everyone.  This initiative could not happen without a deep collaboration and shared commitment between the Department of Justice and our PSN partners to dedicate the resources necessary to support the downtown economic zones and the many millions of people who annually visit them, as well as the scores of businesses both large and small who serve them.”

    “Partnership and collaboration with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners are vital in reducing violence and making Chicago safer for all,” said Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling.  “Project Safe Neighborhoods reflects this spirit of collaboration and serves as an important tool in addressing crime in one of the busiest areas of our city.  The expansion of this program builds on the progress CPD is making in combating crime citywide.”

    “This new investment of federal resources is critically needed to address the threat that crime—including organized retail theft, carjacking, and armed robberies—pose to the heart of Chicago’s economy and to the transportation systems that tens of thousands of Chicagoans use to travel to and from the downtown,” said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart.  “For years, my office has devoted significant resources to aggressively combat crime throughout downtown Chicago, the Magnificent Mile, and the surrounding areas, and we welcome the much-needed expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods to these areas.”

    “ATF is proud to work with our federal, state, and local partners on the expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon.  “By combining resources and expertise, we are proactively taking steps to disrupt violent crime in key transit and economic areas to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors.”

    “The FBI remains steadfast in our dogged pursuit of eliminating violent crime,” said FBI Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta. “We continue to be thankful for the powerful collaboration between our many law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in this fight.  Our combined efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to ensure that anyone who seeks to endanger our community will be held accountable.”

    Originally launched in 2001, PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders, and partners with local prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.  PSN follows four key design elements: focused and strategic enforcement; prevention and intervention; accountability; and community engagement.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with its Chicago PSN Task Force partners to assist with applying for and obtaining federal PSN grants to support anti-violence strategies in Chicago.  By designating the downtown economic centers and CTA trains as PSN Enforcement Zones, PSN funds can now be deployed in various ways to help reduce violent crime in those areas, including:

    • Aggressively prosecuting violent offenders.

    • Hiring law enforcement personnel.

    • Paying certain overtime costs for law enforcement officers and others working downtown and aboard CTA trains.

    • Purchasing equipment to assist with violent crime reduction efforts.

    • Supporting multi-jurisdictional task forces.

    • Providing training and technical assistance under the national PSN program.

    • Expanding messaging to deter violence, including signage aboard CTA trains.

    The enforcement efforts in the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zones will focus on the investigation and prosecution of individuals and organized groups who engage in illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking, robberies, carjackings, and other violent offenses.  For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence and will seek pretrial detention and substantial prison sentences for defendants who pose a danger to the community.

    In addition to all of the CTA rail lines in every neighborhood in Chicago, the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zone, depicted on this map (reproduced below), extends from Division Street on the Near North Side, between Lake Michigan and La Salle Drive (e.g., Magnificent Mile and Oak Street shopping corridors, Navy Pier, Loop, and Millennium Park), to I-55 between Clark Street and Lake Michigan on the Near South Side (e.g., Museum Campus and McCormick Place), and extends west to Ogden and Ashland Avenues, between Grand Avenue and I-290 (e.g., Fulton Market and West Loop business corridors).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castro Statement on DOJ Suing Texas Over In-State Tuition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    June 04, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Justice suing Texas over its law allowing undocumented students to receive in-state tuition:

    “This lawsuit is meritless, cruel, and vindictive. Republicans in Texas created this program in 2001 to establish parity so all tax-paying folks, regardless of status, can receive the benefits they are owed. Legislation to strip in-state tuition in Texas also just died during the legislative session. Texans have made it clear where they stand on this. Attorney General Paxton must fully defend the laws of our state. This is a disappointing action from an administration that doesn’t care about anyone but billionaires.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California’s strong gun safety laws continue to save lives

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 4, 2025

    What you need to know: California leads the nation in strong gun safety laws, correlating with thousands of lives saved.

    Sacramento, California – Year after year, California is ranked as the #1 state in the country for its strong gun safety laws — along with some of the lowest rates of gun deaths — by Giffords Law Center and Everytown for Gun Safety. In states where officials have passed gun safety laws, fewer people die by gun violence. Texas and Florida, which ranked 32nd and 21st, respectively in gun law strength, had firearm mortality rates more than 50% higher than California.

    Gun safety laws save lives 

    Strong gun laws save lives. California has reduced its gun violence rate because of its leading gun safety laws. If the gun death rate in the rest of the U.S. matched California’s over the past decade, there would have been nearly 140,000 lives saved and potentially hundreds of thousands fewer gunshot injuries, according to the California Department of Justice’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

    Protection orders reduce gun violence 

    California was the first state in the nation to adopt a “red flag law” in 2016. This law builds off a bedrock of available protection orders – 9 in total – that prohibit firearm possession for people subject to orders ranging from domestic violence and workplace harassment. In the first three years of their existence, these protection orders were used to prevent 58 cases of threatened mass shootings. There have been significant increases in utilization of GVROs – increasing by 118% – from 2020 to 2023.

    California’s youth gun violence rate down, U.S. rate up 

    Nationwide, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Compared to the rest of the nation, California has made substantial long-term progress in reducing per capita rates of youth firearm homicide. CDC data showed that in 2022, California’s firearm homicide rate for youth under 25 was about 50% below the rate recorded for the rest of the U.S. By contrast, nationwide youth gun homicides increased over 46% from 2019-2021.

    Criminals take advantage of neighboring soft gun safety laws 

    California’s gun laws stop at our borders, meaning guns that are illegal in our state can still be used in criminal activity here if sourced in other states. In 2021, just over half (50.4%) of the firearms recovered by law enforcement during criminal investigations in California and successfully traced to a final dealer of record were traced to dealers located in other states.

    California’s gun safety laws at-a-glance

    • Assault weapons ban: California law strictly prohibits assault weapons. This includes possessing, distributing, selling and manufacturing assault weapons. 
    • Red flag law: California became one of the first states in the nation to enact a red flag law in 2016. California law allows law enforcement, family members, employers, coworkers and school employees to seek a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) against an individual suspected of being a danger to themselves and others. If approved by a judge, the GVRO temporarily prohibits a person from possessing firearms.
    • Private right of action: California enacted the nation’s first law allowing individuals to sue those making, selling, transporting or distributing illegal assault weapons and ghost guns – guns made at home to avoid tracing – for damages of at least $10,000 per weapon involved.
    • Waiting period: California has a waiting period of 10 days for all gun purchases. The state is one of nine states and the District of Columbia that have waiting periods and California’s waiting period is among the strictest. 
    • Universal background checks: California requires background checks on all gun purchases and transfers, including private transfers and sales at gun shows. It is one of 14 states and the District of Columbia that require universal background checks.
    • Mental health reporting: California has some of the nation’s strongest laws preventing those with serious mental illness from acquiring firearms. California law requires the immediate reporting of involuntary inpatient and outpatient treatment, as well as those under guardianship. Mental health treatment facilities and psychotherapists are also required to report under certain circumstances.
    • Age restrictions: In California, you must be at least 21 years of age to purchase a handgun and at least 18 years of age to purchase a long gun.

    Last year, Governor Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to further reinforce California’s nation-leading gun laws and prevent traumatic incidents of mass violence.

    Click here to download this fact sheet.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Up to $8 Million in Reward Offers for Information Leading to Arrests and/or Convictions of Leaders of Foreign Terrorist Organization LNFM Cartel  

    Source: United States Department of State (3)

    Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson

    Up to $8 Million in Reward Offers for Information Leading to Arrests and/or Convictions of Leaders of Foreign Terrorist Organization LNFM Cartel  

    Press Statement

    April 15, 2025

    Today, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing reward offers under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction, in any country, of Mexican narcotics trafficker Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, a/k/a “Pez,” and up to $3 million for information leading the arrest and /or conviction of his brother, Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, a/k/a “Fresa.”  The Hurtado Olascoaga brothers are leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel in Mexico, which was designated by the Secretary of State on February 20 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).  This is the first rewards announcement related to an FTO-designated cartel. 

    The LNFM is a drug cartel based in the State of Mexico, and parts of Michoacán and Guerrero.  The DEA estimates the LNFM is responsible for the transportation, importation, and distribution of over 36 metric tons of methamphetamine, 12 metric tons of Mexican heroin, and 12 metric tons of cocaine per year from Mexico into the United States.

    Today’s reward offers complement the Department of Justice’s indictment of the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers in the Northern District of Georgia.  The charges include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute controlled substances (specifically, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) knowing they would be imported into the United States; importation conspiracy; and drug distribution conspiracy.  The Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also announced new sanctions today against the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers and two related LNFM members. 

    Today’s reward offers are authorized by the Secretary under the NRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice as a key pillar of President Trump’s “America First” priorities.  If you have information, please contact the DEA at +1 404-281-3220 (text/WhatsApp/Signal).  If you are located outside of the United States, you can also visit the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local DEA field office. 

    ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.  Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Up to $2 Million Reward Offers Each for Information Leading to Arrests and/or Convictions of Malicious Cyber Actors from China

    Source: United States Department of State (3)

    Office of the Spokesperson

    Up to $2 Million Reward Offers Each for Information Leading to Arrests and/or Convictions of Malicious Cyber Actors from China

    Media Note

    March 5, 2025

    Today, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing two reward offers under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) of up to $2 million each for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions, in any country, of malicious cyber actors Yin KeCheng and Zhou Shuai, both Chinese nationals residing in China. 

    Yin and Zhou were identified as associated with an advanced persistent threat group (APT27), who are also known to private sector security researchers as “Threat Group 3390,” “Bronze Union,” “Emissary Panda,” “Lucky Mouse,” “Iron Tiger,” “UTA0178,” “UNC 5221,” and “Silk Typhoon.”  Yin and Zhou are longtime members of the eco-system China uses to perpetuate its malicious cyber activity.  They enrich themselves financially as hackers for hire for a myriad of Chinese entities.

     An FBI investigation of APT27, which began in approximately 2014, resulted in two separate indictments, announced today by the Department of Justice.  Yin is charged individually for cybercrime activity occurring from roughly 2013 to 2015, while Yin and Zhou are charged together in a separate conspiracy related to computer network intrusion activity occurring from roughly 2018 to 2020.  Yin and Zhou are each charged with wire fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

    Today’s reward offers are authorized by the Secretary under the TOCRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally.  The reward offers also complement the announcement today of a Treasury sanctions action by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against Zhou and his company Shanghai Heiying Information Technology.   The combined actions represent a whole of government effort to combat malicious cyber actors.

    If you have information, please contact the FBI by email at yin_zhou_info@fbi.gov.  If you are located outside of the United States, you can also visit the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  If you are in the United States, you can also contact your local FBI field office.

    ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.  Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Justice Department Files Complaint to Block Decades-Old Texas Laws Providing In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    WASHINGTON – The United States is challenging two decades-old Texas laws providing in-state tuition for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privileges, in direct conflict with federal law. On Wednesday, June 4, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Texas against the State of Texas and many Texas officials seeking to enjoin the officials from enforcing the Texas laws and bring them into compliance with federal requirements.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: The Justice Department Files Complaint to Block Decades-Old Texas Laws Providing In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    WASHINGTON – The United States is challenging two decades-old Texas laws providing in-state tuition for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privileges, in direct conflict with federal law. On Wednesday, June 4, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Texas against the State of Texas and many Texas officials seeking to enjoin the officials from enforcing the Texas laws and bring them into compliance with federal requirements.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces State Advisory Council to Bring Order to Cannabis Market

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces State Advisory Council to Bring Order to Cannabis Market

    Governor Stein Announces State Advisory Council to Bring Order to Cannabis Market
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    (RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein released the following statement on the need to protect young people by bringing order to the unregulated cannabis market:  

    “Today all across North Carolina, there are unregulated intoxicating THC products available for purchase: just walk into any vape shop. There is no legal minimum age to purchase these products! That means that kids are buying them. Without any enforceable labeling requirements, adults are using them recreationally without knowing what is in them or how much THC there is. Our state’s unregulated cannabis market is the wild west and is crying for order. Let’s get this right and create a safe, legal market for adults that protects kids.  

    “That is why I am announcing a State Advisory Council on Cannabis. I am charging this group with studying and recommending a comprehensive approach to regulate cannabis sales. They will study best practices and learn from other states to develop a system that protects youth, allows adult sales, ensures public safety, promotes public health, supports North Carolina agriculture, expunges past convictions of simple THC possession, and invests the revenues in resources for addiction, mental health, and drugged driving detection.  

    “I want to thank members of the General Assembly for their interest in addressing this gaping loophole in state law. Let’s work together on a thoughtful, comprehensive solution that allows sales to adults and that is grounded in public safety and health. We can work together and get this right.”

    Governor Stein signed the Executive Order creating the Council on Tuesday morning. The Council will include representatives from the Office of State Budget and Management, the State Highway Patrol, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the General Assembly, and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Public Safety, Revenue, Transportation, and Justice.  

    Hemp and marijuana are both types of cannabis. The difference used to be how much THC was in the plant. Today, due to the cannabis industry’s unchecked and creative product development and packaging, the terms “hemp” and “marijuana” have lost their traditional meanings and are essentially the same thing. They both contain intoxicating levels of THC. As a result, anyone, no matter their age, can legally buy cannabis products in vape shops with high concentrations of intoxicating THC here in North Carolina. The status quo of zero protection of our kids is absolutely unacceptable. That’s why the work of this Advisory Council to recommend a regulatory structure for cannabis sales is important and urgent.  

    In the meantime, at a minimum, the General Assembly should prohibit the sales of products that contain intoxicating THC to anyone under 21 by requiring photo ID age-verification and require packaging that lets adults know what is actually in cannabis products, including the amount of THC.  

    Members of the Council are:  

    Co-chairs

    • Lawrence H. Greenblatt, MD, State Health Director & Chief Medical Officer, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
    • Matt Scott, District Attorney, Prosecutorial District 20 (Robeson County)

    Members

    • David W. Alexander, Owner and President, Home Run Markets, LLC
    • Arthur E. Apolinario, MD, MPH, FAAFP, 2002-2023 Past President, North Carolina Medical Society; Family Physician, Clinton Medical Clinic
    • Joshua C. Batten, Assistant Director for Special Services, Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, North Carolina Department of Public Safety
    • Representative John R. Bell, North Carolina House of Representatives, District 10
    • Carrie L. Brown, MD, MPH, DFAPA, Chief Psychiatrist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
    • Mark M. Ezzell, Director, North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program, North Carolina Department of Transportation
    • Anca E. Grozav, Chief Deputy Director, North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management
    • Representative Zack A. Hawkins, North Carolina House of Representatives, District 31
    • Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., Commander, North Carolina State Highway Patrol
    • Michael Lamb, Police Chief, City of Asheville Police Department
    • Peter H. Ledford, Deputy Secretary for Policy, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
    • Kimberly McDonald, MD, MPH, Chronic Disease and Injury Section Chief, Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
    • Patrick Oglesby, Attorney and Founder, Center for New Revenue
    • Forrest G. Parker, CEO / General Manager, Qualla Enterprises LLC / Great Smoky Cannabis Company
    • Senator Bill P. Rabon, North Carolina Senate, District 8
    • Lillie L. Rhodes, Legislative Counsel, Administrative Office of the Courts
    • Gary H. Sikes, Owner, Bountiful Harvest Farm and Partner, Legacy Fiber Technologies
    • Senator Kandie D. Smith, North Carolina Senate, District 5
    • Keith Stone, Sheriff, Nash County  
    • Joy Strickland, Senior Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Bureau of the North Carolina Department of Justice
    • Deonte’ L. Thomas, Chief, Wake County Public Defender Office
    • Missy P. Welch, Director of Programming (Permits/Audit/Product Sections), Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission 
    Jun 4, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Senators Demand Explanation After Trump Admin Greenlights Giant Rocket-Redfin Merger, Warn of Potential Price Hikes for American Homebuyers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    June 04, 2025
    Rocket has a history of anticompetitive behavior in the housing industry
    “At a time when families already face a housing affordability crisis, these deals…may reduce choice and raise prices for American families in the housing market.” 
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) wrote to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division and to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeking an explanation for the agencies’ failure to challenge Rocket Companies’ (Rocket) recent acquisition of Redfin, which creates a massive housing company that threatens to reduce choice and raise prices for American families in the housing market. 
    This merger allows Rocket, an online mortgage lending and real estate platform, to exert even greater control over each step of the homebuying process by taking over Redfin, a popular real estate search platform, and Mr. Cooper, the nation’s largest mortgage servicing firm. On May 8, 2025, the Trump Administration allowed the merger waiting period to expire without taking action to block or review the transaction. 
    After the Rocket-Redfin merger is completed, Rocket will have the power to steer Redfin users to Rocket’s real estate agents, limiting business for local, independent agents and brokerages. Rocket could also discourage Redfin users from comparison shopping for better mortgage offers by steering homebuyers to Rocket’s mortgages. Comparison shopping has been shown to save homebuyers an average of $76,410 over a 30-year mortgage.
    In addition, Rocket’s acquisition of Mr. Cooper will create a mortgage finance behemoth. By acquiring seven million mortgage servicing clients, Rocket would have a reduced need to compete for new customers. Altogether, with these acquisitions, Rocket would triple its current client base and control one in six mortgages in the United States. Rocket’s efforts to consolidate and control the homebuying market onto a single online platform sets a dangerous precedent for consumers, the industry, and the U.S. housing market as a whole at a time when house prices and mortgage rates continue to rise.
    Rocket has a history of anticompetitive efforts to steer homebuyers to its products. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued Rocket in 2024 for allegedly steering homebuyers into purchasing Rocket mortgages and charging higher rates and fees. The CFPB dropped the lawsuit just three weeks after President Trump installed new leadership at the agency. 
    Under the DOJ and FTC’s merger enforcement guidelines, the acquisitions raise multiple concerns, including: 
    Under Guideline 6, which warns that “mergers can violate the law when they entrench or extend a dominant position”; 
    Under Guideline 7, which directs the DOJ and FTC to “examine whether a trend toward consolidation in an industry would heighten … competition concerns”; 
    Under Guideline 8, which clarifies that “when a merger is part of a series of multiple acquisitions, the agencies may examine the whole series”; and 
    Under Guideline 9, which warns that “mergers involving platforms can threaten competition.” 
    “Rocket’s proposed acquisitions…create the potential for Rocket to steer homebuyers to its own products, hike prices based on private data, and block competition. We ask that you provide an explanation for your agencies’ failure to challenge the Rocket-Redfin merger during the premerger review period,” wrote the senators. 
    The lawmakers asked the two agencies to provide clarity on why they declined to challenge the merger by June 17, 2025. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ20: Estate planning

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Nixie Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (June 4):
     
    Question:
     
    It has been reported that according to a survey conducted by a social enterprise, only about 20 per cent of the public in Hong Kong have made wills, and nearly 40 per cent do not have any legacy planning documents, reflecting a serious lack of public awareness of estate planning. Moreover, such social enterprise projected that the number of elderly people aged over 65 in Hong Kong would reach 2.5 million in 2038, and the assets involved would amount to about $3 trillion. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether the Government will roll out a territory-wide publicity programme for popularisation of wills and work with the legal sector and social welfare organisations to enhance public awareness of the legal effect and procedures of wills; if so, of the specific measures and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) as it has been reported that currently some cities on the Mainland have already set up government-supported wills services centres to provide members of the public with one-stop public services for consultation on will making, safekeeping of wills and assistance in will execution, whether the Government will consider working with the legal sector to introduce similar referral services to meet the demand of members of the public; and
     
    (3) as it has been reported that currently more than 500 people from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have registered their wills for safekeeping through the China Will Registration Center on the Mainland, reflecting the keen demand of Hong Kong people for cross-boundary estate planning, whether the Government will collaborate with Mainland departments to streamline the notarisation procedures for Hong Kong wills on the Mainland, such as by exempting some documents from going through the probate process again; if so, of the details; if not, the relevant factors for consideration?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    In consultation with the Administration Wing, the Department of Justice and the Home Affairs Department (HAD), the reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Nixie Lam is as follows:
     
    According to the Wills Ordinance (Cap. 30), a person may by means of a will, executed in accordance with the Ordinance, dispose of his/her property. Upon the death of the testator, the executor may apply to the Probate Registry for a grant of probate under the Probate and Administration Ordinance (Cap. 10) to administer the testator’s estate. If the estate is wholly made up of money not exceeding $50,000 in aggregate, the executor may apply to the Estate Beneficiaries Support Unit of the HAD for a Confirmation Notice for the administration of estate.
     
    Regarding the notarisation for Hong Kong wills on the Mainland, in general, an individual has to follow the notarisation procedures on the Mainland and provide the necessary materials (such as identification documents of the applicant, documents to be notarised such as will, etc) to prove that the applicant is a qualified executor of the estate and the legality of the relevant documents. In fact, there are certain differences between the Mainland and Hong Kong in terms of the probate mechanism and the inheritance procedures. We will monitor the relevant situations and explore arrangements that could facilitate members of the public in due course.
     
    Members of the public who require legal advice on matters relating to wills in Hong Kong, such as the making of wills, safekeeping of wills and wills execution, may make an appointment to meet a volunteer lawyer of the Free Legal Advice Scheme operated by the Duty Lawyer Service, which provides preliminary one-off legal advice. They may also visit the website of the Duty Lawyer Service for pre-recorded legal information on the relevant legal topics.
     
    As for publicity, the Government has compiled various publications on inheritance matters. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) has compiled a new promotional leaflet on wills this year to enhance public understanding of relevant information, including what constitutes a valid will, the content that a will may include, the benefits of making a will, etc. The promotional leaflet is available for public access at the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres and the Estate Beneficiaries Support Unit of the HAD. The relevant information has also been uploaded to the HYAB’s one-stop family and women information portal for public viewing. The Government will keep in view the relevant materials to meet the needs of the community, and continue to promote the importance of making of wills through various channels.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –