NewzIntel.com

Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kansas City Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Tesla Arson

    Source: US State of California

    Note: View the affidavit here.

    A Kansas City resident, attending college in Boston, was arrested and made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla business in Kansas City, Missouri.

    According to the criminal complaint, filed in the Western District of Missouri and unsealed today, Owen McIntire, 19, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce.

    “Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”

    “Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. 

    “This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”

    “ATF’s Special Agents and forensic experts recovered and analyzed key evidence—including Molotov cocktails—used in this deliberate and dangerous arson attack,” said Acting Director Dan Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “This wasn’t vandalism — it was a violent criminal act. Thanks to the relentless work of ATF special agents, and our close coordination with the FBI and local law enforcement, we now have a suspect in custody. I am committed to ensuring ATF continues to stand on the front lines of public safety. ATF will not tolerate those who incite political violence in our communities.”

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, on Thursday, March 17, at approximately 11:16 p.m., an officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCMOPD) in the vicinity of the Kansas City (KC) Tesla Center observed smoke coming from a grey Cybertruck parked in the KC Tesla Center parking lot. The officer also observed an unbroken suspected incendiary device near the burning Cybertruck. KCMOPD recovered the unbroken incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail. The fire spread from the Cybertruck to a second Cybertruck in the lot. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.

    The Cybertrucks had sale prices of $105,485 and $107,485. Additionally, two charging stations were damaged by the fire, each of which is valued at approximately $550.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Foley and Trey Alford for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    The FBI Kansas City and Boston Field Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are investigating the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Juan Vargas, Colleagues Ramp Up Pressure to Fire Elon Musk, Warn He Must by Law Leave Government Role by May 30th

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51)

    April 18, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA) joined over 70 Democratic lawmakers in demanding that Elon Musk exit from his position in the Trump Administration by May 30th, warning that by law he can only serve in his role as a special government employee for 130 days. 

    “Considering the repeated violations of the law by Musk and your administration, we demand an immediate public statement from your administration making clear that Musk will resign and surrender all decision making authority, as required by law, by May 30th,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump. 

    “In his short time in government, Elon Musk has done enormous harm to working Americans. Musk’s reckless destruction of government agencies has led to everything from seniors having challenges accessing Social Security to veterans losing access to care at VA hospitals,” the lawmakers continued. “While millions of Americans are suffering, Musk is continuing to enrich himself and break ethics laws.”

    Read the full letter HERE and below:

    President Trump,

    We write to make clear that you must remove Elon Musk from his government position by May 30th and to demand that you stop ignoring federal law and ethics rules to empower an unelected billionaire. When you took office on January 20th, Musk became a special government employee (SGE), and, according to the law, Musk can only serve in this position for 130 days. Considering the repeated violations of the law by Musk and your administration, we demand an immediate public statement from your administration making clear that Musk will resign and surrender all decision making authority, as required by law, by May 30th.

    In his short time in government, Elon Musk has done enormous harm to working Americans. Musk’s reckless destruction of government agencies has led to everything from seniors having challenges accessing Social Security to veterans losing access to care at VA hospitals.

    While millions of Americans are suffering, Musk is continuing to enrich himself and break ethics laws. Musk continues to cut funds from programs that support working people, while his own companies continue to rake in more than $8 million per day in contracts and subsidies from the federal government. Recently, your administration changed the rules of a broadband program to give even more money to one of Musk’s companies.

    Musk held a car show on the lawn of the White House, where he illegally promoted his company’s vehicles. Musk paid Wisconsin voters to support his preferred candidate in the state supreme court race. Any typical government employee would be held accountable for these actions, but Musk, who donated $277 million to your presidential campaign, has been allowed to keep his position of power in your White House.

    Once Elon Musk is removed from his post, he may not legally return to the federal government this year without divesting from his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. For the good of the country, Elon Musk should be removed from his position immediately. Under the law, Mr. Musk cannot remain in his position beyond May 30th.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Tesla Arson

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Note: View the criminal complaint here.

    A Kansas City resident, attending college in Boston, was arrested and made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla business in Kansas City, Missouri.

    According to the criminal complaint, filed in the Western District of Missouri and unsealed today, Owen McIntire, 19, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce.

    “Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”

    “Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. 

    “This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”

    “ATF’s Special Agents and forensic experts recovered and analyzed key evidence—including Molotov cocktails—used in this deliberate and dangerous arson attack,” said Acting Director Dan Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “This wasn’t vandalism — it was a violent criminal act. Thanks to the relentless work of ATF special agents, and our close coordination with the FBI and local law enforcement, we now have a suspect in custody. I am committed to ensuring ATF continues to stand on the front lines of public safety. ATF will not tolerate those who incite political violence in our communities.”

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, on Thursday, March 17, at approximately 11:16 p.m., an officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCMOPD) in the vicinity of the Kansas City (KC) Tesla Center observed smoke coming from a grey Cybertruck parked in the KC Tesla Center parking lot. The officer also observed an unbroken suspected incendiary device near the burning Cybertruck. KCMOPD recovered the unbroken incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail. The fire spread from the Cybertruck to a second Cybertruck in the lot. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.

    The Cybertrucks had sale prices of $105,485 and $107,485. Additionally, two charging stations were damaged by the fire, each of which is valued at approximately $550.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Foley and Trey Alford for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    The FBI Kansas City and Boston Field Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are investigating the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MS-13 Member Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Kidnapping, Witness Retaliation, and a Firearms Offense

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    An MS-13 member and Honduran national, illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 147 months in prison for kidnapping, retaliating against a federal witness, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on Nov. 5, 2023, Bayron Wuifredo Santos-Recarte, 27, of Honduras, together with other associates of La Mara Salvatrucha 13, better known as MS-13, kidnapped a former federal witness at gunpoint in the parking lot of a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee. The witness was kidnapped because, eight months prior, he had testified during a federal racketeering trial against MS-13 members. Specifically, the witness testified that MS-13 members tried to shoot and murder him on two occasions over a drug dispute.

    During the kidnapping, the victim was held in a truck for hours while being assaulted with a firearm, hammer, and machete. While Santos-Recarte and others assaulted the witness, they also questioned him about why he testified against MS-13 and threatened him with death. After the victim was finally able to escape and call for help, he was treated at a local hospital for serious injuries, which included fractured bones, internal bleeding, and an injury to his kidney.

    “The defendant, an MS-13 member, kidnapped a former federal witness and tortured him with a machete, hammer, and gun. This violence and obstruction of the American legal system is core MS-13 conduct and exemplifies why MS-13 has been designated a foreign terrorist organization,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department remains focused on eliminating this organization. There is more to come. Thank you to the prosecutors, ATF, and our local law enforcement partners for their relentless pursuit of justice.”

    “We will do whatever it takes to protect witnesses from harm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “If a witness is retaliated against, our office will bring the full might of federal law enforcement to bear on holding those responsible accountable for their crimes.”

    “On numerous occasions, individuals are silenced from ‘speaking out’ due to threats, intimidation, or the risks of serious harm,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Nashville Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “In this case, the victim/witness was kidnapped, terrorized, and physically assaulted by relentless, gang-affiliated criminals. Witness intimidation is a serious federal offense and anyone who retaliates against a government witness will be held fully accountable under the law. ATF remains committed to working alongside our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and diminish the presence and influence of these dangerous and deadly criminal organizations in the communities that we serve.”

    When identified as one of the kidnappers and confronted by law enforcement, Santos-Recarte admitted driving the truck used in the kidnapping and knowing that the witness testified against MS-13 members during a trial. Santos-Recarte also admitted helping others force the witness into the truck at gunpoint and being present while others assaulted the victim. When federal agents arrested Santos-Recarte, he was in possession of an assault rifle.

    In December 2024, Santos-Recarte pleaded guilty to kidnapping, retaliation against a federal witness, unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and conspiracy charges. After he serves his sentence, he will be deported from the United States.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives, and Firearms investigated the case with assistance from the Metro Nashville Police Department.

    Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Christopher Matthews of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Traffic Stop Arrest on Constitution Ave

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Timothy Clark, 30, of the District, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

                Clark is charged in an indictment unsealed in federal court with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

                According to court documents, on May 10, 2024, an individual, identified as Timothy Clark, was arrested following a traffic stop on Constitution Avenue.  A United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer on routine patrol observed a vehicle with a temporary registration that appeared to be expired. A subsequent check revealed no vehicle was found for the plate and no registration was on file. The officer conducted a traffic stop, and the driver was unable to provide a license or registration.   

                Court documents say that Clark was arrested for having no permit and counterfeit tags. During processing, a check revealed Clark had outstanding warrants from Queen Anne’s County Sheriff and a Failure to Appear warrant in D.C.

                An inventory search of the vehicle uncovered a black backpack in the rear cargo area containing an alleged handgun and ammunition.

                Clark is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous felony convictions in Superior Court and the Circuit Court for Queen Anne’s County, Maryland.

                This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Texas Businesses, Nonprofits and Residents Affected by the Welder Complex Fire

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible businesses, nonprofits, and residents in Texas of the May 19, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by the Welder Complex Fire occurring March 4–9.

    The disaster declaration covers Aransas, Bee, Jim Wells, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio counties.

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include retrofitting structures to protect against high winds, flood, wildfires, or other physical disasters.

    “One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their disaster readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s physical damage loans.”

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is also available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits and 2.75% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return for physical damage applications is May 19. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 19.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Texas Businesses, Nonprofits, and Residents Affected by March Storms

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible businesses, nonprofits, and residents in Texas of the May 19, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by the thunderstorms, straight‑line winds and tornadoes occurring March 4.

    The disaster declaration covers the Texas counties of Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall and Tarrant.

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

    “One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s physical damage loans.”

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is also available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    Interest rates can be as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits and 2.75% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return for physical damage applications is May 19. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 19.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MS-13 Member Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Kidnapping, Witness Retaliation, and a Firearms Offense

    Source: United States Attorneys General 2

    An MS-13 member and Honduran national, illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 147 months in prison for kidnapping, retaliating against a federal witness, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on Nov. 5, 2023, Bayron Wuifredo Santos-Recarte, 27, of Honduras, together with other associates of La Mara Salvatrucha 13, better known as MS-13, kidnapped a former federal witness at gunpoint in the parking lot of a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee. The witness was kidnapped because, eight months prior, he had testified during a federal racketeering trial against MS-13 members. Specifically, the witness testified that MS-13 members tried to shoot and murder him on two occasions over a drug dispute.

    During the kidnapping, the victim was held in a truck for hours while being assaulted with a firearm, hammer, and machete. While Santos-Recarte and others assaulted the witness, they also questioned him about why he testified against MS-13 and threatened him with death. After the victim was finally able to escape and call for help, he was treated at a local hospital for serious injuries, which included fractured bones, internal bleeding, and an injury to his kidney.

    “The defendant, an MS-13 member, kidnapped a former federal witness and tortured him with a machete, hammer, and gun. This violence and obstruction of the American legal system is core MS-13 conduct and exemplifies why MS-13 has been designated a foreign terrorist organization,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department remains focused on eliminating this organization. There is more to come. Thank you to the prosecutors, ATF, and our local law enforcement partners for their relentless pursuit of justice.”

    “We will do whatever it takes to protect witnesses from harm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “If a witness is retaliated against, our office will bring the full might of federal law enforcement to bear on holding those responsible accountable for their crimes.”

    “On numerous occasions, individuals are silenced from ‘speaking out’ due to threats, intimidation, or the risks of serious harm,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Nashville Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “In this case, the victim/witness was kidnapped, terrorized, and physically assaulted by relentless, gang-affiliated criminals. Witness intimidation is a serious federal offense and anyone who retaliates against a government witness will be held fully accountable under the law. ATF remains committed to working alongside our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and diminish the presence and influence of these dangerous and deadly criminal organizations in the communities that we serve.”

    When identified as one of the kidnappers and confronted by law enforcement, Santos-Recarte admitted driving the truck used in the kidnapping and knowing that the witness testified against MS-13 members during a trial. Santos-Recarte also admitted helping others force the witness into the truck at gunpoint and being present while others assaulted the victim. When federal agents arrested Santos-Recarte, he was in possession of an assault rifle.

    In December 2024, Santos-Recarte pleaded guilty to kidnapping, retaliation against a federal witness, unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and conspiracy charges. After he serves his sentence, he will be deported from the United States.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives, and Firearms investigated the case with assistance from the Metro Nashville Police Department.

    Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Christopher Matthews of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of Glock

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

    WASHINGTON – Damani Lamont Carmon, 31, of the District, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison for being in possession of a Glock firearm when he was pulled over by police during an April 2024 traffic stop.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Carmon pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Carmon to serve three years of supervised release. 

                According to court papers, on April 30, 2024, uniformed MPD officers were patrolling the 1800 block of Benning Road Northeast when they stopped Carmon’s vehicle for a traffic violation. After observing an open container of tequila in the vehicle, officers searched the car and recovered from its center console a Glock 23 .40 caliber firearm loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. Subsequent DNA testing and analysis linked the firearm to Carmon.

                Federal law prohibits Carmon from possessing a firearm because he is a previously convicted felon. Specifically, in 2021, Carmon was convicted in Superior Court of assault with intent to kill and carrying a pistol without a license, arising from a 2019 shooting at a gas station in Washington, D.C. Carmon was on supervised release for that offense at the time he possessed the firearm charged in this case.

                Carmon has been held without bond since his Oct. 1, 2024, arrest.

                The case was investigated by ATF and MPD as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Va.

                The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Craft with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Kyle R. Mirabelli.

    24cr425

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 378 Immigration Cases Filed in the Western District of Texas This Week

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

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 378 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 11 through April 17.

    Among the new cases, a Mexican national named Cristo Jesus De Nasareth was arrested April 14 by U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Horse Patrol Unit along FM 170 near the U.S.-Mexico border. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that when asked if he had any weapons on his person, Jesus De Nasareth told the agents he had a pistol inside one of his pockets underneath multiple layers of clothing. Jesus De Nasareth made his initial appearance in a federal court in Pecos on April 17, charged with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of illegal entry.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE ERO) agents in San Antonio received notification that Mexican national Netsai Moreno-Suarez was arrested for a traffic violation on April 11. Moreno-Suarez was transferred into ICE ERO custody, charged with illegal re-entry. She was previously removed from the United States in August 2023 after being convicted for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and being sentenced to five years of probation. If convicted, Moreno-Suarez faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

    On April 12, Janet Amanda Gonzales, of San Antonio, was arrested in Kinney County for allegedly transporting five illegal aliens further into the United States. A criminal complaint alleges that U.S. Border Patrol agents observed several individuals laying on top of each other on the backseat of Gonzales’s vehicle as she arrived at an immigration checkpoint near Brackettville. Gonzales allegedly admitted that she was conspiring with other subjects to transport the illegal aliens for monetary gain. A convicted felon, Gonzales was sentenced in April 2021 to two years of probation for exploitation of child/elderly/disabled.

    The following day, April 13, a USBP agent observed multiple people running away from the brush and enter a pickup truck on the side of Highway 277 near Texas Loop 79. The agent performed an immigration inspection on the individuals, allegedly discovering four illegal aliens and U.S. Citizen Roberto Hernandez. A criminal complaint alleges that Hernandez was contacted by a co-conspirator and asked to pick up a group of illegal aliens to transport them to a residence in Del Rio.

    USBP agents arrested Mexican national Arturo Mendoza-Yerbafria near Sanderson on April 15 for illegal re-entry. Mendoza-Yerbafria has been thrice deported, most recently on May 15, 2024 through Laredo Columbia Bridge. He was convicted in March 2018 and sentenced to 366 days in prison for one count of bringing in and harboring aliens.

    Honduran national Efrain Antonio Corroto-Herrera was arrested near Eagle Pass after records indicated he had been previously deported twice, the most recent removal being to Honduras on March 12 through Laredo. Corroto-Herrera was convicted in Austin on Feb. 26 for assault causing bodily injury, for which he received a sentence of 180 days confinement.

    Mexican national Zacarias Bautista-Emiliano was arrested by USBP agents for being an alien illegally present in the U.S, having been previously deported as recently as October 2024 through San Ysidro, California. The October removal was Bautista-Emiliano’s fifth deportation and his criminal history includes a felony conviction in 2013 for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14. His criminal record also includes two additional felony convictions: illegal re-entry in New Mexico in 2014 and illegal re-entry in Arizona in 2022. Bautista-Emiliano received sentences of 46 months in prison and 40 months in prison, respectively, for those convictions.

    In Austin, Honduran national Elvin Alexis Canelas-Morillo was placed into federal custody April 17. He pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily injury in a 2023 Travis County case and was sentenced to 179 days confinement. Canelas-Morillo has four prior removals, most recently in April 2022, and a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple immigration convictions, burglary of a building, and evading arrest. He now faces a charge of illegal re-entry.

    Mexican national Heber Vivero-Martinez was also transferred to federal custody in Austin on April 17. Along with three prior convictions for illegal entry, Vivero-Martinez was convicted in 2019 for assault causing bodily injury. At the time of his transfer, he was serving 20 days in the Travis County Jail for a DWI charge. Vivero-Martinez’s immigration record includes two removals in 2013 and four voluntary returns between 2007 and 2009.

    In El Paso, Mexican national Adolfo Martinez-Padron was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. He has been previously removed six times, most recently March 27 through Del Rio. Martinez-Padron’s extensive criminal history includes two felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two DWIs, and assault causing bodily injury to a family member.

    Mexican national Santa Cruz Garcia-Morales was arrested in El Paso as well, having been previously removed from the U.S. four times and granted two voluntary removals. In 2023, Garcia-Morales was convicted in Salt Lake, Utah and sentenced to 180 days in jail for domestic violence in the presence of a child. In May 2024, he was sentenced to 18 months of probation in West Jordan, Utah for aggravated assault.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $30 Million More Now Available For Electric Vehicles

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced $30 million is now available for consumers to lease or purchase new electric vehicles (EVs) in New York through the State’s Drive Clean Rebate program, which provides point-of-sale rebates for more than 60 new EVs. In addition, incentives for EV chargers through the Charge Ready NY 2.0 program have been updated to expand consumer access to convenient, easy charging at multifamily buildings and workplaces, including hotels. Today’s announcement helps to make driving electric more affordable, increases the number of chargers available, and reduces pollution from the transportation sector in New York State.

    “New York’s leadership in driving the adoption of electric vehicles is helping consumers stay within their budget when purchasing or leasing a new electric car,” Governor Hochul said. “Along with increased savings, we are building out the infrastructure needed to provide hard-working New Yorkers convenient access to charging, helping to reduce range anxiety and make it easier to drive electric. These investments are key to building a cleaner future, lowering emissions and creating good-paying jobs.”

    The Drive Clean Rebate Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), offers a point-of-sale rebate up to $2,000 off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of an EV at participating car dealerships in New York State. The rebate is available in all 62 counties, with higher rebates available for longer range, all-electric vehicles.

    New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Converting to EVs reduces the total cost of vehicle ownership through lower fuel and vehicle maintenance costs and NYSERDA is proud to help provide New Yorkers with more purchasing power through these rebates. And by supporting organizations seeking to install charging stations at their place of business, the State is ensuring that more new and existing drivers have a variety of options to power up their vehicle at easy-to-access locations for longer periods of time.”

    Also announced today to help make EV charging more accessible to New Yorkers, NYSERDA’s Charge Ready NY 2.0 program, which helps reduce equipment installation costs for Level 2 chargers, is increasing the incentive amount available to install EV chargers at multifamily buildings and workplaces, including hotels, from $2,000 to $3,000 per port. For locations in disadvantaged communities as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group, the amount has also increased to $4,000 per port.

    Additionally, $3 million is being dedicated to locations that hold educational “ride and drive” community events, purchase or lease EVs, or offer free charging. The program also accepts new equipment and network eligibility applications from EV charger vendors.

    New York Department of Public Service CEO Rory M. Christian said, “Promoting electric car ownership and use is a win for consumers and a win for the environment. Congratulations to Governor Hochul for supporting the installation of charging stations and helping to ensure drivers have increased options to charge their vehicles.”

    The Drive Clean Rebate program has issued over 190,000 rebates to consumers since 2017, contributing to the more than 280,000 EVs on the road statewide. In the last year alone, Charge Ready NY 2.0 has supported the installation of more than 1,000 Level 2 chargers. There are more than 17,000 public chargers installed statewide – more public chargers than any other state except for California – and more than 4,000 semi-public charging stations at workplaces and multifamily buildings across the state.

    New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “New York State has made significant progress in developing the infrastructure to enable the electric vehicle transition, promoting cleaner transportation and reducing emissions statewide. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, this effort is being done with a focus on affordability and reliability. The Power Authority supports this work by aiding in fleet vehicle transitions and expanding the EVolve NY fast charging network, which currently offers 240 charging stations with more to come later this year.”

    Additionally, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has undertaken significant efforts to build out high-speed chargers along New York State’s major travel corridors through its EVolve NY network, which include:

    • EVolve NY Fast Charging Network. The New York Power Authority’s EVolve NY fast charging network offers 240 chargers at 56 locations along major corridors and routes (I-87, I81, I-384, I-90, I-88, and I-86) and in all 10 economic development regions of the state. NYPA has surpassed the halfway mark of its goal to install 400 EVolve NY fast chargers by 2026. Battery-powered EVs equipped with fast charging capability can power up in as little as 20 minutes at EVolve NY fast chargers. See map here for locations throughout New York State.
    • Fast Chargers Coming to LaGuardia. Construction is beginning this month on NYPA’s largest EVolve NY site – LaGuardia Airport. The station, which will have 12 high-speed chargers, will be in a parking lot between terminals A and B, just off the Grand Central Parkway, and is expected to be completed by August. The site is for use by the public as well as rideshare vehicles. The airport currently has 13 public Level 2 chargers at Terminal B and C.
    • Federal Funding Allows Further Expansion. New York has completed eleven four-charger EVolve NY sites with National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funding with two more to be completed this month. Nine more will be constructed over the next year. NEVI support to states is meant to close gaps between existing stations and the EVolve NY team has been steadily closing those range anxiety gaps.
    • New York City Adds Fast Charging Sites. NYPA is working with the state and city Department of Transportation to install hundreds of fast charging and Level 2 ports in New York City. Five new EVolve NY sites at municipal parking lots are expected to go into construction in 2025 and six more in 2026. The hubs will offer a total of 70 fast chargers and electrical connections for 280 future Level 2 chargers. NYPA is also supporting the construction of five fast charging hubs for the PlugNYC program, with two of these projects currently in construction in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

    Today’s announcement comes as the 2025 New York International Auto Show kicks off in New York City, which runs from April 18 through April 27 at the Javits Center. Visitors can stop by the NYSERDA and NYPA booth, located on level 1, to learn about incentives for purchasing EVs and programs that support charger growth throughout New York.

    In addition, the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), in collaboration with its GreenNY Council partners, is leading the way on converting the state fleet and building out the electric charging infrastructure that will support this transformation. Today, there are nearly 600 charging ports on state owned property, with another 600 in the pipeline.

    New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “The OGS team is proud to be leading the implementation of Governor Hochul’s mandate to convert the state’s fleet to 100 percent zero-emission vehicles. The investment announced by the Governor today will increase New Yorkers’ access to EVs and EV chargers and contribute to creating a greener, cleaner, and healthier future for our state.”

    New York State is investing nearly $3 billion in electrifying its transportation sector and rapidly advancing measures to ensure that all new passenger cars and trucks sold are zero-emission vehicles, along with all school buses being zero emissions. There are a range of initiatives to grow access to EVs and improve clean transit for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), the New York School Bus Incentive Program, and the Direct Current Fast Charger Program.

    The Drive Clean Rebate and Charge Ready NY 2.0 programs are funded through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the State’s Clean Energy Fund.

    New York State’s Climate Agenda
    New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Keolis Assistant Chief Engineer Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Defrauding Keolis Computer Services

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – The former Assistant Chief Engineer of Facilities for Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis) was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for defrauding Keolis of over $8.5 million and for defrauding the IRS of over $2.6 million.

    John P. Pigsley, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 70 months in prison, three months of supervised release, $8,580,311 restitution to Keolis and $2,689,206 to the Internal Revenue Service, forfeiture of three real properties and a $7,687,083.70 money judgment. In January 2025, Pigsley pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of tax evasion, one count of filing a false tax return and four counts of structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements. Pigsley and his co-conspirator John Rafferty were charged in April 2023.

    Keolis has operated the MBTA commuter rail system since 2014 under an annual contract of $291–$349 million. Between 2014 and November 2021, Pigsley was employed as Keolis’ Assistant Chief Engineer of Facilities and was responsible for the maintenance of MBTA Commuter Rail Facilities and their engineering operations, including corrective repair and project management for assets and maintenance and ordering and approving his subordinates’ orders of electrical supplies from outside vendors for Keolis. Pigsley also operated a separate construction company called Pigman Group. Rafferty was the general manager of LJ Electric, Inc., an electrical supply vendor to which Keolis paid over $17 million between 2014 through 2021.

    Between July 2014 and November 2021, Pigsley and Rafferty defrauded Keolis of over $4 million through a false LJ Electric invoicing scheme. Specifically, Rafferty purchased vehicles, construction equipment, construction supplies and other items for Pigsley, Pigman Group and others, and Pigsley directed Rafferty to recover the cost of these items by submitting false and fraudulent LJ Electric invoices to Keolis. Rafferty spent more than $3 million on items for Pigsley and others – including: at least nine trucks; construction equipment including at least seven Bobcat machines; at least $1 million in home building supplies and services; and a $54,000 camper– for which Keolis paid Rafferty more than $4 million based on false LJ Electric invoices.  

    In addition to the false invoicing scheme, Pigsley directed Keolis to purchase copper wire which he then stole and sold to scrap metal businesses, keeping the cash proceeds for himself. To conceal the theft, Pigsley personally picked up the copper wire orders from vendors or had the orders delivered to his Beverly home. Pigsley then personally transported the wire to scrap yards where he traded it for thousands of dollars in cash several times a month and sometimes more than once a day. Pigsley obtained more than $4.5 million in cash by stealing and scrapping the copper wire.  

    In addition, Pigsley defrauded the IRS by failing to withhold and pay federal income taxes on income he received from the LJ Electric invoicing scheme and from scrapping copper wire. Pigsley also filed a false tax return for the tax year 2016. Additionally, Pigsley deposited over $1.9 million in cash into his bank accounts between 2014 and 2021 and structured some of those deposits to evade currency transaction reporting requirements applicable to financial institutions.

    In June 2023, Rafferty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2025.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the cases.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brookfield — Update: Man wanted on province-wide warrants arrested

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Police have arrested Tayshawn Maloney and a second man following a motor vehicle crash near Brookfield.

    At approximately 1 a.m. on April 18, Colchester County District RCMP and Truro Police Service responded to a motor vehicle crash at Hwy. 102, Exit 12, near Brookfield. Officers learned that two vehicles, a pick-up truck and an SUV, had crashed off the exit and three males had fled the scene on foot into a wooded area. The two vehicles had fled from a traffic safety check point conducted by Truro Police Service on McLures Mill Rd. earlier the same morning.

    RCMP Police Dog Services and Emergency Response Team were dispatched to assist.

    Truro Police Service officers arrested one of the males, 27-year-old Tayshawn Maloney, after a short foot pursuit. Maloney was wanted on province-wide arrest warrants for several offences in Halifax and Millbrook, including aggravated assault and attempted murder. A short time later, RCMP officers arrested a second male, a 17-year-old of Eastern Passage, nearby. The youth was armed and wearing body armour at the time of his arrest. Efforts to locate and arrest the third male are ongoing.

    Truro Police Service seized three firearms, two sets of body armour, ammunition, and the two vehicles, one of which is believed to have been stolen, at the scene.

    The investigation in relation to the crash and firearms is ongoing, led by Truro Police Service with assistance of the Nova Scotia RCMP.

    File #: 2024-1254792

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘I never issued a criminal contempt citation in 19 ½ years on the bench’ – a former federal judge looks at the ‘relentless bad behavior’ of the Trump administration in court

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By John E. Jones III, President, Dickinson College

    ‘You just didn’t mess around with federal judges,’ says a former federal judge. ‘It was a good way to get your head handed to you.’ sesame, DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images

    Legal battles between the Trump administration and advocates for deportees flown to prison in El Salvador have turned into conflicts between the government and the judges overseeing those cases. One federal judge, James Boasberg, accused Trump administration lawyers of the “willful disregard” of his order in March to halt those flights, saying there was “probable cause” to hold officials in criminal contempt. Another federal judge, Paula Xinis, strongly chastised government lawyers for their failure to follow her order – affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court – to “facilitate” the return of a man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador. Xinis cited the government’s “repeated refusal to provide even the most basic information as to any steps they have taken.”

    All this happened as administration officials made public statements disparaging the judges. Trump aide Stephen Miller described Xinis as a “Marxist judge” who “now thinks she’s president of El Salvador.” President Donald Trump had earlier called Boasberg a “Radical Left Lunatic Judge” in a social media post and demanded his impeachment.

    Politics editor Naomi Schalit interviewed Dickinson College President John E. Jones III about this extraordinary conflict. Jones is a former trial lawyer, former federal judge, and a one-time GOP candidate for the U.S. House.

    Right now we’re seeing two judges have a tough time with attorneys from the government. What governs behavior in the courtroom?

    For all the time that I was on the bench, and certainly before that, it was a pretty awe-inspiring thing to go into federal court. The federal court was the big leagues; you just didn’t mess around with federal judges. It was a good way to get your head handed to you, not because judges have hair triggers, but simply because there is a certain decorum that obtains in federal court, a gravity about the proceedings. It’s deference to the court and working within the boundaries of professional ethics. It’s being respectful when the court asks you a question. It involves never criticizing that judge in a personal way outside the courtroom, no matter how much you may disagree with the judge.

    I’m struck by the discourteousness of the government attorneys. They’re treating life-appointed district judges like they’re just impediments to what they want to do. It is something that has not ever happened, I think, in the annals of federal jurisprudence.

    Judge James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
    Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Attorney General Pam Bondi said Boasberg was “trying to protect terrorists who invaded our country over American citizens.” Is this unusual coming from a U.S. attorney general?

    I think we’re seeing unusual behavior from the Department of Justice in every single high-profile instance. I have never seen anything like it.

    Even in the most strident disputes, I do not recall an attorney general of the United States or the DOJ senior leadership team so personalizing their criticisms of individual district judges. It borders on unethical, and these are, in many cases, contrived and ad hominem attacks on the integrity of these judges.

    Besides professionalism and ethics, one of the reasons you’ve not seen it before is because it puts the DOJ attorneys who are out there on the line in a very difficult spot in front of the judges. You need only look to the unfortunate DOJ career attorney who was suspended and fired when he essentially did nothing more than fulfill his duty of candor to the court in answering questions.

    What is expected of an attorney in the courtroom?

    In federal court, attorneys need to bring their A game. The proceedings move more quickly. The requirements to be well-versed in the law and the facts are much greater. The judges are of a different caliber than in some state courts and county courts. So you you have to be on the ball.

    What judges really don’t like are circumstances where attorneys are being disrespectful to them, where they’re blatantly being disingenuous and where they are unresponsive to the court’s entreaties. Judges practice law before they get on the bench; they understand that lawyers have a duty to zealously advocate for their client. But when lawyers appear to be misrepresenting what is taking place, that is a cardinal sin in federal court.

    Paula Xinis at the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on her nomination to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Maryland on July 22nd, 2015.
    U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary

    Can you connect what’s going on with Judge Xinis to Judge Boasberg’s finding that probable cause existed to hold the Trump administration in contempt?

    Judge Boasberg tied it up beautifully in the memorandum opinion he wrote – the whole panoply from when the president’s Alien Enemies Act proclamation was signed in the middle of the night but not published until the next day, to the fact that three airplanes flew deportees to El Salvador after Boasberg had ordered them not to.

    It’s one big show of contempt for the court, rife with dishonest behavior, and I think Boasberg is entirely right to vindicate the authority of the court and commence these contempt proceedings.

    In the case of Judge Xinis, she’s not there yet. What she’s doing, in stages, is attempting to test the government’s compliance with the word “facilitate.” The Supreme Court had upheld her earlier order, saying “The order properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego García’s release from custody in El Salvador.”

    I don’t think the government’s going to do anything. The government’s position now is, if they don’t like any single thing that a federal judge does, they immediately appeal it with the idea that they want to get it to the Supreme Court. Assuming that the appeal is denied, or is granted, that means that down the road, there’s a showdown.

    Unfortunately, in Xinis’ case, I think the situation calls for some clarification. The government’s going to just be obdurate and they’re going to continue to be difficult and espouse their definition of “facilitate” versus what I think is a commonsense reading of the Supreme Court’s opinion.

    I don’t think the Supreme Court in any way meant for the government not to bring Abrego Garcia back. But in writing the opinion they were too soft, afraid of traipsing into the executive’s power to run foreign affairs.

    You have two judges seriously considering holding someone in the Trump administration in contempt, possibly even criminal contempt. What does it mean for a judge to be in that specific position?

    I never issued a criminal contempt citation in 19 ½ years on the bench against anyone or any entity. Never.

    The only contempt that I was ever in the business of issuing was civil contempt. Typically it would happen in a civil case when somebody wouldn’t produce a particular record.

    But in Boasberg’s case, I think it’s the relentless bad behavior of the government, as he details amply in his opinion, that has gotten him to this point. He’s not going to allow the bad behavior of the government to go unpunished. It’s a signal to the government that he sees their behavior in the worst possible light.

    Could the president pardon anyone Boasberg convicts of criminal contempt?

    I think he probably could. We’ll see. I think from Boasberg’s standpoint, he can play that out in his mind and say, “This might be an exercise in futility.” But I don’t think that’s the point. I think that the point is that he’s got to vindicate the authority of the court – and that happens even if the executive chooses to exercise the pardon power.

    John E. Jones III does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘I never issued a criminal contempt citation in 19 ½ years on the bench’ – a former federal judge looks at the ‘relentless bad behavior’ of the Trump administration in court – https://theconversation.com/i-never-issued-a-criminal-contempt-citation-in-19-1-2-years-on-the-bench-a-former-federal-judge-looks-at-the-relentless-bad-behavior-of-the-trump-administration-in-court-254877

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Appeal to identify victim of hit and run collision in Wembley

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Police are appealing to identify a woman, who is believed to have been injured following a hit and run collision near Wembley Arena on Thursday, 17 April.

    The incident took place at Engineers Way at around 23:10hrs. The area was busy with many people having just left a concert by the artist Alkaline.

    Footage filmed by a member of the public shows the woman dancing in the road and narrowly avoiding passing vehicles.

    A car can then be seen driving into her and carrying her around 30 yards on the bonnet before she is thrown to the floor.

    The car did not stop at the scene. Members of the public called an ambulance but the woman was no longer there when officers and paramedics arrived.

    Officers carried out a search of the area and arrested a 33-year-old woman on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving whilst over the prescribed alcohol limit.

    She has since been released on bail to a date in early June.

    Investigating officers want to identify the woman in the footage to speak to her about the incident, to ensure she is okay and that she gets appropriate medical attention.

    Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or message @MetCC on X giving the reference 8317/17APR.

    To remain 100% anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lincoln County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Waynesburg, Ky., man, Steven Fellmy, 46, was sentenced on Thursday, to 300 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine.

    According to the evidence at trial, on August 8, 2023, a Simpsonville Police Department Detective relayed an anonymous tip to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, which concerned the transport of a large quantity of methamphetamine from Anderson County into Mercer County.  As a result, Fellmy was traffic stopped in Mercer County, by a Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy.  At the scene, a Harrodsburg Police Department K9 positively alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.  Law enforcement then searched the vehicle, which led to the recovery of 193.5 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine.  On his person, Fellmy also had 9.439 grams of methamphetamine and 22.529 grams of heroin.

    Under federal law, Fellmy must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department; Chief Thomas Brummer, Simpsonville Police Department; and Sheriff Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by DEA, Harrodsburg Police Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Baker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

    – END –

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grant County Man Sentenced for Armed Drug Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COVINGTON, Ky. – A Dry Ridge, Ky., man, Rodney Ruggles, 45, was sentenced on Thursday to 120 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and oxycodone and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

    According to his plea agreement, on December 13, 2023, law enforcement stopped a vehicle operated by Ruggles for several driving violations. After Ruggles consented to a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found a firearm safe containing five grams of methamphetamine, a small bag of marijuana, 3.5 oxycodone pills, 50 to 100 baggies, and a pistol. Ruggles admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and oxycodone with the intent to distribute and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Ruggles also admitted to distributing methamphetamine for several weeks before he was arrested. Specifically, he admitted from November 2023 to December 2023, he obtained approximately one ounce of methamphetamine from his source of supply, every two days. 

    Under federal law, Ruggles must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel King is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

    – END –

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien and Convicted Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— Juan Morales, 49, of Mexico, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien after deportation.  

    According to court documents, on November 6, 2024, Morales was convicted of operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license. Further investigation revealed that Morales had been removed from the United States on two separate occasions in 2007 and 2018.

    Morales has a lengthy criminal history, including two previous federal convictions for illegal reentry, as well as two convictions in Indiana and Illinois for dealing cocaine and methamphetamine.

    “While in the United States unlawfully for a third time, this defendant has repeatedly broken the law, demonstrating time and time again a fundamental lack of respect for this country,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office is committed to working with ICE and our other law enforcement partners to ensure criminal defendants like Mr. Morales cannot continue to pose danger to our communities.”

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany J. Preston and Samantha Spiro, who prosecuted this case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McMahon Ryan’s Go Blue 4 Kids Breakfast

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Hochul delivered remarks at McMahon Ryan’s Go Blue 4 Kids Breakfast to highlight her commitment to preventing child abuse in New York State.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

     Good morning. I’m going to tell my scheduler, make sure I never go after Elijah when he speaks. What an extraordinary voice. And I want to thank him for coming from Virginia. I have a lot of family down the Richmond area. I was just so struck I was listening to every word he said and the passion that he brought to it.I want to make sure that his voice is elevated, maybe to run for office someday. Not for Governor of New York State, but maybe Governor of Virginia or something someday.

    But thank you Elijah, and thank you Aaron and everyone, and Joanie and everyone who’s here this morning. You all look great in your blue. Most of you have blue on, I found all the blue I could find in my closet.

    But I also want to say this – I’m in the middle of the budget negotiations, right? So what am I doing here in Syracuse this morning? I did a little escape away because I knew what you were gathering to talk about. And that is something that as New York’s first mom governor in history that I know a little bit about – a lot about how precious our children are.

    And I think about the fact that even tomorrow at the Governor’s residence, I’m opening up the lawn and we’re going to have an Easter egg roll for children to be carefree and just enjoy life. And I’m bringing in kids from the neighborhood and from a sheltered workshop who come by. And I just want everyone to just embrace that sense of childhood uninterrupted by violence or abuse. But not every child has that.

    That is what saddens me tremendously and why I wanted to come here and thank you for the work that you’re doing. And I want you to know you also have partners in government like myself – and one of the reasons those who keep track, and most people do not, I guarantee it – but our budget is a little delayed right now because I’m fighting to make sure that when we have victims, and we have people who are accused, people need to go to jail – or be at least tried – that we don’t have cases thrown out on technicalities. That is what our system has set up.

    We had important reforms back in 2019. We needed to make a change because it was skewed way toward the prosecutor. It was unfair to our defendants that is not justice. But now it has gone in the other direction, 100 percent. And we had 94 percent of domestic violence cases thrown out on technicalities mostly. That is an injustice to the victims – whether they’re children, whether they’re teenagers, whether they’re adult women, whether they’re men. We cannot have a system that victimizes the victims all over again when someone finally has the courage to come forward and tell their story, whether it’s a child or an adult, they tell their story.

    It is hard. It is hard to reveal that something has happened to you. There’s an amount of shame and you wonder, did I bring this on myself? There’s a lot of emotions involved. My mother was very involved in social work and helping children and women who are victims of violence, and I know that sense is strong.

    But when someone has the courage to finally step up and tell a police officer what happened, and then they have to explain it to the prosecutors and have to tell their own story and have to find evidence and everything else. When you finally get to that point and you go to a judge who says, “Oh, we missed this bit of information. It may not be relevant, but under the law I have to throw it out,” or was missed by a day – that is justice as denied in a way that is incomprehensible to me. We must change that.

    So I’m on the verge – I will be finishing up a budget hopefully soon, but I said I’m not signing this budget until it includes common sense reforms to those laws. And my friends, I’m about to get that done, and we’re going to do it together. And I care so deeply about the work that you do, and I have an extraordinary team.

    I want to make sure you have a chance to get to know them. I have Bea Hanson here, who’s the head of the Office of Victim Services. Bea, would you please stand up and raise your hand? Dr. Harris-Madden is here as well, the Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services. Thank you, Dr. Harris-Madden. These are my champions, just like all of you are.

    These are the voice, the faces of our state government who are out there saying, “We are working on this shoulder to shoulder, so we come to a time in our lives where we can finally banish the fear that children have to let them know that they’re allowed to live in peace and love and everything they’ve been promised.”

    I think about the words of Kofi Annan: “There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives can be free from fear and want. And they can grow up in peace.” Every child deserves that. That’s the whole purpose of this organization that’s been doing this God’s work on Earth for 25 years.

    And I just want to tell you how grateful I am and we have great individuals who are championing you, including our own Onondaga District Attorney, and I want to thank Bill Fitzpatrick. Is he here? He’s been working on these issues for such a long time and I’m so proud of him and the work that he is doing in helping us with some really complicated cases involving our prisons. So there’s a lot of good people, a lot of good angels out there, a lot of people out there to protect others.

    I look at this organization and all of you, and that’s why I wanted to come here of all the places in the state, it’s really nice to be out of Albany. And I want to present this proclamation to Erin and thank her for everyone at the McMahon Ryan Advocacy Center and know that the lives that you’re touching are profoundly affected in a positive way people had given up hope.

    And I agree with Elijah. No one’s really broken – they just need little mending sometimes. And sometimes their hearts need to heal. Let them grow into fully enriched adults who are capable of giving love to others, even if they’ve been denied it in their own lives and that trust has been broken, that someday they would have children that can trust them. We must stop this generational abuse. Stop it now, and children in the future will know that they are safer today because of the work that you have been doing for 25 years. And I’m saying for the next 25, 100 years – I thank you so much for everything you’re doing and let’s acknowledge children’s advocacy and ending domestic violence and domestic abuse of children in our lifetime. Can we do that together? Can we continue to fight for that? I believe we can as well.

    You inspire me. Thank you very much everyone. And I’ve been in this business a long time – this is a really nice long proclamation. I believe in democracy. If there’s anyone who wants me to read the whole thing, raise your hands. Seeing none, I will just say that we are supporting the child abuse prevention awareness, and supporting Child and Family Wellness Month on behalf of the Governor, signed here, presented to you. Congratulations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Aliquippa Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to five years of imprisonment on his conviction for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on James Louis Peronis, 61, on April 15, 2025.

    According to information presented to the Court, beginning in May 2021, Peronis was the subject of a joint investigation by local, state, and federal law enforcement related to cocaine trafficking. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Peronis would obtain kilogram quantities of cocaine in Ohio and then distribute the cocaine in Pennsylvania. On July 1, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Peronis as he entered the Western District of Pennsylvania from Ohio. During the traffic stop, law enforcement conducted a consensual search of the vehicle, which resulted in the seizure of nearly two kilograms of cocaine.

    Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program of Beaver County for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Peronis.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tampa Fugitive Sentenced To Federal Prison For Conspiracy Involving Over 100 Kilograms Of Marijuana

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Zecki Halum (41, Tampa) to three years and five months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana. Halum pleaded guilty on July 24, 2024.

    According to court records, in August 2009, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information that a recreational vehicle (RV) would be used to transport a significant quantity of marijuana from Arizona to the Middle District of Florida. Agents surveilled and tracked the RV as Halum’s co-conspirator drove the RV to Florida. During the cross-country trip, the driver maintained daily phone contact with Halum. When the RV arrived in Tampa, Halum and another co-conspirator met the driver. They then traveled to a church parking lot in Crystal Springs, where they planned to unload the marijuana from the RV. At that time, agents arrested Halum and the co-conspirators. Agents searched the RV and recovered more than 100 kilograms of marijuana packaged in bales and wrapped in a manner consistent with drug trafficking.

    In February 2010, Halum failed to appear for court while his case was pending trial. Halum fled the country and remained a fugitive for nearly 15 years before surrendering to authorities. 

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang and Kelley Howard-Allen.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lawsuits seeking to address climate change have promise but face uncertain future

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Hannah Wiseman, Professor of Law, Penn State

    Kelsey Juliana, a lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit over responsibility for climate change, speaks at a 2019 rally in Oregon. AP Photo/Steve Dipaola

    The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2025 ended a decade-old lawsuit filed by a group of children who sought to hold the federal government responsible for some of the consequences of climate change. But just two months earlier, the justices allowed a similar suit from the city and county of Honolulu, Hawaii, to continue against oil and gas companies.

    Evidence shows that fossil fuel companies, electric utilities and the federal government have known about climate change, its dangers and its human causes for at least 50 years. But the steps taken by fossil fuel companies, utilities and governments, including the U.S. government, have not been enough to meet international climate targets.

    So local and state governments and citizens have asked the courts to force companies and public agencies to act. Their results have varied, with limited victories to date. But the cases keep coming.

    Attacking the emissions themselves

    In general, legal claims in the U.S. can be based on the U.S. and state constitutions, federal and state laws, or what is called “common law” – legal principles created by courts over time.

    Lawsuits have used state and federal laws to try to limit greenhouse gas pollution itself and to seek financial compensation for alleged industry cover-ups of the dangers of fossil fuels, among many other types of claims.

    In 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court determined that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide emitted from motor vehicles were a “pollutant” under the federal Clean Air Act. As a result, the court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to either determine whether greenhouse gases from new vehicles contribute to climate change, and therefore endanger human health, or justify its refusal to study the issue.

    In 2009 the EPA found that carbon dioxide emissions did in fact endanger human health – a decision called the “endangerment finding.” In 2010 it imposed limits on carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles and, later, from newly constructed power plants.

    But related EPA efforts to regulate emissions from older power plants – the ones that emit the most pollution – failed when challenged in court on the grounds that they went too far in limiting emissions beyond the power plants’ own properties.

    The Biden administration had finalized a new rule to clean up these older plants, but the Trump administration is now seeking to withdraw it.

    The Trump administration is also now beginning the complicated process of reviewing the 2009 endangerment finding. It could try to remove the legal basis for EPA greenhouse gas regulations.

    A common-law approach

    In response to this federal executive seesaw of climate action, some legal claims use a court-based, or common law, approach to address climate concerns. For instance, in Connecticut v. American Electric Power, filed in 2004, nine states asked a federal judge to order power plants to reduce their emissions. The states said those emissions contributed to global warming, which they argued met the federal common law definition of a “public nuisance.”

    That case ended when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that the existence of a statute – the federal Clean Air Act – meant common law did not apply. Other plaintiffs have tried to use the “public nuisance” claim or a related common-law claim of “trespass” to force large power plants or oil and gas producers to pay climate-related damages. But in those cases, too, courts found that the Clean Air Act overrode the common-law grounds for those claims.

    With those case outcomes, many plaintiffs have shifted their strategies, focusing more on state courts and seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for allegedly deceiving the public about the causes and effects of climate change.

    Three examples of petroleum industry advertisements a lawsuit alleges are misleading about the causes of climate change.
    State of Maine v. BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Sunoco and American Petroleum Insititute

    Examining deception

    In many cases, state and local governments are arguing that the fossil fuel industry knew about the dangers of climate change and deceived the public about them, and that the industry exaggerated the extent of its investments in energy that doesn’t emit carbon.

    Rather than directly asking courts to order reduced carbon emissions, these cases tend to seek damages that will help governments cover the costs associated with climate change, such as construction of cooling centers
    and repair of roads damaged by increased precipitation.

    In legal terms, the lawsuits are saying oil and gas companies violated consumer-protection laws and committed common-law civil violations such as negligence. For instance, the city of Chicago alleges that major petroleum giants – along with the industry trade association the American Petroleum Institute – had “abundant knowledge” of the public harms of fossil fuels yet “actively campaigned” to hide that information and deceive consumers. Many other complaints by states and local governments make similar allegations.

    Another lawsuit, from the state of Maine, lists and provides photographs of a litany of internal industry documents showing industry knowledge of the threat of climate change. That lawsuit also cites a 1977 memo from an Exxon employee to Exxon executives, which stated that “current scientific opinion overwhelmingly favors attributing atmospheric carbon dioxide increase to fossil fuel consumption,” and a 1979 internal Exxon memo about the buildup of carbon dioxide emissions, which warned that “(t)he potential problem is great and urgent.”

    These complaints also show organizations supported by fossil fuel companies published ads as far back as the 1990s, with titles such as “Apocalypse No” and “Who told you the earth was warming … Chicken Little?” Some of these ads – part of a broader campaign – were funded by a group called the Information Council for the Environment, supported by coal producers and electric utilities.

    Courts have dismissed some of these complaints, finding that federal laws overrule the principles those suits are based on. But many are still winding their way through the courts.

    In 2023 the Supreme Court of Hawaii found that federal laws do not prevent climate claims based on state common law. In January 2025 the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the case to continue.

    Lead claimant Rikki Held, then 22, confers with lawyers before the beginning of a 2023 Montana trial about young people’s rights in a time of climate change.
    William Campbell/Getty Images

    Other approaches

    Still other litigation approaches argue that governments inadequately reviewed the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, or even supported or subsidized those emissions caused by private industry. Those lawsuits – some of which were filed by children, with help from their parents or legal guardians – claim the governments’ actions violated people’s constitutional rights.

    For instance, children in the Juliana v. United States case, first filed in 2015, said 50 years of petroleum-supporting actions by presidents and various federal agencies had violated their fundamental “right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life.” The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that their claim was a “political question” – meant for Congress, not the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to reconsider that ruling in March 2025.

    But children in Montana found more success. The Montana Constitution requires state officials and all residents to “maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment … for present and future generations.” In 2024 the Montana Supreme Court determined that this provision “includes a stable climate system that sustains human lives and liberties.”

    The Montana Supreme Court also reviewed a state law banning officials from considering greenhouse gas emissions of projects approved by the state. The court found that the ban violated the state constitution, too. Since then, the Montana Supreme Court has specifically required state officials to review the climate effects of a project for which permits were challenged.

    Concerned people and groups continue to file climate-related lawsuits across the country and around the world. They are seeing mixed results, but as the cases continue and more are filed, they are drawing attention to potential corporate and government wrongdoing, as well as the human costs of climate change. And they are inspiring shareholders and citizens to demand more accurate information and action from fossil fuel companies and electric utilities.

    Hannah Wiseman receives funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Arnold Ventures, and the National Science Foundation for work researching the energy transition, renewable energy policy, hydrogen, and carbon capture and sequestration. She is a scholar member of the Center for Progressive Reform.

    – ref. Lawsuits seeking to address climate change have promise but face uncertain future – https://theconversation.com/lawsuits-seeking-to-address-climate-change-have-promise-but-face-uncertain-future-253484

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Studies Wind Effects and Aircraft Tracking with Joby Aircraft

    Source: NASA

    NASA engineers began using a network of ground sensors in March to collect data from an experimental air taxi to evaluate how to safely integrate such vehicles into airspace above cities – in all kinds of weather.
    Researchers will use the campaign to help improve tools to assist with collision avoidance and landing operations and ensure safe and efficient air taxi operations in various weather conditions.
    For years, NASA has looked at how wind shaped by terrain, including buildings in urban areas, can affect new types of aircraft. The latest test, which is gathering data from a Joby Aviation demonstrator aircraft, looks at another kind of wind – that which is generated by the aircraft themselves.
    Joby flew its air taxi demonstrator over NASA’s ground sensor array near the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California producing air flow data. The Joby aircraft has six rotors that allow for vertical takeoffs and landings, and tilt to provide lift in flight. Researchers focused on the air pushed by the propellers, which rolls into turbulent, circular patterns of wind.

    This rolling wind can affect the aircraft’s performance, especially when it’s close to the ground, as well as others flying in the vicinity and people on the ground. Such wind turbulence is difficult to measure, so NASA enhanced its sensors with a new type of lidar – a system that uses lasers to measure precise distances – and that can map out the shapes of wind features.
    “The design of this new type of aircraft, paired with the NASA lidar technology during this study, warrants a better understanding of possible wind and turbulence effects that can influence safe and efficient flights,” said Grady Koch, lead for this research effort, from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

    NASA also set up a second array of ground nodes including radar, cameras, and microphones in the same location as the sensors to provide additional data on the aircraft. These nodes will collect tracking data during routine flights for several months.
    The agency will use the data gathered from these ground nodes to demonstrate the tracking capabilities and functions of its “distributed sensing” technology, which involves embedding multiple sensors in an area where aircraft are operating.

    This technology will be important for future air taxi flights, especially those occurring in cities by tracking aircraft moving through traffic corridors and around landing zones. Distributed sensing has the potential to enhance collision avoidance systems, air traffic management, ground-based landing sensors, and more.
    “Our early work on a distributed network of sensors, and through this study, gives us the opportunity to test new technologies that can someday assist in airspace monitoring and collision avoidance above cities,” said George Gorospe, lead for this effort from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.
    Using this data from an experimental air taxi aircraft, NASA will further develop the technology needed to help create safer air taxi flights in high-traffic areas. Both of these efforts will benefit the companies working to bring air taxis and drones safely into the airspace.
    The work is led by NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technologies and Convergent Aeronautics Solutions projects under the Transformative Aeronautics Concepts program in support of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission. NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission seeks to deliver data to guide the industry’s development of electric air taxis and drones.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom responds to DOGE’s dismantling of AmeriCorps: ‘Middle finger to volunteers. We will sue’

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 17, 2025

    What you need to know: DOGE’s actions to dismantle AmeriCorps threaten vulnerable Californians, disaster response and recovery, and economic opportunities. California is suing — and ramping up efforts to recruit for the state’s service corps program.

    SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that as the Trump Administration dismantles the AmeriCorps service program, California will both challenge the illegal action in court and accelerate recruitment for the California Service Corps program — already the largest service corps in the nation, surpassing the size of the Peace Corps.

    We’ve gone from the New Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society to a federal government that gives the middle finger to volunteers serving their fellow Americans. We will sue to stop this.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    When the devastating fires struck Los Angeles earlier this year, AmeriCorps members were on the ground, distributing supplies and supporting families. As recently as this week, AmeriCorps members were on the ground assisting in recovery. The agency’s shutdown hamstrings these efforts.

    “DOGE’s actions aren’t about making government work better — it’s about making communities weaker,” said GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday. “These actions will dismantle vital lifelines in communities across California. AmeriCorps members are out in the field teaching children to read, supporting seniors and helping families recover after disasters. AmeriCorps is not bureaucracy; it’s boots on the ground.”

    JFK’s America:

    “For I stand tonight facing west on what was once the last frontier. The pioneers… were not ‘every man for himself’ — but ‘all for the common cause.’ They were determined to make that new world strong and free, to overcome its hazards and its hardships…

    “We stand today on the edge  of a New Frontier, a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats.”

    “The New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises — it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not to their pocketbook, it holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security…”

    “I am asking each of you to be pioneers on that New Frontier. My call is to the young in heart, regardless of age — to all who respond to the Scriptural call: ‘Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.’ For courage, not complacency, is our need today.”

    Today: 

    Go f*** yourself. You’re on your own.

    California Service Corps is the largest service force in the nation, consisting of four paid service programs:   

    Combined, it is a force larger than the Peace Corps and is mobilized at a time when California is addressing post-pandemic academic recovery, rebuilding from the LA fires and planning for the future of the state’s workforce. The federal government provides more than half of the funding for California Climate Action Corps and about 5% of College Corps, while the state fully funds the Youth Service Corps.

    In the 2023-24 service year, 6,264 AmeriCorps members in California: 

    • Provided 4,397,674 hours of service
    • Tutored/mentored 73,833 students
    • Supported 17,000 foster youth with education and employment  
    • Planted 39,288 trees

    Members helped 26,000 households impacted by the LA fires and packed 21,000 food boxes.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors. LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited,…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONThe Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, a new online fast-track process now makes it faster to get state-level approvals – in as little as 30 days – for critical forest…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merrie Monarch Travelers Reminded of ʻŌhiʻa Quarantine Restrictions

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Merrie Monarch Travelers Reminded of ʻŌhiʻa Quarantine Restrictions

    Posted on Apr 17, 2025 in Main

    April 17, 2025
    NR25-09

    HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is reminding travelers attending the Merrie Monarch Festival next week that quarantine restrictions remain on the transport of ʻōhiʻa from Hawai`i Island due to the fungal plant disease, rapid ʻōhiʻa death (ROD), which is devastating to native forests. The Merrie Monarch Festival takes place in Hilo from April 20 to 26.

    The quarantine has been in place since 2015 and restricts the movement of ʻōhiʻa plants and plant parts, including flowers, leaves, seeds, stems, twigs, cuttings, untreated wood, logs, mulch, green waste and frass (sawdust from boring insects) and any soil from Hawai`i Island. Even if the ʻōhiʻa originated from another island, it may not be transported off of the island. Transport of such items is only allowed with a permit issued by the HDOA Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB).

    PQB inspectors will be stationed at airports in Hilo and Kona on Sunday and Monday, April 27 and 28, to collect any ʻōhiʻa material, which will be respectfully returned to the native forests on Hawai‘i Island. During last year’s Merrie Monarch travel period, Hilo PQB inspectors intercepted 27 lei poʻo (head lei).

    At the event, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience will provide hoʻihoʻi baskets to collect any ʻōhiʻa. Baskets will also be stationed at the Hilo and Kona airport PQB offices.

    A travel alert flyer has been posted on the HDOA website at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ROD-Travel-Alert-Sign-12x18_09_FINAL.pdf

    The Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture issued an emergency quarantine in August 2015 to stop the spread of the plant fungus from Hawaiʻi Island to other islands. A permanent quarantine rule was established in 2016. Any person who violates the quarantine rule may be charged with a misdemeanor and fined not less than $100 with a maximum fine of $10,000. For a second offense committed within five years of a prior conviction under this rule, the person or organization shall be fined not less than $500 and not more than $25,000.

    The Merrie Monarch Festival draws dozens of hula hālau and hundreds of spectators to Hawai‘i Island. It is important to note that the very act of harvesting ʻōhiʻa may spread the disease, as spores may be carried in soil and by harvesting tools, vehicles, shoes and clothing to uninfected areas.

    ROD was first noticed in 2010 in Puna. In 2014, the fungus was initially identified as Ceratocystis fimbriata by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Daniel K. Inouye Agricultural Research Service. Recent research has reclassified Ceratocystis fimbriata into two distinct species that are new to science, Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia. It is estimated that at least one million ʻōhiʻa trees have been killed by ROD just on Hawai‘i Island alone.

    The disease was detected on Kauaʻi in 2018 and on O‘ahu in 2019. Also in 2019, one ʻōhiʻa tree on Maui was infected and destroyed and ROD has not been detected on the island since. It is not known how or where the disease entered the state.

    Travelers seeking more inspection information may contact HDOA’s Plant Quarantine offices:

    Hilo – 808-961-9393                       Honolulu – 808-837-8413
    Kona – 808-326-1077                     Maui – 808-872-3848
    Kauaʻi – 808-241-7135

    More information on ROD may be found at:

    # # #

    lei poʻo turned in at Hilo airport

    Ohia inspection at Hilo International Airport

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Clarification on Launch of Satellite-based Tolling System from 1st May 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 APR 2025 1:02PM by PIB Delhi

    Some sections of the media have reported that a Satellite-based Tolling System will be launched from 1st May 2025 and will replace the existing FASTag-based toll collection system. This is to clarify that no such decision has been taken by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways or National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding the nationwide implementation of satellite-based tolling from 1st May 2025.

    In order to enable seamless, barrier-free movement of vehicles through toll plazas and reduce travel time ‘ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-Less Tolling System’ will be implemented at selected toll plazas.

    The advanced tolling system will combine ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition’ (ANPR) technology, that will identify vehicles by reading their number plates, and the existing ‘FASTag system’ that uses Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) for toll deduction. Under this, vehicles will be charged based on their identification through high performance ANPR cameras and FASTag Readers, without needing to stop at the toll plazas. In case of non-compliance, E-Notices will be served to the violators, non-payment of which may result in suspension of FASTag and other VAHAN related penalties.  

    NHAI has invited bids for the implementation of ‘ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-Less Tolling System’ that will be installed at selected toll plazas. Based on the performance, efficiency, and user response to this system, a decision will be made regarding its implementation across the country.

    ***

    GDH/HR

    (Release ID: 2122632) Visitor Counter : 112

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Centre notifies rules for ‘Radar equipment for the measurement of the speed of vehicles’ under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011

    Source: Government of India

    Centre notifies rules for ‘Radar equipment for the measurement of the speed of vehicles’ under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011

    Rules to come into force from 1st July 2025; aims at strengthening road safety and ensure fairness in traffic enforcement

    Posted On: 18 APR 2025 12:34PM by PIB Delhi

    To strengthen road safety and ensure fairness in traffic enforcement, the Department of Consumer Affairs has notified rules for ‘Radar equipment for the measurement of the speed of vehicles’ under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011. These rules will come into force from 1st July 2025, providing sufficient time for industries and enforcement agencies to comply with the provisions.

    These rules make it mandatory for all radar-based speed measurement equipment to be verified and stamped by Legal Metrology authorities. This will ensure that such devices are accurate, calibrated and legally compliant, thereby enhancing transparency, public trust and enforcement integrity. Verified radar systems are vital for applications such as traffic speed monitoring, accident prevention and minimizing wear and tear on road infrastructure.

    The drafting of these rules was undertaken by a committee with technical inputs based on international standard OIML R 91. Stakeholders, including State Legal Metrology Departments, Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs), manufacturers and consumer organizations were consulted through presentations and public feedback before finalizing the rules.

    The implementation of these rules provides significant benefits to all stakeholders across the board. For the common citizen, the mandatory verification and stamping of radar-based speed measurement equipment will ensure the accurate enforcement of speed limits, thereby preventing unfair penalties and significantly enhancing road safety. Citizens can drive with greater confidence knowing that enforcement is based on scientifically validated and legally certified instruments.

    For industries, particularly those involved in manufacturing radar-based speed measuring devices, the new rules establish a clear technical and regulatory framework aligned with international standards such as OIML R 91. This not only encourages domestic innovation and compliance but also enhances the export competitiveness of Indian manufacturers in global markets by ensuring consistency in quality and performance.

    For law enforcement agencies, the introduction of verified and stamped devices ensures a higher degree of operational effectiveness and credibility. These devices allow for reliable, evidence-based enforcement, which is critical for maintaining public trust and improving compliance with speed regulations. The availability of certified and calibrated instruments enables officers to act with confidence and precision.

    At the national level, this initiative is a key step towards data-driven governance in traffic management. It helps reduce road fatalities, enhances discipline on highways and supports sustainable economic development by minimizing the social and economic costs associated with road accidents, vehicle wear and tear and damage to infrastructure. Overall, the rules contribute to building a safer and more technologically advanced transport ecosystem in the country.

    Radar devices operate using technologies like Doppler radar, measuring vehicle speed with high precision. These rules specify detailed technical and safety requirements, ensuring proper calibration, stable operation under various environmental conditions and protection against tampering. Such measures will foster a culture of technological reliability and legal accountability.

    This move marks a significant step forward in India’s ongoing reforms to modernize legal metrology infrastructure, ensuring that measuring instruments in public enforcement are scientifically robust and legally verifiable.

    The Rules are available on the link:

    https://consumeraffairs.nic.in/sites/default/files/uploads/legal-metrology-acts-rules/Radar%20Equipment%20Gen%20Rules%20Amendment.pdf

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    Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: International Space mission carrying Indian astronaut scheduled for next month: Dr Jitendra Singh

    Source: Government of India

    International Space mission carrying Indian astronaut scheduled for next month: Dr Jitendra Singh

    India poised to script a defining chapter in its space journey

    Indian Astronaut Set for Historic Space Mission as ISRO Charts Bold New Frontiers

    India’s Space Dreams Soar Higher with Gaganyaan Prep, ISS Mission, and a Summer of Launches

    Posted On: 18 APR 2025 4:28PM by PIB Delhi

    NEW DELHI, April 18 : India is poised to script a defining chapter in its space journey, international Space mission carrying Indian astronaut has been scheduled for next month.

    Announcing this after a high-level meeting held to review major  future plans of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the coming months,  Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the mission will mark the visit of  first Indian ever to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the first Indian astronaut to travel to Space in over four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.

    The announcement comes amid a flurry of activity in India’s space sector, which is gearing up for an ambitious slate of missions in the coming months.

    Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, made a presentation elaborating the status of various upcoming Space missions.

    Chairman ISRO informed that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is all prepared to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) next month as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission.

    Group Captain Shukla’s mission, scheduled for May 2025, marks a milestone in India’s expanding international space collaborations. A decorated test pilot with the Indian Air Force, he was shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP) and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first indigenous crewed orbital flight. His journey aboard the Ax-4 mission is expected to provide critical hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness — all essential for India’s crewed space ambitions.

    What sets Shukla’s mission apart is its strategic importance. Unlike the symbolic undertones of India’s first human spaceflight, this time the focus is on operational readiness and global integration. His participation underscores India’s growing engagement with public-private international partnerships in space and its resolve to emerge as a serious contender in human space exploration.

    “India is ready for its next space milestone,” said Dr. Jitendra Singh, underscoring the significance of the upcoming human spaceflight and a series of critical ISRO missions. He noted that the collaboration with international partners and the strategic momentum of projects like Gaganyaan reflect India’s commitment to becoming a global leader in space technology. The Minister emphasized that these efforts are not only scientific in nature but also aligned with the vision of a developed and self-reliant India.

    During the meeting, ISRO updated Dr. Jitendra Singh on several key developments since January 2025. These include the public release of data from the Aditya L1 solar mission, successful demonstration of docking and undocking technologies, testing of the highest thrust liquid engine developed in India, and the historic 100th launch (GSLV-F15) from Sriharikota. ISRO also supported national events like the Kumbh Mela 2025 through satellite-based monitoring and announced a successful demonstration of restarting the Vikas Engine, crucial for future launch vehicle recovery missions.

    Among the major missions lined up for May to July 2025, ISRO will launch the PSLV-C61 mission carrying the state-of-the-art EOS-09 satellite. Equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar, EOS-09 will be capable of capturing high-resolution images of Earth’s surface under all weather conditions, day or night. Another significant milestone will be the Test Vehicle-D2 (TV-D2) mission, designed to simulate an abort scenario and demonstrate the Gaganyaan Crew Escape System. The mission includes sea recovery operations for the Crew Module, mimicking procedures planned for India’s first human spaceflight.

    June will see the highly anticipated launch of the NISAR satellite aboard the GSLV-F16. This NASA-ISRO collaboration aims to study Earth’s ecosystems and natural hazards through dual-frequency radar data, combining NASA’s L-band payloads with ISRO’s S-band contributions. The LVM3-M5 mission, scheduled for July, will cater to a commercial contract with AST SpaceMobile Inc., USA, launching BlueBird Block-2 satellites under NewSpace India Limited’s commercial program.

    As India’s space strategy matures, Group Captain Shukla’s upcoming mission stands as a symbol of a confident, forward-looking nation ready to reclaim its place in the global space race. His journey is more than just a flight — it’s a signal that India is stepping boldly into a new era of space exploration.

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    NKR/PSM

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: High Range Speeding Detected Smithton

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    High Range Speeding Detected Smithton

    Friday, 18 April 2025 – 4:49 pm.

    Police will be proceeding against a 62 year old man from Smithton after he was detected driving his vehicle at 158km/h in a 100 km/h per hour zone. The Range Rover Sport was detected by police at 1:40 pm yesterday as it travelled past South Road at Forest on its approach into Smithton.Subsequently, the vehicle has been clamped for a period of 28 days and the man faces a four-month licence disqualification.Police are seeking for any members of the public who may have witnessed or have dash camera footage of the driving behaviour around that time.Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing Intl Film Festival to mark World Anti-Fascist War victory

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The 15th Beijing International Film Festival is set to feature a special screening program commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

    (Clockwise from top left) Stills from “The Zone of Interest,” “The Thin Red Line,” “Above the Drowning Sea,” “The Burmese Harp,” “Downfall,” and “Shoah,” which will be presented during the 15th Beijing International Film Festival. [Images courtesy of the BJIFF Organizing Committee]

    The screenings are part of this year’s Beijing Film Panorama, an annual program that showcases nostalgic classics, new releases and films not previously screened in China. The event is popular with both fans and industry professionals.

    The first ticket sold during Monday’s presale was for Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” (2023), which won the Academy Award for best international feature at the 2024 Oscars. The film explores themes of complicity through its depiction of a Nazi officer’s family living next to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

    The film is part of the special “Cinema and Peace” program at the festival. “As we mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, we are launching this themed program. Spanning generations, these films ring the bell of world peace through cinema,” said Lin Siwei, deputy head of the China Film Archive, deputy director of the China Film Art Research Center, and deputy secretary-general of the BJIFF Organizing Committee.

    Twelve films will be screened, including several rarely seen in China that have been newly restored in 4K. Among them is Leopold Lindtberg’s “The Last Chance” (1945), which won both the international peace award and best feature film at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. The film follows an American and a British soldier who escape from a Nazi train in wartime Italy and lead a group of refugees to Switzerland. The Swiss Embassy in China provided copyright and archival support for the screening.

    Claude Lanzmann’s “Shoah” (1985), the landmark 9.5-hour Holocaust documentary, is featured in the program and will screen alongside the Asian premiere of Guillaume Ribot’s 2025 documentary “All I Had Was Nothingness,” which examines Lanzmann’s commitment to creating “Shoah.”

    Other notable films in the lineup include Terrence Malick’s Golden Bear-winning “The Thin Red Line” (1998), adapted from James Jones’ novel about the World War II Guadalcanal campaign; Oliver Hirschbiegel’s “Downfall” (2004), which chronicles Hitler’s final days through the perspective of his secretary Traudl Junge; Kon Ichikawa’s “The Burmese Harp” (1956), about a Japanese soldier who becomes a Buddhist monk after the war; and Larisa Shepitko’s “Wings” (1966), a portrait of a Soviet World War II pilot.

    The selection also features Sam Peckinpah’s “Cross of Iron” (1977), Kazuo Hara’s documentary “The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On” (1987), and Luuk Bouwman’s 2024 documentary “The Propagandist.”

    The program includes “Above the Drowning Sea” (2017), a documentary by Rene Balcer and Nicola Zavaglia about Jewish refugees who found sanctuary in Shanghai during World War II. The film highlights the role of Chinese diplomat Ho Feng Shan, who defied the Nazis and his own government to provide visas to refugees. Told from the perspectives of both the refugees and the Chinese people who sheltered them, the documentary offers a reflection on solidarity in times of crisis.

    The Beijing International Film Festival will run from April 18 to 26, featuring a range of activities, including forums, masterclasses, film pitching sessions and the Tiantan Award.

    This year’s Beijing Film Panorama will present 18 thematic sections, showcasing nearly 300 international films across about 900 screenings at 33 venues in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Venues include commercial theaters, arthouse cinemas and various cultural spaces.

    Other main screening segments include a centennial tribute to director Robert Altman, along with films by Jiri Menzel, Andrei Tarkovsky and the late David Lynch.

    MIL OSI China News –