Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Twenty-five members and associates of the Mexican Mafia prison gang — out of a total of 43 defendants in custody — were arrested today on three federal indictments charging them with committing scores of crimes in Orange County, including kidnapping, extortion, trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, running illegal gambling businesses, and murdering a victim last year at a gang-controlled Anaheim motel.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Jacksonville, Florida – Tony Leroy Bartley, Jr. (38, Jacksonville) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Jordan E. Pratt to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Bartley was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. He pleaded on January 27, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made this announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Jackson, TN – Anthony Flowers, 59, of Jackson, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.In September 2025, an internal auditor with Gerdau Long Steel of North America discovered that an employee in its Jackson office was downloading large data files to his work computer. Using data loss prevention software, the auditor was able to determine that Flowers was the employee in question. The auditor found that Flowers had downloaded 90…
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division, together with its partners, today announced a series of coordinated actions by the Scam Center Strike Force against Southeast Asian criminal organizations operating scam centers that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Jacksonville, Florida – Jose Adilio Anaya-Alas (36, El Salvador) has been charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Anaya-Alas faces up to two years in federal prison and subsequent deportation and removal from the United States. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Pensacola, Florida – Dustin Lemmon Carpio, 33, of New York, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, use of a counterfeit access device, possession of 15 or more counterfeit and unauthorized access devices, use of a false passport, and aggravated identity theft.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Register sex offender Richard Scott Tyson, 57, of Gum Spring, was convicted yesterday of producing and possessing child sexual abuse material, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and commission by a registered sex offender of a felony offense involving a minor.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tallahassee, Florida – Christopher Lamar Daniels, 47, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession with intent to distribute multiple controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Action Expands Access to Approved Therapies and Supports State-Regulated Medical Marijuana Programs
In accordance with President Trump’s December 18, 2025, Executive Order on Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research, the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today announced the issuance of an order immediately placing both FDA-approved products containing marijuana and marijuana products regulated by a state medical marijuana license in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, as well as the initiation of an expedited administrative hearing process to consider the broader rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The new hearing, beginning June 29, 2026, will provide a timely and legally compliant pathway to evaluate broader changes to marijuana’s status under federal law. Together, these actions provide immediate and long-term clarity to researchers, patients, and providers alike while still maintaining strict federal controls against illicit drug trafficking.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is placing both FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, and medicinal marijuana products subject to a qualifying state-issued license in Schedule III under his authority to reschedule drugs to carry out the United States’ obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. This action recognizes the longstanding regulation of medical marijuana by state governments and the need for a common-sense approach to this reality.
“The Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s promise to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information.”
“Under the direction of President Trump and Acting Attorney General Blanche, DEA is expeditiously moving forward with the administrative hearing process — bringing consistency and oversight to an area that has lacked both,” said DEA Administrator Terry Cole. “Our men and women in law enforcement remain committed to fighting drug cartels, the fentanyl epidemic, and protecting American lives.”
Separately, the Department announced procedural updates to expedite the ongoing rulemaking process required to fully remove marijuana from Schedule I and place it into Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.
Under the prior administration, a notice of proposed rulemaking was published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2024, followed by a notice of hearing on August 29, 2024. Upon further review, the DEA is withdrawing the prior notice of hearing and terminating those proceedings in order to move more efficiently toward the completion of marijuana’s complete redesignation. This action will accelerate the administrative process, include firm deadlines, and allow DEA to proceed in the most expeditious manner consistent with federal law.
DEA will hold a new administrative hearing beginning June 29, 2026, regarding the proposed rescheduling of marijuana. A new notice of hearing is being published in the Federal Register to govern these proceedings and facilitate a timely resolution of the rulemaking.
Today’s order is reflective of the Department of Justice’s continued dedication to common-sense policies and the prioritization of the safety and well-being of all Americans.
Source: United States Army
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AGADIR, Morocco — In a rapidly evolving operational environment where speed, accountability and real-time awareness are critical, military personnel assigned to U.S. Africa Command are leveraging African Lion 26 as a battle lab to test emerging technologies designed to enhance personnel tracking and operational efficiency at Southern Zone Headquarters, April 20-May 8.
At the forefront of that effort is Guardian, a software-based, personnel-tracking proof of concept under evaluation for the first time during this multinational exercise. The tool represents a forward-looking approach to how commanders visualize, manage and safeguard personnel across dispersed and dynamic areas.
AL26 is USAFRICOM’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Roldan)
VIEW ORIGINAL“This is a proof of concept that allows us to improve personnel accountability in complex operational environments,” said U.S. Army Maj. Lisa Rousseau, USAFRICOM contingency, exercise and personnel planner. “This is a system that we are stress testing in African Lion.”
Guardian is designed to provide near real-time visibility of personnel across a theater of operations. By integrating data inputs, the tool enables planners and commanders to maintain a more accurate and dynamic understanding of where personnel are located and how they are moving.
Traditionally, personnel tracking has relied on manual reporting methods, spreadsheets or fragmented systems that can lag in real-world conditions. Guardian aims to bridge that gap by automating aspects of data collection and visualization.
“It’s about giving leaders a clearer picture, faster,” Rousseau said. “It’s going to give them that decision dominance to have that near or real-time fused picture of personnel and their locations with complete status updates in under 30 seconds per person to scan.”
During AL26, users are employing Guardian in a large-scale, multinational environment, allowing planners to stress-test its capabilities across multiple locations, units and partner forces.
As USAFRICOM’s largest annual military exercise in Africa, AL26 provides a unique opportunity to evaluate new technologies in realistic conditions. With thousands of participants from multiple nations operating across vast distances, the exercise serves as an ideal battle lab for innovation.
“This exercise gives us the scale we need to truly understand how this capability performs,” Rousseau said. “We knew African Lion afforded us the opportunity to not only test the sheer magnitude of personnel coming through, but also to work with foreign partners and civilians who do not have common access cards.”
AL26 is USAFRICOM’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Roldan)
VIEW ORIGINALThe integration of emerging tools like Guardian reflects a broader emphasis on innovation that drives readiness, which not only prepares forces for today’s missions, but also equips them for tomorrow’s challenges.
“Guardian has the potential to transform how we maintain accountability in a dynamic environment,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brian Hancock, operations and training officer assigned to the 79th Theater Sustainment Command. “By consolidating personnel data into one accessible platform, it strengthens situational awareness while reducing reporting redundancies and discrepancies. The ability to deliver real-time updates enables commanders to make faster, more informed decisions, and its automated processes ease the administrative burden on units, allowing Soldiers and planners to stay focused on mission execution.”
As a proof of concept, Guardian is still undergoing evaluation, and exercise participants are actively identifying limitations and its strengths.
“It’s important to recognize that this is not a finished product,” Rousseau said. “We are not yet fully at operational capability yet. As we continue operational testing during the exercise, we are simultaneously making updates and improvements.”
AL26 is USAFRICOM’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Roldan)
VIEW ORIGINALThese insights are critical to refining the system and determining areas of improvement before any potential broader implementation.
Its use during AL26 also opens the door for joint and multinational integration. Tools like Guardian could potentially support a more unified operational picture since personnel tracking is a shared requirement across services and partner nations.
Guardian’s testing during AL26 underscores USAFRICOM’s role as a leader in operational innovation. By using the exercise as a battle lab, planners can experiment with new technologies in realistic conditions, accelerating the development process and informing future capabilities.
AL26 is USAFRICOM’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Roldan)
VIEW ORIGINALAs the U.S. Army continues to prioritize innovation that drives readiness, efforts like this demonstrate how emerging technologies can integrate into operations to enhance effectiveness, accountability and mission success.
“We’re learning in real time,” Rousseau said. “We’re already making in-stride improvements every day that we’re here.”
The results of this proof of concept will help shape the future of personnel tracking across the force, ensuring that Soldiers and leaders have the tools they need in increasingly complex operational environments.
AL26 is USAFRICOM’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.
About African Lion
African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.
African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).
About SETAF-AF
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.
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