Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel was sentenced today to over 31 years in prison for conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana. He was also ordered to pay $26.5 million in forefeiture.

“Eleazar Medina-Rojas used extreme violence to rise through the ranks of Los Zetas, and, as a plaza boss, ensured that the cartel maintained control over key drug trafficking routes used to direct cocaine and marijuana into the United States, devastating our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence is a powerful reminder that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and bring to justice violent cartel members and hold them accountable for the death and destruction they have committed here in the United States and abroad.”

“For four years, Medina-Rojas had a tight grip on routes where he was able to smuggle more than 3,000 tons of drugs into our Southern Texas border,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan C. Pullen of the Houston Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Medina-Rojas controlled the routes leading to Brownsville, Laredo, and McAllen, eliminating anyone who stood in the way of his profit. DEA Houston agents’ relentless work disrupted his drug trafficking routes, which eventually led to his capture, weakening the ruthless Los Zetas drug trafficking organization.”

According to court documents, Eleazar Medina-Rojas, also known as El Chelelo, 53, of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was a member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised primarily of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas later formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel, and they collectively operated under the name “The Company.” Medina-Rojas was responsible for enforcement actions and protection of drug trafficking routes, which he often carried out through violence, threats of violence, and the use of weapons. For example, Medina-Rojas participated in acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups during conflicts for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes. Medina-Rojas rose through the ranks of The Company and held important leadership roles, including directly facilitating cocaine and marijuana trafficking into and within the United States. Between 2006 and 2007, he served as regional leader, known as a “plaza boss,” in Monterrey, Mexico, commanding dozens of members of The Company in drug trafficking activity and acts of violence. Rojas was personally responsible for the importation of more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States.

The DEA Houston Division investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and July 2023 extradition of Medina-Rojas.

Trial Attorneys Jayce Born, Kirk Handrich, and Hunter Smith of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced today that a federal court has entered a stipulated order resolving a case against Whaleco Inc., doing business as “Temu.” Under the order, Temu will pay $2 million in civil penalties as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the INFORM Consumers Act in connection with its online marketplace.

The INFORM Consumers Act requires that online marketplaces clearly and conspicuously disclose identifying information about high volume sellers on their platforms and provide mechanisms for consumers to electronically and telephonically report suspicious activity to the marketplace. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the government alleged that Temu failed to sufficiently disclose certain information for high-volume third party sellers, such as seller addresses, and Temu did not consistently provide the reporting mechanisms required by law.

“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring American consumers have information about third-party sellers online and mechanisms to report suspicious marketplace behavior,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to ensure that online marketplaces follow the INFORM Consumers Act.”

In addition to imposing a $2 million civil penalty on Temu, the stipulated order requires Temu to put measures in place to ensure compliance with the INFORM Consumers Act going forward.

The United States is represented in this action by Senior Trial Attorney Sarah Williams and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Brazier for the District of Massachusetts, provided assistance. Tiffany M. Woo and Carl Settlemyer represent the FTC.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An Oklahoma man was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, Thomas Edward Gailus, 52, of Webber Falls, Oklahoma, used the dark web to access child sexual abuse material, which he collected in large quantities, including child sexual abuse material featuring prepubescent minors. Gailus had previously been convicted in 2005 of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and communication with a minor for immoral purposes in Washington State. At the time of the search of his home in 2023, Gailus possessed or accessed with intent to view child sexual abuse files with the same series title as the images that he was convicted of possessing in 2005.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Chris Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Goodwater of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case.

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

This case was a part of Operation Grayskull, a highly successful joint effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI, led by the FBI Child Exploitation Operation Unit. Operation Grayskull resulted in the dismantling of four dark web sites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal grand jury has indicted an alleged leader of a violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico on terrorism, drug, and firearm charges, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.

According to the superseding indictment returned yesterday in the Northern District of Illinois, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, 50, of Sinaloa, Mexico, also known as El Musico, directed the importation of large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs — at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms — into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“As alleged, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that flooded the United States with fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin and used murder and intimidation to protect its profits,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Sinaloa Cartel has been designated a foreign terrorist organization because of the kinds of crimes announced today. This indictment further demonstrates that the Criminal Division will use every tool at its disposal to target cartel leaders, including by holding them accountable for acts of terrorism against our country.”

“Today’s narcoterrorism indictment of El Musico sends a powerful message that this Administration is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their highest-ranking members and associates accountable for poisoning the American public with illegal and harmful drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has a proud history going back many decades of prosecuting some of the nation’s biggest and most significant narcotrafficking cartel cases. Building on that tradition, under my leadership, our office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of violent drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have very deservedly been designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Working closely with other prosecutors and law enforcement partners across the United States, our goal remains unchanged: to disrupt and dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug empire and bring its leaders to justice.”

“From narcocorridos to narcoterrorist. El Musico famously writes his own lyrics, but his next one will be written from the Bureau of Prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “As El Musico once boasted, ‘La vida es curiosa, hoy soy poderoso,’ but soon his ‘Rancho Querido’ will be nothing but a distant memory.”

“This indictment sends a clear and uncompromising message: cartel leaders who flood our streets with fentanyl and arm their networks with machine guns and grenades are not just drug traffickers — they are terrorists,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe and his faction turned cartel violence into a campaign of terror, targeting police, military, and civilians alike. DEA remains relentless in our pursuit of these narco-terrorists, and we will not stop until the Sinaloa Cartel — and every organization like it — is dismantled, its leaders brought to justice, and American families protected.”

“The indictment of El Musico and the dismantlement of the leadership structure of these foreign terrorist organizations are direct results of the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners to protect the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations San Diego. “We remain resolute in our mission to bring all members of these criminal cartels to justice, regardless of where they attempt to evade accountability.”

“As a leader of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, Gastelum Iribe allegedly directed the importation of cocaine, heroine, fentanyl, and other lethal drugs into the United States and oversaw atrocious acts of violence, including kidnappings and murders, in Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division. “The superseding indictment against him is the result of years of collaboration among multiple federal agencies and judicial districts. The FBI and our partners will continue to work toward dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel and bringing its violent leaders — including El Musico — to justice.”

After the arrest or death of the faction’s original leaders, Gastelum Iribe assumed a leadership role and conspired with associates to distribute drugs nationwide. including in the Chicago area, using cars, trucks, rail cars, and other interstate carriers. To protect the cartel’s operations, Gastelum Iribe allegedly ordered and carried out violent attacks against rivals, military personnel, and law enforcement, including ordering the murder of a Mexican police officer and two others. Under Gastelum Iribe’s leadership, the faction armed its members with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, explosives, and other weapons, while also engaging in kidnappings, assaults, and bribery of corrupt public officials.

Gastelum Iribe is charged with terrorism, drug trafficking, and firearm offenses. The terrorism charges, which accuse Gastelum Iribe of engaging in narcoterrorism and providing material support and resources to the Sinaloa Cartel, is a result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the State Department’s subsequent designation of the same in February of this year.

If convicted, Gastelum Iribe faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison. He is not in custody and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The indictment is the result of a collaboration between prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Northern District of Illinois, and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and DEA.

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

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Nevada man pleaded guilty today to advising clients to commit tax evasion.

The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Michael J. Moore, of Las Vegas, operated a tax and accounting business known as X Tax Pros. From 2015 and through April 2025, Moore promoted a fraudulent tax avoidance scheme called the “Special Tax Shelter Strategy.” Moore promised clients that if they paid him certain “fees,” he could prepare a tax return that eliminated the clients’ taxes owed to the IRS and, in most cases, create a large tax refund. Moore charged the clients tens of thousands of dollars in fees, which the clients paid from the refunds they received from the IRS.

To carry out the “Special Tax Shelter Strategy” Moore falsified entries on the clients’ tax returns. In many cases, he did this by falsely reporting that the client had sustained a large loss from one or more business entities that Moore controlled. In most cases Moore’s entities carried on no business, did not file tax returns, did not sustain or report any losses to the IRS, and did not report the clients as partners. For some clients, Moore falsified entries relating to cost of goods sold and royalty expenses.

In total, Moore caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million.

Moore is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Patrick Burns of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Justice Department announced an agreement with the Arkansas Division of Correction (ADOC) to provide necessary medical care and mobility services to disabled inmates of ADOC’s Ouachita River Unit prison facility, as required by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).  

“Public entities, including correctional facilities, must comply with the ADA by providing facilities and programs that are accessible to people with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the ADA to ensure equal access for all Americans.”

The Ouachita River Unit is a maximum, medium, and minimum-security prison facility, located in Malvern, Arkansas, with a capacity for 1,782 inmates. It also includes a Special Needs Unit, which provides beds, hospital services, and sheltered living for inmates categorized as having special needs, including elderly, chronically ill, and acutely ill inmates. At a Sept. 3 public Board of Corrections meeting, the ADOC’s Board of Corrections reviewed and approved the agreement without objection.

Under the agreement, ADOC will: (1) remove barriers to access for inmates with mobility disabilities in different areas of the prison, including cells, toilet rooms, showers, medical facilities, and dining halls; (2) make sure shower water is cool enough to avoid scalding paralyzed inmates who cannot feel their skin burning; (3) ensure inmates with disabilities are provided with medically necessary equipment and durable medical equipment such as trapeze bars, transfer boards, or patient lifts for transferring from a wheelchair to another surface including a bed or toilet; and (4) provide adequate care and treatment such as wound care and adequate catheter care.

To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal grand jury in Minnesota has returned an eight-count indictment charging naturalized U.S. citizens Benedict Nwana Kuah, 51, and Pascal Kikishy Wongbi, 52, with organizing, financing, and directing kidnappings, bombings, and killings in their native country, the Republic of Cameroon. Kuah and Wongbi were arrested this morning in the District of Minnesota and made their initial appearances this afternoon. Kuah and Wongbi are being held pending detention hearings scheduled for Sept 10 and 11, respectively.

According to the indictment, the defendants held leadership roles in the self-styled Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF), a separatist militia seeking to create an independent country in Cameroon. Together, they allegedly used their positions to raise money and finance the purchase of weapons, and directed their co-conspirators in Cameroon to kidnap, bomb, and kill civilians, government officials, and members of the security forces in order to intimidate the civilian population and coerce the Cameroonian Government into recognizing their legitimacy.

“The defendants are charged with using the United States as a base of operations to finance and direct kidnappings, bombings, and killings in Cameroon,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their alleged conduct caused death, terror, and suffering among innocent civilians. The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who seek refuge in the United States while spreading violence abroad.”

“Minnesota is not a launchpad for overseas violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson for the District of Minnesota. “Operating from the comfort of their living rooms in Minnesota, these defendants caused violence and suffering half a world away. They ordered kidnappings, bombings, and murders. Their crimes are an affront to both American law and basic human decency. Cameroon is a safer place because of this prosecution.” 

“The defendants were allegedly involved in planning, financing and directing violent attacks that harmed numerous civilians and government officials in the Republic of Cameroon, with targets including a market, an annual footrace, and a Youth Day celebration,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Although these violent acts occurred outside of U.S. borders, these charges should underscore that criminal actors cannot hide in the United States. The FBI does not condone violence and will work with our partners to ensure those who engage in, or direct criminal acts are held accountable for their actions.”

According to the indictment, beginning in 2017, the defendants sent thousands of dollars to co-conspirators in Cameroon for weapons and explosives and directed attacks that left civilians dead, injured, or taken hostage. In 2022, the fighters kidnapped a government official and broadcast propaganda videos about the abduction. In 2023, Kuah helped plan an improvised explosive device attack targeting a regional governor and later financed a bombing at the Mount Cameroon Race for Hope that injured 19 people. That same year, a commander appointed by Kuah murdered two unarmed civilians in a market square, while Wongbi appeared in a propaganda video threatening others with the same fate. In 2024, Kuah allegedly approved the funding and operational plan for a bombing at a Youth Day celebration that killed a 15-year-old girl and injured dozens of other children.

The indictment further alleges that Kuah and Wongbi raised money online to support their operations, including campaigns branded as “The Takeover Fund” and “Operation 200AKs,” which solicited donations for AK-47 rifles and explosives. Kuah appeared in multiple videos urging supporters to fund the purchase of weapons and ammunition for the fighters.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad, conspiracy to provide material support or resources, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Kuah is also charged with three counts of providing material support or resources, conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the United States. If convicted, the defendants face a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.

Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Roso for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Michael Dittoe and Matthew Hracho of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

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