Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and the Boston Police Department and Police Commissioner over Boston’s sanctuary city laws that interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.

“The City of Boston and its Mayor have been among the worst sanctuary offenders in America – they explicitly enforce policies designed to undermine law enforcement and protect illegal aliens from justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “If Boston won’t protect its citizens from illegal alien crime, this Department of Justice will.”

Not only are Boston’s sanctuary city policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, Boston’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities results in the release of dangerous criminals from police custody who would otherwise be subject to removal, including illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking, onto the streets.

On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. On Aug. 5, Attorney General Bondi published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which included the City of Boston, and vowed to bring litigation to end these policies nationwide. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, California.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Department of Justice announced recent enforcement actions by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) to combat human smuggling and trafficking networks that undermine U.S. national security and public safety. In addition to these actions, the Department also announced the expansion of JTFA to districts along our northern and maritime borders to further dismantle cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) operating in those regions.

“This Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”

“Joint Task Force Alpha has shown the power of bringing together prosecutors, agents, and international partners to target and dismantle some of the most dangerous criminal networks,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “By elevating and expanding JTFA, we are extending that reach across both our northern and southern borders and sending a clear message to cartels and transnational criminal organizations: the Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who endanger human life through smuggling and trafficking activities, and we will not stop until these groups are eliminated.”

Today in the Middle District of Florida, Department officials highlighted major developments in recent days in four significant JTFA prosecutions: first, a superseding indictment in the Middle District of Florida charging defendants allegedly involved in a large alien smuggling ring; second, an indictment in the District of Vermont charging an alleged human smuggler who operated at the northern border; third, the extradition from Guatemala to the Southern District of Texas of three defendants allegedly involved in a human smuggling mass-casualty event and lastly, on Aug. 30, two individuals were arrested in El Paso and two Mexican nationals were charged for their roles in a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the United States, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events.

Expanding Joint Task Force Alpha

JTFA’s mission will expand to regions along the country’s Northern border, including U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of New York and District of Vermont, as well as additional resources along the southern border with prosecutors from the Southern District of Florida. These offices will join forces with the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas, that already have prosecutors and resources dedicated to JTFA efforts. These offices and personnel are partnered with a whole-of-Department network of expert prosecutors and other support personnel from numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and elsewhere, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT); the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and other sections within the Criminal Division, National Security Division, and Civil Division.

JTFA will also deepen its partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, adding new partnerships with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to its existing partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and its components.

Given JTFA’s experience and expertise in handling large-scale smuggling cases, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will now consult with JTFA on all significant human smuggling and trafficking matters to ensure all available Department resources are utilized for the highest priority cases. This will include prosecutions of those who engage in the abuse and exploitation of unaccompanied alien children, who are brought across the border without a parent or guardian and often fall prey to smuggling, sex trafficking, sexual assault, and forced labor.

Joint Task Force Alpha Successes

JTFA’s hallmark achievement in 2025 has been the announcement of the first material support of terrorism charges brought against a CJNG cartel member. On May 16, the Justice Department announced the unsealing of an indictment in the Western District of Texas charging Mexican national Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez with conspiracy to provide and attempting to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Two other Mexican nationals were also charged with offenses involving alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, and drug trafficking.

Additionally, JTFA has achieved substantial sentences this year, in part due to its focus on prosecuting the most complex smuggling cases involving grave, egregious misconduct. In June 2025, in a JTFA-supported case out of the Western District of Texas, prosecutors obtained sentences of life in prison and 83 years in prison, respectively, for two defendants responsible for a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in a 2022 mass casualty in San Antonio, Texas where 47 adults and six children died.

Since its founding, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant prison sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Twelve people have been charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in an international conspiracy involving alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering schemes that brought thousands of aliens illegally into the United States for profit.

According to court documents, the defendants operated a prolific alien smuggling operation (ASO) that facilitated the unlawful entry of Cuban nationals into the United States by preparing visa applications, laundering millions of dollars in payment, and exploiting the immigration process. 

“This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”

“This indictment exposes a criminal organization that smuggled people into the United States on a massive scale, and then fraudulently secured immigration benefits for them,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Posing as a legitimate immigration service, the defendants used social media promotions and false legal filings to attract new clients and perpetuate their fraud. The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will continue to dismantle these schemes, protect vulnerable people from exploitation, and safeguard the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.”

“The defendants in this case conspired with others to deliberately violate our nation’s immigration laws while personally seeking to enrich themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the interagency coordination and diligence of our dedicated law enforcement agencies, their crimes have been thwarted. We will continue working with our partners to protect our national borders.”

“This superseding indictment exposes the depth of a multi-year conspiracy of alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering that preyed on vulnerable individuals and weakened public trust in the immigration system,” said Acting Director Todd M. Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This highlights the critical role ICE has in dismantling these criminal networks, combating immigration fraud, and ensuring criminals who abuse our systems are held accountable. We are absolute in our resolve to protect the integrity of our immigration system and safeguard our national security.

“It is because of the unfettered Department of Justice support we charge criminals with every available statute to provide consequences to those that erode the moral fabric of our society,” said Chief Jeffrey J. Dinise of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Miami Sector. “The message is clear, the United States is closed to illegal immigration and terrorist organizations, and those that make an attempt, will be met with fierce consequences. We are committed to protecting our Florida communities and safeguarding our nation.”

“Through diligent investigation, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and our partners exposed a multi-national, multi-year, multi-million dollar criminal conspiracy operated by aliens that attempted to undermine our immigration system and flood our country with illegal aliens — none of whom had any intention of following our laws,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow. “This criminal organization operated a front for fake asylum claims, churning out frivolous applications around the country. To criminals who seek to exploit our immigration system: we will find you, shut down your schemes, and you will face justice.”

The superseding indictment charges:

• Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 27, of Hialeah, FL (unlawfully residing in the United States);
• Yuniel Lima-Santos, 30, of Tampa, FL;
• Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 26, unlawfully residing in Lebanon, TN;
• Marianny Lucia Lopez-Torres, 25, residing in Cuba, (formerly Hialeah, FL);
• Frandy Aragon-Diaz, 33, of Cuba, (formerly unlawfully residing in Tampa, FL);
• Erik Ventura-Castro, 23, residing in Hialeah, FL;
• Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 30, of Tampa, FL;
• Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 30, residing in Katy, TX ;
• Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 28, unlawfully residing in Hialeah, FL;
• Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 31, of Tampa, FL;
• Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 31, of Tampa, FL; and
• Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra, 40, of Tampa, FL.

According to the superseding indictment:

• All defendants except Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra are charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain.
• Yuniel Lima-Santos and Frandy Aragon-Diaz are also charged with alien smuggling for financial gain.
• Yuniel Lima-Santos, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, Layra Libertad Treto Santos, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuerga are charged with conspiracy to commit asylum fraud.
• Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, Yuniel Lima-Santos, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, Erik Ventura-Castro, Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, and Layra Libertad Treto Santos are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

From January 2021 through June 2025, the defendants promoted bogus visa services online, claiming Cuban nationals could secure U.S. entry through false claims of European citizenship. They filed hundreds of fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, using fake addresses and fabricated documents.

The ASO promoted its services on social media accounts and encrypted messaging platforms, including a WhatsApp group titled, “TRÁMITE DE ESTA Y VISA DE TURISMO A USA PARA CIUDADANOS ESPAÑOLES” (Processing of ESTA and tourist Visas to the USA for Spanish citizens). One promotional video advertised the scheme by showing stacks of passports, airline tickets, and visa approvals. 

What began as a small operation grew into a commercial enterprise. The defendants charged clients between $1,500 and $40,000, sometimes even chartering private planes to move groups of aliens. Records show they spent over $2.5 million on flights alone and funneled more than $7 million through payment apps such as Zelle. Based on a financial analysis conducted of 27 known accounts associated with the defendants and their co-conspirators, the alien smuggling organization took in over $18 million during the course of the conspiracy.

The ASO also smuggled unaccompanied minors. In one case, a teenage girl was told to pose as the lifelong friend of an unrelated adult man when crossing the border.

The defendants operated a sham immigration business, ASESORIA Y SERVICIOS MIGRATORIOS LLC, which promised asylum filings, work permits, and residency applications. In reality, the company churned out boilerplate asylum claims without clients’ knowledge or consent and even blocked them from accessing their own USCIS online accounts.

ASESORIA marketed itself on Instagram with flashy ads for immigration services while simultaneously posting videos of aliens being smuggled into the country. 

The investigation and superseding indictment were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along southern and northern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

HSI Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and USCIS’s’ Fraud Detection and National Security led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. Authorities in the Cayman Islands provided valuable assistance.

Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting 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 Project Safe Neighborhood.

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

Note: You can read the Indictment here