Source: United States Department of Defense
Approximately 7,000 soldiers from around the Army Reserve are training at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, as a part of the Combat Support Training Exercise 25, Global Strike, an annual exercise designed to prepare reserve soldiers for the transforming battlefield of the future.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A federal grand jury in the District of Vermont returned a four-count superseding indictment today charging Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, with the murder of a Border Patrol agent, the assault of two additional agents with a deadly weapon, and related firearms offenses.
“As alleged, this defendant shot and killed a United States Border Patrol Agent while he was performing his duties,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and our borders.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office intends to continue to honor the men and women of law enforcement, and the memory of Border Patrol Agent Maland, by performing its prosecutorial duties so that justice may be done,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont.
“The murder of a federal agent is more than a tragic loss,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “It’s an attack on the security of our nation and the safety of our communities. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not rest until those responsible are held accountable. We are all steadfast in our mission to curb violence that endangers both public servants and the citizens we are sworn to protect.”
According to court documents, on the afternoon of Jan. 20. a U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota Prius on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont. Youngblut and a male German citizen – whose immigration status was in question – were in the car.
Days earlier, law enforcement had taken note of Youngblut and her companion when a hotel employee reported that they were wearing tactical gear and appeared to be armed. The same day of the shooting, officers had observed the pair at a parking lot in Newport, Vermont, where the German citizen was seen wrapping unknown objects in aluminum foil.
Court documents allege that during the Jan. 20 vehicle stop, both Youngblut and her companion were armed. Youngblut exited the vehicle and, without warning, opened fire, resulting in the death of one of the agents.
For the current charges, the maximum penalty is death, and Attorney General Pamela Bondi has authorized and directed the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont to pursue capital punishment in this case. Consistent with that authorization and direction, the Acting U.S. Attorney has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Youngblut.
The FBI Albany Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Vermont State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, the Newport Police Department, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.
Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Dennis Robinson of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. 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
The Department of Justice unsealed six warrants yesterday in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Northern District of Texas authorizing the seizure of over $2.8 million in cryptocurrency, $70,000 in cash, and a luxury vehicle. All of the cryptocurrency was seized from a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko, who is charged by indictment in the Northern District of Texas for conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse, computer fraud and abuse, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
As alleged in the indictment, Antropenko used Zeppelin ransomware to target and attack a wide range of individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide, including in the United States. Specifically, Antropenko and his coconspirators would encrypt and exfiltrate the victim’s data, and typically demand a ransom payment to decrypt the victim’s data, refrain from publishing it, or to arrange the data’s deletion.
As alleged in the unsealed warrants, the cryptocurrency and other assets are proceeds of (or were involved in laundering the proceeds of) ransomware activity. Those assets were laundered in various ways, including by using the cryptocurrency mixing service ChipMixer, which was taken down in a coordinated international operation in 2023. Antropenko also laundered cryptocurrency by exchanging cryptocurrency for cash and depositing the cash in structured cash deposits.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans of the FBI Norfolk Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Dallas and Norfolk Field Offices and the Virtual Assets Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Benjamin Bleiberg of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo “Daniel” Chung for the Northern District of Texas are handling the case, with assistance for the forfeiture provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas. Significant assistance has also been provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Kosky and Kevin Hudson for the Eastern District of Virginia.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and obtained court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. CCIPS and its partners have also disrupted multiple ransomware groups, preventing victims from having to pay over $200 million in ransom payments.
An indictment is merely an allegation. 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 Justice Department announced criminal charges against five high-ranking members of the United Cartels. Those charged are Juan Jose Farias Alvarez (“El Abuelo); Alfonso Fernandez Magallon (“Poncho”); Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez (“Wicho / R5”); Edgar Orozco Cabadas (“El Kamoni”); and Nicolas Sierra Santana (“El Gordo”).
“Today’s charges are designed to dismantle the United Cartels and bring their leaders to justice for unleashing death and destruction on American citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Working closely with our partners throughout President Trump’s Administration, we will continue our historic effort to destroy foreign terror organizations and prosecute terrorists wherever they may hide.”
“Today’s sanctions action draws further attention to the diverse, insidious ways the cartels engage in violent activities and exploit otherwise legitimate commerce,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury, alongside our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to target every effort by the cartels to generate revenue for their violent, criminal schemes.”
“Today’s announcement marks a significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to totally eliminate the United Cartels and bring its leaders to justice,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This investigation began in a small town in Middle America and led to clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Michoacán, Mexico. It involved extraordinary policework by our partners, some of whom came under fire in a brazen shootout – underscoring the dangers law enforcement faces every day. This case demonstrates our relentless pursuit of cartel leaders who flood our communities with illegal drugs and terrorize citizens on both sides of the border with violence.”
“Today, the Department of State is continuing to fulfill one of President Trump’s first promises when he took office — to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are announcing reward offers totaling up to $26 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Mexican narcotics traffickers associated with Cárteles Unidos, a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”
“Today’s charges reflect the far-reaching impact of transnational criminal networks and the decisive action U.S. law enforcement is taking to dismantle them,” said Acting Executive Associate Director Derek W. Gordon for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. “The United Cartels are responsible for flooding our communities with dangerous narcotics and profiting through violence, extortion, and corruption. ICE HSI, in close coordination with domestic and international partners, led a years-long investigation that traced the cartel’s footprint from clandestine labs in Michoacán to major U.S. distribution hubs. This case underscores our commitment to holding cartel leaders accountable, wherever they operate and safeguarding public safety on both sides of the border.”
“The United Cartels has flooded every corner of our country with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The indictments announced today exemplify the great work that can be achieved when federal, state, and local forces partner together to confront our greatest law enforcement challenges. What started out as an ordinary drug case in the Eastern District of Tennessee grew into a sprawling multinational investigation that will take down a transnational criminal organization precisely because law enforcement at all levels partnered together enthusiastically with mission-first single-mindedness. We are particularly grateful for our close partnerships with HSI Knoxville, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 9th Judicial Task Force, and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, without which these results would have been impossible.”
According to court documents, the United Cartels is a transnational criminal and drug trafficking organization that controls large areas of Michoacán, Mexico. Acting as an umbrella organization, it unites several Michoacán-based cartels to acquire, manufacture, and distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine for smuggling into the United States. Profits from U.S. drug sales are allegedly used to acquire heavy weaponry, hire mercenaries, bribe local officials, and fund lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders.
The United Cartels is among the most prolific methamphetamine producers capable of manufacturing multiple tons every month. Its distribution network spans the United States, with hubs in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City (Mo.), Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, and extends to Europe, Australia, and other regions. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State designated the United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, as amended.
Court filings allege that Farias Alvarez serves as the top leader of the United Cartels, directing the importation of cocaine from Colombia via air and maritime routes, personally overseeing large shipments to the United States, and imposing a tax on methamphetamine and fentanyl producers operating in his territory.
Los Reyes Cartel, allegedly led by Fernandez Magallon, is a Michoacán-based cartel that currently operates under the United Cartels umbrella. As alleged, Los Viagras Cartel, led by Sierra Santana, is another Michoacán-based cartel that until recently operated under the United Cartels umbrella. Orozco Cabadas and Barragan Chavez allegedly each lead armed factions of the United Cartels that enforce cartel control using assault weapons, improvised explosive devices, armed drones, armored vehicles, and foreign mercenaries.
The five defendants allegedly participated in decades-long conspiracies to manufacture and distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, to be unlawfully imported into the United States. In addition, Farias Alvarez, Fernandez Magallon and Barragan Chavez are alleged to have carried, brandished, or discharged firearms, including semi-automatic weapons, machine guns, and destructive devices during and in relation to the alleged drug trafficking crimes charged in their indictments. If convicted, all five defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison.
The five defendants are still fugitives. The U. S. Department of State announced today that it is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Farias Alvarez’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Fernandez Magallon’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Sierra Santana’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Barragan Chavez’s arrest and/or conviction; and a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Orozco Cabadas’s arrest and/or conviction. Also today, the U. S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced economic sanctions against these five defendants, and the United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos) and Los Viagras as entities.
HSI Knoxville investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by HSI Mexico City, HSI Denver, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fresno Field Division, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee 9th Judicial Drug Task Force. Additional assistance was provided by HSI Atlanta, HSI Laredo, HSI Outer Banks, HSI Houston, HSI San Diego, HSI Kansas City, DEA Bogota, HSI Bogota, HSI Las Vegas, HSI The Hague, FBI Kansas City, FBI St. Louis, FBI Sacramento, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and DEA Los Angeles. U. S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Colorado, the Eastern District of California, and the Northern District of Georgia also provided significant assistance in the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Roger Polack of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Quencer for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the cases.
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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Source: United States Navy
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed from Port of Spain, Trinidad, August 11, 2025, the last mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25). During the seven-day visit, the team worked alongside Trinbagonians to provide medical care and support construction projects, community relations events and side-by-side training in several subject matter exchanges.
Source: United States Navy
The U.S. Navy is bringing Navy Week to Columbus, Ohio, from Aug. 18-24, 2025. As part of a nationwide outreach effort, Columbus Navy Week will connect Sailors with the community through a variety of performances, educational events, and service projects. The events will lead into the Columbus Air Show Aug. 22-24 at Rickenbacker International Airport, featuring the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division salutes the President’s decision to revoke Executive Order 14036. The Division will use this opportunity to continue its work to recalibrate and modernize the Federal approach to competition policy to suit the needs of our dynamic and innovative economy.
“America First Antitrust focuses on empowering the American people in the free markets, not enabling regulators and bureaucrats to prescribe outcomes,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are unleashing the new American Golden Age through antitrust enforcement that removes barriers to innovation and opportunity and limits regulatory burdens on free competition.”
Instead of an overly prescriptive and burdensome approach, the Division commends the Administration for promoting competition via tailored executive orders that call for lowering drug prices and opening regulatory barriers to competition. Beyond implementing these Executive Orders, the Antitrust Division has made steady progress in freeing up deal flow by appropriately streamlining the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR) review process. In particular, the Division has reinstated the practice of granting early termination in uncontroversial HSR reviews as well as reinstating a willingness to settle merger reviews with targeted and well-crafted consent decrees. Both practices were eschewed during the Biden administration. Moving forward, the Division will continue adapting towards focused law enforcement that matches the complexity and pace of the modern economy.
Source: United States Department of Justice
View All Environmental Crimes Bulletins
| District/Circuit | Case Name | Conduct/Statute(s) |
|---|---|---|
| District of Alaska | United States v. Jonathan Pavlik, et al. | Fish Harvesting; Conspiracy, Lacey Act |
| Southern District of California | United States v. Carlos Abundez | Exotic Bird Smuggling |
| Middle District of Florida | United States v. Jordan Carrillo | Animal Fighting Venture; Conspiracy |
| Middle District of Georgia | United States v. James Bowman Wiley, Jr. | Drinking Water Records; False Statements |
| Southern District of Illinois | United States v. Gerald B. Moran, et al. | Deer Hunting; Lacey Act |
| United States v. Michael McKinney, et al. | Hunting over Baited Field; Lacey Act; Migratory Bird Treaty Act | |
| District of Kansas | United States v. Matt Jennings | Deer Hunting; Lacey Act |
| Eastern District of Louisiana | United States v. Eagle Ship Management, LLC | Vessel; Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships |
| District of Massachusetts | United States v. Robert J. Bullock, Sr. | Drinking Water Tampering; Safe Drinking Water Act |
| Eastern District of Missouri | United States v. Terrell Williams | Dog Fighting; Animal Fighting Venture |
| Eastern District of New York | United States v. Richard Zagger, et al. | Worker Death; Conspiracy, Obstruction; Occupational Safety and Health Act |
| Southern District of Ohio | United States v. Garrett Fitzgerald | Animal Crush Videos; PACT Act; Conspiracy |
| District of Oregon | United States v. Kayla Hartley | Wastewater Discharges; Clean Water Act |
| District of South Carolina | United States v. Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, et al. | Wildlife Trafficking; Conspiracy; Money Laundering |
| United States v. Don M. Rynn | Illegal Fish Harvesting/False Statements, Obstruction | |
| Eastern District of Texas | United States v. V. Ships Norway, AS. | Vessel; Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships |
| Southern District of Texas | United States v. Jocelyn Castilleja | Refrigerant Smuggling |
| United States v. Priscilla Sanchez | Monkey Smuggling; Lacey Act | |
| United States v. Jennifer Mayo | Chicken Egg Smuggling | |
| Western District of Virginia | United States v. James H. Spencer | Sewage Discharges; Clean Water Act |
| Western District of Washington | United States v. Branden Trager, et al. | Duck Hunting Trips; Lacey Act |
On July 7, 2025, prosecutors filed a complaint charging Carlos Abundez with smuggling 14 live keel-billed toucans concealed inside the dashboard of his Volkswagen Passat (18 U.S.C. § 545).
On June 25, 2025, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents detained Abundez at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after a canine reacted while screening the car. Upon further inspection, a CBP officer found a bound bird, wrapped in cloth and duct taped under the car’s dashboard.
At the time, the officer did not know what the object was until it began to move and flutter. Officers then pried open the side panel of the dashboard and discovered 14 sedated juvenile keel-billed toucans concealed within the compartment.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents and inspectors responded to the scene. A wildlife inspector identified the 14 birds as juvenile keel-billed toucans. Some sustained injuries including broken tails and a broken leg.
Border Veterinary Services initially treated the birds and then transferred them to a Department of Agriculture Animal Import Center for quarantine.
Keel-billed toucans are native to the region stretching from southern Mexico through Ecuador, including Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua. Because of their threatened status, they are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Toucans are sold as pets for up to $5,000 per bird.
This arrest follows the recent prosecution of three other individuals caught smuggling Amazon parrots and parakeets through the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro ports of entry, highlighting a pattern of illegal wildlife trade through Southern California. Smuggled birds that are not subject to quarantine can be dangerous as they may carry and spread Avian influenza (bird flu) and other diseases.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Photo of Keel-billed Toucan found in defendant’s vehicle; included with filed complaint.
Related Press Release: Southern District of California | Man Charged with Smuggling Protected Toucans | United States Department of Justice
On July 7, 2025, prosecutors filed an Information charging V. Ships Norway, A.S, for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. § 1908(a)).
V. Ships Norway operated the M/T Swift Winchester. On several occasions, crew members transferred oily waste from the vessel’s incinerator waste oil tank into the sewage tank. That oily waste was then discharged directly into the ocean without using mandatory pollution prevention equipment.
The vessel’s Chief Engineer also ordered the crew to clean the Oil Water Separator filters on the ship’s deck. The crew hosed off the filters, allowing the oil and debris to run over the side of the ship into the ocean. The vessel then entered the ports of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Port Arthur, Texas, with a knowingly falsified Oil Record Book that did not record these discharges.
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service and Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur conducted the investigation.
On July 15, 2025, a grand jury returned an Indictment charging Kayla Hartley with Conspiracy and violating the Clean Water Act (18 U.S.C. § 371; 33 U.S.C. §§ 1317(d), 1319(c)(2)(A)). Trial is scheduled to begin on September 30, 2025.
During the period relevant to the Indictment, Bay Area Concrete LLC was a California-based company that operated construction slurry dewatering facilities in California, Oregon, and Washington. Northwest Slurry Solutions and Hydro Excavation, LLC (Northwest Slurry) was an Oregon-based company that operated Bay Area Concrete’s facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, where it received, processed, and disposed of hydro excavation slurry. Kayla Hartley was the Director of Operations at the Hillsboro facility. Clean Water Services (CWS) operated the sanitary sewer system in Hillsboro and implemented the industrial wastewater discharge permit program.
Between August 2019 and December 2020, Hartley and others are alleged to have conspired to operate the Hillsboro facility in violation of a pretreatment standard, by introducing pollutants to a sewer system at a discharge point not designated to receive these wastes.
During this period, Hartley submitted a permit application to CWS that falsely claimed the facility would only discharge “clean slurry” and “oily slurry” to the sanitary sewer. She also entered into agreements with industrial wastewater producers who paid for the Hillsboro facility to properly treat and dispose of their industrial wastes. One such business, Precision Castparts Corp., (PCC), arranged for Northwest Slurry to receive wastewater generated from etching titanium parts for airplane engines. Between February and September 2020, the Hillsboro facility received approximately 500,000 gallons of industrial wastewater from PCC and discharged industrial wastewater to the sanitary sewer without a permit.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On July 17, 2025, a grand jury returned an Indictment charging the following commercial fishermen with conspiring to illegally harvest halibut, in violation of the Lacey Act: Jonathan Pavlik, Vincent Jacobson, Kyle Dierick, Michael Babic, and Timothy Ross (18 U.S.C. § 371; 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), (d), 3373(d)(1)(B), (d)(3)(A)) .
Between 2019 and 2023, Pavlik conspired with Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross to illegally harvest and land halibut. The defendants employed multiple unlawful fishing practices throughout the conspiracy including each defendant landing halibut without always being aboard the vessel during the fishing trips, in violation of federal law and regulations. Pavlik, Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross intentionally falsely reported that the halibut caught was creditable to their respective Individual Fishing Quota permit balances. Pavlik and the four co-conspirators are responsible for more than 10,700 pounds of illegally harvested halibut.
Between August and October 2023, Pavlik sold and intentionally made false statements concerning more than 9,600 pounds of halibut that was caught on one boat and then illegally transferred to another before landing for sale.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers.
On July 8, 2025, Garrett Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to Conspiracy for his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Garrett conspired with defendant Ronald P. Bedra and others to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos,” which are videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
On July 8, 2025, Jocelyn Castilleja pleaded guilty to smuggling (18 U.S.C. § 545).
On June 15, 2024, Castilleja attempted to smuggle three 25-pound containers of 410A hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant from Mexico into the United States in her vehicle. Customs and Border Protection Agents discovered the refrigerants during a routine inspection at the Brownsville, Texas, border crossing. Castilleja failed to declare the containers to customs authorities.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On July 15, 2025, Eagle Ship Management, LLC (Eagle), pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. § 1908). This case stems from the deliberate discharge of approximately 10,000 gallons of oily bilge water overboard in U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans from the M/V Gannet Bulker, a foreign-flag vessel registered in the Marshall Islands. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2025.
A member of the ship’s crew reported the illegal discharge via social media to the U.S. Coast Guard. At the time of the discharge, the Gannet Bulker was at an anchorage near the mouth of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, within U.S. navigable waters. Eagle has agreed to pay a $1,750,000 fine and serve a four-year term of probation subject to the terms of an environmental compliance program.
Kirill Kompaniets, the vessel’s Chief Engineer, was previously sentenced to serve a year and a day in prison followed by six months of supervised release, and to pay a $5,000 criminal fine, for obstructing justice and directing the illegal discharge.
The U.S. Coast Guard conducted the investigation.
Related Press Release: Environment and Natural Resources Division | United States v. Eagle Ship Management, LLC. | United States Department of Justice
On July 21, 2025, Branden Trager and Mayhem Services, LLC, pleaded guilty to a Lacey Act misdemeanor violation (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(2)). Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2025.
Trager owns Mayhem Services and runs hunting and fishing guided trips in the Pacific Northwest. Trager organizes hunts specifically targeting the harlequin duck, a rare sea bird prized by hunters. Washington State closed harlequin duck hunting season from 2022 to 2024, so Trager took three hunting parties to British Columbia, Canada, where it was still legal to hunt them. However, Canadian law prohibits non-citizens from obtaining guiding licenses. Trager conspired with a Canadian taxidermist to illegally shoot the harlequin and then export the mounts back to the United States.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and British Columbia Conservation Officer Services.
Harlequin Duck; USFWS Photo taken for reference only. Included in press release.
Related Press Release: Office of Public Affairs | Washington Hunting Guide and Outfitting Company Enter Guilty Pleas to Lacey Act Crime | United States Department of Justice
On July 29, 2025, Jordan Carrillo pleaded guilty to conspiring to sponsor, exhibit, train, and transport dogs for use in animal fighting ventures (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Carillo and co-conspirators arranged and participated in dog fights. They possessed, trained, transported, delivered, and received pit bull-type dogs for the purpose of fighting them in Connecticut, Florida, and Massachusetts.
Following the execution of two search warrants, authorities seized dogs with scarring, along with a variety of items consistent with dog fighting, including: veterinary medicines, skin staplers, dog certificates, and treadmills.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
On July 30, 2025, Jennifer Mayo pleaded guilty to smuggling Dong Tao chickens into the United States (18 U.S.C. § 545).
Between August and September 2023, Mayo smuggled 70 Dong Tao chicken eggs into the United States from Vietnam and Cambodia. She attempted to hatch them at her home, but most of them died. Subsequent searches of Mayo’s property by law enforcement confirmed she possessed multiple live Dong Tao chickens on her property. Due to the risk of the chickens spreading disease, they had to be euthanized.
Dong Tao chickens, also known as Dragon chickens, are a rare and expensive breed of chicken endemic to Southeast Asia. Originally from the village of Dong Tao in Vietnam, these chickens are known for their very large legs.
It is illegal to import poultry into the United States from regions affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza or regions where Newcastle disease exists in commercial poultry populations, unless specific conditions are met.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service.
On June 17, 2025, a court sentenced Michael D. McKinney to two years of probation and ordered him to pay a $5,500 fine to the Lacey Act Reward Account and $5,000 in restitution to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§3372(a) (1), 3373(d)(2)) for his involvement in illegally baiting hunting areas to attract migratory birds. McKinney is also prohibited from hunting or providing guiding services while under supervision. McKinney is a long-time employee of the Burns Hunting Club, LLC (BHC), whose sole owner is Hugh Thomas “Tom” Burns, Jr.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated an investigation into the BHC following a request for assistance from Federal Wildlife Officers (FWO) stationed at the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, adjacent to the BHC. Over the years, FWOs received multiple complaints that the BHC was baiting its fields in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Between January 6 and January 14, 2021, Burns and McKinney conspired to scatter corn in specific hunting fields on BHC property to attract migratory game birds for hunters. Burns, operating the exclusive hunting club, provided guiding services to club members over these illegally baited fields. To hunt at BHC, members were required to purchase annual individual or corporate memberships, as well as pay daily fees for guiding services.
Officers conducting surveillance of BHC observed club members hunting and killing migratory birds directly over the previously baited areas, confirming the unlawful attraction and harvesting of wildlife facilitated by the baiting practices.
Tom Burns and BHC were sentenced on May 19, 2025, to complete two-year terms of probation. They were also ordered pay a total of $11,000 in fines to the Lacey Act Reward Account and $50,000 in restitution to the IDNR. Additionally, the government seized equipment used in the conspiracy, including a pickup truck and a utility task vehicle. Burns is prohibited from hunting or providing guiding services while on probation, and the hunting club was ordered to cease operations for two years. Burns and BHC pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a) (1), 3373(d)(2)).
Per the terms of probation, BHC was required to post the sign pictured below in front of the property.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and officers from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources conducted the investigation.
Photo taken by Probation Officer after the sign was installed on a public right-of-way in front of the property.
On July 1, 2025, a court sentenced Richard Zagger, a Northridge Construction Corporation (Northridge) supervisor, to one year in prison and two years of supervised released after pleading guilty to Conspiracy and obstruction of official proceedings (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 1505).
Northridge pleaded guilty to violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act for causing the death of a company employee (29 U.S.C. § 666(e)). The company was sentenced in August 2024 to pay a $100,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation.
A Northridge employee died after falling from an improperly secured roof while he helped construct a shed located on the Northridge property. Zagger oversaw the project.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations require companies and employers to maintain the stability of a metal structure during construction. Northridge pleaded guilty to violating this worker safety standard and to making two false statements that obstructed OSHA’s investigation into the employee’s death.
OSHA conducted the investigation.
Related Press Release: Office of Public Affairs | New York Construction Company Supervisor Sentenced for Attempting to Cover Up Role in Fatal Long Island Construction Incident | United States Department of Justice
On July 8, 2025, a court sentenced Bhagavan “Doc” Antle to 12 months’ incarceration, after he pleaded guilty to a Conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and launder more than $500,000 for what he believed to be an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States across the Mexico border. Antle was also ordered to pay a $55,000 fine, serve three years of supervised release, forfeit more than $197,000, and forfeit three chimpanzees.
The wildlife conspiracy included various schemes Antle used to hide his illegal trafficking in endangered species, including requiring payments to be labelled as “donations” and funneled through his non-profit, The Rare Species Fund; conducting transactions in cash to hide their true nature; and creating false paperwork to hide the illegality of his wildlife transactions. The animals trafficked included baby chimpanzees, cheetahs, lions, and tigers, all of which are protected under both the Endangered Species Act and international law. The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish, or plants, including animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Antle’s co-defendant in the wildlife conspiracy, Jason Clay, was sentenced to serve four months in prison, followed by four months of home confinement, and to pay a $4,000 fine to the Lacey Act Reward Fund. Clay illegally sold a juvenile chimpanzee to Antle in exchange for $200,000 in cash and a juvenile gibbon.
For the money laundering conspiracy, Antle and co-defendant Andrew Sawyer laundered more than $500,000 in cash generated from an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexico border into the United States. Antle planned to conceal this cash by writing checks for what appeared to be construction-related services for Myrtle Beach Safari, which he owned and operated. Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre for-profit zoo that offers tours and private encounters with exotic wildlife.
Sawyer was sentenced to complete a two-year term of probation, to include eight months of home detention. He also forfeited a chimpanzee and approximately $185,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Related Press Release: Office of Public Affairs | Doc Antle, Owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, Sentenced for Federal Wildlife Trafficking and Money Laundering Charges | United States Department of Justice
On July 9, 2025, a court sentenced the fifth and final Mississippi resident charged in this case involving illegal out-of-state white-tailed deer hunting, in violation of the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(2)).
Gerald B. Moran pleaded guilty to unlawfully transporting wildlife and was sentenced to complete a five- year term of probation (with the first six months in home confinement). Moran will pay a $2,500 fine and $5,000 in restitution.
The court previously sentenced four other defendants to serve various terms of probation ranging from three to five years and to pay fines ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. The court also previously ordered those defendants to pay a total of $94,500 in restitution.
Between 2018 and 2022, the poachers used spotlights to scout white-tailed deer in Massac, Jefferson, Union, Pope, and Clark counties in southern Illinois. Once they located deer, members of the group killed the deer, returning later to collect the carcasses. The poachers then transported the carcasses from Illinois back to Mississippi and processed them.
All defendants are banned from hunting while under supervision and all restitution is payable to the Illinois Conservation Police Operations Assistance Fund.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement (USFWS) and the Illinois Conservation Police conducted the investigation, with support from USFWS Federal Wildlife Officers; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
Illegally harvested white-tailed deer taxidermy mounts from one of the defendant’s collections. Photo from USFWS Press Release
Related Press Release: https://www.fws.gov/story/protecting-illinois-deer-from-poachers
On July 17, 2025, a court sentenced Robert J. Bullock, Sr., to time served (one day) followed by three years of supervised release. Bullock pleaded guilty to violating the Safe Drinking Water Act for tampering with public water systems (42 U.S.C. § 300i-1(a)).
On the evening of November 29, 2022, Bullock, a former Stoughton Water Department employee, entered one of the Water Department’s pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water. As a result, inadequately disinfected water was pumped into the drinking water system.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and the Stoughton Massachusetts Police Department conducted the investigation.
Related Press Release: District of Massachusetts | Former Stoughton Water Department Employee Sentenced for Tampering With Drinking Water | United States Department of Justice
On July 18, 2025, a court sentenced Terrell Williams to 18 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Williams will also perform 40 hours of community service.
Williams pleaded guilty to violating the animal fighting venture prohibition of the Animal Welfare Act for hosting dog fights in his home and training dogs to fight (7 U.S.C. §§ 2156(a)-(c); 18 U.S.C. § 49(a)).
Between September 2020 through May 2022, Williams hosted fights in a wooden “box” setup in the basement of his home in Riverview, Missouri. He also owned and bred bull terriers and terrier mixes that were used for fights. On June 22, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s home and seized eight bull terrier mixes and three Yorkshire terriers. The dogs bore scars consistent with fighting. Agents also removed equipment used to train and condition dogs, including weighted vests and a canine treadmill.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Related Press Release: Eastern District of Missouri | St. Louis County Man Sentenced for Hosting Dogfights | United States Department of Justice
On July 21, 2025, a court sentenced Priscilla Sanchez to time served, plus three years’ supervised release, and a money forfeiture of $44,450. Sanchezpleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for attempting to import five spider monkeys, a protected species, into the United States from Mexico (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2), 3373(d)(1)(A)).
On January 13, 2025, Sanchez attempted to enter the U.S. at the Port of Entry near Laredo, Texas, driving an SUV. Customs and Border Protection officers referred her to secondary screening. Officers discovered a duffle bag with five monkeys wearing diapers concealed inside it. Authorities confirmed they were spider monkeys, which are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Sanchez admitted to keeping monkeys at her house and selling them for between $300 and $500 each, which she knew was illegal. Sanchez previously forfeited the monkeys and a Chevrolet Tahoe.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
On July 22, 2025, a court sentenced Don M. Rynn to 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay a $7,500 fine. In March 2025, a jury convicted Rynn of making false statements to federal agents and falsifying fishing records (18 U.S.C. §§ 1001, 1519).
Rynn managed several commercial fishing vessels in the McClellanville, South Carolina, area, including the Maximum Retriever and the Crystal C. The vessels docked at Carolina Seafood, a federally licensed dealer.
On March 21, 2023, the Maximum Retriever embarked on a commercial fishing trip captained by the defendant’s son, who Rynn instructed to catch as many fish as he could (ignoring federally imposed quotas). Rynn told his son he would “take care of things” when he returned.
The Maximum Retriever returned to McClellanville shortly after midnight on March 27, 2023, with almost three times the legal limit of snowy grouper on board, and one and a half times the allowable number of grey tilefish. Rynn was waiting for the boat to arrive. Once the Maximum Retriever was in place, the Crystal C was maneuvered so that the two boats were side-by-side.
Rynn then directed deckhands to move fish from the ice hold of the Maximum Retriever to the Crystal C. They removed additional fish from the Maximum Retriever to load onto Rynn’s truck to take to another seafood dealer in Georgetown.
In the mandatory trip report filed shortly thereafter, Rynn reported his catch only up to the limit, hiding the fact that the Maximum Retriever had vastly overfished. He attributed a substantial portion of the catch to the Crystal C, which had remained moored at the dock.
On March 27, 2023, law enforcement officers received an anonymous tip alerting them to the excessive catch. The Georgetown seafood dealer who had received some of the overage initially lied to cover for Rynn. When he realized the agents were closing in, the dealer threw the fish in the river to get rid of them.
In October 2023, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) agents interviewed Rynn about the incidents in March. Rynn lied, saying the snowy grouper and tilefish had been contaminated by a fuel spill while at sea, and that he had disposed of them in a dumpster. Rynn further implied that a U.S. Coast Guard report addressing an unlawful discharge into Jeremy Creek was inaccurate and should have been attributed to the Crystal C, which would have bolstered his fuel spill story.
In total, the Maximum Retriever caught approximately 560 pounds of snowy grouper and 450 pounds of tilefish. The legal limit for grouper is 200 pounds and the limit for tilefish is 300 pounds.
NOAA, the U.S. Coast Guard, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Saltwater Team conducted the investigation.
On July 22, 2025, a court sentenced Matt Jennings to pay a $10,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Jennings, a Georgia resident, is banned for life from hunting and fishing in Kansas. Jennings pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally hunting deer (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(2), (d)(3)).
On November 11, 2022, Jennings killed an antlered deer near Florence, Kansas. His antlered deer tag did not allow him to take a deer in this part of the state. The next day, he drove to Oklahoma to fraudulently register the kill in Oklahoma using an Oklahoma electronic tag.
On November 19, 2022, Jennings killed another antlered deer near Wakeeney, Kansas. Although he had a valid tag for that area, killing a second antlered deer in the same year exceeded the bag limit for the season, in violation of state law.
Jennings, the host of a hunting show titled “The Game,” featured both illegal hunts in his show.
As part of the sentence, he will pay $15,000 in restitution to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and forfeit the antlers from the white tail deer he illegally hunted.
While under supervision, Jennings is prohibited from guiding, hunting, trapping, fishing, or being with anyone engaged in those activities in Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks conducted the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.
Related Press Release: District of Kansas | Hunting show host receives lifetime hunting ban in Kansas | United States Department of Justice
On July 29, 2025, a court sentenced James Bowman Wiley, Jr., to pay a $9,500 fine and complete a three-year term of probation. Wiley pleaded guilty to making false statements relating to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) (18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)). The terms of probation require Wiley to either shut down his business or comply with all laws and regulations within 90 days. If Wiley fails to comply throughout the term of probation, he will face a term of incarceration.
CJT Group owned and operated five Community Water Systems located in Sumter County, Georgia. Wiley is the sole member and registered agent for this company. He has a history of noncompliance with local and federal regulations governing water system operations.
Between 2010 and 2022, Wiley submitted falsified reports to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD) regarding chlorine testing and water meter readings at several of his company’s water systems. Specifically, he misrepresented chlorine levels in water samples and provided fabricated water meter readings, actions that violated the SDWA and endangered public health and safety.
Between January 2018 and February 2021, the GAEPD issued 17 Notices of Violation to Wiley for a range of violations. His false reports obstructed regulatory efforts to ensure the safety of the community’s drinking water despite years of warnings and enforcement actions by the GAEPD.
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division and the GAEPD conducted the investigation.
On July 30, 2025, a court sentenced James H. Spencer to pay a $7,500 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Spencer, the Mayor of Glen Lyn, Virginia, previously pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. § 1319(c)(2)(A)). Spencer directed employees of the Town of Glen Lyn to illegally discharge raw sewage and other pollutants into the East River, a tributary of the New River.
The discharges occurred at a pump station located behind the Glen Lyn Post Office, which was not a permitted or authorized discharge point for the Glen Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The East River, a perennial stream and a tributary of the New River, is a protected waterway under the CWA.
Spencer knowingly violated multiple conditions of the Town’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, including discharging from unauthorized locations and failing to report the discharges to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Otilio Rodriguez Toledo and Alicia Aispuro Hernandez, husband and wife from Thermal, California, were sentenced today for conspiring to smuggle and distribute Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States. Toledo was sentenced to five months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release. Hernandez was sentenced to time served followed by 18 months of supervised release. Both were ordered to jointly pay $2.19 million in forfeiture.
“This case reflects our commitment to defend our southern border against those who traffic in unlawful substances that jeopardize the health and safety of Americans,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who violate our environmental and customs laws, and we will ensure that they do not profit from their crimes.”
“Selling illegal pesticides and veterinary drugs endangers people, animals, and the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “Our office will continue to prosecute those individuals who disregard the dangerous consequences of their illegal smuggling.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the smuggling of unregistered pesticides. Defendants smuggled unregistered pesticides that are toxic to bees, and to humans,” said Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management Cecil Rodrigues of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Defendants deliberately put people at risk for their own profit and are now being held accountable for their egregious actions.”
“The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health, which includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully distributed and dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Wade Moon of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who distribute prescription animal drugs unlawfully.”
“There is a reason customs laws exist particularly when pesticides and chemicals are attempting to make their way into our country to potentially wreak havoc on our environment and potentially make people seriously ill,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson for HSI San Diego. “Success of this investigation is directly attributed to the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies working together to ensure uncommon illegal substance don’t make their way into our nation causing irrecoverable damage.”
According to filings and evidence presented in court, since at least December 2018, Toledo and Hernandez had engaged in smuggling pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States and then distributing them in the United States. The pesticides involved were primarily Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tetragent Aves, Metabolase, Terramicina, Cipio Vet, Baytril Max, Tylovet, Caterrol, Penicilina, and Tylosma, which are not approved by the FDA for use in the United States.
The smuggled pesticides and veterinary drugs were brought into the United States through the Calexico Port of Entry in Imperial County, California, and placed in storage units near the border. Smugglers would then send photographs of the products at the storage units as proof of delivery. These defendants would then pick up the products from the storage units and distribute them to others within the United States.
According to the EPA, the active ingredient in the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees if released into hives, and then ultimately to humans when it ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans from the consumption of contaminated honey. Signs of neurotoxicity from exposure to amitraz have been documented in multiple animal species and include central nervous system depression, decrease in pulse rate, and hypothermia.
The EPA, FDA, and HSI investigated the case.
Assistant Section Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Van Demark for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
This week, the Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted its motion to terminate a 1978 consent decree governing police and firefighter employment in Norfolk, Virginia.
The consent decree settled the Department’s lawsuit, filed the same year, that alleged the City’s Police and Fire Departments unlawfully discriminated against blacks and females in its employment practices, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The City did not oppose the Justice Department’s motion.
“Local communities must be able to choose firefighters and police officers based on skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas imposed by federal courts and the federal government,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to this Department of Justice, the City of Norfolk’s first responder hiring will finally be free from federal micromanagement for the first time in almost 50 years.”
“Nearly half a century after it was entered, the Decree is no longer necessary or legally justifiable as a temporary measure to remedy employment discrimination that may have occurred long ago,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The City fully complied with the decree in its hiring, recruitment, and other employment matters, and the federal government should release supervision and return control to local authorities.”
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/.