Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

“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.”

Good morning.

Thank you all for joining us. My name is Matthew Galeotti, and I am the Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Today, I am pleased to announce the indictments of five top leaders of the United Cartels – a lethal association of Mexico-based cartels that have allied to poison our streets with methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and ruthlessly rule their territories in Mexico, armed with military-grade weapons.

In February 2025, the United Cartels were one of eight groups designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, underscoring the threat that they pose to our national security.

These defendants have been charged with trafficking tonnage quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine from Mexico into the United States. And three of the defendants are also charged with firearms-related charges, including semi-automatic weapons, machine guns and destructive devices.

The charges we are announcing today represent the Department’s latest efforts to achieve the total elimination of drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The Criminal Division is on the frontlines of this fight, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and law enforcement partners to dismantle narco-terrorist networks using all available tools.

But this battle requires a whole-of-government approach. Today, I will describe three measures we are taking to curb the United Cartels and their reign of terror, violence, and poisonous drugs.

First, as I mentioned, the Department has criminally charged five top leaders of the United Cartels with crimes carrying sentences of up to life imprisonment.

Second, together with the State Department, we are expanding the awards program available to brave witnesses willing to come forward with information regarding the United Cartels and these leaders specifically.

And third, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control, is imposing economic sanctions against the United Cartels’ leadership.

Let’s start with the criminal charges.

The story of the United Cartels begins in the Mexican state of Michoacán, an area about the size of West Virginia, with mountains, beaches, and avocado farms. For years, the United Cartels have ruled most of Michoacán with terror and corruption.

In Michoacán, the United Cartels’ leaders operate large scale drug manufacturing facilities, including methamphetamine mega-labs capable of producing thousands of kilograms a month.

They control landing strips used by planes bringing cocaine from Colombia.

They run fentanyl pill labs that prepare the product for export.

The United Cartels generate extraordinary profits by manufacturing, shipping, and distributing these dangerous drugs throughout the United States, relying on particularly strong networks in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Denver.

With their drug trafficking proceeds, United Cartel leaders purchase weapons and hire mercenaries to control their territory in Michoacán, particularly against rival cartel Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Generacion, or CJNG. And by weapons, I mean Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), fully automatic weapons, drones, .50 caliber rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), armor piercing munitions, and improvised tanks.

To put it simply, these cartel leaders are narco-terrorists, operating a narco-terrorist organization.

The five indicted defendants are:

Juan Jose Farias Alvarez. Alvarez goes by the name “Abuelo” and is the alleged overall leader of the United Cartels.

Edgar Orozco Cabadas. Cabadas uses the alias “El Kamoni” and is allegedly a high-level enforcer and trafficker in the United Cartels. El Kamoni leads a group of armed fighters, known as the “Kamonis,” to enforce cartel control.

Alfonso Fernandez Magallon. Magallon goes by the alias “Poncho” and is the alleged leader of Los Reyes Cartel, a sub-cartel under the United Cartels umbrella. Poncho uses armed groups to enforce his orders, and ensure he is paid a tax on drugs produced and shipped to the United States from his territory.

Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez. Chavez goes by the name “Wicho” and is allegedly the second-in-command of Los Reyes Cartel and an enforcer for the United Cartels. Wicho leads an armed group known as the “R5s” to maintain the United Cartels territorial control over Michoacán.

Nicolas Sierra Santana. Santana goes by the name “El Gordo” and is the alleged leader of Los Viagras cartel, a sub-cartel that, until recently, operated under the United Cartels umbrella. El Gordo and his cartel are notoriously violent and prolific methamphetamine producers, who ship the methamphetamine they produce to the United States.

As outlined in their indictments, these five defendants are all alleged to have participated in conspiracies to manufacture and distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to be unlawfully imported into the United States, for over a decade.

In addition, “Abuelo,” “Poncho,” and “Wicho” are alleged to have carried, brandished, or discharged firearms during and in relation to the charged drug trafficking crimes.

Our global investigation against these men kicked off in December 2019 in Rockwood, Tennessee, a little town outside of Knoxville. Two methamphetamine distributors were involved in a car accident and fled the scene, where law enforcement found an active conversion lab, 39 kilograms of methamphetamine and seven kilograms of heroin.

Inside the stash house, law enforcement found 52 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 200 grams of fentanyl pills, and $180,000 of hidden cash.

In total, law enforcement seized approximately 950 kilos of meth from this network.

They also seized 15 phones, uncovering messages revealing the network’s connection to the United Cartels in Michoacán, Mexico.

Indeed, El Kamoni had been in touch with the network’s leader just days before agents executed the search warrants.

In messages to the network’s leader, El Kamoni spoke of sending kilos of meth and fentanyl pills to the network to be sold and distributed in the United States.

El Kamoni even encouraged the network leader to sell the meth quickly, so that El Kamoni can ship more from Mexico to Atlanta.

From a mountaintop mega lab in Michoacán to the hills of Georgia and Tennessee – this investigation illustrates the United Cartels’ deadly grip on the American heartland.

The drugs that these cartels send into our country make our communities more violent, more dangerous, and threaten the lives of everyday Americans. We are therefore committed to their total elimination.

The criminal charges that I am announcing today are the result of the hard work of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the dedicated special agents of Homeland Security Investigations and local law enforcement. We are intent on building on their investigation to bring the defendants to justice.

Now, the second measure that we are announcing – the use of the Narcotics Rewards Program.

We are committed to using all statutory bases to safeguard the United States and bring to justice those organizations seeking to wreak havoc on us at home and abroad.

Today, the Department of Justice, in coordination with the Department of State, is announcing reward offers for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the United Cartels defendants whose indictments I discussed earlier. Those rewards are as follows:

$10 million for Juan Farias Alvarez, also known as “Abuelo”;

$5 million for Alfonso Fernandez Magallon, also known as “Poncho”;

$5 million for Nicolas Sierra Santana, also known as “El Gordo”;

$3 million for Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez, also known as “Wicho”; and

$3 million for Edgar Orozco Cabadas, also known as “El Kamoni”

For over 35 years, the State Department-led Narcotics Reward Program has helped bring more than 75 cartel leaders and drug traffickers to justice, with over $135 million paid in rewards. It remains one of the most effective tools the U.S. government has to disrupt international drug trafficking and narco-terrorist organizations with urgency in light of these extreme danger these groups pose to our country.

These five defendants are believed to be located in Mexico, and the Justice Department is working tirelessly with its law enforcement partners to bring these individuals to face justice in the United States.

We are asking the public — in the U.S. and worldwide — to step forward. If you have information about the United Cartels leaders we’ve announced today, you may be eligible for one of these multimillion-dollar rewards.

In the U.S., contact Homeland Security Investigations. If you are located abroad, reach out to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, or respond directly to reward posters that will be published online. If you know where one of these United Cartels leaders is hiding, if you have information that could stop the next shipment of poison into our communities — we want to hear from you. The U.S. government will act, and we will reward your courage.

Lastly, our third measure, sanctions – I will turn it over to Brad Smith of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to announce our third critical step in eliminating the United Cartels by deploying yet another powerful tool in the U.S. Government’s arsenal against narco-terrorist organizations: economic sanctions.

Before I close, I want to also thank our foreign law enforcement counterparts, including Mexican law enforcement, for their assistance with this investigation. We will continue working together to bring these defendants to justice.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Note: View EDCA complaint here. View EDCA motion to intervene memo here.

View NDIL complaint here. View NDIL motion to intervene memo here.

The Justice Department this week filed two complaints in federal courts against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regarding the State’s enforcement of preempted emissions standards through its so-called “Clean Truck Partnership” with heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers. A parallel filing in the court of appeals addresses CARB’s rules for light-duty vehicles, which are also preempted. These actions advance President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to end the electric vehicle (EV) mandate, level the regulatory playing field, and promote consumer choice in motor vehicles.

The Clean Air Act preempts state regulation of vehicle emissions unless the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants California a preemption waiver. Under the Biden administration, EPA granted preemption waivers for two CARB regulations imposing stringent emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks. The goal of CARB’s regulations is to implement an EV mandate in California and in other states that adopt California’s rules.

In June 2025, President Trump signed into law congressional resolutions under the Congressional Review Act, invalidating EPA’s preemption waivers for CARB’s heavy-duty truck regulations. Without these waivers, the Clean Air Act prohibits CARB from attempting to enforce those regulations. Yet, in an affront to the rule of law, CARB seeks to circumvent that prohibition by enforcing the preempted emissions standards through the Clean Truck Partnership. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) filed the complaints with motions to intervene in pending cases in the Eastern District of California and Northern District of Illinois.

“Agreement, contract, partnership, mandate — whatever California wants to call it, this unlawful action attempts to undermine federal law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “President Donald Trump and Congress have invalidated the Clean Air Act waivers that were the basis for California’s actions. CARB must respect the democratic process and stop enforcing unlawful standards.”

In related actions, ENRD moved to dismiss as moot two sets of cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit where industry groups had challenged EPA’s preemption waivers for cars.  Those cases are now moot because Congress’s joint resolutions nullified the controversial preemption waivers.

ENRD is responsible for bringing cases against those who violate the nation’s environmental laws, as well as defending the federal government in litigation arising under a broad range of environmental statutes. The division is the nation’s environmental lawyer, and the largest environmental law firm in the country.

Chief of Staff and Senior General Counsel John Adams and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Robert Stander of ENRD filed the complaints, and attorneys with ENRD’s Appellate section are handling the cases in the Ninth Circuit. The EPA is a co-plaintiff in the filings. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Illinois and the Eastern District of California also provided assistance.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to committing a hate crime against Jewish students at The Ohio State University.

Timur Mamatov, 20, of Tipp City, Ohio, admitted to violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act when he physically assaulted two students for their religion, causing bodily injury.

“Violence against people of faith is illegal and unacceptable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Department of Justice will aggressively enforce federal laws to ensure that all Americans feel safe in practicing and expressing their faith.”

“Mamatov admitted in court today that he assaulted victims because they were Jewish,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “No American should fear being violently attacked based on their religious beliefs. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue violence motivated by hate.”

“No one should have to live in fear because of their religion,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “These college students were targeted by Mr. Mamtov simply because they were Jewish. Hate crimes not only impact the victims but have a devastating impact on our entire community. The FBI works tirelessly with our federal, state and local partners to thoroughly investigate many types of hate crimes, hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions and bring justice to the victims.”

According to court documents, on Nov. 10, 2023, Mamatov and a friend engaged in an altercation with five students outside of a bar on North High Street in Columbus. One student was wearing a “Chai” pendant around his neck – a piece of jewelry commonly associated with Judaism. Mamatov asked the students if they were Jewish, and when they answered that they were, Mamatov punched one victim, fracturing his jaw. A second victim was injured, suffering a fractured nose, as the fight poured over into the street.

Mamatov was charged by a bill of information on July 3.

Violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Cincinnati Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah R. Litton for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Cameron Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Justice Department and the National Economic Council announce an effort to identify State laws that significantly and adversely affect the national economy or interstate economic activity and to solicit solutions to address such effects. They invite public comments to support the Administration’s mission to address laws that hinder America’s economic growth, including those that burden industry and our small businesses.

From his first day in office, President Trump and his Administration have prioritized eliminating the “crushing regulatory burden” that has “made necessary goods and services scarce.” Deregulatory efforts will boost the American economy, relieve Americans of undue burdens, and make America affordable and energy dominant again. President Trump issued multiple Executive Orders to advance his deregulatory agenda and requiring the Executive Branch to put that policy into action. On January 31, President Trump signed Executive Order 14192 declaring “the policy of the executive branch” to be that federal agencies should “alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people.” Consistent with this policy, on February 19, President Trump signed Executive Order 14219 directing agencies to “initiate a process to review all regulations” and identify regulations that, among other things, “impose undue burdens on small businesses and impede private enterprise and entrepreneurship.” He also signed Executive Orders aimed at unleashing American Energy, rolling back Obama-era regulations micro-managing Americans’ showers, and tackling anti-competitive rules.

Federal regulatory burdens are only part of the story. As President Trump has also recognized, in Executive Order 14260, State-level practices can drive up nationwide costs and undermine American safety and “Federalism by projecting the regulatory preferences of a few States into all States.” Anecdotal evidence and the experience of countless Americans across the country strongly suggest that State laws and regulations can significantly burden commerce in other States, raising costs unnecessarily and harming markets nationwide. For example, last month, the Department sued the State of California, Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and other State officials over California laws that impose costly requirements on the production of eggs and poultry products, raising prices for American consumers in and outside of California.

The public is invited to provide input to aid the Administration’s efforts as set forth in the above-discussed Executive Orders and elsewhere to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens and costs imposed on the American people. This request for comments seeks information pertaining to State laws, regulations, causes of action, policies, and practices (collectively, State laws) that adversely affect interstate commerce and business activities in other States. In particular, comments are invited on:

• Which State laws significantly burden commerce in other States or between States, thus raising costs unnecessarily and harming markets nationwide.

• Whether the State laws identified may be preempted by existing federal authority and, if so, what authority.

• Whether there may be federal legislative or regulatory means for addressing the State laws or regulations identified or the burdens they cause.

• Which federal agency has the subject-matter expertise to address concerns lawfully within the federal government’s authority.

The public will have 30 days to submit comments at Regulations.gov (OLP182; Docket No. DOJ-OLP-2025-0169), no later than September 15, 2025. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov. All interested parties are invited to provide comments in response to this inquiry, including consumers, consumer advocates, small businesses, employers, trade groups, industry analysts, States, and other entities that are impacted by State laws that have nationwide or interstate economic effects.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Honduran national was sentenced today to over 18 years in prison for participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy.

“Working with Belizean authorities, the Justice Department dismantled a major international drug trafficking operation before more than a ton of cocaine could be transported internationally,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Transnational criminal networks that move vast quantities of narcotics pose a direct threat to the safety and health of the American people. Through strong coordination with our foreign partners, we continue to attack the problem before narcotics cross our borders.”

“This case is proof that there is no safe haven for those who poison our communities from abroad,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “A ton of cocaine was stopped before it could ever reach our streets, and a key player in that operation will now spend years behind bars. DEA will continue to hunt down cartel operatives wherever they are — from remote airstrips to the highest levels of their networks — and we will bring them to justice.”

According to court documents, Carlos Humberto Henriquez Gomez, 57, of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, was a member of a transnational drug trafficking organization that used a U.S.-registered aircraft to transport more than a ton of cocaine from Venezuela to Belize.

Henriquez Gomez played a key role in planning and carrying out the operation. In 2018, he traveled to Belize to inspect a clandestine airstrip for suitability to land a narcotics-laden aircraft. In 2019, he returned to prepare the airstrip for arrival, then assisted in offloading the cocaine for transport within Belize. Authorities intercepted the aircraft and a vehicle carrying the narcotics, seizing more than 1,300 kilograms of cocaine.

The DEA Orlando District Office investigated the case. The Belize Police Department’s Anti-Narcotics Unit and DEA Belize provided critical assistance. Henriquez Gomez’s capture and transfer to Washington, D.C., were made possible thanks to key coordination between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Colleen King 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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood. 

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.