Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Dekarri Nixon (28, Jasper) has pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The government is also seeking forfeiture from Nixon of $4,000, the proceeds that Nixon obtained by accepting a bribe. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury indicted a Maryland man today, in connection with child sexual exploitation crimes. Gleybar Josue Ramirez-Clemente, 21, of Frederick, Maryland, is charged with sexual exploitation of a child, coercion and enticement, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Source: United States Army
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AGADIR, Morocco – The inaugural African Lion drone academics class graduated more than 20 service members from four nations, trained on cost-effective small unmanned aircraft systems at Southern Zone Headquarters in Agadir, Morocco, May 5.
Students from Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria and the United States participated in this first-of-its-kind training as part of U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF).
The training served as a fusion center of training and technology, allowing partners to collaborate on solutions to persistent security threats. Aligned with the U.S. Army Transformation Initiative, the academics included emerging sUAS capabilities, putting the initiative’s aim of a more lethal force into practice.
“Our continuous transformation initiative is built on bottom-up innovation,” said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. “Putting capability in the hands of the warfighter, experimenting and learning how Soldiers actually use it, is critical to this effort. This drone academy is the manifestation of that idea — U.S. Soldiers training shoulder to shoulder with our partners, building skills and sending lessons back into their formations.”
The drone academics featured two simultaneous courses, an eight-day sUAS planner course and a 10-day sUAS operator course, taught by instructors from the 7th Army Training Command. U.S. trainees came from the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the Utah Army National Guard‘s 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
The sUAS planner course gave students the knowledge and skills to integrate sUAS into the broader scheme of maneuver, with a focus on airspace deconfliction, multidomain integration, strike capabilities and intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance synchronization.
“Over eight days, planners covered everything from capabilities gap analysis and warfighting functions to airspace management, counter-UAS and electronic warfare,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Guyton, sUAS master trainer with the 7th Army Training Command Combined Arms Training Center and noncommissioned officer in charge of drone academics. “They built that into course of action development, then spent the last two days running mission rehearsals. By graduation, they could integrate sUAS team employment, UAS orders and symbols, and meteorology into the broader scheme of maneuver.”
AL26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Roldan)
VIEW ORIGINALThe sUAS operator course gave service members the proficiency to plan, operate and maintain sUAS in a tactical environment, react to emergencies and provide real-time reconnaissance to commanders.
“Operators spent 10 days training on sUAS components, operational considerations, vehicle identification, meteorology, battery management, electronic warfare, aerodynamics, night operations, mission planning, airspace deconfliction, camouflage and concealment, with hands-on familiarization across a variety of systems,” Guyton said. “They had to pass emergency procedure tests, and they finished with four days of flying.”
The training connected a live drone feed to the combined joint task force innovation cell, demonstrating that real-time imagery can be used in both training and operations. The capability supports a broader push to compress the kill chain and sharpen how operational headquarters see, sense and strike.
This inaugural AL26 drone academics class brought together subject matter experts and students from the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, Armed Forces of Nigeria, Ghana Armed Forces and U.S. forces to build foundational proficiency in unmanned aircraft system flight operations, reconnaissance and target identification.
AL26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Shane Killeen)
VIEW ORIGINAL“What we are seeing in African Lion are partner forces learning and using emerging technology together, so they can apply this capability against their own persistent security challenges,” said U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Donahue, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. “This is a great example of partners stepping up, fusing intelligence and technology, and how we can enable them to take the lead on their own challenges and contribute to regional security.”
Morocco’s permissive environment, including an open electromagnetic spectrum, uncongested airspace and austere, combat-realistic terrain, enables training difficult that is to replicate elsewhere.
“Operators are leaving here able to plan a mission, fly several platforms, react to emergencies and provide commanders with real-time reconnaissance,” Guyton said. “Planners are leaving able to integrate sUAS operations into the broader scheme of maneuver, from airspace deconfliction to targeting.”
Drone academics will continue to grow and develop, supporting shared security interests through sustainable, partner-led solutions. African Lion remains the premier venue for multinational training and innovation across the region.
About African Lion
AL26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.
About SETAF-AF
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.
Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS
Source: United States Army
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ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal — Military medical personnel representing the U.S., Senegal, Italy and Austria concluded a multinational medical readiness exercise in southern Senegal to end African Lion 26, May 8.
From April 25 to May 8, U.S. Army medical professionals from the Vermont National Guard worked alongside Senegalese Armed Forces healthcare providers and allied medical teams from Austria and Italy. Training took place at multiple medical facilities across Senegal, where participating forces exchanged expertise and refined their ability to provide effective care in complex environments.
This training event focused on critical wartime medical skills, including point-of-injury care, blast and trauma management, surgical treatment and patient recovery through rehabilitation.
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) planned and executed this MEDREX that prepares military medical professionals to provide care outside of traditional clinical settings during African Lion 26. By working alongside African partners, U.S. and Senegalese medical teams refine their ability to deliver rapid, adaptable and resource-efficient medical care, directly increasing medical readiness for large-scale combat operations.
AL26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations, and global allies. Co-led by SETAF-AF from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Katherine Sibilla)
VIEW ORIGINAL“Over the past two weeks, our team worked side by side with our Senegalese partners, completing 350 patient encounters,” said U.S. Army Col. Christopher Gookin, commander of the Vermont National Guard Medical Readiness Detachment. “That’s the greatest strength of these medical readiness exercise missions — not just what is provided, but what is gained through partnership.”
Led by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), this MEDREX prepared military medical personnel to operate outside traditional clinical settings while strengthening multinational interoperability.
“Medical readiness exercises allow multinational medical teams to exchange expertise and strengthen their ability to operate in complex environments,” said U.S. Army Col. Scot Tebo, command surgeon for SETAF-AF. “Training alongside our Senegalese, Austrian and Italian partners improves coordination, readiness and our collective ability to provide care during operational missions.”
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) planned and executed this MEDREX that prepares military medical professionals to provide care outside of traditional clinical settings during African Lion 26. By working alongside African partners, U.S. and Senegalese medical teams refine their ability to deliver rapid, adaptable and resource-efficient medical care, directly increasing medical readiness for large-scale combat operations.
AL26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Katherine Sibilla)
VIEW ORIGINALThis year’s MEDREX proved highly successful, with participants treating more than 350 patients throughout the exercise. The mission enabled multinational medical teams to collaborate in unfamiliar and operational environments, strengthening interoperability, readiness and adaptability.
Throughout the exercise, medical teams worked side by side to improve coordination, strengthen professional relationships and enhance readiness to deliver care in operational environments.
The MEDREX also highlighted the longstanding partnership between Senegal and the Vermont National Guard through the Department of War National Guard State Partnership Program, which has fostered decades of military cooperation and training exchanges.
The exercise reinforced enduring partnerships among participating nations and built the trust and coordination needed to respond to shared security challenges.
About African Lion
African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.
African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).
About SETAF-AF
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.
Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS
Source: United States Army
CLAY KASERNE, Germany — U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria community members took center stage at this year’s U.S. Army Installation Management Command – Europe Tournament of Plays (TOPPERs) Awards April 25, 2026 at USAG Wiesbaden, earning recognition for their outstanding achievements in U.S. military theater programs.
The TOPPERs Awards is an annual event held by IMCOM-Europe to recognize military community theater productions across Europe. More than 600 Army Europe leaders, entertainment staff and program participants attended the gala dinner and awards show, which was hosted by IMCOM-Europe deputy director Col. G. Kirk Alexander.
The program has a long tradition. It is one of the longest-running Army Entertainment Europe events, with show judging from February to mid-April.
USAG Bavaria’s success at this year’s TOPPERs Awards reflects the garrison’s continued commitment to supporting the arts and enriching the lives of Soldiers, civilians and Family members across its communities.
Twenty-five people from USAG Bavaria were nominated for TOPPERS awards this year, with five ultimately receiving honors.
Sgt. Michael Bradle, afternoon show DJ and multimedia producer for American Forces Network Bavaria, won the award for Outstanding Military Debut Performance in a Play or Musical for his role as William Barfee in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, marking an impressive introduction to the military community theater stage.
“In all seriousness, I wasn’t expecting anything more than a nomination, if anything at all,” Bradle said. “Even after I sat down, I was still shaking a bit as I processed the fact that I just won an award. I’m very honored to have been selected by the judges.”
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was technically my second production with Bavaria Performing Arts, my first being Shakespeare In The Park,” he continued. “For Shakespeare, I wasn’t really planning to take a starring role and had no idea of my acting ability.”
Bradle credited the camaraderie among the cast and crew for the production’s success. He also encouraged others to get involved in the performing arts.
“If you want to, do it,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re good at until you do it.”
He also encouraged people possessing a variety of talents to join a stage crew.
“The performing arts doesn’t just need actors,” Bradle said. “We need set designers, painters, and even musicians. Every little bit helps to make each production incredible.”
Bavaria’s Performing Arts team had a standout evening, earning recognition across multiple categories:
Find more pictures of the event here.
Find a list of a the nominees here.
Source: United States Army
WIESBADEN, Germany — Celebrity chef and talk show host Robert Irvine visited U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden on May 5 as part of the Armed Forces Entertainment “Fueling the Fight” tour. Irvine, a former British Royal Navy cook, has dedicated his post-military career to supporting service members and transforming military dining.
On Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Irvine met with units, toured the installation, and offered a special meal for community members.
“It’s very important for the Robert Irvine Foundation, and myself, to support the men and women,” said Irvine. “Nutrition stands for resiliency, retention, recruitment, and readiness. And if we fuel their bodies with great nutrition, feed these Soldiers properly, they can do the job correctly.”
The tour is designed to boost morale and promote wellness through food, fitness and community.
“It’s great to see that Chef Irvine is here. I’ve met him previously once in the past when he was at Fort Stewart, and it’s good to see that he’s continued to show love and support to the troops, always looking out for us, and always looking for ways to improve our daily lives here,” said Staff Sgt. Ivy Roberson IV, Vice President of Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers. “And he’s all about getting us the best food possible, making sure that we have the fuel that we need [so] we can be ready every single day for whatever we’re asked to do.”
During a lunch engagement, Irvine and his team met with members of B.O.S.S, sharing his passion for food and wellness.
“For us, seeing someone like that come here to visit us just to talk to us, just to sit with the Soldiers is really good,” said Roberson. “To see that no matter what happens, there is someone thinking about them, especially someone who’s as successful and as creative as Chef Irvine is.”
As part of the tour Irvine and his team of chefs prepared a special dinner for service members and their families dining at the Stronger Together Cafe (DFAC) on Clay Kaserne, feeding up to 350 service members.
Source: United States Army
DAEGU, South Korea — U.S. and Republic of Korea Army logisticians gathered across two events in April to share expertise in military logistics and strengthen combined readiness on the Korean Peninsula.
Col. Jason P. Book, commander, 403rd Army Field Support Brigade, delivered a guest lecture at the ROK Army Consolidated Logistics School in Daejeon, April 23. He spoke to 40 newly promoted ROK Army majors attending the Logistics Branch Advanced Course on the topic of “Contested Logistics,” covering the threats surrounding the Korean Peninsula and the challenges facing military logistics operations today.
The majors, who are preparing to return to field assignments, engaged in discussions with Book on the operational realities shaping logistics planning in the current environment.
As a follow-up, the group traveled to Camp Carroll in Waegwan, April 27 to visit the Army Prepositioned Stocks-4 site, operated by the Army Field Support Battalion – Northeast Asia. Centurion Battalion staff provided briefings on APS-4 fleet readiness, maintenance, and supply activities. Book also quizzed the majors on material from the April 23 session, prompting further discussion as the group toured the facility and observed U.S. Army vehicles stored there.
Lt. Col. Rosilyn C. Woodard, commander, AFSBn-NEA, engaged with the visiting officers and highlighted the battalion’s role in sustaining APS-4 readiness. Her involvement underscored the close coordination between brigade and battalion leadership in supporting the engagement.
Officers who took part in the visit said the two events gave them a broader understanding of Army theater logistics concepts and doctrine relevant to ensuring stability in the region, while also offering a meaningful opportunity to consider the future direction of ROK Army logistics as they prepare to return to field assignments.
The events were part of the 403rd AFSB’s ongoing effort to engage with ROK counterparts and support the U.S.-ROK alliance. The two organizations said they plan to continue fostering exchanges between U.S. and ROK logisticians in the future.
Source: United States Department of Justice
Serrano Kidney & Vascular Access Center, a physician practice based in Huntington Park, California, and physician Dr. Feliciano Serrano have agreed to pay more than $6.73 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for medically unnecessary vascular interventional procedures on 20 Medicare beneficiaries.
“Physicians should not be performing and billing for unnecessary and excessive medical interventions. False documentation of symptoms compromises the integrity of our federal health care programs and the well-being of beneficiaries,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Physicians who place their own profit over patient needs will be held accountable.”
“False claims to Medicare and Medicaid cause millions of dollars in losses to the government,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill A. Essayli for the Central District of California. “This settlement sends a clear message to physicians that the United States will zealously pursue appropriate action against those who submit false claims for taxpayer funds.”
The United States alleged that from 2016 to 2024, Dr. Serrano performed medically unnecessary dialysis access interventions, including angioplasty and stent procedures, on 18 patients, purportedly to treat stenosis in patients’ dialysis segments. Dr. Serrano scheduled interventions on a routine basis, without waiting for complications to present, and he frequently repeated procedures on patients every few days or weeks despite that the procedures were not effective and did not result in any clinical benefit. One Medicare patient received approximately 42 stents in the dialysis segment between 2016 and 2023, including during a period when Dr. Serrano informed the patient he did not need dialysis.
The United States also alleged that from 2019 to 2024, Dr. Serrano performed medically unnecessary peripheral artery disease interventions, including stent and atherectomy procedures, on 17 patients, purportedly to treat stenosis in patients’ legs. Dr. Serrano performed interventions on patients who had only mild or no stenosis and who had only minor symptoms. Although patients complained of pain only in one leg, he performed procedures on both legs and then repeated procedures on both legs every few months. Dr. Serrano told patients that if they did not receive the procedure, their legs would need to be amputated, when, in fact, there was little risk of amputation for mildly symptomatic peripheral artery disease. One Medicare patient received approximately 16 atherectomies in his legs between 2019 and 2023.
The United States alleged that across both categories of procedures, Dr. Serrano performed interventional procedures on vessels that did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice; overstated the degree of stenosis to make the procedures appear to meet generally recognized medical standards when, in fact, they did not; falsely documented patient symptoms and conservative therapy measures in medical records to justify the procedures; and performed procedures in excess of accepted standards of medical practice.
As a result of the settlements, Dr. Serrano will pay nearly $6.51 million to the United States and nearly $229,000 to the State of California.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought by Lincoln Analytics Inc. under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States and State of California ex rel. Lincoln Analytics Inc. v. Dr. Feliciano Serrano, et al., Civil Action No. 23-cv-04178 (C.D. Cal.). Lincoln Analytics Inc. will receive approximately $976,000 as its share of the federal recovery.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and the California Department of Justice, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
Trial Attorney Tiffany L. Ho of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Paik for the Central District of California handled this case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Eighteen defendants, including two people law enforcement believes are the main sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Los Angeles’s gang- and drug-infested MacArthur Park, have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging them with a federal drug trafficking offense, the Justice Department announced today.
Source: United States Army
PABRADE, Lithuania — For brothers Adam and Aaron Eyerly, service to the nation has not only been a career but a shared legacy spanning generations of deployments and parallel paths that repeatedly bring them back together.
Prior to both serving with V Corps in Lithuania for Saber Strike ’26, they spent their childhood years in Kansas City, Missouri, rooted in military service. Their father, Damon Eyerly, a retired master sergeant in the U.S. Army, served in civil affairs and later deployed to Iraq and Jordan, providing an example of leadership and service that would influence both sons.
Although separated by seven years in age, they each forged distinct paths.
Adam first enlisted as a 35F (intelligence analyst) in the U.S. Army before commissioning through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He branched into ordnance and logistics, deploying to East Africa before transitioning into civil affairs. He serves as the headquarters and headquarters company commander of the 510th Regional Support Group, 7th Mission Support Command.
Aaron pursued a parallel route, enlisting as an 11B (infantryman) before commissioning through ROTC at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. Branching into the infantry, he transitioned into civil affairs with deployments to Qatar, echoing the path of his older brother and father.
Though their careers developed on separate timelines, their professional paths often intersect.
“Having gone through our careers together both as Soldiers and Army civilians, it’s been invaluable that we can run ideas off each other and have a deeper connection,” Adam said. “Every chance we get to serve together, I love getting to brag about my little brother.”
One such moment came when both served in the same civil affairs company and trained together at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana — a rare opportunity for siblings to operate side by side in a demanding environment.
Serving as the civil affairs team chief with the 418th Civil Affairs Battalion, 308th Civil Affairs Brigade, 353rd Civil Affairs Command, Aaron continues to work alongside his brother in one of the largest exercises on the eastern flank.
“It’s always an honor to serve alongside Adam in training exercises,” Aaron said. “These moments are what you dream of, but to make it a reality is always fun, and I am happy to call him my older brother.”
Their story is one of family traditions, parallel careers, and a mutual dedication to the mission. From enlistment to becoming commissioned officers, and from separate deployments to shared training rotations, both demonstrate how a personal calling can evolve into a shared family bond.
The 510th Regional Support Group, 7th Mission Support Command, headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and co-located in Poznan, Poland, provides base operation support to seven installation sites across the Baltics. As the rotational unit in Poland, the 510th Regional Support Group enables the readiness of V Corps and NATO forces across the eastern flank.
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