Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Seattle –A 47-year-old resident of Newcastle, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to commit money laundering for his scheme to take in fraud proceeds and forward them to coconspirators’ bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Phoenix, Ariz. – A man convicted of sexually abusing two young children on Navajo Nation was sentenced Feb. 17, 2026, in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. Avery Cody Billy, 30, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 188 months in prison, followed by 180 months of supervised release. Billy previously pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child.
Source: United States Navy
MAYPORT, Fla. – Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/4th Fleet. relieved the commanding officer of USS Truxtun (DDG 103), Cmdr. James Koffi, Feb. 22, due to a loss of confidence in Koffi’s ability to command.
Source: United States Army
NEW ORLEANS – – Louisiana National Guard Soldiers supported federal, state and local law enforcement partners during peak Mardi Gras operations in the French Quarter, assisting with crowd management, emergency response and public safety efforts within the French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone.
More than 350 Guardsmen have been activated since January in support of Operation NOLA Safe, a coordinated, multiagency effort targeting organized crime and violent activity across the greater New Orleans region. Assigned to Task Force Defender, Soldiers conducted roving patrols, manned checkpoints and maintained a visible presence throughout the 8th District alongside Louisiana State Police and other partner agencies.
“We are proud to serve our country, our state and the City of New Orleans,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana, during a press briefing Feb. 17. “Our Soldiers remain committed to supporting our law enforcement partners and helping ensure a safe and enjoyable Mardi Gras for residents and visitors alike.”
During peak Mardi Gras operations, Louisiana National Guard Soldiers supported continuous 24-hour security efforts while working 12-hour shifts throughout the French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone. Guardsmen assisted law enforcement partners by staffing access control points, conducting roving patrols, maintaining a quick reaction force, and providing support to first responders during multiple emergency assistance requests throughout the weekend.
During the final hour of Feb. 17, Friloux and Command Sgt. Maj. Clifford Ockman, command senior enlisted leader of the Louisiana National Guard, joined city officials, federal partners and state agency leaders for the annual ceremonial walk down Bourbon Street. The coordinated clearing of the corridor marked the official close of Carnival season and the successful execution of a unified public safety mission.
Louisiana National Guard personnel will remain postured to support law enforcement partners through Feb. 28 as Operation NOLA Safe continues.
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Source: United States Army
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Massachusetts National Guard Senior Airman Matthew Wright recently completed a five-month fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology through a military collaboration between the Department of the Air Force Artificial Intelligence Accelerator and the private research university.
The fellowship aims to promote the ethical use of artificial intelligence, or AI, while building a sustainable, end-to-end AI pipeline to help maintain U.S. competitiveness in defense and civilian sectors. The program provides exposure to cutting-edge AI research, customized training and a career-enhancing experience.
Wright was among fewer than 3% of applicants selected for the program. He was selected by Col. Scott Ruppel, director of the Department of the Air Force-MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator, after briefing him at Otis Air National Guard Base on the 267th Intelligence Squadron’s mission. During the briefing, Wright explained how, as a cyber analyst with the 267th Intelligence Squadron, he leveraged AI to support fellow analysts. He has a strong interest in emerging technologies and AI-enabled systems.
“It was eye-opening to see how much academia is working to solve Department of War problems,” Wright said. “The work being done at MIT Lincoln Laboratory – taking foundational research from the MIT campus and applying it to real-world DAF challenges – is cutting-edge and a key reason the U.S. military remains the most formidable in the world. Programs like this allow talent that might otherwise be confined to a single Air Force Specialty Code [AFSC] to thrive and drive innovation across the Air Force and the DoW.”
During the program, Wright served as the only enlisted Airman on his team and was among the first junior enlisted Airmen selected in the program’s history, contributing operational military and intelligence experience to his projects.
“Junior members often bring a different level of energy,” said Master Sgt. Nathaniel Maidel, research chief for imagery intelligence operations with the DAF-MIT AIA. “They tend to be younger and are not afraid of fresh ideas or taking on challenges that those of us with more experience or institutional knowledge may choose to avoid, given that experience. Senior Airman Wright was no different. His willingness to jump into new domains and engage with experts from different fields helped progress our efforts to make AI real for Airmen and Guardians.”
The Phantom Program immerses participants in advanced AI research and practical application. As a Phantom, Wright worked alongside leading AI researchers, Airmen and Space Force Guardians on a range of projects, contributing his expertise while helping bridge research and real-world implementation.
Throughout the 22-week fellowship, Wright completed 60 hours of independent AI education and contributed to the “Multi-Foundational Models for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Decision-Making” project. The team leveraged foundational research from MIT in collaboration with Lincoln Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, focusing on few-shot computer vision models.
In addition to his team assignment, Wright completed an individual capstone project addressing an operational challenge relevant to the 102nd Intelligence Wing and broader U.S. Air Force and Department of War missions. He authored a research paper and capstone brief titled “Synthetic Network Data Generation for Analyst Training,” which explored the use of large language models to generate synthetic malicious network data to enhance cyber analyst training.
“One of the hardest parts about innovation is clearly identifying the problem you are trying to solve,” Maidel said. “Through the Phantom program and his individual research project, Phantoms like SrA Wright bring real issues to research that may be overlooked or under-resourced. He brought a clearly defined problem facing cyber defenders and an idea on how to solve it. The AIA and Phantom program simply provided the opportunity and resources to pursue that solution.”
As a Phantom alum, Wright is now tasked with demonstrating responsible AI implementation within the 102nd Intelligence Wing. He is expected to serve as an AI advocate, fostering a culture of forward thinking while emphasizing that people remain the true AI capability and the technology serves as a tool to support national defense. He will continue leveraging the professional network he built during the program to sustain those efforts.
“Senior Airman Wright is now responsible for promoting the program and mentoring his fellow Airmen who are interested in AI,” said Maj. Phillip Benevides, director of intelligence for the 102nd Intelligence Wing. “As members of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, Airmen have a unique opportunity, through our cooperative agreement with the DAF-MIT AIA, to participate in this premier AI program.”
“I am very grateful for my time at the DAF-MIT AIA,” Wright said. “I learned a lot and developed into the kind of AI talent the DoW needs to stay at the forefront of innovation.”
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Source: United States Army
OKLAHOMA CITY – A hand-drawn sketch on scrap paper has become a nearly 35,000-square-foot wellness center dedicated to supporting the mental, physical and spiritual health of Oklahoma National Guard service members and their families.
“This is a big event for us,” said Brig. Gen. Brad Carter, assistant adjutant general, Oklahoma Army National Guard and presiding officer for the ceremony. “Of all the years I’ve worn this uniform, I can’t tell you how excited I am about a facility that we’ve put up. Thank you to everyone who put this together, in particular our congressional delegation and our state legislature, who have been so supportive of the Oklahoma Guard.”
The state-of-the-art facility, constructed by Flintco and designed by Larson Design Group, represents a major step forward in the OKNG’s commitment to the holistic health and wellness of its service members. The center is the first of its kind for the organization, not only in its function but also in its design, working with Verdacity to achieve “Gold” certification under the WELL Building Standard.
The facility’s WELL design focuses on enhancing human health and well-being through the building’s environment, with features that address air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community.
The idea for the facility was born from a conversation between Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino, adjutant general for Oklahoma, and Lt. Col. Montana Dugger, deputy for the OKNG’s Construction and Facilities Maintenance Office. A simple hand-drawn sketch on scrap paper laid the foundation for a facility that would bring all of the OKNG’s mental and physical health resources under one roof.
“My staff and I drew this [plan] up with pencil and paper, a ruler and a dream,” Dugger said. “If you’ve ever been in engineering or construction more than a day, you know that sometimes things can take five, seven, 10 years to come to fruition, so I had no idea two to three years ago that I’d be standing in front of this building already completed.”
Amenities within the wellness center include a fully equipped workout space for resistance and agility training, indoor and outdoor meditation spaces, a chapel, conference rooms, classroom spaces, and a teaching kitchen.
The facility also houses OKNG programs and services, including Behavioral Health, Chaplain, Equal Employment Opportunity, Family Programs, Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F), Integrated Primary Prevention, Resilience, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Risk Reduction, and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response.
“With the availability of a chapel, classrooms and individual office spaces, we have the opportunity for our service members and their families to access many more resources,” said Col. Lindy White, joint resiliency director for the Oklahoma National Guard. “All these services will finally have a home.”
After hearing the story of how the idea came about and knowing the positive effect a facility like this could have — and that it all started on a scrap piece of paper — White asked that the sketch be framed and displayed in the new facility for years to come.
“I’m going to take a line from Col. White,” Dugger said during the ceremony. She said, ‘Sometimes innovation can start with just a sketchpad and a pen.’”
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Source: United States Army
BARRIGADA, Guam – The Guam National Guard’s 94th Civil Support Team, together with New Mexico Guard’s 64th Civil Support Team and Andersen Air Force Base’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives Response Team, trained Feb. 18 at a clandestine drug lab.
The entry team, composed of one service member from each agency, worked together to detect chemicals, photograph drug-manufacturing equipment and relay information to the command post via radio and live stream.
Lt. Col. Melvin Pilarca, commander of the 94th Civil Support Team, or CST, was at the command post.
“This is a full-scale, all-hazards exercise not only for our unit, but with our partners and first responders in the government of Guam and other military units,” Pilarca said. “It’s just as important that we sharpen our skills as it is to learn to work together across agencies.”
According to Pilarca, the exercise began earlier in the day at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport, where the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency and Guam Police Department tracked suspicious persons to the lab. The Guam Fire Department, or GFD, hazmat team was then called.
“If GFD sees something that is beyond their capability, that’s when they’ll send a request to activate the CST,” Pilarca said. “We have the specialized training and equipment, such as sensors and protective gear, that allows us to perform the Reconnaissance and Site Characterization mission you’re seeing now.”
Pilarca also thanked the New Mexico National Guard, Andersen Air Force Base’s 36th Civil Engineering Squadron, and GovGuam first responders for what he called “the best level of participation we’ve seen in a while.”
“Chemical and Biological hazards can spread like wildfire, including the drugs being produced in this lab,” Pilarca said. “Exercises like this are important because the better we can work together between agencies, the better we can save lives.”
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney David I Courcelle announced today that MARQUEL HORTON, (“HORTON”), age 41, of New Orleans, was indicted on February 6, 2026, on two counts of violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act. He was indicted in Count One for conspiracy to import tapentadol, a schedule II-controlled substance, into the United States from India, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §§ 952(a), 960(a)(1) and (b)(3), and 963. He was indicted in Count Two for Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, tapentadol, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); §841(b)(1)(C), and 846. As to both counts, HORTON faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
[UPDATED] OMAHA — A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an indictment Wednesday charging six individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.”
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Miami man made his first appearance in federal court today after a grand jury in Miami charged him with drug crimes, using and firing a gun as part of the drug crime, and illegal firearm possession by a prior felon relating to his prior felony conviction.
“This defendant shot repeatedly at an innocent man who stopped a crime as it was happening,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It was through the bravery of the Uber driver that police were alerted and able stop the movement of almost a kilogram of pure cocaine from hitting the streets of Miami. The Criminal Division will pursue violent drug dealers in every city in America.”
“There is a real and dangerous link between drug trafficking and gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “According to the indictment, this defendant arranged a drug deal and then fired multiple shots at a rideshare driver. That kind of alleged conduct turns a drug crime into a life-threatening situation in seconds. Federal law treats that combination seriously, with a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years if convicted.”
According to court documents, on or about Oct. 29, 2024, the defendant Lester Leon Sanders, 47, of Miami Gardens, allegedly reserved an Uber ride share. When the driver arrived, the defendant and another man loaded three suitcases in the Uber. While this was happening, the Uber driver saw a firearm magazine fall out of Sanders’s clothing.
Sanders got into the Uber and he and the driver drove off. Shortly thereafter, Sanders ordered the driver to stop the car. Sanders got out of the vehicle and began shouting. The driver, concerned with what he had observed, drove off without Sanders but with the luggage and other belongings still in the car. Sanders shouted at the Uber driver and fired a gun approximately five times as the Uber driver sped away.
The driver then flagged down police and relayed what had happened. Law enforcement arrested Sanders a short time later. Inside of the Uber, police recovered a loaded, large-capacity firearm magazine, 929 grams of almost pure cocaine, six pounds of marijuana, and more ammunition, as well as drug paraphernalia, such as a weight scale and multiple small transparent bags. They also found shell casings in the vicinity of where Sanders fired at the Uber.
If convicted, Sanders faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance provided by the Miami Gardens Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Jennifer Burns and Jinah Chang of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Miami. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute offenders and prevent violence.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.