Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Seattle – Law enforcement fanned out to some 17 locations in Washington, Oregon, and California, on Wednesday February 4, 2026, making 14 arrests following a wiretap investigation of a drug and gun trafficking organization affiliated with the Black Gangster Disciples street gang, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan. 31 through Feb. 6, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 139 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 84 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 40 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 15 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
Source: United States Army
WASHINGTON — Feb. 4, 2026 — The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) announced today it has awarded a $5.2 million agreement to Perennial Autonomy for the Bumblebee V2 counter-drone system to provide U.S. forces with a low-cost, low-collateral kinetic interceptor to defeat illicit drones at home and abroad.
The agreement was awarded January 30, 2026, with deliveries scheduled to begin in March. The Bumblebee V2 is a next-generation FPV multirotor drone. The system is designed to physically intercept and neutralize hostile small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). This is achieved through a drone-on-drone collision when the Bumblebee V2 directly engages the threat, rendering both aircraft inoperable. This method provides a precise countermeasure that minimizes collateral damage, making it a safe and effective option for protecting troops on the battlefield and critical infrastructure in the homeland.
“This decision puts kinetic Counter-sUAS capability into the hands of our troops immediately,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross, Director, JIATF-401. “The Bumblebee V2 provides a cost-effective, reliable interceptor that can neutralize threats without endangering our own forces or surrounding infrastructure. On the modern battlefield, where drones are a constant threat, having a low-collateral kinetic option is not just an advantage, it is increasingly becoming essential for protecting our forces.”
The Bumblebee V2 will be operationally assessed by the Army’s Global Response Force in support of the recently established Lieutenant General Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost (JIOP). This assessment will ensure the system meets the nation’s toughest demands for units who train to rapidly deploy on high-stakes missions across the globe, aligning with the JIOP’s goal to accelerate the delivery of top-tier technology to warfighters.
“The Bumblebee V2 is fully NDAA compliant and is equipped with cutting-edge software that allows it to identify, track, and collide with other drones,” added U.S. Army Maj. Cole Price, Assistant Capability Manager, JIATF-401. “This provides a crucial capability for our forces to counter the growing threat of autonomous systems.”
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A federal jury convicted a sex offender yesterday of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material and receiving and possessing AI-generated images of child sexual abuse.
Cody L. Prater, 28, of McArthur, Ohio, was convicted of four counts related to his receipt and possession of both child pornography and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. Before trial, Prater challenged his indictment on First Amendment grounds; however, the Court denied his motion, ruling that the possession and receipt of obscene, generative AI material depicting the sexual abuse of children is not constitutionally protected speech.
According to evidence presented at trial, Prater received and possessed videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of real minors, primarily babies and toddlers. He also used an artificial intelligence text-to-image program to convert his text prompts into photorealistic depictions of child sexual abuse, including bestiality, nude prepubescent children being mutilated and tortured, and children engaged in sexual acts with adults.
“Cody Prater created, possessed, and trafficked images depicting the brutal sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, including Artificial Intelligence generated images,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Child sexual abuse material, including that which is AI-generated, causes substantial harm. It further creates depraved and sadistic desires to harm real children. A seminal prosecution goal of the Department of Justice is to protect the innocent. Our children and their families deserve vigorous investigation and prosecution of those who create, share, possess, or otherwise illegally engage with such material.”
“Prater collected vile videos of real babies and toddlers being sexually abused and created other AI-generated obscene material involving children,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “We will continue to crack down on those who victimize children through these horrific materials. I commend the investigators and trial team for their outstanding work.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting children from exploitation, whether that abuse is captured in traditional imagery or generated with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. “This verdict underscores that there is no distinction under the law between child sexual abuse material involving real victims and AI generated depictions of such horrific crimes. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to identify offenders, dismantle the networks that enable this abuse, and ensure that those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
The court has not set Prater’s sentencing yet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on particular charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Detroit investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler Aagard for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, Peter Biar Ajak, 42, of Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai for the District of Arizona to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ajak’s co-defendant, Abraham Chol Keech, 46, of Utah, was sentenced on December 18, 2025, by Judge Desai to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and Conspiracy to Violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA).
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN DIEGO –David Gilbert Gomez, a documented San Diego gang member also known as “Choker,” was sentenced in federal court today to 87 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm on March 12, 2024. Gomez previously pleaded guilty in federal court to that charge. According to court records, officers with the City of Imperial Police Department were conducting a routine traffic stop when they observed two men standing near an unoccupied vehicle. Upon seeing police presence, both men ran into a nearby residence. Inside the unoccupied vehicle, police observed a semiautomatic firearm with an extended magazine located on the front passenger’s seat. Police recovered the firearm, which was determined to be a 9mm Glock loaded with approximately 17 rounds of ammunition. A records search of the firearm’s serial number revealed it to be reported stolen out of Maricopa County, Arizona.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Nigerian National was sentenced today to more than eight years in prison for participating in a years-long conspiracy to defraud elderly and vulnerable Americans through an inheritance fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, 44, of Nigeria, and his co-conspirators operated a lucrative transnational inheritance fraud scheme that exploited vulnerable people in the United States. Over the course of more than seven years, Nnebocha and his co-conspirators sent hundreds of thousands of personalized letters to elderly individuals in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left by a deceased family member. The conspirators then told the victims that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for purported delivery fees, taxes, and payments regarding the inheritance. In total, the defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded over 400 U.S. victims of more than $6 million.
In April 2025, Nnebocha was arrested by authorities in Poland and extradited to the United States in September 2025. In November 2025, Nnebocha pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. At sentencing, Nnebocha was sentenced to 97 months in prison, 3 years supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $6.8 million in restitution to the victims of his scheme. This is the second indicted case related to this international fraud scheme. Eight co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Nigeria have previously been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Miami Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede of the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) in Arizona made the announcement.
USPIS and HSI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Joshua D. Rothman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) worked with law enforcement partners in Poland to secure the arrest and extradition of Nnebocha. OIA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the FBI’s Legal Attache in Poland, INTERPOL, and Polish Authorities, all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is aged 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Source: United States Army
SCOTTSBURG, IN – The U.S. Army and Conco, Inc. opened a new facility in Scottsburg, Indiana on Feb. 5, dedicated to producing metal packaging containers for the 155mm Modular Artillery Charge System (MACS). The ceremony, hosted by Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Agile Sustainment and Ammunition, marks a critical step forward in expanding the nation’s 155mm artillery ammunition production capacity and an enhancement of the nation’s domestic industrial base. Scottsburg Mayor Terry Amick along with representatives from Senators Banks and Young and Congresswoman Houchin were also in attendance.
The Scottsburg facility is a critical component of the Army’s comprehensive strategy to modernize and increase its production of artillery munitions. The cylindrical metal containers produced at this facility play a major part in ammunition survivability in the harshest conditions worldwide. At full operational capacity, the plant will produce 80,000 MACS containers monthly, more than doubling Conco’s previous output. This increase from the current capacity of 30,000 containers per month is the direct result of a substantial investment of $98 million in non-recurring engineering and production capabilities.
“Acquisition speed is being accelerated both by policy shifts within the DOW and global events which are placing significant pressure on the Defense Industrial Base. This necessitates the need for surge capabilities for critical munitions,” said Reim. “After investing millions of dollars of their own money to grow capacity, our project team issued a multi-year contract to Conco to further expand and workload their capacity. This facility is a testament to the strength of the partnership between the Army and American industry.”
The facility is part of the Army’s rapid acquisition reforms and represents the latest in technology and manufacturing capabilities. It marks the 12th ribbon cutting in the Army’s ongoing campaign to strengthen the Arsenal of Freedom through munitions production modernization and expansion. The multi-year contract awarded to Conco is a cornerstone of the ongoing acquisition reform which focuses on speed of procurement and production. By using a multi-year contract, the Army can reduce program cost growth and introduce stability into the acquisition process.
The metal containers produced at the new plant are essential for the safe and reliable delivery of 155mm artillery MACS, a cornerstone of sustaining modern ground warfare. The new facility employs both traditional manufacturing operations and new technology. The state-of-the-art equipment and processes used are key to unmatched production efficiency, enabling swift accomplishment of the Army’s mission. This expansion of production capacity directly supports the Army’s commitment to providing lethal capabilities to joint warfighters and international partners.
“Victory on the battlefield often hinges on the small things that most people don’t think about, like ammunition packaging. But successfully designing new metal packaging containers has been a serious limiting factor for industry to deliver at scale,” explained Reim. “The simple fact is nothing beats MACS for getting much needed 155mm artillery rounds to the frontlines safely and ready for action. The work done here in Scottsburg is vital to ensure our Warfighters and allied partners have the overmatch they need on the battlefield.”
For more information, please contact the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Agile Sustainment & Ammunition Public Affairs Office at usarmy.pica.jpeo-aa.mbx.jpeo-aa-public-affairs@army.mil.
Source: United States Airforce
U.S. Air Forces Central DRMC Airmen supported the commissioning and flight inspection of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s airfield instrument landing systems, ensuring they met required standards for safe operations during periods of reduced visibility.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Zubayar Al-Bakoush, an armed coconspirator in the 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, was charged in an eight-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court on multiple terrorism and murder counts.
Bakoush, who is in federal custody, is expected to make his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya for the District of Columbia.
“The terrorist attack on our Benghazi Embassy was a dark and tragic day for our nation that robbed us of four American heroes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Now, thanks to our brave federal agents, one of its alleged key participants will be prosecuted in an American courtroom on American soil. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will never rest in our mission to Make America Safe Again and deliver swift, severe justice to our enemies.”
“The FBI and our U.S. government partners have worked tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for the heinous terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of the U.S. Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The latest result of our efforts is bringing Zubayar Al-Bakoush to the U.S. to face charges for his alleged role in the attacks against our citizens and our facilities in Libya. You can be assured that no matter how long it takes, or where you are located, the FBI remains steadfast in our duty to see justice served against those who harm our citizens. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI for their unrelenting efforts to bring us to where we stand today – this defendant will be prosecuted on U.S. soil.”
“Today’s indictment against Zubayar Al-Bakoush is indicative of President Trump’s resolve to hold accountable anyone who harms Americans, no matter where,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Al-Bakoush is now on U.S. soil, because the FBI and Department of Justice never forgot those Americans who were seemingly forgotten in that outpost in Benghazi, Libya. President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, FBI Director Patel, and I will do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, to pursue justice for the victims and their families.”
“Over thirteen years have passed since the 2012 attack in Libya, and over eight since the last arrest in this case, but the Department of Justice’s resolve has not wavered,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We never forgot those four Americans who were killed in service of our Nation, and we will continue to seek justice for them, their families, and for the United States.”
“In September 2012, Zubayar Al-Bakoush allegedly facilitated the terrorist attack on the United States Mission and Annex in Benghazi in which four Americans – including an ambassador – were murdered in an effort to incite additional violence against our country’s presence in Libya” said James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge of New York Field Office. “This bloody campaign waged unnecessary brutality against Americans and forever altered the lives of the victims’ families. May today’s significant disruption send a clear message: the FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will never cease its tireless pursuit of any terrorist involved in the massacre of our nation’s citizens, regardless of when or where the onslaught occurred.”
The indictment charges Bakoush with:
Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same
The charges stem from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and nearby CIA Annex that killed Ambassador Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty.
According to the indictment, Bakoush was a member of Ansar Al Sharia (AAS), an Islamist extremist militia in Benghazi, which had the goal of establishing Sharia law in Libya.
On the evening of Sept. 11, 2012, a group of more than 20 heavily armed men – including Bakoush assembled outside the main gate of the U.S Special Mission in Benghazi. They were armed with assault rifles, other firearms, and explosive devices. At about 9:45 p.m., the group of armed men violently breached the main gate of the Mission. Upon entry, the men fanned out across the Mission complex, setting fires to building within the Mission compound.
When the attackers could not gain entry to the secure area of Villa C, the Ambassador’s residence, they set fire to it. Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith suffocated from the thick, black smoke that enveloped the residence. Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) Special Agent Scott Wickland, who had tried to guide Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith to safety, was injured and repeatedly took small arms fire while trying to rescue the two Americans.
The extremist group also attacked the Quick Reaction Force building, which was occupied by local Libyans serving as guards for the Mission.
About 10 p.m., Bakoush entered the Mission compound with other conspirators, and conducted surveillance of the Tactical Operation Center and the Villa. After Bakoush attempted to gain entry to vehicles belonging to Mission staff, he and his co-conspirators temporarily retreated to an area just outside the Mission.
About 11:15 p.m., conspirators assembled outside the southern gate and launched a second violent attack on the Mission using AK-type assault rifles, grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades. After 30 minutes, the group entered the compound and plundered the Mission’s office of documents, maps, and computers containing sensitive information about the location of the CIA Annex.
At 12:30 a.m., conspirators attacked the Annex with small arms, assault rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades.
Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of September 12, 2012, the violence continued at the CIA Annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. While defending the Annex, Mr. Woods, Mr. Doherty, DSS Special Agent David Ubben, and CIA security specialist Mark Tiegen were hit by a precision mortar attack, leading to the deaths of Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty. Special Agent Ubben and Mr. Tiegen were seriously wounded but survived.
The Department of Justice previously charged and convicted two leaders in the Benghazi attack on federal terrorism charges and other offenses. Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah was sentenced in June 2018 to 22 years in prison and resentenced in September 2024 to 28 years in prison. Mustafa al-Imam was sentenced in January 2020 to nearly 20 years.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from the Department of War, the CIA and the Department of State. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided additional assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.