MIL Security Engine-1

Source: United States Department of Justice

Note, a press release posted earlier today, Sept. 3, was mistakenly a reprint of an Aug. 21 press release about a related decision. Below is the correct press release regarding a decision issued on Monday, Aug. 31, in this matter.

On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California dismissed with prejudice the complaint in Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum — one of several cases challenging Sable Offshore Corp.’s oil and gas operations at the Santa Ynez Unit in the Santa Barbara Channel. This ruling follows another, related ruling issued last month.

“States cannot stop the Executive Branch from acting pursuant to Congress’s authorization, especially when it comes to ensuring American energy dominance,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “The Department is pleased with the court’s decision. This Department of Justice will never allow California or ideological groups to undermine our Nation’s national security and economic prosperity interests in ensuring availability of this critical resource for Americans.”

“This is another victory for American energy independence,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Two weeks ago, this same court affirmed the federal government’s authority to protect energy security from state overreach through a Defense Production Act order restarting this critical domestic source of oil. This week’s decision protects this critical resource against special interest groups who sought to stymie that same oil production through a lawsuit alleging violations of federal law. We are committed to unleashing American energy, as President Donald J. Trump has directed the Department of Justice and all federal agencies to do.”

Following a decade of inactivity, Sable last year sought to restart offshore oil and gas production on Platform Harmony in the Santa Ynez Unit. Plaintiff environmental groups sued, challenging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)’s April 2025 decision not to require revision of the development and production plan for Platform Harmony related to Sable’s restart plans. In its decision dismissing the case for lack of standing, the court held that the plaintiffs have not alleged a procedural injury and their theory of causation is “far too hypothetical and attenuated” and “not fairly traceable to BOEM and Sable.” 

The court instead explained that plaintiffs’ asserted injuries stem from offshore oil and gas operations generally, not from BOEM’s decision. The court further held that the plaintiffs’ injuries are not redressable because BOEM has substantial discretion in deciding whether to require revision of the plan.

Attorneys with ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled this matter.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LAS VEGAS – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after having been removed from the country on two prior occasions. The government recommended a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Marshall Day, 40, of Largo, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 108 months in federal prison in connection with his possession of six videos on his cell phone that depicted child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Source: United States Department of Justice

MACON, Ga. – The final two defendants involved in an armed drug trafficking network affiliated with a criminal street gang were sentenced to federal prison because of Operation Mobile Order, an investigation led by the FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, which resulted in the seizure of dozens of firearms, including a machine gun.

Source: United States Department of Justice

Benjamin Michael-Dass Charles, of Columbia, Mo., and Hollis Cortez Vanleer of Normal, Ill., were charged with various counts relating to the robbery of the Isle of Capri Casino, including conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and a substantive charge of interfering with commerce by robbery.

Source: United States Department of Justice

BOSTON – A federal grand jury has indicted a Chinese national residing in Andover, Mass., on charges stemming from an alleged scheme to use another Chinese national’s identity to register to vote and cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election. The defendant was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

In a significant victory for President Trump’s efforts to unleash American energy, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California earlier this week affirmed the federal government’s authority to protect national energy security under the Defense Production Act. The ruling ensures that domestically produced oil can reliably reach California refineries and safeguards the continued operation of critical pipeline infrastructure on the California coast.

In a comprehensive decision, the court rejected the State of California’s radical attempt to shut down the Santa Ynez Pipeline and dismissed efforts by California and environmental groups to impose state‑level barriers designed to obstruct federally mandated operations during a declared national energy emergency. The court’s decision ensures that sound federal energy policy — not California’s disruptive anti-energy measures — governs operation of this critical infrastructure.

“States cannot stop the Executive Branch from acting pursuant to Congress’s authorization, especially when it comes to ensuring American energy dominance,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “The Department is pleased with the court’s decision to affirm this commonsense principle, upholding the Department of Energy’s lawful and constitutional order under the Defense Production Act. This Department of Justice will never allow California or ideological groups to undermine our Nation’s national security and economic prosperity interests in ensuring availability of this critical resource for Americans.”

“This ruling upholds decisive federal action to protect national security by restarting the flow of 50 million gallons of oil per day when the stability of America’s energy supply is threatened,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Department of Justice, together with our parters at the Energy, Interior, and Transportation Departments will not allow California or environmental groups to undercut American energy.”

This ruling comes at a time when state and local energy policies on the West Coast continue to destabilize regional supply and threaten broader national energy resilience. The Santa Ynez Pipeline transports more than one million barrels of domestically produced crude oil per month from offshore wells into California — providing a reliable domestic supply to offset foreign imports and reinforcing the America’s energy independence. Its continued operation is also essential to maintaining stable fuel supplies for more than 32 U.S. military installations across the West Coast, supporting operational readiness and ensuring these facilities can meet critical national defense requirements.

The court confirmed that a Defense Production Act order — issued by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright under delegated authority from the President — lawfully preempts state actions aimed at blocking or delaying Sable Offshore Corporation (Sable)’s operations of the Santa Ynez Pipeline. The court held that the only agency with authority to oversee the safety of the pipeline is the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), and California’s efforts to shut down the pipeline amounted to an attempt to override federal authority and undercut essential national energy priorities.

Key components of the court’s rulings include:

• Denial of California’s motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to suspend Energy Secretary Wright’s Defense Production Act order requiring operation of the pipeline. The court held that California failed to demonstrate any likelihood of success on the merits of its challenge because the Order is lawful and constitutional.
• Recognition of the Defense Production Act order’s preemptive force, declaring that federal law bars California’s Department of Parks and Recreation from pursuing legal actions — such as trespass claims — that would impede pipeline operations mandated by federal authority.
• Clarification that state courts may not enforce injunctions that conflict with federal directives, as the court addressed efforts by environmental groups to sustain a state‑court injunction.
• Modification of the existing federal consent decree to consolidate oversight of pipeline safety and compliance under PHMSA, replacing California’s Office of the State Fire Marshal to prevent further state‑level interference with federally directed operations.

The decision makes clear that attempts by California and environmental groups to impose new obstacles to critical energy infrastructure — despite clear federal findings of urgent national security needs — cannot override federal law.

The Department of Justice remains committed to enforcing federal law, defending national energy security, and ensuring that vital infrastructure remains free of unlawful state‑imposed barriers. This case was litigated by ENRD.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

United States Attorney Robert Frazer is encouraging New Jersey schools, youth-serving organizations, athletic programs and other community groups to take advantage of free training and prevention resources available through the Department of Justice to help protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – An illegal alien from the Dominican Republic, who is an associate of the D Street Projects gang in the South Boston area, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to selling a firearm and fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement agent.