Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 83 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tallahassee, Florida – Laquinton Montral Harris, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of Hobbs Act robbery; carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
NAGO-TORBOLE, Italy — Under the shadow of the Italian Alps, where the echoes of World War II finally fell silent eight decades ago, U.S. Soldiers and Italian community members gathered this week to honor a legacy of sacrifice that remains anchored in the deep waters of Lake Garda.
The ceremonies marked the 81st anniversary of April 30, 1945—a day of dual tragedies for the U.S. Army. It was on this date, just days before the German surrender in Italy, that an enemy shell in Torbole killed Colonel William O. Darby, the legendary founder of the Rangers, and his senior enlisted leader, Sgt. Maj. John “Tim” Evans.
Hours later, an amphibious vehicle carrying 26 Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division sank in the lake’s frigid depths. Only one man survived. For Bradley Galvin, the weight of that history is personal. He traveled to Italy to represent his great-grandfather, Pfc. Frank J. Miller, who was among the 25 men lost in the lake.
“I’ve kind of known about it probably since I was a kid, but I didn’t really know the full story,” Galvin said. “I didn’t know that it was a major event that other people would know about.”
U.S. Soldiers and Italian community members gathered… (Photo Credit: Rick Scavetta)VIEW ORIGINAL
Standing near the shoreline where his great-grandfather was last seen, Galvin noted the importance of the pilgrimage.
“I’m kind of excited for all the events, but also to remember my great-grandfather died here,” he said. “They were very important historical events and should keep being remembered.”
During an evening ceremony in Torbole’s piazza, Col. Vaughn Strong, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Italy, remarked that Darby was only 34, yet his leadership shaped the U.S. Army Rangers.
“His legacy endures in our formations and at Camp Darby, our U.S. Army post in Pisa, which bears his name,” Strong said. “As we mark the 81st anniversary, we reflect on what this day represents, leadership in combat, sacrifice at every level and the enduring bond between our Soldiers and the Italian communities who keep this history alive.”
Wreaths were presented and Bobby J. White, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8862, read the names of those who died.
U.S. Soldiers and Italian community members gathered… (Photo Credit: Rick Scavetta)VIEW ORIGINAL
The remembrance was not limited to a solemn ceremony. During the day, service members, to include Soldiers from the States joined paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Soldiers from U.S. Army Garrison Italy for a grueling 40-mile road march beside the lake, retracing the final “race” to the Alps led by Darby’s men.
Pvt. Mitchell Crawford, of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, said he’d never undertaken such an endurance event.
“First I came here to honor the fallen but it’s also a personal challenge for me,” Crawford, said. “After the first 20 miles, I really started hurting. I just focused on getting it done.”
For others, like Spc. Elyieth Barton of 2/503rd’s Chosen Company, the march was a test of future leadership.
“I thought about Rangers and my future,” Barton said. “I wanted to attempt this and see if I have what it takes to do it. And I guess I do.”
The local Italian community remains a vital partner in preserving this history. Ben Appleby and Antonella Previdi, co-founders of the Benàch Historical Research Association, have spent years documenting these final battles. Their research led to the 2023 documentary, “The Lost Mountaineers,” and helped bring families for the fallen, like Galvin’s, to Italy.
“The fighting here and the Soldiers who died here were the last Soldiers who died in Italy in World War II,” Previdi said, noting that Darby’s death remains a focal point for military historians. “It’s something that makes this place very special.”
Col. Vaughn Strong, commander of USAG Italy, shakes… (Photo Credit: Rick Scavetta)VIEW ORIGINAL
Capt. Anthony Dove, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, USAG Italy, emphasized that these events are more than just memorials. They are vital for Soldiers to learn from history.
“Learning from mistakes or what happened in the past is also a training tool that we can use in the future,” Dove said. “Just being there, seeing that, honoring Colonel Darby and the 10th Mountain Soldiers, it’s an emotional and significant event.”
The amphibious vehicle remains submerged under 200 meters of water. After the walk and the ceremony, Sgt. Ernesto Ortiz-Montero of the 173rd Airborne Brigade reflected on the enduring bond between the Soldiers and the Italian population.
U.S. Soldiers and Italian community members gathered… (Photo Credit: Rick Scavetta)VIEW ORIGINAL
“The Italians see us… they see us doing things that have their culture and our culture in it,” Ortiz-Montero said. “I feel like they love us. We love them. We’re building that cohesion that everybody wants.”
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man was acquitted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence following a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota, on May 7, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
BOSTON – A Quincy, Mass. man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to injecting clients of his business, Rodrigo Beauty Inc., with unapproved botulinum toxin obtained from illegitimate sources outside the United States, resulting in numerous severe cases of botulism.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A former NFL player who owned a marketing company and was the beneficial owner of eight durable medical equipment (DME) companies was sentenced yesterday to 196 months in prison for his role in a yearslong scheme to bilk Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of nearly $200 million by selling patient information and sham doctors’ orders for orthotic braces that patients did not want or need.
In addition to the prison sentence, the defendant, Joel Rufus French, 47, of Armory, Mississippi, was ordered to pay $110,753,619 in restitution and to forfeit approximately $17 million that the government seized from bank accounts and other assets.
“Fueled by lies, bribes, and overseas telemarketers, this corrupt scheme preyed on senior citizens and disabled veterans to flood the country with unnecessary medical devices — and then billed the taxpayer for it,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Today’s sentence makes clear that if you target America’s elderly, sick, or vulnerable — and rob America’s purse doing so — you will be targeted and brought to justice.”
“The defendant orchestrated a brazen, yearslong scheme that preyed on elderly patients and the families of disabled and deceased veterans to steal millions from Medicare and CHAMPVA,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “By hiding behind overseas call centers, sham telemedicine companies, and straw‑owned DME suppliers, he exploited some of the most vulnerable people these programs were created to protect. This lengthy sentence underscores the seriousness of his crimes and sends a clear message: HHS‑OIG and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in safeguarding taxpayer‑funded programs and ensuring those who seek to defraud them will be found, stopped, and held accountable.”
“Schemes such as these compromise the integrity of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) programs and services and divert funds from our nation’s deserving veterans and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Wentz of the VA Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters and hold them accountable.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, French worked with overseas telemarketing call centers that pressured elderly Americans to provide their personal and health insurance information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces. In certain instances, the call centers altered call recordings to make it seem like Medicare patients agreed to the braces when they did not.
French paid sham telemedicine companies kickbacks to obtain signed doctors’ orders from doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never even spoke to, the patients. He sold the orders to marketers and medical supply companies, which then submitted claims to Medicare. French also defrauded Medicare and CHAMPVA, the health care program for spouses and children of veterans who have or had a permanent and total service-connected disability or who died from a service-connected condition, by billing the programs for orthotic braces through eight DME supply companies that he owned and managed, using straw owners and false documents to hide his connection to the companies from Medicare. French also laundered approximately $225,000 in cash from a bank in Mississippi, over $10,000 of which was placed in a bag and driven to Orlando to pay accomplices who sold him beneficiaries’ personal and insurance information.
After a six-day jury trial ending in February, French was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks.
HHS-OIG, FBI, and VA OIG investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney William Hochul III of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the results of “Operation Red Card”, a multi-agency law enforcement operation that identified, apprehended, and initiated prosecution against some of the most violent offenders in the Greater Kansas City, Mo. metro area.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
ROANOKE, Va. – An indictment charging a Danville, Va. man in connection with twelve felony charges related to child exploitation, including the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sexual enticement of minors, cyberstalking, and making threats to injure reputation with intent to extort, was unsealed today following his recent arrest in New Mexico.In a sealed indictment returned April 9, 2026, a federal grand jury in Roanoke charged Jesus Diaz, 25, of Danville, with two counts of making extortive threats to injure the reputation of a minor, one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one count of cyberstalking of a minor, four counts of production of child sexual abuse material, and four counts of enticement of a minor.
VICENZA, Italy — U.S. Army Garrison Italy and Italian first responders teamed up recently for an emergency exercise simulating a major earthquake striking the Vicenza Military Community and triggering secondary incidents across multiple installations.
The joint drill strengthened coordination between U.S. and Italian agencies and reinforced readiness for real‑world emergencies.
“Exercises like this are essential because they allow us to apply and assess our emergency management capabilities in real time,” said Col. Vaughn Strong, USAG Italy commander. “Training side by side with our Italian fire, medical and law enforcement partners strengthens the interoperability we rely on to protect this community.”
Firefighters assigned to U.S. Army Garrison Italy take… (Photo Credit: Graigg Faggionato)VIEW ORIGINAL
The scenario began at 7:30 a.m., when an earthquake in the Veneto region affected Caserma Miotto in Longare. The installation operations center alerted garrison leaders, prompting coordination with emergency services, public works and tenant units. The Emergency Operations Center activated within 20 minutes.
As first responders worked at Caserma Miotto, the exercise escalated at Caserma Ederle’s Golden Lion Conference Center, where a simulated gas explosion caused multiple injuries. Military police and firefighters arrived quickly, recovering role‑playing Soldiers covered in moulage. Italian fire services joined U.S. crews to treat 16 injured participants.
The Italian Red Cross and Vicenza Ambulance Services… (Photo Credit: SSG Brandon White)VIEW ORIGINAL
The Emergency Family Assistance Center opened at 9 a.m., offering support at Army Community Service. ACS and the Java Café closed during the drill, and community alerts advised residents to avoid affected areas.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint yesterday against Victor Manuel Rocha in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Rocha is a native of Colombia who was convicted of serving as an unregistered agent for the Republic of Cuba.
“Under no circumstances should an agent of a foreign adversary be permitted to hold the title of American citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. “Our mission is clear: to root out these fraudsters and preserve the sanctity of the naturalization process for those who adhere to our laws. Any individual who lied during the naturalization process to gain a foothold in this country will be met with the full weight of the Department of Justice.”
“Victor Manuel Rocha was not a low-level operative. He was a former United States Ambassador and senior government official who admitted he secretly served the Cuban regime for decades,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The Southern District of Florida helped take down one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States. This civil denaturalization case is about finishing the job. The complaint alleges that Rocha obtained American citizenship through lies, concealment, and betrayal. A person who secretly serves communist Cuba should not keep the privilege of United States citizenship, even while in prison.”
The U.S. seeks an order revoking Rocha’s naturalization based on his admission in criminal proceedings that he began spying for Cuba in 1973 before he naturalized in 1978. When he applied for naturalization, Rocha represented under penalty of perjury that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; he was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba; he had not advocated, believed in, or knowingly supported and furthered the interests of Communism; and he believed in the U.S. Constitution and the form of government of the U.S. None of these were true.
In 2023, Rocha was charged with several counts related to spying for the Republic of Cuba and passport fraud. U.S. v. Rocha, No. 1:23-cr-20464-Bloom (S.D. Fla. Dec. 5, 2023). In April 2024, Rocha admitted that, starting in or around 1973, he secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the U.S. by serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s intelligence services. He pleaded guilty and was convicted of Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of a Foreign Government and to Defraud the United States and Acting as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Government. He was sentenced to and is serving a 15-year sentence.
The U.S. will bring seven independent counts seeking the revocation of his U.S. citizenship. Rocha was not qualified for naturalization for several reasons, including that he committed unlawful acts, gave false testimony during his naturalization examination, was not attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and not well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the U.S., was affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba, and advocated for communism. The U.S. will also seek the revocation of his naturalization because he procured his citizenship by concealing material facts or willful misrepresenting several facts in naturalization proceedings related to spying for Cuba.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Denaturalization Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is litigating the case.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.