Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Pensacola, Florida – James Michael Olshefskie, 55, of Pensacola, Florida, has been found guilty by a federal jury in Pensacola following a two-day jury trial for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of two unregistered firearm silencers.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today a settlement agreement with Brooklyn-based clothing company Lafayette 148, Inc. (Lafayette). The settlement addresses allegations that Lafayette violated the federal False Claims Act (FCA) by falsely certifying that it was eligible for a pandemic-era second-draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and obtaining forgiveness of that loan.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A federal magistrate judge in Phoenix yesterday ordered Albert Bazaar held in custody following his arrest on charges relating to trafficking turtles. The court unsealed an indictment from San Francisco charging Bazaar, formerly of Angie, Louisiana, on conspiracy and Lacey Act violations. A status conference will be held on May 14 in Phoenix.
The indictment alleges that between January 2022 and December 2023, Bazaar poached and sold over 1,700 loggerhead musk turtles, 100 stripe-neck musk turtles, and 15 striped mud turtles from their native habitats in Florida. Florida law protects fresh and marine turtle species from unregulated harvest. The indictment charges Bazaar with aiding and abetting a co-conspirator who exported the turtles from San Francisco to Taiwan, falsely claiming they were captive-bred to obtain export permits. The turtles are estimated to be worth more than $550,000 in the Asian pet trade.
The indictment describes eight transactions where Bazaar sold illegally collected turtles to the San Francisco exporter. The exporter financed Bazaar’s poaching trips from Louisiana to Florida, including sending money so Bazaar could buy a boat and van. Bazaar is charged with creating a declaration of captive bred wildlife that falsely stated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that the turtles were lawfully bred in Alabama and Georgia.
The federal Lacey Act criminalizes selling or transporting wildlife in interstate commerce that was taken in violation of state law. It is also a Lacey Act violation to provide false information relating to wildlife involved in international or interstate commerce. Loggerhead musk turtles, stripe-neck musk turtles, and striped mud turtles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The United States and 184 other governments are signatories to the CITES treaty, which restricts international wildlife sales without a permit to support sustainable trade.
If convicted, Bazaar faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine on each of the conspiracy and Lacey Act charges. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Assistant Director Doug Ault, USFWS Office of Law Enforcement, announced the arrest and charges.
Bazaar was investigated and charged as part of the USFWS Operation Southern Hot Herps, which was a joint federal and state law enforcement operation to detect and deter turtle poachers in the southeastern United States. Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources worked closely with USFWS in the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chambers for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Spaceforce
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer once parked in the Arizona desert is back in the air after an intensive regeneration and depot maintenance effort led by the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida –A federal jury has found Miguel Cintron (38, Tampa) and Darrius Gustafson (22, Tampa) guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. Each faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
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
Fort Myers, Florida – James Gregory Ford (34, Port Charlotte) has pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States 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