Source: United States Navy
PASCAGOULA, Ms. — The U.S. Navy will christen the future USNS Robert Ballard (T-AGS 67) during a ceremony at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Feb. 28 at 10:00 a.m. (CST).
Connecticut Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening to Torture and Kill FBI Agent and Family
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Scott Robert Tardy, 32, of Seymour, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI, and obstruction of justice in a scheme that targeted a South Carolina FBI agent and his family.
Justice Department and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office File Statement of Interest Reaffirming the Importance of Incentives to Innovate
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today, the Justice Department and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filed a statement of interest in Collision Communications Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., et al. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The statement reaffirms the importance of preserving incentives to innovate, which are key to growth and dynamic competition in the U.S. economy and fundamental to the U.S. patent system.
“Innovation is core to dynamic competition, and vigorous competition is central to the success of the American economy. Policies that preserve incentives to innovate are therefore vital to safeguarding competition,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are pleased to partner with our USPTO colleagues to address these critical issues and support innovators, both big and small.”
“The USPTO again joined the Justice Department in filing a statement of interest because a thorough evaluation as to whether a patent owner is entitled to injunctive relief is foundational to the exclusionary right a patent confers,” said John A. Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. “Injunctions prevent ongoing and irreparable harm to innovators and the innovation economy, and ensure that legal remedies can stop unlawfully copied inventions from continuing to harm innovators.”
Today’s statement of interest explains that unduly limiting patentees’ ability to seek injunctive relief to block patent infringement undermines the incentive to innovate. A patentee’s right to exclude is grounded in the U.S. Constitution. Non-practicing patentees should not be categorically denied the opportunity for injunctive relief and, under certain circumstances, such patentees can demonstrate irreparable harm and the inadequacy of monetary damages to compensate for the harm of continuing infringement. The statement was filed in support of neither party and does not take a position on the merits or the ultimate outcome of the questions at issue in the case.
The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court. These statements are available on the Division’s website.
Defense News: Building partnerships, improving readiness
Source: United States Army
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – “The battalion command teams training (event) is a valuable opportunity for our commanders to come together, collaborate, and share lessons learned,” said Lt. Col. Franklin Simmons, Executive Officer, 188th Infantry Brigade, based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. “It also provides an excellent platform for commanders and command sergeants major to receive input from the G-staffs at the 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, First Army, and United States Army Reserve Command,”
The 85th USARSC held their annual Bn CMD TT event, February 20-22, 2026, at their headquarters in Arlington Heights, Ill.
“I encourage you to talk to people you haven’t talked to,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Shanley, Commanding General, 85th USARSC, addressing attendees at the event. “Make those partnerships and take advantage of the benefits of this type of training which brings people from the 85th USARSC, First Army, and USARC together.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Brian McManus, command sergeant major of the 2-345th Training Support Battalion, based at Fort Jackson, SC, attended previous Bn CMD TT events and found the annual gathering productive.
“It’s a valuable event; this is my fourth time attending. I’ve participated in these training meetings before, and they consistently offer excellent networking opportunities,” McManus said during a break. “They allow us to connect with peers and observe how others are managing similar challenges and issues we face.”
The Bn CMD TT event brought together members of the 120th, 181st, 188th, and 189th Infantry Brigades, 1st Army, and USARSC.
“I found the battalion command teams training meeting to be the most productive,” said Lt. Col. Roberto Rodriguez, battalion commander for the 2-345th TSBN. “I have been able to pick the brains of my fellow battalion commanders and their command sergeants major, and figure out what to do and what not to do when dealing with future mobilizations and trainings.”
During the event, Bill Hamilton, Deputy G3/5/7, USARC, highlighted the vital role of Army Reserve Soldiers, especially those from the 85th USARSC, in training and preparing reserve and National Guard Soldiers for mobilizations and overseas deployments.
The 85th USARSC will conduct their next battalion command teams training event in the coming months to host the remainder of their command teams across their formation.
Defense News: Maine National Guard mobilizes to support Rhode Island blizzard response
Source: United States Army
AUGUSTA, Maine. – The Maine National Guard mobilized today to assist the State of Rhode Island following a significant winter storm that brought heavy snowfall and widespread impacts to the region.
With the assistance of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, Soldiers and equipment were en route within less than 48 hours of the request from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
The contingent includes 24 Soldiers and 10 dump trucks from the 120th Regional Support Group’s 133rd Engineer Battalion and 286th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, which will be used to haul snow from critical infrastructure areas, roadways, and public spaces and help Rhode Island agencies expedite recovery efforts and restore normal operations throughout the City of Providence.
Personnel deploying on this mission are under the authority of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid agreement that enables states to support one another during emergencies and natural disasters.
“When our neighbors call for help, the Maine National Guard is ready to respond,” said Maj. Gen. Diane Dunn, adjutant general of the Maine National Guard and commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. “We are proud to be able to support the state of Rhode Island during their time of need.”
The Soldiers mobilized for this mission are licensed and experienced in operating heavy equipment in a variety of terrain and weather. Their efforts will directly support local and state authorities in clearing snow to improve public safety and accessibility.
“Our Soldiers are trained, equipped, and prepared to operate in challenging winter conditions,” said Lt. Col. Adam Davis, deputy commander of the 120th Regional Support Group, Maine Army National Guard. “Supporting our local communities and neighbors is one of the situations we are always ready for as citizen Soldiers. We’re looking forward to helping Rhode Island communities recover from the storm more quickly and safely.”
The Maine National Guard remains prepared to respond to state emergencies at home while simultaneously supporting regional and federal missions as needed.
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Defense News: NY Army Guard officer is top ranking American officer in NATO Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum
Source: United States Army
BRUNSSUM, Netherlands – Sean Flynn was still new to the New York Army National Guard on Sept. 11, 2001, when two hijacked planes slammed into New York City’s Twin Towers.
He responded to the aftermath of the attack — dealing with dust and death — and then led a company in the streets of Baghdad and served as executive officer of a battalion in combat in Afghanistan.
Flynn had previously served as an Air Force public affairs officer in Alaska from 1994 to 1997. Then, in 2000 — after a break in the inactive reserves — he became 1st Lt. Flynn in the “Fighting 69th,” the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment.
Eventually, he left his career in corporate communications and became a full-time Guardsman, serving as a battalion and brigade commander and a division chief of staff in Kuwait.
Now, Maj. Gen. Sean Flynn is the top-ranking American officer in one of NATO’s three allied joint force commands.
Flynn, a resident of the Albany suburb of Delmar, is the deputy chief of staff for operations at Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum. The command takes its name from its location in the Netherlands.
The command focuses on joint operations in central Europe, with a special focus on Poland and the Baltic countries, which are right next to Russia, Flynn explained.
The command is structured to control up to 250,000 troops from multiple countries, Flynn said. His job is to coordinate the operations of the headquarters and synchronize those forces, he explained.
His background as a National Guard officer has helped him quite a bit in the job he has had since Dec. 1, Flynn said.
“There are so many parallels between our work in the National Guard and working with a 32-nation alliance,” he said.
Guardsmen are used to working with different state Guard units, which all do things a little bit differently, Flynn explained.
Guard leaders get used to making all those different units mesh and to working with local police, fire departments and political leaders, he added.
“Just as the states and territories in the U.S. have their own interests and priorities and operational approaches, so do the nations here in NATO have their own interests and priorities,” Flynn said.
Guardsmen are also very good at applying their civilian skills in their military life, Flynn said.
His civilian background as a New York City-based consultant in strategic communications for large multinational corporations has also helped him work more effectively in the NATO environment, Flynn said.
Flynn comes from a family of New York Army National Guardsmen.
His father, Col. Walter M. Flynn, served, and his uncle, Maj. Gen. Lawrence P. Flynn was the adjutant general of New York.
A great-great-grandfather served in the Irish Legion in the Civil War, and that ancestor’s brother, Capt. Edward K. Butler, served in the 69th New York Infantry at Bull Run in 1861, then died in action at the Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864.
Other Flynn ancestors and relatives served in the Fighting 69th during the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II, he said.
So, after serving in the Air Force — and writing a book about his experiences in Alaska — it was logical for him to join New York’s historic Irish regiment himself, Flynn said.
When the 69th Infantry deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005, Flynn was part of the battalion’s fight to secure Route Irish, the road from Baghdad Airport to the Green Zone.
Flynn wrote about that mission in his 2008 book, “The Fighting 69th: From Ground Zero to Baghdad.”
In 2012, he deployed to Shindand, Afghanistan, with the 108th Infantry, where the Soldiers conducted 577 security missions.
He went on to command the 69th, serve as chief of staff of the 42nd Infantry Division and then command the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
In July 2023, Flynn made the leap to general officer, pinning on the one star of a brigadier general and deploying to Europe as the deputy United States military representative to NATO’s Military Committee in Brussels.
The U.S. military representative serves as the direct representative for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to NATO, Flynn said. For half his time in Brussels, Flynn served as the acting military representative, from July to December 2023 and again from April to November 2025.
“That was an amazing job,” Flynn said.
“What an incredible opportunity it is to participate on the very leading edge of policy creation and implementation for the joint force,” Flynn said. “This is not something that National Guard officers are commonly exposed to.”
He has clearly had an unusual career for a National Guard officer, Flynn said.
Along with his command and division chief-of-staff roles, he has also served at the New York National Guard headquarters in key staff roles.
But like every other Guardsman, he started out just trying to balance his military life and civilian life, Flynn recalled.
“I think all of us, throughout our careers, are constantly trying to wrestle with how to make service work for us, with our jobs and with our families,” Flynn said.
“We make decisions, we make compromises, but we don’t know where it is going to go.”
“If you take each assignment seriously and give it your level best, you may get the opportunity to serve at another echelon or another capacity that you never imagined,” he said.
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Defense News: West Virginia Guard, Qatar strengthen security ties for Scout Event
Source: United States Army
GLEN JEAN, W.Va. – The West Virginia National Guard welcomed the Qatar Armed Forces Military Police Forces commander and senior leaders during a Feb. 13 tour of Scouting America facilities at the Summit Bechtel Reserve as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen international partnerships and prepare for the Scouting America National Jamboree scheduled for this summer.
Maj. Gen. Rashid Al-Hajri, commander of the Qatar Armed Forces Military Police Forces, led a delegation to West Virginia, where they met with West Virginia National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward and key leaders. During the visit, Guard leaders outlined plans to integrate Qatari and West Virginia National Guard military personnel to support large-scale event security and training missions, with a focus on sharing best practices and operational coordination.
The engagement is part of the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program and reflects the relationship between the West Virginia National Guard and Qatar that continues to evolve through shared training and mission support.
“The relationship with West Virginia and Qatar is long standing, and I think it’s a very warm and friendly partnership,” said Seward, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration and engagement.
Al-Hajri expressed his commitment to strengthening ties and learning alongside the West Virginia National Guard.
“We are always keen on having a strong relationship between Qatar Military Police and the West Virginia National Guard,” Al-Hajri said. “We want to increase the momentum of our long-standing relationship to benefit future joint operations.”
This is not the first time an SPP relationship has grown through the Jamboree support mission. In 2017, Soldiers from the West Virginia National Guard and the Peruvian Army took advantage of the opportunity to train together at the 2017 National Jamboree on the Summit Bechtel Reserve. The purpose of that training was to exchange tactics and procedures between U.S. military police and Peruvian officers.
The Jamboree strengthened the 20-year relationship between West Virginia and Peru through the State Partnership Program.
This summer, the Qatar Armed Forces Military Police Forces plans to provide about 40-45 personnel for the National Jamboree. They will work side-by-side with West Virginia National Guard personnel who will conduct security operations throughout the event.
The National Jamboree is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors from across the country. The Qatar Armed Forces Military Police and the West Virginia National Guard will partner on mission sets such as route control, crowd management, and facility security, while also providing opportunities to exchange tactics, techniques, and procedures. The joint effort will provide both forces with real-world experience in large-scale event security operations and enhance their ability to operate together in future missions.
“We want to be one team,” Al-Hajri said. “We are grateful and happy to support any engagement and partnership in the future.”
The visit also highlighted Qatar’s broader role as a critical security partner in the Middle East, particularly through its support to U.S. and coalition air and missile defense operations. Qatar hosts key U.S. military infrastructure and defense capabilities that help protect regional airspace from significant threats. These capabilities – operated through combined and coordinated command structures – serve as a cornerstone of regional defense, deterring aggression and contributing to stability across the Middle East.
For West Virginia Guardsmen, many of whom have served in the Middle East alongside these air defense units, the partnership with Qatar represents more than a training opportunity – it reflects a shared commitment to regional and global security. These defense systems are owned and operated by the United States military, and their presence at Al Udeid Air Base is enabled by a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with Qatar. This partnership enables coordinated command and control of air defense operations, demonstrating how allied nations work together to protect critical infrastructure, safeguard civilian populations and maintain freedom of movement in a complex security environment.
The concept of burden sharing, in which allied partners share responsibility for security operations, was a central theme throughout the visit. By training together in West Virginia and operating together abroad, both the West Virginia National Guard and the Qatar Armed Forces Military Police Forces build interoperability, trust and readiness for future deployments.
For West Virginia, the partnership with Qatar also brings tangible benefits at home. Joint training events at the Summit Bechtel Reserve enhance the West Virginia National Guard’s readiness, bring international collaboration to the state and reinforce West Virginia’s role as a key contributor to national defense and global partnerships.
As preparations continue for the National Jamboree and future joint operations, leaders from both forces expressed confidence that the relationship will continue to grow, strengthening security, supporting shared missions and building lasting ties between the people of Qatar and West Virginia.
“We are grateful for this partnership and for the opportunity to work side by side,” Al-Hajri said. “Together, we strengthen our forces and contribute to stability both at home and abroad.”
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United States Seeks Forfeiture of Oil Tanker and 1.8M Barrels of Crude Oil That Supported Iran and Venezuela
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the Motor Tanker Skipper – a crude oil tanker seized by the United States on the high seas in December 2025 – and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil cargo supplied by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela. As alleged, the Skipper and its cargo are forfeitable as property affording a person a source of influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the era of secretly bankrolling regimes that pose clear threats to the United States is over,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will deploy every legal authority at our disposal to completely dismantle and permanently shutter any operation that defies our laws and fuels chaos across the globe.”
“This forfeiture complaint for the M/T Skipper and its oil cargo demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. sanctions and thwarting hostile regimes who exploit the global oil trade,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI, working alongside our interagency partners, will continue aggressively identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the financial networks used by our foreign adversaries to fund terrorist organizations and destabilize international security. We remain steadfast in safeguarding both the integrity of the international financial system and the security of the American people.”
“Because of the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, a ghost tanker that for years secretly moved illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela around the globe has been taken off the seas,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s actions are an important step in making America and the world safer by disrupting the flow of millions of dollars to foreign terrorist organizations. The Criminal Division will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end to terrorist financing.”
“For too long, a shadow fleet of stateless and falsely registered vessels has operated with impunity while shuttling illicit oil around the world, generating billions in revenue for adversary regimes and foreign terrorist organizations,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This forfeiture complaint reflects the National Security Division’s commitment to shutting down those networks and enforcing U.S. sanctions.”
“We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and relentlessly pursue ghost fleet vessels whose illicit oil shipments have served as revenue sources for the IRGC and its terrorist proxies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “With the continued seizures and forfeitures of tankers and related profits, we are sending a clear message that there will be no safe harbor for sanctions evasion – and that we will deny Iran the ability to fund terrorism through its shadowy maritime networks.”
“Homeland Security Investigations played a critical role in the investigation that led to today’s forfeiture complaint against the Motor Tanker Skipper and its illicit cargo. By leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and unwavering commitment to protecting the homeland, HSI helped disrupt a complex sanctions-evasion and illicit finance network supporting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” said HSI acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “I am proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our special agents and law enforcement partners, whose collaborative efforts were instrumental in advancing this case. HSI remains committed to safeguarding national security and upholding the rule of law by targeting criminal organizations that threaten global stability.”
The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum products for the benefit of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. During this time, the Skipper moved crude oil from Iran and Venezuela and, through ship-to-ship transfers, delivered it to various locations around the world, including to other rogue regimes. The Skipper disguised its illicit activities by spoofing its locations, flying false flags and employing other tactics to obfuscate its routes and conceal its sanctions evasion. For example, as alleged in the complaint, in 2024, the Skipper delivered approximately three million barrels of crude oil from Iran to Syria. The Skipper continued to transport illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela into 2025, including loading oil from Iran at least twice in 2025. For its facilitation of illicit oil shipments, on Nov. 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Skipper (then named the Adisa).
The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product, which was loaded onto the Skipper from Venezuela before it was seized, is part of the Skipper’s scheme to perpetuate its operations in support of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. As alleged, revenue from the sale of petroleum products supports the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses. The ghost fleet, including the Skipper, plays an essential role in generating revenue for these regimes by moving Iranian and other illicit oil around the world.
Most recently, in November 2025, the Skipper loaded approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan-origin crude oil at the José Terminal in Venezuela. According to bills of lading, approximately 1.1 million barrels of the Skipper’s oil cargo were to be delivered to Cubametales, the Cuban state-run oil import and export company that was designated by OFAC in July 2019.
On Dec. 10, 2025, U.S. law enforcement seized the Skipper on the high seas pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant. At that time, the Skipper was claiming a false Guyanese flag, rendering it stateless. The Skipper and its cargo were thereafter transported to the waters off the coast of Texas.
FBI Minneapolis Field Office and HSI Washington D.C. Field Office are investigating the case. Substantial assistance was provided by HSI New York Field Office.
Trial Attorney Josh Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dilorenzo and Rajbir Datta of the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
LAFAYETTE WOMAN SENTENCED TO 48 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR HER ROLE IN A MULTI-STATE VEHICLE THEFT, OBLITERATING VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS, AND IDENTITY THEFT CONSPIRACY
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Adrienne Marie King, age 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, to 48 months in federal prison following her convictions for conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle; altering, removing and obliterating a vehicle identification number; and possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years for the Interstate Transportation of Stolen Avionics Equipment
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa. Florida – Mario Mercier Hernandez (61, New Port Richey) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle to the statutory maximum of 10 years in federal prison for the interstate transportation of stolen property. Mercier pleaded guilty on July 25, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.