Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Orlando, Florida – Seven members of a gun trafficking scheme have been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roy. B. Dalton. Six of the individuals pleaded guilty. Jincheng Shi was convicted by a jury. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A 15-count indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia and charges six individuals in connection with their roles in a conspiracy that allegedly stole at least 20 cars in the Washington metropolitan area and Pennsylvania, transported the vehicles across state lines, and sold the vehicles to buyers in the United States and the African nation of Ghana.
Source: United States Department of War
Following the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel’s recommendation and at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the Marine Corps has upgraded valor awards for Marines assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, who stood at Abbey Gate on Aug. 26, 2021.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tallahassee, Florida – Deontae David Bernard Watkins, 43, of Perry, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of possession with intent to distribute multiple illegal drugs, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Two Utah persons are in federal custody and charged in a federal criminal complaint of International Parental Kidnapping. The pair is accused of allegedly skipping out on a planned camping trip to Canada with a shared custody child and instead took the 10-year-old to Havana, Cuba, without the biological mother’s knowledge or court approval.
Source: United States Army
Ramstein, Germany– Seventh and eighth graders at Ramstein Middle School recently solved an environmental mystery with the help of local experts. Scientists and engineers from Public Health Command Europe visited the school for a hands-on learning event that brought real-world science to the classroom.
The centerpiece of the event was “The Mystery of the Ailing Ram,” an elaborate scenario where students had to investigate the mysterious illness of the school’s mascot. Working in small teams, the students analyzed simulated water and soil samples, studied insect life and learned about the principles of environmental health to uncover the source of the “ailment.”
The event was initiated by Lindsey Foulkes, the school’s Career and Technical Education teacher for 7th and 8th grade, who wanted to offer her students more hands on experience in environmental health science but also introduce them to the subject matter experts from PHCE.
“My goal is to show them that science is not just something you read about in a book,” Foulkes said. “It’s a hands-on, problem-solving adventure that can make a real difference in the world.”
The students were guided by a team from PHCE’s Environmental Health and Sciences division, who shared their expertise in fields ranging from microbiology and water systems to entomology and pollution control. The students were captivated by the opportunity to use professional scientific equipment and techniques.
“It was like being in a real-life detective show,” said one 8th-grade student. “We had to follow the clues, test our theories and work together as a team to solve the case. It was more fun than a regular science class.”
Michael Bates, Environmental Technician at Public Health Command Europe, praised the students’ enthusiasm and curiosity.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to guide Ms. Foulkes’ 7th and 8th grade environmental class through a real-world environmental investigation,” said Bates. “It was rewarding to witness the curiosity and intellect of the students. They brought the scientific method into our investigation as they formed a hypothesis, got their hands dirty through the collection the data, and analyzed the results to solve the mystery.”
The event was a resounding success, not only in solving the mystery of the ailing ram but also in sparking a passion for science and environmental stewardship in the next generation. Ms. Foulkes and the PHCE EHS team are already discussing plans for future collaborations, including a possible field trip to the PHCE facilities.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jamar Jackson, 43, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Edwin Miguel Batista, 46, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. to narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Attorney for the United States, Sean S. Buckley, announced today that JARED SOLOMON, a former vice president of leasing at the commercial real estate company Vornado Realty Trust, was convicted of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and bank fraud, in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud his former employer, forge signatures, and lie to banks.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Eight illegal aliens and members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, have been sentenced for participating in a racketeering conspiracy that included witness tampering and multiple murders of individuals as young as 14.
“These defendants, acting on behalf of a transnational criminal gang, carried out brutal murders, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats, and their bare hands, and then glorifying their violent acts by sending photos of their carnage to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department commends the brave law enforcement officers and those who came forward to help law enforcement to resolve these cases. The lengthy sentences imposed send an unmistakable message that MS-13 and its accompanying violence are not welcome in the United States. The Criminal Division will relentlessly pursue MS-13 and hold those accountable who bring MS-13 violence to American communities.”
“Today’s sentences send a clear message – those who carry out violence for transnational criminal organizations will be held accountable, no matter where the orders come from,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “These defendants used brutality to advance within their criminal enterprise, and now they face the consequences. The Southern District of Texas will diligently continue working to dismantle violent criminal gangs that threaten our community.”
“This case centers on when MS-13 violence was at its peak in Houston. These gang members are among the most ruthless and violent criminals we’ve seen. They made our communities their killing fields,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Today’s hefty sentences should send a message to other violent terrorist organizations that the rule of law and justice will eventually catch up to you. This investigation, and today’s sentences, would not have been possible if it weren’t for our partnerships with the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and our law enforcement partners in El Salvador.”
“All eight of these MS-13 gang members illegally entered the country – including Aguilar Ochoa who illegally entered the U.S. four times – and went on to reign terror on our local communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Burke of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. “Working in conjunction with our partners, we were able to bring an end to the lawlessness that they’ve spread and hold them accountable for their depraved actions.”
Today, Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez also known as Largo, 35, was sentenced to 50 years in prison and Wilman Rivas-Guido also known as Inquieto, 30, was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Six other MS-13 members have been sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment in connection with this case: Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa also known as Darki, 40, Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia also known as Discreto, 30, and Walter Chicas-Garcia, 28, each received 50-year sentences. Marlon Miranda Moran, 26, was ordered to serve 35 years in prison, while Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, 34, and Carlos Garcia-Gongora, 28, were ordered to serve 45 years in prison. All have been and will remain in custody.
All are El Salvadoran nationals illegally present in the United States. They previously pleaded guilty, admitting to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston area from 2017 through 2018. In February 2025, the U.S. State Department designated MS-13 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. MS-13 engages in violent criminal activity across the United States, including in Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York and California, and throughout the countries where it operates, such as El Salvador and Honduras. MS-13 routinely uses intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons like machetes, baseball bats, firearms, and ligature strangulation, all to maintain power, reputation and territory.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Martinez-Rodriguez and Rivas-Guido, who were sentenced today after admitting to involvement in murder ordered and approved by high-ranking MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, who at times monitored executions by phone. Members carried out the murders to increase or maintain rank within the gang and targeted individuals believed to be rival gang members, law enforcement cooperators or people working against MS-13’s interests. After the murders, members sent photos of the victims’ bodies to leadership in El Salvador as proof of the executions and in an effort to rise in rank, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the bodies before sending the photos. Martinez-Rodriguez was a high-ranking leader in the conspiracy and initiated numerous murders ordered and approved by MS-13 leaders in El Salvador.
FBI and HSI conducted the investigation with assistance from police departments in Houston and Galveston, Texas, and Prince George’s County in Maryland; Sheriff’s offices in Harris and Liberty Counties in Texas; Texas Department of Public Safety; University of North Texas Center for Human Identification; U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Office of the Attorney General.
Trial Attorneys César S. Rivera-Giraud and Ben Tonkin of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted this case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force nationwide initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in targeting transnational criminal organizations, and led by the prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vulcan.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.