JTF-Bravo wraps up 2015 with CARVANA mission

Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

Members from Joint Task Force-Bravo completed a two-day troop movement of Honduran soldiers Dec. 17, 2015, in the Gracias a Dios Department (state) of Honduras, as a part of a greater endeavor to assist the Central American nation’s efforts to combat the trafficking of illicit materials through the region.

The troop-movement mission is part of a greater Honduran operation, named CARAVANA, and this iteration was the final one this calendar year, continuing to develop and build on the effects of the operation from the initial vision and request for support from the Honduran president in October 2014.

Originally, the request for aid to move troops came from the Honduran President’s office to Gen. John F. Kelly, U.S. Southern Command commander.

“Our President has recognized the importance of supporting our Central American partners, making the region one of his top foreign policy priorities,” Kelly stated in his March 12, 2015 Posture Statement to Congress. “We are now seeing real progress being made by the three ‘Northern Triangle’ countries. While there are many good examples, the situation is especially encouraging in Honduras, where the government is working hard to combat the drug trade, re-establish governance in remote areas, and take meaningful action to protect human rights.”

Since its initiation, Operation CARAVANA has facilitated the movement of nearly 5,000 troops and over 210,000 pounds of cargo between remote locations in the eastern part of Honduras, giving the country the ability to quickly focus and adjust their forces against the ever changing tactics traffickers use in the region.

As Operation CARAVANA continues to evolve in its execution, JTF-Bravo continues to work in support of the Honduran Forces to ensure we facilitate efforts to gain significant effects against the trafficking organizations working within Honduras. 

“The execution of this operation on a consistent basis has not only achieved the right effects within Gracias a Dios, but also effects throughout the region – impacting the overall trafficking network,” said Col. Robert Harman, JTF-Bravo commander. “In addition, it has increased our interaction with the Honduran Staff in developing detailed and integrated plans, and also integrated command and control throughout the Honduran 30 day rotations of Operation CARAVANA. This operation is not only impacting the environment but providing the time and space for further development of our partnered forces.”

Whitehorse — Police requesting assistance in locating an injured male

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

On March 27, 2024 at approximately 7:40 pm some concerned Whitehorse residents came across an injured male in the area of 13th and 14th Street in the neighborhood of Porter Creek subdivision. The male was offered assistance, however, he continued into the wooded area between Holly Street and Hickory Street. Police searched the area, but the male was not located. Whitehorse RCMP are seeking to ensure this individual’s well-being and are appealing to the person or the public, to contact police with information that may assist.

Description:

Male;

Very tall, possibly 6 ‘5 feet;

Caucasian;

Appeared to be in their late 30’s;

Long red beard;

Puffy jacket, possibly brown in colour;

Wearing jeans and boots.

If you have information that would assist, please contact police at 867-667-5555.

If you have information to provide to police, but wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestoppersyukon.ca or by phone at 867-667-6715.

New York Man Who Traveled to Lynchburg to Meet 14-Year-Old for Sex Pleads Guilty

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

ROANOKE, Va. – A New York man, who drove 8 hours to attempt to have sex with a 14-year-old Lynchburg, Virginia girl with whom he had been chatting online, pled guilty yesterday.

Derrick Loi, 27, of Lakeville, New York, pled guilty yesterday to one count of coercion and enticement. At sentencing, Loi faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison, as well as a potential fine of up to $250,000.

“Protecting minors from online predators is a cornerstone priority for the Department of Justice,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “I am grateful to the FBI and the Lynchburg Police Department for their swift actions in this case and preventing a more dire situation.”

“This investigation demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting the American people, especially when our children involved,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today. “I want to thank the case team and our law enforcement partners for their quick and decisive actions.”

According to court documents, in early February 2023, Loi met a 14-year-old girl from Lynchburg on Twitter (now known as X), and, in the early morning hours of February 14, 2023, began chatting with her on Discord. Loi told the young girl not only was he was interested in buying sexually explicit images and videos of her, but also wanted to meet her in person to have sex.

Ultimately, Loi agreed to pay the victim $300 to have sex and to provide sexually explicit images.

Loi and the victim agreed that Loi would become the victim’s “sugar daddy” and that he would get unlimited access to sexually-explicit content of the victim for a weekly fee of $50, which would increase to $100 after the first month. On February 15, 2023, Loi sent the victim a payment in line with that agreement.

On February 22, 2023, Loi and the victim began discussing plans for Loi to travel to meet the victim, including a discussion on specific sex acts and how he would film them.

After reserving a hotel room in Lynchburg, Loi chatted periodically with the young girl throughout his 8-hour drive from New York and also took time to send her a picture of items that he brought for their sexual encounter.

Just as Loi arrived at the pre-arranged location, an officer from the Lynchburg Police Department drove up and began questioning Loi. Initially, Loi provided a false name and lied to law enforcement about why he was in Lynchburg.

A subsequent search of Loi’s vehicle revealed sex toys, a box of the morning-after pill Plan B, and the bottle of pink vodka from an earlier photo that Loi had sent to the victim. The trunk of the car contained a large yellow plastic storage bag and was lined with a vinyl or rubber shower liner, on top of which sat a flattened cardboard box.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and the Lynchburg Police Department provided vital assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

Recidivist Offender Sentenced for Firearm Possession

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to court documents, on March 22, 2023, Richmond Police Department (RPD) detectives were patrolling an apartment complex in the 3400 block of Walmsley Boulevard following a recent homicide in the area. They observed Brandon Stephon Brown, 31, approach and quickly enter a breezeway. Brown reached into his pants and detectives saw a black handgun fall between Brown’s legs. The detectives detained Brown and recovered the 9mm handgun, which was loaded with a magazine containing 17 rounds, with an additional round in the chamber. The handgun was later determined to have been reported stolen.

At the time, Brown had four previous felony convictions, including robbery involving a firearm in 2012, two convictions in 2016 for possession of controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2017. As a previously convicted felon, Brown cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 20, 2023, and convicted at a bench trial by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr, on Nov. 15, 2023.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Judge Gibney.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-94.

The Pentagon Transfers Authority to the Navy to Ensure the Safe Closure of Red Hill

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

The Department of Defense announced today that the Joint Task Force-Red Hill has completed its defueling mission at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawai’i and shifted command and control of the facility to the United States Navy. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment will continue to convene a Senior Steering Group on Red Hill to provide oversight and offer support to the Navy.

“Today I am pleased to announce that the Navy has assumed command and control of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility,” said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. “Rear Admiral Stephen Barnett – now dual-hatted as Commander of Navy Region Hawaii and Commander of Navy Closure Task Force – will have overall responsibility for the final steps to ensure the safe closure of Red Hill.

“I’m grateful to Vice Admiral John Wade, Commander of the Joint Task Force, for his leadership and his work with the Hawai’i Department of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and our community partners in Hawai’i to complete the Department’s prompt and safe defueling of Red Hill earlier this month.

“The Department of Defense and the United States Navy remain deeply committed to protecting the public’s health and preserving the environment. Rear Admiral Barnett is determined to close Red Hill safely, and I’ve directed him to continue to communicate with our personnel and the people of Hawai’i candidly, frequently, and transparently.

The Navy will continue its work to safely close Red Hill while protecting the safety of the surrounding community and being responsible environmental stewards in Hawai’i.”

In March 2022, Secretary Austin directed the defueling and the permanent closure of the Red Hill facility and established the Joint Task Force to lead the defueling efforts and maintain command and control of Red Hill.  Last fall, the Secretary directed a conditions-based transition of command and control from the Joint Task Force to the Navy Closure Task Force, with the Navy assuming responsibility for Red Hill upon completion of the defueling mission.

On March 4, the Joint Task Force completed its gravity defueling mission, and a significant number of its personnel have been reassigned to serve on the Navy Closure Task Force to retain institutional knowledge and to ensure continuity of mission for safety, security, and community engagement. The Department of the Navy has provided the remaining personnel.

Secretary Austin convened all key stakeholders on March 14, 2024, to verify that all conditions for transition, including final transition review and safety measure turnover, have been met.

Following certification by INDOPACOM, the Navy, the Joint Staff, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment that the transition conditions have been met, Secretary Austin has directed the transition from the Joint Task Force to the Navy Closure Task Force. The Navy-led Task Force will assume responsibility for the permanent closure of Red Hill, in accordance with state and federal regulatory requirements.

Dual-hatting Rear Admiral Barnett as both Commander of Navy Region Hawaii and Commander of Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill will allow for synergies throughout the closure of Red Hill and remediation actions. It will also establish clear responsibility for future steps, which the Department hopes will continue to rebuild trust with the State of Hawai’i and the community of Oahu. Rear Admiral Barnett will also draw on supporting commands’ capabilities to assist the Navy Closure Task Force.

A Deputy Commander for Closure and Demolition and a Deputy Commander for Remediation and Environment will both report to Rear Admiral Barnett. These Deputy Commanders will oversee the day-to-day activities of the project and will lead the on-the-ground execution of the Department of the Navy’s Tank Closure Plan.

Since the establishment of the Joint Task Force in 2022, the Navy has been routinely involved with community meetings to provide information and answer questions about the water-distribution system, the water-monitoring program, closure planning, and environmental remediation steps. The Navy will continue this high level of engagement throughout the closure of Red Hill.

On February 28, the Department extended until March 2025 the Secretarial Designation authorizing continued access to a medical assessment at the Red Hill Clinic on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. This designation was also expanded to include current residents of military family housing served by the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Water Distribution System.

U.S. Marines, Sailors arrive in Darwin for 13th iteration of MRF-D

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

A new group of Marines and Sailors arrived in the Northern Territory to begin the 13th annual iteration of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin.

Led by a California-based Marine infantry regiment for the third year in a row, this year’s Marine Air-Ground Task Force brings approximately 2,000 U.S. Marines and Sailors to Australia’s Northern Territory for a series of exercises and training events alongside the Australian Defence Force.

Part of a 25-year agreement made in 2011 by then-President Barack Obama and then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the six-month deployments advance shared security objectives identified in the Australian United States Force Posture Initiatives. The deployment has grown in scale and complexity each year, enhancing our Alliance’s capabilities and ability to work together, and improving our combined capacity to respond to crises and contingencies in the Indo-Pacific region. MRF-D remains a key touchpoint of the Australia-U.S. security Alliance.

“The Marines and Sailors of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin are honored and excited to continue the legacy of cooperation and interoperability with our Australian Defence Force brothers and sisters,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Brian T. Mulvihill, the commanding officer of MRF-D 24.3. “Our strong Alliance contributes to stability in the region and enables the readiness of our forces to respond to any crisis or contingency that arises.”

Participants will conduct operations across a full spectrum of missions including expeditionary operations, geographically distributed communications, non-combatant evacuation operations, embassy reinforcements, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and rapid projection of combat power.

“These rotations not only help build interoperability between the ADF and the U.S., but also serve to increase regional cooperation with partner nations in the Indo-Pacific,” said Australian Navy Capt. Mitchell Livingstone, the commanding officer of Headquarters Northern Command. As in previous rotations, this year’s MRF-D exercise schedule will incorporate security partners from throughout the Pacific Islands and the broader region. Training events will occur throughout Australia and various countries in the region through the end of MRF-D 24.3’s rotation in October.

The Australia-U.S. Alliance is an anchor of peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Our nations share key objectives: increasing combined capabilities, promoting a stable and secure Indo-Pacific region, and strengthening their ability to respond to humanitarian crises, natural disasters, and contingencies.

For questions regarding this release, please contact the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin media team at MRFDMedia@usmc.mil.

March 28 Red Sea Update

Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

March 28, 2024

Release Number 20240328 – 01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. – Between 6:00 and 10:56 p.m. (Sanaa time) on March 28, and for the second day in a row, U.S. Central Command successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. These UAS were aimed at a Coalition vessel and a U.S. warship and were engaged in self-defense over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported to U.S. or coalition ships.

It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.

Georgetown Woman Indicted for Falsifying Statements to Federal Investigators Regarding 2009 Kidnapping and Murder of Brittanee Drexel

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment against Angel Cooper Vause, 56, of Georgetown, for making false statements to federal investigators.

According to the indictment, in May 2022, Vause is alleged to have lied to investigators with the FBI during the investigation into the 2009 disappearance and murder of Brittanee Drexel. Vause was arrested this morning and is scheduled to be arraigned today in Charleston at 1 p.m. before Magistrate Judge Molly H. Cherry.

The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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UPDATE: Man charged in connection with Hillingdon murder

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A second man has been charged in connection with the murder of Sean O’Neill in west London.

Dellan Charles, 22 (08.10.01) of no fixed address has been charged with murder and possession of a knife.

An investigation was launched after police were called at 18:51hrs on 18 May 2023 to reports of a man found injured in Reynolds Road, Hayes.

Officers responded and found 30-year-old Sean O’Neill with stab injuries. Despite the efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following a public appeal, new information was received and a 22-year-old man was arrested at a house in Coventry on the morning of Wednesday, 27 March. He was subsequently charged and remanded in custody to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 30 March.

Another man has also been charged with murder and is due to stand trial at Kingston Crown Court at a later date.

Three Jamestown residents charged with drug and sex trafficking conspiracy

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Zaid Mendoza a/k/a Diamond, 45, Cora Waddington, 24, Kelvin O. Thomas, 41, all of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force and coercion, sex trafficking by force and coercion, and using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. In addition, defendants Mendoza and Waddington are charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and Mendoza is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Maeve E. Huggins, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, Mendoza, Waddington, and Thomas conspired to sell fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Jamestown area, using a residence on West Main Street in the Town of Ellicott, NY, to conduct their drug trafficking activities. In addition, between October and December 2022, the defendants are accused of conspiring to force individuals to engage in commercial sex acts.

The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson; the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, New York Field Division; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino III, New York Field Division; and the Town of Ellicott Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Ohnmeiss Jr.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This investigation is also assisted by the Western New York Human Trafficking Task Force, a multi-disciplinary task force that brings law enforcement and social service agencies together to identify and investigate human trafficking utilizing a victim centered and trauma informed response, was also part of this effort. 

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  

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