Del Rio, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol Agents from Del Rio Sector made two marijuana seizures Wednesday totaling more than 325 pounds, with an estimated street value of $260,000.
A service canine alerted agents to the presence of marijuana in the vehicle.
U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered 18 pounds of marijuana hidden in the engine compartment of a vehicle driven by a Uvalde man.
Around 7 p.m., at the immigration checkpoint on Highway 57, agents from the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station discovered nine packages of marijuana in a 1999 Dodge Durango driven by a man from Uvalde. The contraband was found in the wheel well and engine compartment after a canine alerted to the side of the truck. The driver, who was recently released from Texas Department of Corrections, was arrested and turned over to the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, along with the marijuana, which had a total weight of 18 pounds and an estimated value of nearly $15,000.
At approximately 10:15 p.m., agents from the Del Rio Border Patrol Station arrested four Mexican Nationals and seized four bundles of marijuana weighing more than 300 pounds. Agents had observed the four subjects carrying the contraband away from the Rio Grande River around a half hour earlier. A canine tracking team was deployed and agents apprehended the individuals a short time later. The bundles contained a total of 144 bricks of marijuana with an estimated value of $246,000.
The subjects and marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Del Rio Sector Agents Seize More Than $250K Worth of Marijuana Two Seizures Wednesday Net 300-Plus Pounds of Pot
Del Rio, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol Agents from Del Rio Sector made two marijuana seizures Wednesday totaling more than 325 pounds, with an estimated street value of $260,000.
A service canine alerted agents to the presence of marijuana in the vehicle.
U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered 18 pounds of marijuana hidden in the engine compartment of a vehicle driven by a Uvalde man.
Around 7 p.m., at the immigration checkpoint on Highway 57, agents from the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station discovered nine packages of marijuana in a 1999 Dodge Durango driven by a man from Uvalde. The contraband was found in the wheel well and engine compartment after a canine alerted to the side of the truck. The driver, who was recently released from Texas Department of Corrections, was arrested and turned over to the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, along with the marijuana, which had a total weight of 18 pounds and an estimated value of nearly $15,000.
At approximately 10:15 p.m., agents from the Del Rio Border Patrol Station arrested four Mexican Nationals and seized four bundles of marijuana weighing more than 300 pounds. Agents had observed the four subjects carrying the contraband away from the Rio Grande River around a half hour earlier. A canine tracking team was deployed and agents apprehended the individuals a short time later. The bundles contained a total of 144 bricks of marijuana with an estimated value of $246,000.
The subjects and marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
A service canine alerted agents to the presence of marijuana in the vehicle.
U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered 18 pounds of marijuana hidden in the engine compartment of a vehicle driven by a Uvalde man.
Around 7 p.m., at the immigration checkpoint on Highway 57, agents from the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station discovered nine packages of marijuana in a 1999 Dodge Durango driven by a man from Uvalde. The contraband was found in the wheel well and engine compartment after a canine alerted to the side of the truck. The driver, who was recently released from Texas Department of Corrections, was arrested and turned over to the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, along with the marijuana, which had a total weight of 18 pounds and an estimated value of nearly $15,000.
At approximately 10:15 p.m., agents from the Del Rio Border Patrol Station arrested four Mexican Nationals and seized four bundles of marijuana weighing more than 300 pounds. Agents had observed the four subjects carrying the contraband away from the Rio Grande River around a half hour earlier. A canine tracking team was deployed and agents apprehended the individuals a short time later. The bundles contained a total of 144 bricks of marijuana with an estimated value of $246,000.
The subjects and marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
2 Missouri men plead guilty to trafficking counterfeit goods
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Two local men pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to trafficking in counterfeit goods after federal agents seized hundreds of pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes and other counterfeit apparel from them. The guilty pleas resulted from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Brent Darrell Luna, 25, of Nixa, Mo., and Lukas Antonio Rivas, 21, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty in separate hearings Nov. 4 to the charges contained in a July 28 federal indictment.
Luna and Rivas admitted that they sold counterfeit Nike athletic shoes and other counterfeit items at Luna's Springfield store, 417 Urban Trendz. Undercover police officers purchased shoes and other items from Luna and Rivas on several occasions. Luna opened 417 Urban Trendz after he was released from state prison in July 2008. Prior to the store's opening, the counterfeit goods were sold at other locations.
According to Luna's plea agreement, during a call that was recorded while he was incarcerated on an unrelated state offense, Luna indicated that he had invested $75,000 in purchasing the shoes and other items from a supplier in China. Luna also referred to $29,000 worth of inventory that was stored in his garage.
To avoid customs declarations or paying custom duties, Luna ordered the shoes via the Internet in small shipments of seven pairs. The shipments were sent to different residences and labeled as gifts. Rivas received between 20 and 30 shipments of shoes at his residence.
By pleading guilty Nov. 4, Luna and Rivas also agreed to forfeit to the government all the seized counterfeit goods, which included the following items: more than 600 pairs of Nike athletic shoes; 20 pairs of Timberland shoes; 45 National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) jerseys; 67 Major League Baseball (MLB) hats; dozens of jeans, shirts, belts, shoes, hoodies, and other merchandise bearing counterfeit logos from luxury brands; and $3,448.
Under federal statutes, Luna and Rivas each face up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $2 million and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information related to counterfeit merchandise is encouraged to contact law enforcement. The public may also call ICE's 24-hour toll-free hotline at: 1 (866) DHS-2ICE.
Brent Darrell Luna, 25, of Nixa, Mo., and Lukas Antonio Rivas, 21, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty in separate hearings Nov. 4 to the charges contained in a July 28 federal indictment.
Luna and Rivas admitted that they sold counterfeit Nike athletic shoes and other counterfeit items at Luna's Springfield store, 417 Urban Trendz. Undercover police officers purchased shoes and other items from Luna and Rivas on several occasions. Luna opened 417 Urban Trendz after he was released from state prison in July 2008. Prior to the store's opening, the counterfeit goods were sold at other locations.
According to Luna's plea agreement, during a call that was recorded while he was incarcerated on an unrelated state offense, Luna indicated that he had invested $75,000 in purchasing the shoes and other items from a supplier in China. Luna also referred to $29,000 worth of inventory that was stored in his garage.
To avoid customs declarations or paying custom duties, Luna ordered the shoes via the Internet in small shipments of seven pairs. The shipments were sent to different residences and labeled as gifts. Rivas received between 20 and 30 shipments of shoes at his residence.
By pleading guilty Nov. 4, Luna and Rivas also agreed to forfeit to the government all the seized counterfeit goods, which included the following items: more than 600 pairs of Nike athletic shoes; 20 pairs of Timberland shoes; 45 National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) jerseys; 67 Major League Baseball (MLB) hats; dozens of jeans, shirts, belts, shoes, hoodies, and other merchandise bearing counterfeit logos from luxury brands; and $3,448.
Under federal statutes, Luna and Rivas each face up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $2 million and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information related to counterfeit merchandise is encouraged to contact law enforcement. The public may also call ICE's 24-hour toll-free hotline at: 1 (866) DHS-2ICE.
Puerto Rico resident charged with importing candy laced with cocaine on flight to Fort Lauderdale
MIAMI - An 18-year-old Puerto Rican man was arrested on Monday on drug smuggling charges by special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Jose Manuel Torres Perez is charged with importing five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Perez arrived into the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Bogota, Colombia. He proceeded to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enclosure and presented himself and his luggage to CBP officers for inspection and entry into the United States.
Within the luggage claimed by Perez, there were multiple paper shopping bags containing different articles of clothing. In addition, he claimed bags containing various types of candies. CBP officers discovered that the bottom of these bags contained cocaine. Upon this discovery, CBP inspected the bags of candy more closely. CBP inspectors field-tested one of each type of candy and found that each type of candy also tested positive for cocaine. In total, CBP determined that Perez possessed about 9.6 kilograms (21 pounds) of cocaine.
Perez made his initial appearance on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow in Fort Lauderdale. He was ordered temporarily detained pending his pre-trial detention hearing on Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz, Southern District of Florida, is prosecuting this case.
Jose Manuel Torres Perez is charged with importing five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Perez arrived into the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Bogota, Colombia. He proceeded to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enclosure and presented himself and his luggage to CBP officers for inspection and entry into the United States.
Within the luggage claimed by Perez, there were multiple paper shopping bags containing different articles of clothing. In addition, he claimed bags containing various types of candies. CBP officers discovered that the bottom of these bags contained cocaine. Upon this discovery, CBP inspected the bags of candy more closely. CBP inspectors field-tested one of each type of candy and found that each type of candy also tested positive for cocaine. In total, CBP determined that Perez possessed about 9.6 kilograms (21 pounds) of cocaine.
Perez made his initial appearance on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow in Fort Lauderdale. He was ordered temporarily detained pending his pre-trial detention hearing on Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz, Southern District of Florida, is prosecuting this case.
USS Iwo Jima Stands Ready to Assist in Haiti
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, stands ready off the southern coast of Haiti to assist with disaster relief support, if requested, as a result of Hurricane Tomas.
Any assistance to the government of Haiti would be provided in coordination with the United Nations Stabilization Mission under the direction of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The USS Iwo Jima is on a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance deployment called Continuing Promise 2010 in support of U.S. Southern Command, bringing health care and other services to communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"This is exactly why we have Continuing Promise missions out here," Navy Capt. Thomas Negus, commodore of Continuing Promise 2010, told bloggers and online journalists during a "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable today. "It uniquely helps us to be prepared for situations like this. I saw this firsthand how previous missions helped to save thousands of lives since the [Jan. 12] earthquake [in Haiti]."
Iwo Jima was near Suriname, the last of eight Continuing Promise 2010 port visits, when the call came to support possible relief efforts.
The U.S. military's "unique capability" is to provide rapid response assistance until able to transition tasks to other organizations, Negus said. "Our second mission has always been to be prepared for any natural disasters in the region while we are out here," he added.
Negus said Iwo Jima brings a "tremendous spread of capability" to assist the U.N. and USAID.
"The great capability that Continuing Promise provides is the rapid response we are able to support to a larger U.N. and USAID effort," Negus said. "We have plans -- as soon as the storm clears and it is safe to do so based on weather constraints and daylight -- to fly over the southern peninsula of Haiti."
The ship is off the southern coast of Haiti to provide logistic support to the mission and will assist with moving previously stockpiled supplies to the needed locations in Haiti, Negus said. Though they would be able to deliver all of the pre-staged items if required, he added, current weather reports indicate that the effects from the storm will be confined to a relatively small area.
"I am anticipating and hoping that it is much more localized," Negus said. "Current reports in [the Haitian capital of] Port-au-Prince are trending that way."
Negus added that all of their relief efforts will be in concert with U.N. and USAID relief efforts. "We are focused on the mission we have been asked to support, which is storm assistance and recovery," said Negus.
Iwo Jima brings a tremendous capability to the mission, Negus said, including 10 helicopters, two landing craft and upwards of 200 medical personnel, as well as an engineering detachment that could assist with engineering and construction capabilities and assessments, as well as civil affairs personnel from the Navy and Marine Corps. An additional component to the team is a 500-strong Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force.
Negus said the greatest asset a ship provides to the mission is the flexibility to stand ready to assist and the capacity for partnerships with a variety of resources. He added that as soon as the storm clears, his crew would begin "immediate lifesaving and looking for isolated populations that might be cut off by crashed bridges or flooded roads."
His previous experience as commodore in Continuing Promise 2009 and the aftermath of Haiti's January earthquake have prepared him to respond to situations where humanitarian assistance is required, Negus said.
Related Sites:
USS Iwo Jima
Continuing Promise 2010
"DOD Live" Bloggers Roundtable
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, stands ready off the southern coast of Haiti to assist with disaster relief support, if requested, as a result of Hurricane Tomas.
Any assistance to the government of Haiti would be provided in coordination with the United Nations Stabilization Mission under the direction of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The USS Iwo Jima is on a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance deployment called Continuing Promise 2010 in support of U.S. Southern Command, bringing health care and other services to communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"This is exactly why we have Continuing Promise missions out here," Navy Capt. Thomas Negus, commodore of Continuing Promise 2010, told bloggers and online journalists during a "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable today. "It uniquely helps us to be prepared for situations like this. I saw this firsthand how previous missions helped to save thousands of lives since the [Jan. 12] earthquake [in Haiti]."
Iwo Jima was near Suriname, the last of eight Continuing Promise 2010 port visits, when the call came to support possible relief efforts.
The U.S. military's "unique capability" is to provide rapid response assistance until able to transition tasks to other organizations, Negus said. "Our second mission has always been to be prepared for any natural disasters in the region while we are out here," he added.
Negus said Iwo Jima brings a "tremendous spread of capability" to assist the U.N. and USAID.
"The great capability that Continuing Promise provides is the rapid response we are able to support to a larger U.N. and USAID effort," Negus said. "We have plans -- as soon as the storm clears and it is safe to do so based on weather constraints and daylight -- to fly over the southern peninsula of Haiti."
The ship is off the southern coast of Haiti to provide logistic support to the mission and will assist with moving previously stockpiled supplies to the needed locations in Haiti, Negus said. Though they would be able to deliver all of the pre-staged items if required, he added, current weather reports indicate that the effects from the storm will be confined to a relatively small area.
"I am anticipating and hoping that it is much more localized," Negus said. "Current reports in [the Haitian capital of] Port-au-Prince are trending that way."
Negus added that all of their relief efforts will be in concert with U.N. and USAID relief efforts. "We are focused on the mission we have been asked to support, which is storm assistance and recovery," said Negus.
Iwo Jima brings a tremendous capability to the mission, Negus said, including 10 helicopters, two landing craft and upwards of 200 medical personnel, as well as an engineering detachment that could assist with engineering and construction capabilities and assessments, as well as civil affairs personnel from the Navy and Marine Corps. An additional component to the team is a 500-strong Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force.
Negus said the greatest asset a ship provides to the mission is the flexibility to stand ready to assist and the capacity for partnerships with a variety of resources. He added that as soon as the storm clears, his crew would begin "immediate lifesaving and looking for isolated populations that might be cut off by crashed bridges or flooded roads."
His previous experience as commodore in Continuing Promise 2009 and the aftermath of Haiti's January earthquake have prepared him to respond to situations where humanitarian assistance is required, Negus said.
Related Sites:
USS Iwo Jima
Continuing Promise 2010
"DOD Live" Bloggers Roundtable
Attorney General lauds HSI special agents for their work on terrorism task force ICE Denver team brings immigration charges, helping to seal conviction against terrorist
Attorney General lauds HSI special agents for their work on terrorism task force
ICE Denver team brings immigration charges, helping to seal conviction against terrorist
On Oct. 27, 2010, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents Jason Cassidy, Travis McFarren and Robert Marten were awarded the Attorney General's Exceptional Service Award-the highest Department of Justice award-for their exemplary efforts in Operation High Rise.
As part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), they played integral roles in the disruption, apprehension and prosecution of individuals involved in the planned terrorist attack on New York City.
In September 2009, just days prior to the 9/11 anniversary date, intelligence analysts discovered from a monitored e-mail account that al-Qaeda trained operatives in Denver and New York were plotting to detonate explosives in the New York City subway system on or about Sept. 11.
With a terrorist attack imminent, JTTF special agents from Denver and New York worked nonstop knowing that every minute that passed was closer to the possible detonation of a ticking bomb. An interagency flourish of surveillance, emergency wiretap requests, warrants, interviews and undercover actions ensued in an effort to identify and locate the individual behind the incriminating e-mail messages. Investigators identified the mastermind of the plot, Najibullah Zazi, a cab driver of Afghani decent who worked at the Denver International Airport.
An exhaustive review of databases pinpointed two of Zazi's associates who were located in New York City. Further investigation, combined with in-depth analysis of information supplied by foreign and interagency partners, revealed that Zazi and his associates posed the most serious terrorist threat to our nation since September 11, 2001. In fact, Zazi and his New York co-conspirators had been planning their deadly strike against Americans ever since their return from a trip to Pakistan in 2008, where they attended an al-Qaeda training camp.
In a synchronized cross-country surveillance maneuver, JTTF agents, as well as detectives from the New York City Police Department tracked Zazi as he traveled from Denver to New York City. Exhaustive efforts continued until investigators confirmed Zazi was constructing an explosive device. Zazi was arrested and charged with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. With Zazi in custody, investigators continued their search for evidence needed to seal a successful prosecution.
SAs Cassidy and McFarren talked with key Zazi family members and associates, raising questions about immigration status and travel-related matters. Many of these individuals voluntarily divulged information that helped investigators stitch together the terrorist plot.
"HSI's unique law enforcement authorities in investigating violations of criminal law, as well as immigration offenses, proved to be a critical advantage in building a case against the three conspirators in this case," said HSI Executive Associate Director James Dinkins. "HSI will continue to use our immigration enforcement authority to help prosecute those who threaten national security."
On Feb. 22, 2010, Zazi pleaded guilty to conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiring to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support to a terrorist organization. Zazi, who has not yet been sentenced, faces a possible life sentence without possibility of parole.
ICE Denver team brings immigration charges, helping to seal conviction against terrorist
On Oct. 27, 2010, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents Jason Cassidy, Travis McFarren and Robert Marten were awarded the Attorney General's Exceptional Service Award-the highest Department of Justice award-for their exemplary efforts in Operation High Rise.
As part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), they played integral roles in the disruption, apprehension and prosecution of individuals involved in the planned terrorist attack on New York City.
In September 2009, just days prior to the 9/11 anniversary date, intelligence analysts discovered from a monitored e-mail account that al-Qaeda trained operatives in Denver and New York were plotting to detonate explosives in the New York City subway system on or about Sept. 11.
With a terrorist attack imminent, JTTF special agents from Denver and New York worked nonstop knowing that every minute that passed was closer to the possible detonation of a ticking bomb. An interagency flourish of surveillance, emergency wiretap requests, warrants, interviews and undercover actions ensued in an effort to identify and locate the individual behind the incriminating e-mail messages. Investigators identified the mastermind of the plot, Najibullah Zazi, a cab driver of Afghani decent who worked at the Denver International Airport.
An exhaustive review of databases pinpointed two of Zazi's associates who were located in New York City. Further investigation, combined with in-depth analysis of information supplied by foreign and interagency partners, revealed that Zazi and his associates posed the most serious terrorist threat to our nation since September 11, 2001. In fact, Zazi and his New York co-conspirators had been planning their deadly strike against Americans ever since their return from a trip to Pakistan in 2008, where they attended an al-Qaeda training camp.
In a synchronized cross-country surveillance maneuver, JTTF agents, as well as detectives from the New York City Police Department tracked Zazi as he traveled from Denver to New York City. Exhaustive efforts continued until investigators confirmed Zazi was constructing an explosive device. Zazi was arrested and charged with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. With Zazi in custody, investigators continued their search for evidence needed to seal a successful prosecution.
SAs Cassidy and McFarren talked with key Zazi family members and associates, raising questions about immigration status and travel-related matters. Many of these individuals voluntarily divulged information that helped investigators stitch together the terrorist plot.
"HSI's unique law enforcement authorities in investigating violations of criminal law, as well as immigration offenses, proved to be a critical advantage in building a case against the three conspirators in this case," said HSI Executive Associate Director James Dinkins. "HSI will continue to use our immigration enforcement authority to help prosecute those who threaten national security."
On Feb. 22, 2010, Zazi pleaded guilty to conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiring to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support to a terrorist organization. Zazi, who has not yet been sentenced, faces a possible life sentence without possibility of parole.
Odierno, Crocker: Iraq's Future Still Hinges on U.S. Support
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - Two former top U.S. leaders in Iraq said today that even if America's war there is over, its work is not yet done.
"The Iraqis believe that they ... have the potential to be a leader in the Middle East," said Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who left Iraq in September after two years in command of U.S. forces there. "They believe they have the educational systems, and the educated, to do that. They believe they have the natural resources to do that. But they need significant help, because those resources and the infrastructure associated with it have been ignored, really, since about 1980."
Odierno, who now leads U.S. Joint Forces Command, spoke today along with Ryan C. Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2007 to 2009, at the World Affairs Councils of America national conference.
The general said a stable Iraq could help to assure security not only for the Middle East, but also for the United States.
"Iraq, as everyone knows, is in a very strategic location inside of the Middle East," he said. "It's a mixture of many different groups of people: Sunni, Shiia, Kurds. They have started to move toward a democratic process. They are interested in having an open economic environment inside the country. And once this starts to take hold ... it could then create an atmosphere of more stability and an example for other nations."
Odierno said Iraq had seen a decrease in violence over the last few years from all-out insurgency across the country to a "very small" insurgent group and al-Qaida in Iraq, a terrorist group he said still threatens the Iraqi people, though much less than it used to.
"The important piece is that we've now created a security force that is capable of dealing with this," Odierno said. "Iraq is now about politics and about economic issues, ... and I think that's what is important as we look to the future."
Odierno said most Americans don't realize the effect on Iraq's infrastructure over years of war – first with Iran, then against coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 - followed by more than a decade of sanctions. Medical systems, the electrical power grid and other vital infrastructure decayed, he said.
"I call it societal devastation," the general told the audience. "We underestimated this societal devastation when we went into Iraq, and that's partly why it's taken so darn long there, because we didn't understand what would come out of that – part of it is an insurgency, [and] part of it is other people thinking they can take control."
Odierno said Iraqis believe the United States could fix its infrastructure if it chose to.
"And they think we've chosen not to fix it," he said. "We've explained to them time and time again that we've done everything we can to help them fix their problem."
Odierno said Iraq's challenge now is to build the national strength and unity it needs to repair itself.
"The people of Iraq believe they need our help to do that. There is still a mistrust between elements inside of Iraq; they have not built up trust yet," he said. "We work as an honest broker, someone who is there to help them work out their issues. ... I think that's the role we have to play moving forward."
Crocker agreed that Iraq faces challenges now that it may not meet successfully without U.S. help.
"I was struck by two polls conducted Oct. 31," Crocker said. "A poll here found that 70 percent of Americans were done with Iraq. 'Time to get out, been too long, cost too much, too many other things to do.'
"A poll conducted in Iraq the same week had the same percentage – 70 percent of Iraqis – but it was 70 percent of Iraqis who thought it would be a terrible mistake for them if the [United States] decided to cut sling and head home," he said.
For all the progress in Iraq, over the last three years in particular, the challenges remain immense, Crocker said.
"Sectarian tensions between Shiia and Sunnis have subsided; ethnic tensions between Kurds and Arabs, though, have increased," he said. "Those tensions lie on a rickety foundation of unresolved institutional and constitutional issues: ... the authorities of a regional government in Kurdistan versus a federal government in Baghdad versus provincial governments elsewhere."
Crocker said while U.S. forces in Iraq have been successful in keeping a fragile peace among government factions, "the hard decisions still lie in front of Iraqis."
"General Odierno has painted the picture of what Iraq could be: an enormous strategic asset for the region and the world," Crocker said. "Iraq for the last half-century has really defined itself in the opposite manner -- an adversary, a problem, an enemy."
The United States now has an opportunity to make a lasting change in that relationship, Crocker said, with a security agreement and a strategic framework agreement in place to guide relations with Iraq.
"Here's my biggest worry," he said. "In America, as we look at other issues overseas like Afghanistan and Pakistan, as we look at our economy, that we are not thinking of 'turning the page,' as President [Barack] Obama said, [but rather] are thinking of closing the book in Iraq.
"If our thinking and our resources ... go along these lines, I think the chances for long-term strategic success, built on the great work that General Odierno and his troops and a lot of brave civilians have already put into this, will diminish sharply," Crocker added. "American interests will pay, and the Iraqi people will pay even more."
Biographies:
Ryan C. Crocker
Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno
Related Articles:
General Describes Remaining Terror Threat in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - Two former top U.S. leaders in Iraq said today that even if America's war there is over, its work is not yet done.
"The Iraqis believe that they ... have the potential to be a leader in the Middle East," said Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who left Iraq in September after two years in command of U.S. forces there. "They believe they have the educational systems, and the educated, to do that. They believe they have the natural resources to do that. But they need significant help, because those resources and the infrastructure associated with it have been ignored, really, since about 1980."
Odierno, who now leads U.S. Joint Forces Command, spoke today along with Ryan C. Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2007 to 2009, at the World Affairs Councils of America national conference.
The general said a stable Iraq could help to assure security not only for the Middle East, but also for the United States.
"Iraq, as everyone knows, is in a very strategic location inside of the Middle East," he said. "It's a mixture of many different groups of people: Sunni, Shiia, Kurds. They have started to move toward a democratic process. They are interested in having an open economic environment inside the country. And once this starts to take hold ... it could then create an atmosphere of more stability and an example for other nations."
Odierno said Iraq had seen a decrease in violence over the last few years from all-out insurgency across the country to a "very small" insurgent group and al-Qaida in Iraq, a terrorist group he said still threatens the Iraqi people, though much less than it used to.
"The important piece is that we've now created a security force that is capable of dealing with this," Odierno said. "Iraq is now about politics and about economic issues, ... and I think that's what is important as we look to the future."
Odierno said most Americans don't realize the effect on Iraq's infrastructure over years of war – first with Iran, then against coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 - followed by more than a decade of sanctions. Medical systems, the electrical power grid and other vital infrastructure decayed, he said.
"I call it societal devastation," the general told the audience. "We underestimated this societal devastation when we went into Iraq, and that's partly why it's taken so darn long there, because we didn't understand what would come out of that – part of it is an insurgency, [and] part of it is other people thinking they can take control."
Odierno said Iraqis believe the United States could fix its infrastructure if it chose to.
"And they think we've chosen not to fix it," he said. "We've explained to them time and time again that we've done everything we can to help them fix their problem."
Odierno said Iraq's challenge now is to build the national strength and unity it needs to repair itself.
"The people of Iraq believe they need our help to do that. There is still a mistrust between elements inside of Iraq; they have not built up trust yet," he said. "We work as an honest broker, someone who is there to help them work out their issues. ... I think that's the role we have to play moving forward."
Crocker agreed that Iraq faces challenges now that it may not meet successfully without U.S. help.
"I was struck by two polls conducted Oct. 31," Crocker said. "A poll here found that 70 percent of Americans were done with Iraq. 'Time to get out, been too long, cost too much, too many other things to do.'
"A poll conducted in Iraq the same week had the same percentage – 70 percent of Iraqis – but it was 70 percent of Iraqis who thought it would be a terrible mistake for them if the [United States] decided to cut sling and head home," he said.
For all the progress in Iraq, over the last three years in particular, the challenges remain immense, Crocker said.
"Sectarian tensions between Shiia and Sunnis have subsided; ethnic tensions between Kurds and Arabs, though, have increased," he said. "Those tensions lie on a rickety foundation of unresolved institutional and constitutional issues: ... the authorities of a regional government in Kurdistan versus a federal government in Baghdad versus provincial governments elsewhere."
Crocker said while U.S. forces in Iraq have been successful in keeping a fragile peace among government factions, "the hard decisions still lie in front of Iraqis."
"General Odierno has painted the picture of what Iraq could be: an enormous strategic asset for the region and the world," Crocker said. "Iraq for the last half-century has really defined itself in the opposite manner -- an adversary, a problem, an enemy."
The United States now has an opportunity to make a lasting change in that relationship, Crocker said, with a security agreement and a strategic framework agreement in place to guide relations with Iraq.
"Here's my biggest worry," he said. "In America, as we look at other issues overseas like Afghanistan and Pakistan, as we look at our economy, that we are not thinking of 'turning the page,' as President [Barack] Obama said, [but rather] are thinking of closing the book in Iraq.
"If our thinking and our resources ... go along these lines, I think the chances for long-term strategic success, built on the great work that General Odierno and his troops and a lot of brave civilians have already put into this, will diminish sharply," Crocker added. "American interests will pay, and the Iraqi people will pay even more."
Biographies:
Ryan C. Crocker
Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno
Related Articles:
General Describes Remaining Terror Threat in Iraq
Chairman's Corner: Too Many Doors Still Closed to Women
Chairman's Corner: Too Many Doors Still Closed to Women
By Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - Yesterday I had the opportunity to address a conference on "Women and War," hosted by the United States Institute of Peace. My main message was this: no matter how many doors we have opened for women in the military -- and there have been many -- there are still too many others yet closed.
We simply must do a better job tapping into their unique talents and understanding their unique challenges.
Today, women are rising through our ranks and expanding their influence at an ever-increasing rate, serving magnificently all over the world in all sorts of ways. More critically, in these wars of ours, they've served and sacrificed and led every bit as much and every bit as capably as any man out there. Well over 200,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, demonstrating tremendous resilience, adaptability and capacity for innovation.
Indeed, they have given us a competitive advantage.
Five years ago, when the enemy was using Iraqi women to subvert our security checkpoints, female Marines started something called the "Lioness" program to counter this threat and then conduct broader outreach to the women of Iraq.
In Afghanistan today, female Marines are providing hope and promise through female engagement teams in the Taliban strongholds in that country. These brave women have in many places been able to operate where male troops often cannot go. One Afghan elder who opened his home so female Marines could visit with his wife told Washington Post reporter Tom Ricks, "Your men come to fight, but we know the women are here to help."
Now, I would tell you that ALL of our deployed troops, men and women alike, are there to fight for and to help the local population. But these women have been able to build special relationships and trust with Afghan women, to see things through their eyes and gain valuable insight that we would not have gained otherwise.
Time and again, military women show us that courage and leadership recognize no gender. In a war where there is no longer a clear delineation between frontlines and sidelines, where the war can come at you from any direction, I think it's important for all of us to remember that this will be the first generation of veterans where large numbers of women returning will have been exposed to some form of combat.
I know what the law says, and I know what it requires. But I'd be hard pressed to say that any woman who serves in Afghanistan today or who's served in Iraq over the last few years did so without facing the same risks to live and limb that their male counterparts faced. Military women are coming home to Dover too.
And just like the men, those that make it home do so with wounds visible and invisible, with similar consequences for our health-care system, our national employment rate and even homelessness. Along with other issues, financial hardships are driving veteran homelessness to a rate faster than experienced by the Vietnam generation. Experts say that more than 100,000 veterans are homeless on any given night and almost 4,000 are from today's generation and 10 percent of those seeking help for homelessness are women. Many of these women have young children who have already been through so much.
This is something that deeply troubles me, because the resources for these women haven't caught up with those for male veterans. And they have unique challenges that the system just does not understand yet.
There are, indeed, many doors yet to open.
Biographies:
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Related Sites:
By Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - Yesterday I had the opportunity to address a conference on "Women and War," hosted by the United States Institute of Peace. My main message was this: no matter how many doors we have opened for women in the military -- and there have been many -- there are still too many others yet closed.
We simply must do a better job tapping into their unique talents and understanding their unique challenges.
Today, women are rising through our ranks and expanding their influence at an ever-increasing rate, serving magnificently all over the world in all sorts of ways. More critically, in these wars of ours, they've served and sacrificed and led every bit as much and every bit as capably as any man out there. Well over 200,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, demonstrating tremendous resilience, adaptability and capacity for innovation.
Indeed, they have given us a competitive advantage.
Five years ago, when the enemy was using Iraqi women to subvert our security checkpoints, female Marines started something called the "Lioness" program to counter this threat and then conduct broader outreach to the women of Iraq.
In Afghanistan today, female Marines are providing hope and promise through female engagement teams in the Taliban strongholds in that country. These brave women have in many places been able to operate where male troops often cannot go. One Afghan elder who opened his home so female Marines could visit with his wife told Washington Post reporter Tom Ricks, "Your men come to fight, but we know the women are here to help."
Now, I would tell you that ALL of our deployed troops, men and women alike, are there to fight for and to help the local population. But these women have been able to build special relationships and trust with Afghan women, to see things through their eyes and gain valuable insight that we would not have gained otherwise.
Time and again, military women show us that courage and leadership recognize no gender. In a war where there is no longer a clear delineation between frontlines and sidelines, where the war can come at you from any direction, I think it's important for all of us to remember that this will be the first generation of veterans where large numbers of women returning will have been exposed to some form of combat.
I know what the law says, and I know what it requires. But I'd be hard pressed to say that any woman who serves in Afghanistan today or who's served in Iraq over the last few years did so without facing the same risks to live and limb that their male counterparts faced. Military women are coming home to Dover too.
And just like the men, those that make it home do so with wounds visible and invisible, with similar consequences for our health-care system, our national employment rate and even homelessness. Along with other issues, financial hardships are driving veteran homelessness to a rate faster than experienced by the Vietnam generation. Experts say that more than 100,000 veterans are homeless on any given night and almost 4,000 are from today's generation and 10 percent of those seeking help for homelessness are women. Many of these women have young children who have already been through so much.
This is something that deeply troubles me, because the resources for these women haven't caught up with those for male veterans. And they have unique challenges that the system just does not understand yet.
There are, indeed, many doors yet to open.
Biographies:
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Related Sites:
USS Iwo Jima Stands Ready to Assist in Haiti
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, stands ready off the southern coast of Haiti to assist with disaster relief support, if requested, as a result of Hurricane Tomas.
Any assistance to the government of Haiti would be provided in coordination with the United Nations Stabilization Mission under the direction of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The USS Iwo Jima is on a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance deployment called Continuing Promise 2010 in support of U.S. Southern Command, bringing health care and other services to communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"This is exactly why we have Continuing Promise missions out here," Navy Capt. Thomas Negus, commodore of Continuing Promise 2010, told bloggers and online journalists during a "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable today. "It uniquely helps us to be prepared for situations like this. I saw this firsthand how previous missions helped to save thousands of lives since the [Jan. 12] earthquake [in Haiti]."
Iwo Jima was near Suriname, the last of eight Continuing Promise 2010 port visits, when the call came to support possible relief efforts.
The U.S. military's "unique capability" is to provide rapid response assistance until able to transition tasks to other organizations, Negus said. "Our second mission has always been to be prepared for any natural disasters in the region while we are out here," he added.
Negus said Iwo Jima brings a "tremendous spread of capability" to assist the U.N. and USAID.
"The great capability that Continuing Promise provides is the rapid response we are able to support to a larger U.N. and USAID effort," Negus said. "We have plans -- as soon as the storm clears and it is safe to do so based on weather constraints and daylight -- to fly over the southern peninsula of Haiti."
The ship is off the southern coast of Haiti to provide logistic support to the mission and will assist with moving previously stockpiled supplies to the needed locations in Haiti, Negus said. Though they would be able to deliver all of the pre-staged items if required, he added, current weather reports indicate that the effects from the storm will be confined to a relatively small area.
"I am anticipating and hoping that it is much more localized," Negus said. "Current reports in [the Haitian capital of] Port-au-Prince are trending that way."
Negus added that all of their relief efforts will be in concert with U.N. and USAID relief efforts. "We are focused on the mission we have been asked to support, which is storm assistance and recovery," said Negus.
Iwo Jima brings a tremendous capability to the mission, Negus said, including 10 helicopters, two landing craft and upwards of 200 medical personnel, as well as an engineering detachment that could assist with engineering and construction capabilities and assessments, as well as civil affairs personnel from the Navy and Marine Corps. An additional component to the team is a 500-strong Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force.
Negus said the greatest asset a ship provides to the mission is the flexibility to stand ready to assist and the capacity for partnerships with a variety of resources. He added that as soon as the storm clears, his crew would begin "immediate lifesaving and looking for isolated populations that might be cut off by crashed bridges or flooded roads."
His previous experience as commodore in Continuing Promise 2009 and the aftermath of Haiti's January earthquake have prepared him to respond to situations where humanitarian assistance is required, Negus said.
Related Sites:
USS Iwo Jima
Continuing Promise 2010
"DOD Live" Bloggers Roundtable
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, stands ready off the southern coast of Haiti to assist with disaster relief support, if requested, as a result of Hurricane Tomas.
Any assistance to the government of Haiti would be provided in coordination with the United Nations Stabilization Mission under the direction of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The USS Iwo Jima is on a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance deployment called Continuing Promise 2010 in support of U.S. Southern Command, bringing health care and other services to communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"This is exactly why we have Continuing Promise missions out here," Navy Capt. Thomas Negus, commodore of Continuing Promise 2010, told bloggers and online journalists during a "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable today. "It uniquely helps us to be prepared for situations like this. I saw this firsthand how previous missions helped to save thousands of lives since the [Jan. 12] earthquake [in Haiti]."
Iwo Jima was near Suriname, the last of eight Continuing Promise 2010 port visits, when the call came to support possible relief efforts.
The U.S. military's "unique capability" is to provide rapid response assistance until able to transition tasks to other organizations, Negus said. "Our second mission has always been to be prepared for any natural disasters in the region while we are out here," he added.
Negus said Iwo Jima brings a "tremendous spread of capability" to assist the U.N. and USAID.
"The great capability that Continuing Promise provides is the rapid response we are able to support to a larger U.N. and USAID effort," Negus said. "We have plans -- as soon as the storm clears and it is safe to do so based on weather constraints and daylight -- to fly over the southern peninsula of Haiti."
The ship is off the southern coast of Haiti to provide logistic support to the mission and will assist with moving previously stockpiled supplies to the needed locations in Haiti, Negus said. Though they would be able to deliver all of the pre-staged items if required, he added, current weather reports indicate that the effects from the storm will be confined to a relatively small area.
"I am anticipating and hoping that it is much more localized," Negus said. "Current reports in [the Haitian capital of] Port-au-Prince are trending that way."
Negus added that all of their relief efforts will be in concert with U.N. and USAID relief efforts. "We are focused on the mission we have been asked to support, which is storm assistance and recovery," said Negus.
Iwo Jima brings a tremendous capability to the mission, Negus said, including 10 helicopters, two landing craft and upwards of 200 medical personnel, as well as an engineering detachment that could assist with engineering and construction capabilities and assessments, as well as civil affairs personnel from the Navy and Marine Corps. An additional component to the team is a 500-strong Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force.
Negus said the greatest asset a ship provides to the mission is the flexibility to stand ready to assist and the capacity for partnerships with a variety of resources. He added that as soon as the storm clears, his crew would begin "immediate lifesaving and looking for isolated populations that might be cut off by crashed bridges or flooded roads."
His previous experience as commodore in Continuing Promise 2009 and the aftermath of Haiti's January earthquake have prepared him to respond to situations where humanitarian assistance is required, Negus said.
Related Sites:
USS Iwo Jima
Continuing Promise 2010
"DOD Live" Bloggers Roundtable
Attorney General lauds HSI special agents for their work on terrorism task force ICE Denver team brings immigration charges, helping to seal conviction against terrorist
Attorney General lauds HSI special agents for their work on terrorism task force
ICE Denver team brings immigration charges, helping to seal conviction against terrorist
On Oct. 27, 2010, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents Jason Cassidy, Travis McFarren and Robert Marten were awarded the Attorney General's Exceptional Service Award-the highest Department of Justice award-for their exemplary efforts in Operation High Rise.
As part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), they played integral roles in the disruption, apprehension and prosecution of individuals involved in the planned terrorist attack on New York City.
In September 2009, just days prior to the 9/11 anniversary date, intelligence analysts discovered from a monitored e-mail account that al-Qaeda trained operatives in Denver and New York were plotting to detonate explosives in the New York City subway system on or about Sept. 11.
With a terrorist attack imminent, JTTF special agents from Denver and New York worked nonstop knowing that every minute that passed was closer to the possible detonation of a ticking bomb. An interagency flourish of surveillance, emergency wiretap requests, warrants, interviews and undercover actions ensued in an effort to identify and locate the individual behind the incriminating e-mail messages. Investigators identified the mastermind of the plot, Najibullah Zazi, a cab driver of Afghani decent who worked at the Denver International Airport.
An exhaustive review of databases pinpointed two of Zazi's associates who were located in New York City. Further investigation, combined with in-depth analysis of information supplied by foreign and interagency partners, revealed that Zazi and his associates posed the most serious terrorist threat to our nation since September 11, 2001. In fact, Zazi and his New York co-conspirators had been planning their deadly strike against Americans ever since their return from a trip to Pakistan in 2008, where they attended an al-Qaeda training camp.
In a synchronized cross-country surveillance maneuver, JTTF agents, as well as detectives from the New York City Police Department tracked Zazi as he traveled from Denver to New York City. Exhaustive efforts continued until investigators confirmed Zazi was constructing an explosive device. Zazi was arrested and charged with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. With Zazi in custody, investigators continued their search for evidence needed to seal a successful prosecution.
SAs Cassidy and McFarren talked with key Zazi family members and associates, raising questions about immigration status and travel-related matters. Many of these individuals voluntarily divulged information that helped investigators stitch together the terrorist plot.
"HSI's unique law enforcement authorities in investigating violations of criminal law, as well as immigration offenses, proved to be a critical advantage in building a case against the three conspirators in this case," said HSI Executive Associate Director James Dinkins. "HSI will continue to use our immigration enforcement authority to help prosecute those who threaten national security."
On Feb. 22, 2010, Zazi pleaded guilty to conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiring to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support to a terrorist organization. Zazi, who has not yet been sentenced, faces a possible life sentence without possibility of parole.
ICE Denver team brings immigration charges, helping to seal conviction against terrorist
On Oct. 27, 2010, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents Jason Cassidy, Travis McFarren and Robert Marten were awarded the Attorney General's Exceptional Service Award-the highest Department of Justice award-for their exemplary efforts in Operation High Rise.
As part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), they played integral roles in the disruption, apprehension and prosecution of individuals involved in the planned terrorist attack on New York City.
In September 2009, just days prior to the 9/11 anniversary date, intelligence analysts discovered from a monitored e-mail account that al-Qaeda trained operatives in Denver and New York were plotting to detonate explosives in the New York City subway system on or about Sept. 11.
With a terrorist attack imminent, JTTF special agents from Denver and New York worked nonstop knowing that every minute that passed was closer to the possible detonation of a ticking bomb. An interagency flourish of surveillance, emergency wiretap requests, warrants, interviews and undercover actions ensued in an effort to identify and locate the individual behind the incriminating e-mail messages. Investigators identified the mastermind of the plot, Najibullah Zazi, a cab driver of Afghani decent who worked at the Denver International Airport.
An exhaustive review of databases pinpointed two of Zazi's associates who were located in New York City. Further investigation, combined with in-depth analysis of information supplied by foreign and interagency partners, revealed that Zazi and his associates posed the most serious terrorist threat to our nation since September 11, 2001. In fact, Zazi and his New York co-conspirators had been planning their deadly strike against Americans ever since their return from a trip to Pakistan in 2008, where they attended an al-Qaeda training camp.
In a synchronized cross-country surveillance maneuver, JTTF agents, as well as detectives from the New York City Police Department tracked Zazi as he traveled from Denver to New York City. Exhaustive efforts continued until investigators confirmed Zazi was constructing an explosive device. Zazi was arrested and charged with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. With Zazi in custody, investigators continued their search for evidence needed to seal a successful prosecution.
SAs Cassidy and McFarren talked with key Zazi family members and associates, raising questions about immigration status and travel-related matters. Many of these individuals voluntarily divulged information that helped investigators stitch together the terrorist plot.
"HSI's unique law enforcement authorities in investigating violations of criminal law, as well as immigration offenses, proved to be a critical advantage in building a case against the three conspirators in this case," said HSI Executive Associate Director James Dinkins. "HSI will continue to use our immigration enforcement authority to help prosecute those who threaten national security."
On Feb. 22, 2010, Zazi pleaded guilty to conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiring to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support to a terrorist organization. Zazi, who has not yet been sentenced, faces a possible life sentence without possibility of parole.
Puerto Rico resident charged with importing candy laced with cocaine on flight to Fort Lauderdale
MIAMI - An 18-year-old Puerto Rican man was arrested on Monday on drug smuggling charges by special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Jose Manuel Torres Perez is charged with importing five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Perez arrived into the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Bogota, Colombia. He proceeded to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enclosure and presented himself and his luggage to CBP officers for inspection and entry into the United States.
Within the luggage claimed by Perez, there were multiple paper shopping bags containing different articles of clothing. In addition, he claimed bags containing various types of candies. CBP officers discovered that the bottom of these bags contained cocaine. Upon this discovery, CBP inspected the bags of candy more closely. CBP inspectors field-tested one of each type of candy and found that each type of candy also tested positive for cocaine. In total, CBP determined that Perez possessed about 9.6 kilograms (21 pounds) of cocaine.
Perez made his initial appearance on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow in Fort Lauderdale. He was ordered temporarily detained pending his pre-trial detention hearing on Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz, Southern District of Florida, is prosecuting this case.
Jose Manuel Torres Perez is charged with importing five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Perez arrived into the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Bogota, Colombia. He proceeded to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enclosure and presented himself and his luggage to CBP officers for inspection and entry into the United States.
Within the luggage claimed by Perez, there were multiple paper shopping bags containing different articles of clothing. In addition, he claimed bags containing various types of candies. CBP officers discovered that the bottom of these bags contained cocaine. Upon this discovery, CBP inspected the bags of candy more closely. CBP inspectors field-tested one of each type of candy and found that each type of candy also tested positive for cocaine. In total, CBP determined that Perez possessed about 9.6 kilograms (21 pounds) of cocaine.
Perez made his initial appearance on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow in Fort Lauderdale. He was ordered temporarily detained pending his pre-trial detention hearing on Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz, Southern District of Florida, is prosecuting this case.
Puerto Rico resident charged with importing candy laced with cocaine on flight to Fort Lauderdale
Puerto Rico resident charged with importing candy laced with cocaine on flight to Fort Lauderdale
MIAMI - An 18-year-old Puerto Rican man was arrested on Monday on drug smuggling charges by special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Jose Manuel Torres Perez is charged with importing five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Perez arrived into the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Bogota, Colombia. He proceeded to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enclosure and presented himself and his luggage to CBP officers for inspection and entry into the United States.
Within the luggage claimed by Perez, there were multiple paper shopping bags containing different articles of clothing. In addition, he claimed bags containing various types of candies. CBP officers discovered that the bottom of these bags contained cocaine. Upon this discovery, CBP inspected the bags of candy more closely. CBP inspectors field-tested one of each type of candy and found that each type of candy also tested positive for cocaine. In total, CBP determined that Perez possessed about 9.6 kilograms (21 pounds) of cocaine.
Perez made his initial appearance on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow in Fort Lauderdale. He was ordered temporarily detained pending his pre-trial detention hearing on Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz, Southern District of Florida, is prosecuting this case.
MIAMI - An 18-year-old Puerto Rican man was arrested on Monday on drug smuggling charges by special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Jose Manuel Torres Perez is charged with importing five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Perez arrived into the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Bogota, Colombia. He proceeded to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enclosure and presented himself and his luggage to CBP officers for inspection and entry into the United States.
Within the luggage claimed by Perez, there were multiple paper shopping bags containing different articles of clothing. In addition, he claimed bags containing various types of candies. CBP officers discovered that the bottom of these bags contained cocaine. Upon this discovery, CBP inspected the bags of candy more closely. CBP inspectors field-tested one of each type of candy and found that each type of candy also tested positive for cocaine. In total, CBP determined that Perez possessed about 9.6 kilograms (21 pounds) of cocaine.
Perez made his initial appearance on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow in Fort Lauderdale. He was ordered temporarily detained pending his pre-trial detention hearing on Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz, Southern District of Florida, is prosecuting this case.
Honey importer sentenced to 30 months for conspiring to evade US import duties
Honey importer sentenced to 30 months for conspiring to evade US import duties
CHICAGO - A Taiwanese executive of several honey import companies was sentenced to 30 months in prison Friday for conspiring to avoid more than $5 million in U.S. anti-dumping duties by illegally importing Chinese-origin honey that was falsely identified as coming from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and India. This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Hung Ta Fan, aka Michael Fan, 40, was sentenced Nov. 5 in the Northern District of Illinois to 30 months in prison and was ordered to pay $5,378,370 in restitution. He pleaded guilty to the charges in August, pursuant to a cooperation agreement with the government.
Fan, a Taiwanese national, owned and operated multiple California-based honey import companies, including Blue Action Enterprise, 7 Tiger Enterprises, Kashaka USA, and Honey World Enterprise. He used these companies to fraudulently import Chinese honey into the United States. Fan admitted that between 2005 and 2006 he conspired with others to illegally bring into the United States 98 shipments of Chinese honey to avoid paying anti-dumping duties of about $5,378,370 due to the U.S. government.
"Mr. Fan and others deliberately mislabeled 98 shipments of honey in an effort to rob the U.S. government of more than $5 million in tariffs," said ICE Director John Morton. "Our domestic honey industry is economically threatened when importers illegally dump low-cost Chinese honey into the U.S. marketplace. This prison sentence sends a strong message domestically and internationally that ICE's Homeland Security Investigations aggressively investigates criminals who conceal the true origins of their products in the name of greed."
In his plea, Fan further admitted that in 2009 he conspired with others to fraudulently import about $8 million of honey that was diluted and blended with 20 to 30 percent artificial sugar. He admitted to adding artificial sugar to the honey in an effort to obtain a higher price and profit margin than if the shipments contained pure honey. Fan used his company Kashaka USA to bring in the diluted, blended honey.
Fan was arrested April 1 in Los Angeles as he arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest. After serving his sentence, Fan will be turned over to ICE and placed into deportation proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew S. Boutros and William R. Hogan, Northern District of Illinois, prosecuted this case.
CHICAGO - A Taiwanese executive of several honey import companies was sentenced to 30 months in prison Friday for conspiring to avoid more than $5 million in U.S. anti-dumping duties by illegally importing Chinese-origin honey that was falsely identified as coming from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and India. This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Hung Ta Fan, aka Michael Fan, 40, was sentenced Nov. 5 in the Northern District of Illinois to 30 months in prison and was ordered to pay $5,378,370 in restitution. He pleaded guilty to the charges in August, pursuant to a cooperation agreement with the government.
Fan, a Taiwanese national, owned and operated multiple California-based honey import companies, including Blue Action Enterprise, 7 Tiger Enterprises, Kashaka USA, and Honey World Enterprise. He used these companies to fraudulently import Chinese honey into the United States. Fan admitted that between 2005 and 2006 he conspired with others to illegally bring into the United States 98 shipments of Chinese honey to avoid paying anti-dumping duties of about $5,378,370 due to the U.S. government.
"Mr. Fan and others deliberately mislabeled 98 shipments of honey in an effort to rob the U.S. government of more than $5 million in tariffs," said ICE Director John Morton. "Our domestic honey industry is economically threatened when importers illegally dump low-cost Chinese honey into the U.S. marketplace. This prison sentence sends a strong message domestically and internationally that ICE's Homeland Security Investigations aggressively investigates criminals who conceal the true origins of their products in the name of greed."
In his plea, Fan further admitted that in 2009 he conspired with others to fraudulently import about $8 million of honey that was diluted and blended with 20 to 30 percent artificial sugar. He admitted to adding artificial sugar to the honey in an effort to obtain a higher price and profit margin than if the shipments contained pure honey. Fan used his company Kashaka USA to bring in the diluted, blended honey.
Fan was arrested April 1 in Los Angeles as he arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest. After serving his sentence, Fan will be turned over to ICE and placed into deportation proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew S. Boutros and William R. Hogan, Northern District of Illinois, prosecuted this case.
Kansas man sentenced to 15 years for distributing child pornography
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A local man was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. The sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Nathan E. Boyce, 42, of Salina, Kan., was sentenced Nov. 2 in the District of Kansas after pleading guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, Boyce admitted to posting images of child pornography on the Internet and offering to trade images with other child pornographers.
The investigation into Boyce began when ICE HSI agents in Los Angeles targeted a website where users were posting and trading child pornography in an Internet chat room. ICE HSI agents followed an electronic trail left by a user who called himself "pervypedostrokin" to Boyce's residence in Salina.
On March 11, ICE HSI agents executed a federal search warrant at Boyce's home. During the search they seized computers containing more than 50 movie files depicting children as young as three years of age engaged in sexual intercourse, child bondage, child bestiality, oral sex, anal sex and masturbation.
This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.
Nathan E. Boyce, 42, of Salina, Kan., was sentenced Nov. 2 in the District of Kansas after pleading guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, Boyce admitted to posting images of child pornography on the Internet and offering to trade images with other child pornographers.
The investigation into Boyce began when ICE HSI agents in Los Angeles targeted a website where users were posting and trading child pornography in an Internet chat room. ICE HSI agents followed an electronic trail left by a user who called himself "pervypedostrokin" to Boyce's residence in Salina.
On March 11, ICE HSI agents executed a federal search warrant at Boyce's home. During the search they seized computers containing more than 50 movie files depicting children as young as three years of age engaged in sexual intercourse, child bondage, child bestiality, oral sex, anal sex and masturbation.
This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.
2 Missouri men plead guilty to trafficking counterfeit goods
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Two local men pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to trafficking in counterfeit goods after federal agents seized hundreds of pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes and other counterfeit apparel from them. The guilty pleas resulted from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Brent Darrell Luna, 25, of Nixa, Mo., and Lukas Antonio Rivas, 21, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty in separate hearings Nov. 4 to the charges contained in a July 28 federal indictment.
Luna and Rivas admitted that they sold counterfeit Nike athletic shoes and other counterfeit items at Luna's Springfield store, 417 Urban Trendz. Undercover police officers purchased shoes and other items from Luna and Rivas on several occasions. Luna opened 417 Urban Trendz after he was released from state prison in July 2008. Prior to the store's opening, the counterfeit goods were sold at other locations.
According to Luna's plea agreement, during a call that was recorded while he was incarcerated on an unrelated state offense, Luna indicated that he had invested $75,000 in purchasing the shoes and other items from a supplier in China. Luna also referred to $29,000 worth of inventory that was stored in his garage.
To avoid customs declarations or paying custom duties, Luna ordered the shoes via the Internet in small shipments of seven pairs. The shipments were sent to different residences and labeled as gifts. Rivas received between 20 and 30 shipments of shoes at his residence.
By pleading guilty Nov. 4, Luna and Rivas also agreed to forfeit to the government all the seized counterfeit goods, which included the following items: more than 600 pairs of Nike athletic shoes; 20 pairs of Timberland shoes; 45 National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) jerseys; 67 Major League Baseball (MLB) hats; dozens of jeans, shirts, belts, shoes, hoodies, and other merchandise bearing counterfeit logos from luxury brands; and $3,448.
Under federal statutes, Luna and Rivas each face up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $2 million and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information related to counterfeit merchandise is encouraged to contact law enforcement. The public may also call ICE's 24-hour toll-free hotline at: 1 (866) DHS-2ICE.
Brent Darrell Luna, 25, of Nixa, Mo., and Lukas Antonio Rivas, 21, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty in separate hearings Nov. 4 to the charges contained in a July 28 federal indictment.
Luna and Rivas admitted that they sold counterfeit Nike athletic shoes and other counterfeit items at Luna's Springfield store, 417 Urban Trendz. Undercover police officers purchased shoes and other items from Luna and Rivas on several occasions. Luna opened 417 Urban Trendz after he was released from state prison in July 2008. Prior to the store's opening, the counterfeit goods were sold at other locations.
According to Luna's plea agreement, during a call that was recorded while he was incarcerated on an unrelated state offense, Luna indicated that he had invested $75,000 in purchasing the shoes and other items from a supplier in China. Luna also referred to $29,000 worth of inventory that was stored in his garage.
To avoid customs declarations or paying custom duties, Luna ordered the shoes via the Internet in small shipments of seven pairs. The shipments were sent to different residences and labeled as gifts. Rivas received between 20 and 30 shipments of shoes at his residence.
By pleading guilty Nov. 4, Luna and Rivas also agreed to forfeit to the government all the seized counterfeit goods, which included the following items: more than 600 pairs of Nike athletic shoes; 20 pairs of Timberland shoes; 45 National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) jerseys; 67 Major League Baseball (MLB) hats; dozens of jeans, shirts, belts, shoes, hoodies, and other merchandise bearing counterfeit logos from luxury brands; and $3,448.
Under federal statutes, Luna and Rivas each face up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $2 million and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information related to counterfeit merchandise is encouraged to contact law enforcement. The public may also call ICE's 24-hour toll-free hotline at: 1 (866) DHS-2ICE.
Holiday Travel Advisory Veterans Day and Remembrance Day
(Wednesday, November 03, 2010)
contacts for this news release
International Falls, Minn. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reminds travelers planning trips across the border into the United States to make sure they have their proper documents and to anticipate possible heavy traffic during the observance of Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in Canada on Nov. 11.
Border traffic volumes are expected to be greatly increased during this holiday weekend and all travelers are reminded of a few simple steps they can employ to cross the border more efficiently.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), implemented on June 1, 2009 requires U.S. and Canadian citizens, age 16 and older to present a valid, acceptable document that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. by land or sea. WHTI-approved travel documents include a passport, U. S. passport card, enhanced driver’s licenses (EDLs) or a Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST). For more information, please visit the WHTI Web site. ( Get You Home )
Here are a few ‘Travel Tips’ that will assist travelers crossing the international border:
Tip #1 – Travelers should familiarize themselves with the “Know Before You Go” to avoid fines and penalties associated with the importation of prohibited items. “Know Before You Go” brochures are also available at border ports. For more information, please visit the “Know Before You Go” section of the CBP website. ( Know Before You Go )
Tip #2 – Travelers should prepare for the inspection process before arriving at the inspection booth. Individuals should have their crossing documents available for the inspection and they should be prepared to declare all items acquired abroad. In addition, individuals should end cellular phone conversations before arriving at the inspection booth.
Tip #3 – Members of the traveling public should consult the CBP website site to monitor border wait times for various ports of entry. Information is updated hourly and is useful in planning trips and identifying periods of light use/short waits.
Tip #4 – During periods of heavy travel, border crossers may wish to consider alternative, less heavily traveled entry routes.
Tip #5 – Travelers should plan to build extra time into their trips in the event they cross during periods of exceptionally heavy traffic.
Tip #6 –Do not attempt to bring fruits, meats, dairy/poultry products and firewood into the United States from Canada without first checking whether they are permitted.
Tip # 7 – Understand that CBP officers have the authority to conduct enforcement examinations without a warrant, ranging from a single luggage examination up to and possibly including a personal search.
CBP officials continually monitor traffic and border crossing times at area ports of entry. They plan to fully staff all inspection lanes during peak periods and to implement various traffic management operations to maintain the flow of traffic during periods of exceptionally heavy usage.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
contacts for this news release
International Falls, Minn. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reminds travelers planning trips across the border into the United States to make sure they have their proper documents and to anticipate possible heavy traffic during the observance of Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in Canada on Nov. 11.
Border traffic volumes are expected to be greatly increased during this holiday weekend and all travelers are reminded of a few simple steps they can employ to cross the border more efficiently.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), implemented on June 1, 2009 requires U.S. and Canadian citizens, age 16 and older to present a valid, acceptable document that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. by land or sea. WHTI-approved travel documents include a passport, U. S. passport card, enhanced driver’s licenses (EDLs) or a Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST). For more information, please visit the WHTI Web site. ( Get You Home )
Here are a few ‘Travel Tips’ that will assist travelers crossing the international border:
Tip #1 – Travelers should familiarize themselves with the “Know Before You Go” to avoid fines and penalties associated with the importation of prohibited items. “Know Before You Go” brochures are also available at border ports. For more information, please visit the “Know Before You Go” section of the CBP website. ( Know Before You Go )
Tip #2 – Travelers should prepare for the inspection process before arriving at the inspection booth. Individuals should have their crossing documents available for the inspection and they should be prepared to declare all items acquired abroad. In addition, individuals should end cellular phone conversations before arriving at the inspection booth.
Tip #3 – Members of the traveling public should consult the CBP website site to monitor border wait times for various ports of entry. Information is updated hourly and is useful in planning trips and identifying periods of light use/short waits.
Tip #4 – During periods of heavy travel, border crossers may wish to consider alternative, less heavily traveled entry routes.
Tip #5 – Travelers should plan to build extra time into their trips in the event they cross during periods of exceptionally heavy traffic.
Tip #6 –Do not attempt to bring fruits, meats, dairy/poultry products and firewood into the United States from Canada without first checking whether they are permitted.
Tip # 7 – Understand that CBP officers have the authority to conduct enforcement examinations without a warrant, ranging from a single luggage examination up to and possibly including a personal search.
CBP officials continually monitor traffic and border crossing times at area ports of entry. They plan to fully staff all inspection lanes during peak periods and to implement various traffic management operations to maintain the flow of traffic during periods of exceptionally heavy usage.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
ICE deports accused murderer to Mexico
BIG SPRING, Texas - A man who was wanted in Mexico for allegedly killing a man in 2004 was deported on Wednesday by agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Jose Pilar Carrillo-Aguirre, 45, a Mexican national, was turned over to Mexican authorities at 1 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the Del Rio, Texas, port of entry. The Mexican ProcuradurÃa General de la República (PGR) took custody of Carrillo-Aguirre, who was wanted for homicide in the State of Michoacán, Mexico. According to Mexican authorities, Carillo-Aguirre is accused of assaulting Jorge Luviano-Valenzuela L. Campo, and shooting him in the chest and forearm, resulting in his death.
The Public Minister in Huetamo, Michoacán, Mexico, issued an arrest warrant in March 2006 charging Carrillo-Aguirre with homicide.
"ICE works closely with our local, state, federal and international law enforcement partners to identify, locate and deport aliens who are wanted in their home countries for committing heinous crimes," said Nuria T. Prendes, field office director of the ICE ERO in Dallas. "We will not allow fugitive criminal aliens to use the United States as a safe haven from their crimes." Prendes oversees 128 counties in north Texas and the State of Oklahoma.
Carrillo-Aguirre was processed as a convicted criminal alien and deported in February 2003 via the El Paso, Texas, port of entry. However, Carrillo-Aguirre was again encountered after he had illegally re-entered the United States on March 15, 2006 at or near Laredo, Texas. Anyone who re-enters the United States after having been formally deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
On Sept. 5, 2008 Carrillo-Aguirre was convicted in the U.S. District Court Western District of Texas for illegally re-entering the United States. He was sentenced to 36 months in prison.
On Sept. 2, 2010, ICE agents encountered Carrillo-Aguirre while he was serving his sentence for illegally re-entering the United States at the Dalby Federal Correctional Facility in Post, Texas. It was then determined that Carrillo-Aguirre had the outstanding homicide warrant from Mexico.
ICE deported almost 393,000 aliens in fiscal year 2010, which ended Sept. 30. Of those, more than 195,000 were aliens with criminal convictions. In the ICE Dallas area of responsibility, more than 16,000 aliens were deported or returned; of those, more than 8,300 - or more than 51 percent - were aliens with criminal convictions.
Jose Pilar Carrillo-Aguirre, 45, a Mexican national, was turned over to Mexican authorities at 1 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the Del Rio, Texas, port of entry. The Mexican ProcuradurÃa General de la República (PGR) took custody of Carrillo-Aguirre, who was wanted for homicide in the State of Michoacán, Mexico. According to Mexican authorities, Carillo-Aguirre is accused of assaulting Jorge Luviano-Valenzuela L. Campo, and shooting him in the chest and forearm, resulting in his death.
The Public Minister in Huetamo, Michoacán, Mexico, issued an arrest warrant in March 2006 charging Carrillo-Aguirre with homicide.
"ICE works closely with our local, state, federal and international law enforcement partners to identify, locate and deport aliens who are wanted in their home countries for committing heinous crimes," said Nuria T. Prendes, field office director of the ICE ERO in Dallas. "We will not allow fugitive criminal aliens to use the United States as a safe haven from their crimes." Prendes oversees 128 counties in north Texas and the State of Oklahoma.
Carrillo-Aguirre was processed as a convicted criminal alien and deported in February 2003 via the El Paso, Texas, port of entry. However, Carrillo-Aguirre was again encountered after he had illegally re-entered the United States on March 15, 2006 at or near Laredo, Texas. Anyone who re-enters the United States after having been formally deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
On Sept. 5, 2008 Carrillo-Aguirre was convicted in the U.S. District Court Western District of Texas for illegally re-entering the United States. He was sentenced to 36 months in prison.
On Sept. 2, 2010, ICE agents encountered Carrillo-Aguirre while he was serving his sentence for illegally re-entering the United States at the Dalby Federal Correctional Facility in Post, Texas. It was then determined that Carrillo-Aguirre had the outstanding homicide warrant from Mexico.
ICE deported almost 393,000 aliens in fiscal year 2010, which ended Sept. 30. Of those, more than 195,000 were aliens with criminal convictions. In the ICE Dallas area of responsibility, more than 16,000 aliens were deported or returned; of those, more than 8,300 - or more than 51 percent - were aliens with criminal convictions.
Phoenix-area aviation company and owner charged with arms export violations
PHOENIX - A local aviation company and its chief executive officer have been charged with violating the Arms Export Control Act, following a joint investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI and the Defense Criminal Investigation Service.
Floyd Stilwell, 84, and his company, Marsh Aviation, of Mesa, Ariz., are charged in an indictment unsealed October 27 with illegally exporting military aircraft engines from the United States to Venezuela for use by the Venezuelan Air Force. The T-76 engines are a designated item on the U.S. Munitions List, which under the Arms Export Control Act, makes it illegal for these engines to be exported without a license or written authorization from the Department of State. The T-76 aircraft engine was designed for the OV-10 Bronco Aircraft, a light armed reconnaissance aircraft specifically suited for counter-insurgency missions.
Federal agents executed a search warrant Feb. 5, 2008 at Marsh Aviation offices where they discovered two complete T-76 engines and enough component parts to construct 12 additional engines.
The indictment also alleges that without having obtained the necessary license or written authorization from the Department of State, Stilwell and Marsh Aviation Company furnished assistance to members of the Venezuelan Air Force, including testing, repair, maintenance, modification, operation, and using the T-76 military aircraft engine, and training in the assembly.
"Our investigation showed that the defendants in this case falsely claimed these engines were parts for civilian aircraft in an attempt to circumvent the law," said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Arizona. "The enforcement of arms export controls keeps America safe. One of HSI's top enforcement priorities is preventing military equipment and sensitive technology from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm America or its allies."
Floyd Stilwell, 84, and his company, Marsh Aviation, of Mesa, Ariz., are charged in an indictment unsealed October 27 with illegally exporting military aircraft engines from the United States to Venezuela for use by the Venezuelan Air Force. The T-76 engines are a designated item on the U.S. Munitions List, which under the Arms Export Control Act, makes it illegal for these engines to be exported without a license or written authorization from the Department of State. The T-76 aircraft engine was designed for the OV-10 Bronco Aircraft, a light armed reconnaissance aircraft specifically suited for counter-insurgency missions.
Federal agents executed a search warrant Feb. 5, 2008 at Marsh Aviation offices where they discovered two complete T-76 engines and enough component parts to construct 12 additional engines.
The indictment also alleges that without having obtained the necessary license or written authorization from the Department of State, Stilwell and Marsh Aviation Company furnished assistance to members of the Venezuelan Air Force, including testing, repair, maintenance, modification, operation, and using the T-76 military aircraft engine, and training in the assembly.
"Our investigation showed that the defendants in this case falsely claimed these engines were parts for civilian aircraft in an attempt to circumvent the law," said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Arizona. "The enforcement of arms export controls keeps America safe. One of HSI's top enforcement priorities is preventing military equipment and sensitive technology from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm America or its allies."
National Protection and Programs Directorate (USAJOBS.COM)
Posted on USAJOBS.com
National Protection and Programs Directorate
Job Title: Mission Support Specialist
Department: Department Of Homeland Security
Agency: National Protection and Programs Directorate
Job Announcement Number: FS377386DE/MP-NMH 11
SALARY RANGE:
$74,872.00 - $115,742.00 /year
OPEN PERIOD:
Thursday, November 04, 2010 to Thursday, November 18, 2010
SERIES & GRADE:
GS-0301-12/13
POSITION INFORMATION:
Full Time Career/Career Conditional
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
13
DUTY LOCATIONS:
2 vacancies - Washington DC Metro Area, DC
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
US Citizens and Status Candidates
JOB SUMMARY:
Secure the Homeland
Proud to Protect
Are you interested in a job where your primary purpose will be to coordinate, evaluate, execute and provide advice to managers and staff on a wide variety of management and administrative services and support used to identify ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of national program operations and services related to management analysis, logistics/procurement and property support. Then consider joining the Federal Protection Service (FPS), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Come work with the best to prevent and deter terrorist attacks, protect against and respond to potential threats, ensure safe and secure borders, welcome immigrants and visitors, and promote the free-flow of commerce. This mission of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is carried out everyday by the dedicated men and women who answer the noble calling of public service with courage and enthusiasm. With a diverse and critical mission, we lead the unified national effort to secure America. In today's interconnected world, our country's security challenges are constantly evolving. To meet these challenges, DHS fosters a culture that values and promotes diversity, teamwork, flexibility, and innovation.
In Headquarters, we coordinate, plan, and guide the Department's work across all DHS components. You could enjoy a career that includes research, administration and management, legal work, budget and finance, cyber security, infrastructure protection and intelligence analysis. Our services touch every U.S. citizen, and our goal is to secure our country across land and sea. Come join the team who is "Proud to Protect".
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM: All U.S. Citizens and Status Candidates.
More than one selection may be made from this announcement should the need arise.
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
* U. S. Citizenship is required.
* Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
* Relocation Expenses WILL NOT be paid.
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Duties
Additional Duty Location Info:
2 vacancies - Washington DC Metro Area, DC
At the full performance level, some of the major duties of the position are:
PROPERTY: Comprehensive knowledge of property control systems, principles, policies, processes and methods sufficient to function as a technical authority for the requisition, utilization, control, accountability, inventory, transfer, and sale or disposal of property.
LOGISTICS/PROCUREMENT: Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of supply programs and/or operations; plan and carry out pre-award and/or post award procurement actions; and solve a variety of contracting and problems requiring departures from previous approaches.
MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS: Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations carried out by support, administrative or professional personnel; prepare papers and staff reports; and defend and encourage understanding orally, in writing and through data.
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Qualifications and Evaluations
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience in private industry, public service, non-profit or volunteer work that is equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience is typically in or related to the work of the position as described in the Major Duties above. For this position, specialized experience is:
For the GS-12 grade level:
One year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal government performing all of the following: 1) provide comprehensive advisory and technical services on substantive organizational functions and work practices related to administrative operations, logistics/procurement and/or property operations; 2) analyze and evaluate ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of program operations; and 3) deliver briefings, project papers, data analysis status/staff reports and correspondence to managers.
For the GS-13 grade level:
One year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal government performing all of the following: 1) conduct studies to develop responses and solutions to management on new requirements in administrative operations, logistics/procurement, and/or property operations, legislation, or agency regulations; 2) provide comprehensive technical guidance, data analysis and advice to management and decision-makers on aspects of the mission, programs, priorities, and management operations; 3) recommend or develop new or improved methodologies or approaches for analyzing the effectiveness of processes and operations; and 4) develop plans for the short- and long-range implementation of plans, policies and programs.
Time-in-Grade Requirements: Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the Federal service. All qualifications and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
New employees must serve a one year probationary period.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Once the application process is complete, a review of resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics:
1. Knowledge of and skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques
2. Knowledge and skill in planning, scheduling and conducting projects and studies to evaluate and recommend ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of work operations
3. Knowledge of a wide range of contracting methods and contract types to plan and carry out pre-award and/or post award procurement actions
4. Skill in effective oral communication
5. Skill in effective written communication
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligible within each category. Veterans who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.
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Benefits and Other Info
BENEFITS:
The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees at www.usajobs.gov/EI/benefits.asp#icc.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Promotion Potential: This position has promotion potential to GS- 13.
Background Investigation:
This position is a noncritical sensitive position and the tentative selectee must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a Secret clearance as a condition of placement/retention in this position.
Other Information:
This position has been designated exempt from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 USC Section 7112(B)(6).
All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/ Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the additional proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.usajobs.gov/veterans.asp
Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at well-qualified or above on the rating criteria for this position.
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How To Apply
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1.
Your Résumé and other supporting documents specified in the Required Documents section below.
2.
A complete Assessment Questionnaire
A complete Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of Thursday, November 18, 2010.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
Note: To return to a previously Saved or Incomplete application you may use the following link: https://applicationmanager.gov/.
To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete this cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following Vacancy ID FS377386. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.
If you cannot apply online:
1. Click the following link to view and print the assessment questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire, and
2. Print this 1203FX form to provide your response to the assessment questionnaire http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/opm1203fx.pdf and
3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
The following documents are required and must be received by the closing date of this announcement:
1. Your Résumé
2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire
3. Other supporting documents:
- Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable
- SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal service)
Current or former Federal employees MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CONSIDERATION AS A STATUS CANDIDATE.
AGENCY CONTACT INFO:
Nancy M. Hinds
Phone: (415)281-7089
Email: NANCY.HINDS@OPM.GOV Agency Information:
USOPM San Francisco Services Branch
San Francisco Federal Building
90 Seventh Street Suite 13-300
San Francisco, CA 94103
WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview.
You will receive notice via email or by mail, if no email address was provided by you during the application process, once this process is completed (generally 4-6 weeks).
National Protection and Programs Directorate
Job Title: Mission Support Specialist
Department: Department Of Homeland Security
Agency: National Protection and Programs Directorate
Job Announcement Number: FS377386DE/MP-NMH 11
SALARY RANGE:
$74,872.00 - $115,742.00 /year
OPEN PERIOD:
Thursday, November 04, 2010 to Thursday, November 18, 2010
SERIES & GRADE:
GS-0301-12/13
POSITION INFORMATION:
Full Time Career/Career Conditional
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
13
DUTY LOCATIONS:
2 vacancies - Washington DC Metro Area, DC
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
US Citizens and Status Candidates
JOB SUMMARY:
Secure the Homeland
Proud to Protect
Are you interested in a job where your primary purpose will be to coordinate, evaluate, execute and provide advice to managers and staff on a wide variety of management and administrative services and support used to identify ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of national program operations and services related to management analysis, logistics/procurement and property support. Then consider joining the Federal Protection Service (FPS), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Come work with the best to prevent and deter terrorist attacks, protect against and respond to potential threats, ensure safe and secure borders, welcome immigrants and visitors, and promote the free-flow of commerce. This mission of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is carried out everyday by the dedicated men and women who answer the noble calling of public service with courage and enthusiasm. With a diverse and critical mission, we lead the unified national effort to secure America. In today's interconnected world, our country's security challenges are constantly evolving. To meet these challenges, DHS fosters a culture that values and promotes diversity, teamwork, flexibility, and innovation.
In Headquarters, we coordinate, plan, and guide the Department's work across all DHS components. You could enjoy a career that includes research, administration and management, legal work, budget and finance, cyber security, infrastructure protection and intelligence analysis. Our services touch every U.S. citizen, and our goal is to secure our country across land and sea. Come join the team who is "Proud to Protect".
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM: All U.S. Citizens and Status Candidates.
More than one selection may be made from this announcement should the need arise.
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
* U. S. Citizenship is required.
* Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
* Relocation Expenses WILL NOT be paid.
Back to top
Duties
Additional Duty Location Info:
2 vacancies - Washington DC Metro Area, DC
At the full performance level, some of the major duties of the position are:
PROPERTY: Comprehensive knowledge of property control systems, principles, policies, processes and methods sufficient to function as a technical authority for the requisition, utilization, control, accountability, inventory, transfer, and sale or disposal of property.
LOGISTICS/PROCUREMENT: Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of supply programs and/or operations; plan and carry out pre-award and/or post award procurement actions; and solve a variety of contracting and problems requiring departures from previous approaches.
MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS: Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations carried out by support, administrative or professional personnel; prepare papers and staff reports; and defend and encourage understanding orally, in writing and through data.
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Qualifications and Evaluations
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience in private industry, public service, non-profit or volunteer work that is equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience is typically in or related to the work of the position as described in the Major Duties above. For this position, specialized experience is:
For the GS-12 grade level:
One year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal government performing all of the following: 1) provide comprehensive advisory and technical services on substantive organizational functions and work practices related to administrative operations, logistics/procurement and/or property operations; 2) analyze and evaluate ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of program operations; and 3) deliver briefings, project papers, data analysis status/staff reports and correspondence to managers.
For the GS-13 grade level:
One year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal government performing all of the following: 1) conduct studies to develop responses and solutions to management on new requirements in administrative operations, logistics/procurement, and/or property operations, legislation, or agency regulations; 2) provide comprehensive technical guidance, data analysis and advice to management and decision-makers on aspects of the mission, programs, priorities, and management operations; 3) recommend or develop new or improved methodologies or approaches for analyzing the effectiveness of processes and operations; and 4) develop plans for the short- and long-range implementation of plans, policies and programs.
Time-in-Grade Requirements: Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the Federal service. All qualifications and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
New employees must serve a one year probationary period.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Once the application process is complete, a review of resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics:
1. Knowledge of and skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques
2. Knowledge and skill in planning, scheduling and conducting projects and studies to evaluate and recommend ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of work operations
3. Knowledge of a wide range of contracting methods and contract types to plan and carry out pre-award and/or post award procurement actions
4. Skill in effective oral communication
5. Skill in effective written communication
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligible within each category. Veterans who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.
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Benefits and Other Info
BENEFITS:
The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees at www.usajobs.gov/EI/benefits.asp#icc.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Promotion Potential: This position has promotion potential to GS- 13.
Background Investigation:
This position is a noncritical sensitive position and the tentative selectee must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a Secret clearance as a condition of placement/retention in this position.
Other Information:
This position has been designated exempt from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 USC Section 7112(B)(6).
All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/ Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the additional proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.usajobs.gov/veterans.asp
Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at well-qualified or above on the rating criteria for this position.
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How To Apply
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1.
Your Résumé and other supporting documents specified in the Required Documents section below.
2.
A complete Assessment Questionnaire
A complete Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of Thursday, November 18, 2010.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
Note: To return to a previously Saved or Incomplete application you may use the following link: https://applicationmanager.gov/.
To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete this cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following Vacancy ID FS377386. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.
If you cannot apply online:
1. Click the following link to view and print the assessment questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire, and
2. Print this 1203FX form to provide your response to the assessment questionnaire http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/opm1203fx.pdf and
3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
The following documents are required and must be received by the closing date of this announcement:
1. Your Résumé
2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire
3. Other supporting documents:
- Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable
- SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal service)
Current or former Federal employees MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CONSIDERATION AS A STATUS CANDIDATE.
AGENCY CONTACT INFO:
Nancy M. Hinds
Phone: (415)281-7089
Email: NANCY.HINDS@OPM.GOV Agency Information:
USOPM San Francisco Services Branch
San Francisco Federal Building
90 Seventh Street Suite 13-300
San Francisco, CA 94103
WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview.
You will receive notice via email or by mail, if no email address was provided by you during the application process, once this process is completed (generally 4-6 weeks).
Face of Defense: Past Drill Instructor Promotes Former Recruit
Face of Defense: Past Drill Instructor Promotes Former Recruit
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kenneth Jasik
1st Marine Logistics Group
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Nov. 5, 2010 - A gunnery sergeant with 1st Marine Logistics Group's Combat Logistics Regiment 15 promoted a Marine to the rank of staff sergeant here Nov. 1, but the first time they met was under completely different circumstances eight years ago at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Victor Leaños, right, pins chevrons on the uniform of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Otis B. Karngbaye, center, during a promotion ceremony at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, Nov. 1, 2010. Leaños was one of Karngbaye's drill instructors when he attended recruit training in August 2002. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kenneth Jasik
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Victor Leaños, the company gunnery sergeant for the regiment's Headquarters and Service Company, pinned the chevrons on the uniform of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Otis B. Karngbaye, the company gunnery sergeant for General Support Motor Transport Company and one of his former recruits from his time as a drill instructor.
Both Marines have come a long way since they were together in August 2002. Karngbay, 28, from Brooklyn Park, Minn., remembers when he first met his former drill instructor on the yellow footprints.
"When I first met him I thought he was evil, and to this day he still kind of scares me," Kanrgbaye joked. "I still see him as my drill instructor. If I need something or have a question about something, I ask him."
As a recruit, Karngbaye was one of Leaños' squad leaders.
"The senior drill instructor said he wanted him to be a squad leader, so I made him one," said Leaños, 33, from Los Angeles. "After that, I realized the senior had made a really good choice."
After Karngbaye finished boot camp, the two Marines first saw each other again at the Alternate Mission Readiness Exercise in Yuma, Ariz., as they prepared for their current deployment to Afghanistan.
"When I first saw him, I recognized his face, but he had gotten a lot bigger," Leaños said of his former recruit, who has added muscle mass since boot camp.
Karngbaye attributes his success to the first lessons his drill instructors taught him.
"He taught me that if you want something, you've got to go for it," Karngbaye said. "You should put your whole heart into it, and to always make sure you have your core values."
Leaños said he's proud of Karngbaye's accomplishments, and is glad to see him come so far in his Marine Corps career.
"Every Marine has a little bit of their drill instructor in them," he said. "So it is great to see your former recruits do [well]."
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kenneth Jasik
1st Marine Logistics Group
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Nov. 5, 2010 - A gunnery sergeant with 1st Marine Logistics Group's Combat Logistics Regiment 15 promoted a Marine to the rank of staff sergeant here Nov. 1, but the first time they met was under completely different circumstances eight years ago at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Victor Leaños, right, pins chevrons on the uniform of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Otis B. Karngbaye, center, during a promotion ceremony at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, Nov. 1, 2010. Leaños was one of Karngbaye's drill instructors when he attended recruit training in August 2002. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kenneth Jasik
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Victor Leaños, the company gunnery sergeant for the regiment's Headquarters and Service Company, pinned the chevrons on the uniform of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Otis B. Karngbaye, the company gunnery sergeant for General Support Motor Transport Company and one of his former recruits from his time as a drill instructor.
Both Marines have come a long way since they were together in August 2002. Karngbay, 28, from Brooklyn Park, Minn., remembers when he first met his former drill instructor on the yellow footprints.
"When I first met him I thought he was evil, and to this day he still kind of scares me," Kanrgbaye joked. "I still see him as my drill instructor. If I need something or have a question about something, I ask him."
As a recruit, Karngbaye was one of Leaños' squad leaders.
"The senior drill instructor said he wanted him to be a squad leader, so I made him one," said Leaños, 33, from Los Angeles. "After that, I realized the senior had made a really good choice."
After Karngbaye finished boot camp, the two Marines first saw each other again at the Alternate Mission Readiness Exercise in Yuma, Ariz., as they prepared for their current deployment to Afghanistan.
"When I first saw him, I recognized his face, but he had gotten a lot bigger," Leaños said of his former recruit, who has added muscle mass since boot camp.
Karngbaye attributes his success to the first lessons his drill instructors taught him.
"He taught me that if you want something, you've got to go for it," Karngbaye said. "You should put your whole heart into it, and to always make sure you have your core values."
Leaños said he's proud of Karngbaye's accomplishments, and is glad to see him come so far in his Marine Corps career.
"Every Marine has a little bit of their drill instructor in them," he said. "So it is great to see your former recruits do [well]."
GEN David Petraeus, Commander thanks veterans
GEN David Petraeus, Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, thanks veterans for their selfless service and their extraordinary commitment to U.S. missions around the world.
CBP Officers in Champlain, N.Y. Donate Seized Clothing
(Thursday, November 04, 2010)
recently donated over 2,300 pieces of seized children’s clothing to the St. Mary’s Mission Center, a non-profit organization in Champlain. St. Mary’s Mission Center supports families in and around the North Country.
Childrens clothing items
Seized property becomes clothing for the needy
The items were seized at the Champlain Port of Entry in February after CBP officers and Import Specialists targeted a shipment of clothing destined to Hollywood Calf. Inspection of the shipment revealed that the children’s clothing, which included shirts and pants bearing the logos of Sponge Bob Square Pants, Tweety Bird and Sylvester, contained counterfeit trademarks. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the clothing was $35,000.
“The hard work and dedication of the CBP employees at the Port of Champlain made it possible to donate the children’s clothing to the local charity. “said Paul Stephan Mongillo, CBP Port Director of the Champlain Port of Entry.
“This is a win-win situation. The counterfeit goods are not permitted for sale in the U.S. and the goods are being distributed to families in need,” said Diann Snell, CBP Fines, Penalties & Forfeitures Officer for the Champlain Port of Entry.
CBP is responsible for enforcing trade laws and preventing counterfeit merchandise from entering the commerce. Upon completion of the administrative forfeiture procedures, seized merchandise may be donated to relief efforts and to charity, with the trademark owner’s approval. Products that threaten the health and safety of American consumers are destroyed.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
recently donated over 2,300 pieces of seized children’s clothing to the St. Mary’s Mission Center, a non-profit organization in Champlain. St. Mary’s Mission Center supports families in and around the North Country.
Childrens clothing items
Seized property becomes clothing for the needy
The items were seized at the Champlain Port of Entry in February after CBP officers and Import Specialists targeted a shipment of clothing destined to Hollywood Calf. Inspection of the shipment revealed that the children’s clothing, which included shirts and pants bearing the logos of Sponge Bob Square Pants, Tweety Bird and Sylvester, contained counterfeit trademarks. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the clothing was $35,000.
“The hard work and dedication of the CBP employees at the Port of Champlain made it possible to donate the children’s clothing to the local charity. “said Paul Stephan Mongillo, CBP Port Director of the Champlain Port of Entry.
“This is a win-win situation. The counterfeit goods are not permitted for sale in the U.S. and the goods are being distributed to families in need,” said Diann Snell, CBP Fines, Penalties & Forfeitures Officer for the Champlain Port of Entry.
CBP is responsible for enforcing trade laws and preventing counterfeit merchandise from entering the commerce. Upon completion of the administrative forfeiture procedures, seized merchandise may be donated to relief efforts and to charity, with the trademark owner’s approval. Products that threaten the health and safety of American consumers are destroyed.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
Fort Hood recognition of the anniversary
5 NOV 10
(All Eastern Times)
1630 - Remembrance Ceremony - Fort Hood recognition of the anniversary of the shooting deaths there one year ago. (Live, VoD, Podcast)
Encores at 0000 & 0600hrs.
1830 - Fort Hood Press Conference - Army Secretary John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff GEN George Casey Jr., conduct a press availability marking the one year anniversary of the Ft. Hood shootings.(Live, VoD, Podcast)
Encores immediately following the Remembrance Ceremony at 0000 & 0600hrs.
Motioncenter offers live streaming of Pentagon channel programming and, when available will post the news conference.
(All Eastern Times)
1630 - Remembrance Ceremony - Fort Hood recognition of the anniversary of the shooting deaths there one year ago. (Live, VoD, Podcast)
Encores at 0000 & 0600hrs.
1830 - Fort Hood Press Conference - Army Secretary John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff GEN George Casey Jr., conduct a press availability marking the one year anniversary of the Ft. Hood shootings.(Live, VoD, Podcast)
Encores immediately following the Remembrance Ceremony at 0000 & 0600hrs.
Motioncenter offers live streaming of Pentagon channel programming and, when available will post the news conference.
Sports memorabilia dealer pleads guilty in federal court ICE seizes over $103,000.00 in counterfeit goods
PHILDELPHIA - A local shop owner pleaded guilty on Nov. 1 in federal court to selling counterfeit goods in his store Laurel Mall store. Salvatore Argo, 35, of Mountain Top, Pa., pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court to trafficking in counterfeit goods and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was charged in June after special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) found Argo to be in possession of unlicensed sports memorabilia.
HSI special agents found Reebok, Majestic, Mitchell and Ness sports jerseys of NHL, MLB and NFL sports teams and unlicensed sports photographs of professional NFL players at his store, The Sports Scene, located in the Laurel Mall. The value of the items seized by agents was over $103,000.00.
The counterfeit goods charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, $2 million in fines and up to three years of supervised release. The firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.
Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski.
HSI special agents found Reebok, Majestic, Mitchell and Ness sports jerseys of NHL, MLB and NFL sports teams and unlicensed sports photographs of professional NFL players at his store, The Sports Scene, located in the Laurel Mall. The value of the items seized by agents was over $103,000.00.
The counterfeit goods charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, $2 million in fines and up to three years of supervised release. The firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.
Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski.
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Praises Military Families
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Praises Military Families
By Robert L. Gordon III
Military Community and Family Policy
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2010 - Today and throughout the month of November – Military Family Month – we join our nation in honoring military families. We are pleased to participate in this national tribute because we know firsthand the contributions military families make. They balance the demands of work and family life with an added dimension – having loved ones deployed away from home, perhaps for the fourth or fifth time. Despite these challenges, military families persevere and serve as an inspiration to us all.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Sandlin holds his newborn daughter for the first time after being at sea for six months aboard the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 1, 2010. Sandlin is a machinist's mate. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cox
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
A strong nation is made up of strong families; among the most resilient are our military families.
While it may be difficult for some to imagine spending the holidays without a loved one near or accomplishing the tasks of everyday life while a loved one is in harm's way, our military families do this every day. They understand their own important role in our nation's defense and are proud to serve. And they do so without fanfare.
I say this with some authority. For as long as I can remember, the military has been a part of my life. As a military child, my father's assignments took me across the United States and overseas. I cherish the memories of my days attending Defense Department schools and time spent at the installation youth center. I learned how to say goodbye to friends with the full knowledge that I might see them again at another assignment in the years to come – and marveled when, in fact, we did re-connect! I was able to experience diversity at its best. I learned to appreciate the remarkable challenges and rewards of the military lifestyle. That experience served me well later in life, both as a soldier and troop leader, and as a husband and father.
Today, as the deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, I've been able to see the evolution of what were once informal, volunteer-run programs become policy, programs and services. This has happened, in large part I believe, because family members took the time to tell their leaders what was going right and where improvements were needed. It resulted also from leadership that listened and took action.
During Military Family Month, I would like to continue that exchange of ideas. Information technology expands our reach far beyond location and time zones. I invite you to share your thoughts, expressions of appreciation and suggestions for the future. Please join us on Military Community and Family Policy's Facebook page throughout the month of November, and provide your comments. Let's take time to reflect on the realities of military family life and consider how we can best reach out and provide support. Together we can achieve great things.
To comment on this blog, visit the Family Matters website.
By Robert L. Gordon III
Military Community and Family Policy
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2010 - Today and throughout the month of November – Military Family Month – we join our nation in honoring military families. We are pleased to participate in this national tribute because we know firsthand the contributions military families make. They balance the demands of work and family life with an added dimension – having loved ones deployed away from home, perhaps for the fourth or fifth time. Despite these challenges, military families persevere and serve as an inspiration to us all.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Sandlin holds his newborn daughter for the first time after being at sea for six months aboard the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 1, 2010. Sandlin is a machinist's mate. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cox
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
A strong nation is made up of strong families; among the most resilient are our military families.
While it may be difficult for some to imagine spending the holidays without a loved one near or accomplishing the tasks of everyday life while a loved one is in harm's way, our military families do this every day. They understand their own important role in our nation's defense and are proud to serve. And they do so without fanfare.
I say this with some authority. For as long as I can remember, the military has been a part of my life. As a military child, my father's assignments took me across the United States and overseas. I cherish the memories of my days attending Defense Department schools and time spent at the installation youth center. I learned how to say goodbye to friends with the full knowledge that I might see them again at another assignment in the years to come – and marveled when, in fact, we did re-connect! I was able to experience diversity at its best. I learned to appreciate the remarkable challenges and rewards of the military lifestyle. That experience served me well later in life, both as a soldier and troop leader, and as a husband and father.
Today, as the deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, I've been able to see the evolution of what were once informal, volunteer-run programs become policy, programs and services. This has happened, in large part I believe, because family members took the time to tell their leaders what was going right and where improvements were needed. It resulted also from leadership that listened and took action.
During Military Family Month, I would like to continue that exchange of ideas. Information technology expands our reach far beyond location and time zones. I invite you to share your thoughts, expressions of appreciation and suggestions for the future. Please join us on Military Community and Family Policy's Facebook page throughout the month of November, and provide your comments. Let's take time to reflect on the realities of military family life and consider how we can best reach out and provide support. Together we can achieve great things.
To comment on this blog, visit the Family Matters website.
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Praises Military Families
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Praises Military Families
By Robert L. Gordon III
Military Community and Family Policy
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2010 - Today and throughout the month of November – Military Family Month – we join our nation in honoring military families. We are pleased to participate in this national tribute because we know firsthand the contributions military families make. They balance the demands of work and family life with an added dimension – having loved ones deployed away from home, perhaps for the fourth or fifth time. Despite these challenges, military families persevere and serve as an inspiration to us all.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Sandlin holds his newborn daughter for the first time after being at sea for six months aboard the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 1, 2010. Sandlin is a machinist's mate. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cox
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
A strong nation is made up of strong families; among the most resilient are our military families.
While it may be difficult for some to imagine spending the holidays without a loved one near or accomplishing the tasks of everyday life while a loved one is in harm's way, our military families do this every day. They understand their own important role in our nation's defense and are proud to serve. And they do so without fanfare.
I say this with some authority. For as long as I can remember, the military has been a part of my life. As a military child, my father's assignments took me across the United States and overseas. I cherish the memories of my days attending Defense Department schools and time spent at the installation youth center. I learned how to say goodbye to friends with the full knowledge that I might see them again at another assignment in the years to come – and marveled when, in fact, we did re-connect! I was able to experience diversity at its best. I learned to appreciate the remarkable challenges and rewards of the military lifestyle. That experience served me well later in life, both as a soldier and troop leader, and as a husband and father.
Today, as the deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, I've been able to see the evolution of what were once informal, volunteer-run programs become policy, programs and services. This has happened, in large part I believe, because family members took the time to tell their leaders what was going right and where improvements were needed. It resulted also from leadership that listened and took action.
During Military Family Month, I would like to continue that exchange of ideas. Information technology expands our reach far beyond location and time zones. I invite you to share your thoughts, expressions of appreciation and suggestions for the future. Please join us on Military Community and Family Policy's Facebook page throughout the month of November, and provide your comments. Let's take time to reflect on the realities of military family life and consider how we can best reach out and provide support. Together we can achieve great things.
To comment on this blog, visit the Family Matters website.
By Robert L. Gordon III
Military Community and Family Policy
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2010 - Today and throughout the month of November – Military Family Month – we join our nation in honoring military families. We are pleased to participate in this national tribute because we know firsthand the contributions military families make. They balance the demands of work and family life with an added dimension – having loved ones deployed away from home, perhaps for the fourth or fifth time. Despite these challenges, military families persevere and serve as an inspiration to us all.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Sandlin holds his newborn daughter for the first time after being at sea for six months aboard the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 1, 2010. Sandlin is a machinist's mate. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cox
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
A strong nation is made up of strong families; among the most resilient are our military families.
While it may be difficult for some to imagine spending the holidays without a loved one near or accomplishing the tasks of everyday life while a loved one is in harm's way, our military families do this every day. They understand their own important role in our nation's defense and are proud to serve. And they do so without fanfare.
I say this with some authority. For as long as I can remember, the military has been a part of my life. As a military child, my father's assignments took me across the United States and overseas. I cherish the memories of my days attending Defense Department schools and time spent at the installation youth center. I learned how to say goodbye to friends with the full knowledge that I might see them again at another assignment in the years to come – and marveled when, in fact, we did re-connect! I was able to experience diversity at its best. I learned to appreciate the remarkable challenges and rewards of the military lifestyle. That experience served me well later in life, both as a soldier and troop leader, and as a husband and father.
Today, as the deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, I've been able to see the evolution of what were once informal, volunteer-run programs become policy, programs and services. This has happened, in large part I believe, because family members took the time to tell their leaders what was going right and where improvements were needed. It resulted also from leadership that listened and took action.
During Military Family Month, I would like to continue that exchange of ideas. Information technology expands our reach far beyond location and time zones. I invite you to share your thoughts, expressions of appreciation and suggestions for the future. Please join us on Military Community and Family Policy's Facebook page throughout the month of November, and provide your comments. Let's take time to reflect on the realities of military family life and consider how we can best reach out and provide support. Together we can achieve great things.
To comment on this blog, visit the Family Matters website.
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Praises Military Families
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Praises Military Families
By Robert L. Gordon III
Military Community and Family Policy
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2010 - Today and throughout the month of November – Military Family Month – we join our nation in honoring military families. We are pleased to participate in this national tribute because we know firsthand the contributions military families make. They balance the demands of work and family life with an added dimension – having loved ones deployed away from home, perhaps for the fourth or fifth time. Despite these challenges, military families persevere and serve as an inspiration to us all.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Sandlin holds his newborn daughter for the first time after being at sea for six months aboard the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 1, 2010. Sandlin is a machinist's mate. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cox
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
A strong nation is made up of strong families; among the most resilient are our military families.
While it may be difficult for some to imagine spending the holidays without a loved one near or accomplishing the tasks of everyday life while a loved one is in harm's way, our military families do this every day. They understand their own important role in our nation's defense and are proud to serve. And they do so without fanfare.
I say this with some authority. For as long as I can remember, the military has been a part of my life. As a military child, my father's assignments took me across the United States and overseas. I cherish the memories of my days attending Defense Department schools and time spent at the installation youth center. I learned how to say goodbye to friends with the full knowledge that I might see them again at another assignment in the years to come – and marveled when, in fact, we did re-connect! I was able to experience diversity at its best. I learned to appreciate the remarkable challenges and rewards of the military lifestyle. That experience served me well later in life, both as a soldier and troop leader, and as a husband and father.
Today, as the deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, I've been able to see the evolution of what were once informal, volunteer-run programs become policy, programs and services. This has happened, in large part I believe, because family members took the time to tell their leaders what was going right and where improvements were needed. It resulted also from leadership that listened and took action.
During Military Family Month, I would like to continue that exchange of ideas. Information technology expands our reach far beyond location and time zones. I invite you to share your thoughts, expressions of appreciation and suggestions for the future. Please join us on Military Community and Family Policy's Facebook page throughout the month of November, and provide your comments. Let's take time to reflect on the realities of military family life and consider how we can best reach out and provide support. Together we can achieve great things.
To comment on this blog, visit the Family Matters website.
By Robert L. Gordon III
Military Community and Family Policy
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2010 - Today and throughout the month of November – Military Family Month – we join our nation in honoring military families. We are pleased to participate in this national tribute because we know firsthand the contributions military families make. They balance the demands of work and family life with an added dimension – having loved ones deployed away from home, perhaps for the fourth or fifth time. Despite these challenges, military families persevere and serve as an inspiration to us all.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Sandlin holds his newborn daughter for the first time after being at sea for six months aboard the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 1, 2010. Sandlin is a machinist's mate. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cox
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
A strong nation is made up of strong families; among the most resilient are our military families.
While it may be difficult for some to imagine spending the holidays without a loved one near or accomplishing the tasks of everyday life while a loved one is in harm's way, our military families do this every day. They understand their own important role in our nation's defense and are proud to serve. And they do so without fanfare.
I say this with some authority. For as long as I can remember, the military has been a part of my life. As a military child, my father's assignments took me across the United States and overseas. I cherish the memories of my days attending Defense Department schools and time spent at the installation youth center. I learned how to say goodbye to friends with the full knowledge that I might see them again at another assignment in the years to come – and marveled when, in fact, we did re-connect! I was able to experience diversity at its best. I learned to appreciate the remarkable challenges and rewards of the military lifestyle. That experience served me well later in life, both as a soldier and troop leader, and as a husband and father.
Today, as the deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, I've been able to see the evolution of what were once informal, volunteer-run programs become policy, programs and services. This has happened, in large part I believe, because family members took the time to tell their leaders what was going right and where improvements were needed. It resulted also from leadership that listened and took action.
During Military Family Month, I would like to continue that exchange of ideas. Information technology expands our reach far beyond location and time zones. I invite you to share your thoughts, expressions of appreciation and suggestions for the future. Please join us on Military Community and Family Policy's Facebook page throughout the month of November, and provide your comments. Let's take time to reflect on the realities of military family life and consider how we can best reach out and provide support. Together we can achieve great things.
To comment on this blog, visit the Family Matters website.
U.S. Military Prepares to Aid Haiti as Tomas Approaches
U.S. Military Prepares to Aid Haiti as Tomas Approaches
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 - As Tropical Storm Tomas bears down on Haiti and other islands in the Caribbean, U.S. forces are leaning forward to help, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
Thousands of Haitians still are living in tent cities following the devastating earthquake that hit the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince in January. In the last month, a cholera outbreak affected thousands in the region.
Now, Haiti is bracing for a tropical storm expected to bring high winds and rain. "We are again positioned to respond quickly," Morrell said during a Pentagon news conference.
The USS Iwo Jima is steaming toward the island nation with a crew of 1,600 aboard. U.S. Southern Command is directing any aid that may be required. The crew can provide medical, engineering, aviation, logistical and other help as needed.
The ship has a team of civilian and military medical personnel aboard who will aid as needed after the storm passes and work to alleviate the effects of the cholera outbreak, DOD officials said.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has pre-positioned commodities in Haiti – including 40,000 blankets, 16,290 hygiene kits, 32,270 water containers and 20,000 kitchen sets – some of which are being distributed for the cholera outbreak. Haitian officials will be able to use the supplies to meet post-storm needs, Pentagon officials said.
U.S. officials are also taking precautions at the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Officials expect the storm to begin affecting the base Nov. 6 or 7, Navy officials at the base said.
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 - As Tropical Storm Tomas bears down on Haiti and other islands in the Caribbean, U.S. forces are leaning forward to help, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
Thousands of Haitians still are living in tent cities following the devastating earthquake that hit the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince in January. In the last month, a cholera outbreak affected thousands in the region.
Now, Haiti is bracing for a tropical storm expected to bring high winds and rain. "We are again positioned to respond quickly," Morrell said during a Pentagon news conference.
The USS Iwo Jima is steaming toward the island nation with a crew of 1,600 aboard. U.S. Southern Command is directing any aid that may be required. The crew can provide medical, engineering, aviation, logistical and other help as needed.
The ship has a team of civilian and military medical personnel aboard who will aid as needed after the storm passes and work to alleviate the effects of the cholera outbreak, DOD officials said.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has pre-positioned commodities in Haiti – including 40,000 blankets, 16,290 hygiene kits, 32,270 water containers and 20,000 kitchen sets – some of which are being distributed for the cholera outbreak. Haitian officials will be able to use the supplies to meet post-storm needs, Pentagon officials said.
U.S. officials are also taking precautions at the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Officials expect the storm to begin affecting the base Nov. 6 or 7, Navy officials at the base said.
Task Force in Eastern Afghanistan Keeps Enemy at Bay
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 - Despite difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions, the commander of a task force in eastern Afghanistan said today, his aviation brigade has been successful in keeping the enemy at bay, supporting ground units and protecting the Afghan people.
Task Force Falcon has prevented the enemy from amassing combat power near U.S. and coalition forces, said Army Col. Donald Galli, who also commands the Army's 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.
"When they did try to attack, they failed spectacularly in the face of our air crews," he added.
Afghanistan's difficult terrain and its unpredictable and extreme weather make those successes even more significant, Galli told Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference.
Though success can be measured by the numbers of missions flown or enemy fighters killed, Galli said, the level of protection it has provided for ground troops and the Afghan people is the true measure of its success.
"Task Force Falcon has directly contributed to disrupting terrorist networks, rooting out the enemies of Afghanistan and protecting the Afghan people," Galli said. "We've removed a significant amount of insurgents from the battlefield." But he and his task force realized their successes when the troops on the ground understood the task force would support them when they were in contact with the enemy, he added.
"We would always take extraordinary measures to save the lives of American soldiers, coalition forces and Afghan civilians," he said.
Galli said the enemy is a thinking enemy who is elusive, persistent and adaptive and routinely changes tactics. "But we stay one step ahead of them," he added.
Galli said his task force has flown 1,600 airlift missions since their deployment began almost a year ago. By the time they leave, he said, they will have logged 160,000 flight hours and moved 20,000 tons of cargo and more than 219,000 personnel.
Task Force Falcon's maintainers and shorter aircraft are ready to fly at a rate previously unheard-of in combat, the colonel said, supporting ground forces by flying more than 25,000 missions. Galli said the task force has conducted more than 900 air assaults, 5,700 reconnaissance and security missions and more than 3,300 medical evacuation missions, rescuing more than 5,000 coalition troops and Afghan civilians.
And Task Force Falcon is the first aviation brigade to partner with the Afghan military's air mission, Galli said.
"For the last 11 months, we've been partnering with the Afghan air force through [a] rotary-wing contingent," he said. "And we've been conducting several training programs for them, one of which is an air assault training program that works with Afghan commandos and the Afghan air force.
"We've also taught their crew chiefs how to maintain their aircraft and how to be crew chiefs," Galli continued, "as well as a medevac training program, and also to teach close combat attacks with their Hind helicopters. In our time here, we have seen their capability grow exponentially."
The Afghans are beginning to conduct air assault operations on their own, he noted.
Galli said he's encouraged that the Afghan people have taken note of the progress their military has made. "They were absolutely thrilled to see their military conducting missions," he said.
Related Sites:
NATO International Security Assistance Force
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 - Despite difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions, the commander of a task force in eastern Afghanistan said today, his aviation brigade has been successful in keeping the enemy at bay, supporting ground units and protecting the Afghan people.
Task Force Falcon has prevented the enemy from amassing combat power near U.S. and coalition forces, said Army Col. Donald Galli, who also commands the Army's 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.
"When they did try to attack, they failed spectacularly in the face of our air crews," he added.
Afghanistan's difficult terrain and its unpredictable and extreme weather make those successes even more significant, Galli told Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference.
Though success can be measured by the numbers of missions flown or enemy fighters killed, Galli said, the level of protection it has provided for ground troops and the Afghan people is the true measure of its success.
"Task Force Falcon has directly contributed to disrupting terrorist networks, rooting out the enemies of Afghanistan and protecting the Afghan people," Galli said. "We've removed a significant amount of insurgents from the battlefield." But he and his task force realized their successes when the troops on the ground understood the task force would support them when they were in contact with the enemy, he added.
"We would always take extraordinary measures to save the lives of American soldiers, coalition forces and Afghan civilians," he said.
Galli said the enemy is a thinking enemy who is elusive, persistent and adaptive and routinely changes tactics. "But we stay one step ahead of them," he added.
Galli said his task force has flown 1,600 airlift missions since their deployment began almost a year ago. By the time they leave, he said, they will have logged 160,000 flight hours and moved 20,000 tons of cargo and more than 219,000 personnel.
Task Force Falcon's maintainers and shorter aircraft are ready to fly at a rate previously unheard-of in combat, the colonel said, supporting ground forces by flying more than 25,000 missions. Galli said the task force has conducted more than 900 air assaults, 5,700 reconnaissance and security missions and more than 3,300 medical evacuation missions, rescuing more than 5,000 coalition troops and Afghan civilians.
And Task Force Falcon is the first aviation brigade to partner with the Afghan military's air mission, Galli said.
"For the last 11 months, we've been partnering with the Afghan air force through [a] rotary-wing contingent," he said. "And we've been conducting several training programs for them, one of which is an air assault training program that works with Afghan commandos and the Afghan air force.
"We've also taught their crew chiefs how to maintain their aircraft and how to be crew chiefs," Galli continued, "as well as a medevac training program, and also to teach close combat attacks with their Hind helicopters. In our time here, we have seen their capability grow exponentially."
The Afghans are beginning to conduct air assault operations on their own, he noted.
Galli said he's encouraged that the Afghan people have taken note of the progress their military has made. "They were absolutely thrilled to see their military conducting missions," he said.
Related Sites:
NATO International Security Assistance Force
Task Force in Eastern Afghanistan Keeps Enemy at Bay
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 - Despite difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions, the commander of a task force in eastern Afghanistan said today, his aviation brigade has been successful in keeping the enemy at bay, supporting ground units and protecting the Afghan people.
Task Force Falcon has prevented the enemy from amassing combat power near U.S. and coalition forces, said Army Col. Donald Galli, who also commands the Army's 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.
"When they did try to attack, they failed spectacularly in the face of our air crews," he added.
Afghanistan's difficult terrain and its unpredictable and extreme weather make those successes even more significant, Galli told Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference.
Though success can be measured by the numbers of missions flown or enemy fighters killed, Galli said, the level of protection it has provided for ground troops and the Afghan people is the true measure of its success.
"Task Force Falcon has directly contributed to disrupting terrorist networks, rooting out the enemies of Afghanistan and protecting the Afghan people," Galli said. "We've removed a significant amount of insurgents from the battlefield." But he and his task force realized their successes when the troops on the ground understood the task force would support them when they were in contact with the enemy, he added.
"We would always take extraordinary measures to save the lives of American soldiers, coalition forces and Afghan civilians," he said.
Galli said the enemy is a thinking enemy who is elusive, persistent and adaptive and routinely changes tactics. "But we stay one step ahead of them," he added.
Galli said his task force has flown 1,600 airlift missions since their deployment began almost a year ago. By the time they leave, he said, they will have logged 160,000 flight hours and moved 20,000 tons of cargo and more than 219,000 personnel.
Task Force Falcon's maintainers and shorter aircraft are ready to fly at a rate previously unheard-of in combat, the colonel said, supporting ground forces by flying more than 25,000 missions. Galli said the task force has conducted more than 900 air assaults, 5,700 reconnaissance and security missions and more than 3,300 medical evacuation missions, rescuing more than 5,000 coalition troops and Afghan civilians.
And Task Force Falcon is the first aviation brigade to partner with the Afghan military's air mission, Galli said.
"For the last 11 months, we've been partnering with the Afghan air force through [a] rotary-wing contingent," he said. "And we've been conducting several training programs for them, one of which is an air assault training program that works with Afghan commandos and the Afghan air force.
"We've also taught their crew chiefs how to maintain their aircraft and how to be crew chiefs," Galli continued, "as well as a medevac training program, and also to teach close combat attacks with their Hind helicopters. In our time here, we have seen their capability grow exponentially."
The Afghans are beginning to conduct air assault operations on their own, he noted.
Galli said he's encouraged that the Afghan people have taken note of the progress their military has made. "They were absolutely thrilled to see their military conducting missions," he said.
Related Sites:
NATO International Security Assistance Force
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 - Despite difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions, the commander of a task force in eastern Afghanistan said today, his aviation brigade has been successful in keeping the enemy at bay, supporting ground units and protecting the Afghan people.
Task Force Falcon has prevented the enemy from amassing combat power near U.S. and coalition forces, said Army Col. Donald Galli, who also commands the Army's 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.
"When they did try to attack, they failed spectacularly in the face of our air crews," he added.
Afghanistan's difficult terrain and its unpredictable and extreme weather make those successes even more significant, Galli told Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference.
Though success can be measured by the numbers of missions flown or enemy fighters killed, Galli said, the level of protection it has provided for ground troops and the Afghan people is the true measure of its success.
"Task Force Falcon has directly contributed to disrupting terrorist networks, rooting out the enemies of Afghanistan and protecting the Afghan people," Galli said. "We've removed a significant amount of insurgents from the battlefield." But he and his task force realized their successes when the troops on the ground understood the task force would support them when they were in contact with the enemy, he added.
"We would always take extraordinary measures to save the lives of American soldiers, coalition forces and Afghan civilians," he said.
Galli said the enemy is a thinking enemy who is elusive, persistent and adaptive and routinely changes tactics. "But we stay one step ahead of them," he added.
Galli said his task force has flown 1,600 airlift missions since their deployment began almost a year ago. By the time they leave, he said, they will have logged 160,000 flight hours and moved 20,000 tons of cargo and more than 219,000 personnel.
Task Force Falcon's maintainers and shorter aircraft are ready to fly at a rate previously unheard-of in combat, the colonel said, supporting ground forces by flying more than 25,000 missions. Galli said the task force has conducted more than 900 air assaults, 5,700 reconnaissance and security missions and more than 3,300 medical evacuation missions, rescuing more than 5,000 coalition troops and Afghan civilians.
And Task Force Falcon is the first aviation brigade to partner with the Afghan military's air mission, Galli said.
"For the last 11 months, we've been partnering with the Afghan air force through [a] rotary-wing contingent," he said. "And we've been conducting several training programs for them, one of which is an air assault training program that works with Afghan commandos and the Afghan air force.
"We've also taught their crew chiefs how to maintain their aircraft and how to be crew chiefs," Galli continued, "as well as a medevac training program, and also to teach close combat attacks with their Hind helicopters. In our time here, we have seen their capability grow exponentially."
The Afghans are beginning to conduct air assault operations on their own, he noted.
Galli said he's encouraged that the Afghan people have taken note of the progress their military has made. "They were absolutely thrilled to see their military conducting missions," he said.
Related Sites:
NATO International Security Assistance Force
Spokesman Explains Significance of July 2011 in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 - The July 2011 target to begin handing over territory in Afghanistan to Afghan security forces is a marker for the Afghan government, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. The United States demonstrated its seriousness about Afghanistan by ordering another 30,000 troops into the country, Morrell noted, and NATO allies added 10,000 more. "On the other hand, there was also an effort to sort of make clear to the Afghans that we're not going to be able to do this forever," Morrell said during a Pentagon news conference. "So they need to step up to the plate and assume more and more responsibility, particularly on the security side. I think that message has gotten through loud and clear." The number of Afghan soldiers and police has increased by 100,000 in the past year. "Our operations now in Kandahar, and Operation Hamkari, you now have 60 percent of our forces down there [being] Afghan forces," he said. He compared that to operations in Marja, where a lone Afghan battalion accompanied Marines into the city. "[The Afghans'] capabilities, their effectiveness, their size have improved dramatically over the past year, and it's really becoming a difference maker on the ground," he said. Morrell said many do not understand what the July 2011 date really means, mistakenly believing it will be when the United States and its allies leave the country. "This is a date by which, conditions-based, we make determinations about where we can begin to thin out forces and where we can begin to transition increasing security responsibility to the Afghans," he explained. Coalition forces will thin out, not leave, Morrell emphasized. "It is about us thinning out, giving the Afghans increasing responsibility for the security situation there, and then taking the dividend from thinning out and sending some of it home, per the president's directive, while also reinvesting others elsewhere in the country where they are also still needed," he said. Areas such as Kandahar and Helmand provinces probably will not see many troops leaving any time soon, Morrell said. More than 60 percent of the violence in Afghanistan is in Helmand, Kandahar and Kunar provinces. "I think those are the ones, in all likelihood, where you would see the least amount of thinning," he said. "I don't know that as a fact yet, because these determinations haven't been made." |
| Related Sites: U.S. Forces Afghanistan U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Twitter U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Facebook U.S. Forces Afghanistan on YouTube NATO International Security Assistance Force |
Lynn Honors Department's Best Employees
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III today paid tribute to eight people who distinguished themselves among more than 700,000 others in winning the Defense Department's annual top civilian employee awards.
"They understand that working for the department is a public trust that brings great responsibilities and opportunities," Lynn said during a ceremony in the Pentagon auditorium where he presented the 6th Annual David O. Cooke Excellence in Public Administration Award and the 55th Annual Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Awards.
Lynn presented the first award -- named for the late "mayor" of the Pentagon, 55-year employee "Doc" Cooke – to Manuel A. Fajin, a special agent with Force Protection Detachment Colombia, Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Fajin was cited for his dedication, resourcefulness and leadership in helping to protect 4,500 government personnel in Latin America, which led to his unit being recognized as the department's model force-protection detachment.
The award was established in Cooke's name to recognize great leaders with less than 10 years of service. "As someone who knew him well, this achievement personifies his legacy," Lynn said of Cooke in presenting the award to Fajin. "He was an icon because he was a quintessential public servant."
Lynn noted the seven distinguished service award recipients' contributions toward innovations and efficiencies in information technology, foreign languages, developing unmanned aircraft and enhancing the performance of deployed servicemembers, among others.
"Each one of you helped the department carry out its mission in various ways," he said.
The Distinguished Civilian Service Award was created 55 years ago to recognize a small number of employees whose careers reflect exceptional devotion to duty and extremely significant contributions in policy, science, technology and administrative fields.
This year's winners are:
-- Lisa S. Disbrow, the National Security Council's senior director for policy implementation, who serves as the principal deputy director for force management and the Joint Staff's vice director of force structure.
-- Bruce S. Lemkin, the Air Force's principal deputy assistant secretary for financial management and deputy undersecretary for international affairs.
-- Glenn H. Nordin, foreign language and foreign area advisor in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence.
-- Timothy R. Owings, deputy project manager in the Army's unmanned aircraft systems project office.
-- Barbara A. Sission, director of U.S. Central Command's resources and analysis directorate.
-- David M. Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary for information management and deputy chief information officer.
-- Peter Wilhelm, director of the Naval Research Laboratory's Naval Center for Space Technology.
William J. Lynn III
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