Summary

Brent crude briefly reaches $119/barrel - Iran war high.

CENTCOM reportedly preparing for "short wave of strikes" on Iran in order to potentially break the Hormuz impasse & force Tehran back to the negotiating table. Trump rejects Iran proposal as it won't give up nuclear program.

Trump recently met this week with oil and gas executives at the White House to address energy fallout, and as oil pushes higher: Axios.

Trump warns Iran to "get their act together" and to "get smart" - and for the second time writes "no more Mr. Nice Guy".

Fresh White House statement indicates communication still open with Tehran, but still says "Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon."

DOJ Sues Big Tech Giant Cloudera for Blocking American Workers in Favor of Foreign Visa Holders, Same Company Sued Trump in 2017 Over Refugee Ban

Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Cloudera Inc. (Cloudera), a Santa Clara, California-based technology company for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by intentionally discriminating against U.S. workers in favor of hiring workers with temporary visas. The complaint was filed with the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, which has jurisdiction over cases arising under the INA.

“Employers cannot use the PERM sponsorship process as a backdoor for discriminating against U.S. workers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Division will not hesitate to sue companies who intentionally deter U.S. workers from applying to American jobs.”

The complaint alleges Cloudera intentionally created a separate recruitment and hiring process to deter U.S. workers from applying, and also did not consider them, for lucrative technology jobs that the company earmarked for people with temporary employment visas. Cloudera created an email account that did not allow external emails, but still instructed applicants to use that unworkable email address to apply for jobs. The Division received a charge of employment discrimination from one U.S. worker who tried to apply using the email account Cloudera set up, but received a bounce back notification. When sponsoring current employees under the permanent labor certification program (PERM), Cloudera purposely failed to recruit U.S. workers in good faith.

The PERM program allows employers to sponsor workers for permanent resident status, only after completing recruitment of U.S. workers. But, as with any recruitment or hiring, employers cannot illegally discriminate against U.S. worker applicants based on their citizenship status during the PERM process.

This lawsuit is part of the Department’s Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, which was relaunched in 2025. The Initiative, under which the Division has already obtained ten settlements in the last year, focuses on companies that illegally discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of those with temporary employment visas.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/civil-rights-division-sues-cloudera-excluding-us-workers-applying-high-paying-technology

US Sanctions 35 Individuals, Entities To Dismantle Iran's Shadow Banking

The U.S. Treasury Department on April 28 imposed sanctions on 35 individuals and entities accused of running Iran’s secret shadow banking network.

Treasury has accused the network of transferring tens of billions of dollars to help Iran dodge U.S. sanctions and finance terrorism.

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is sanctioning a network of shell companies, exchange houses, and operators connected to Iranian banks, such as Shahr Bank, that have enabled the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iran-backed armed forces to gain access to the international financial system.

U.S. officials said the networks facilitate payments for illicit Iranian oil sales, purchases of missile components, and transfers to Tehran’s terrorist proxies.

“Iran’s shadow banking system serves as a critical financial lifeline for its armed forces, enabling activities that disrupt global trade and fuel violence across the Middle East,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement.

“Illicit funds funneled through this network support the regime’s ongoing terrorist operations, posing a direct threat to U.S. personnel, regional allies, and the global economy. Financial institutions are on notice: Any institution that facilitates or engages with these networks is at risk of severe consequences.”

Those targeted on Tuesday include the Farab Soroush Afagh Qeshm Company, described as overseeing fund movements for Shahr Bank’s clients through foreign front companies. Sorayya Mehri Hajibaba, an employee and foreign exchange expert, was sanctioned for facilitating transfers since at least mid-2023. And Seyyed Mohammed Mehdi Al Ghafur, an Iran-based shadow banking official, was targeted for laundering money on behalf of Shahr Bank via exchange houses.

The action also included the previously sanctioned HMS Trading FZE, along with its Iran-based sister company Tejarat Hermes Energy Qeshm Company. UK-based Shuqun LTD and its owner, Janelyn Eusebio Emperador, drew sanctions for transferring more than $70 million in payments for Iranian crude oil and distillates through 2024 on behalf of the National Iranian Oil Co. Emperador also controls Sanovo LTD and Qianza LTD.

Additional rahbar companies, which oversee shell company networks to process payments tied to Iran’s imports and exports and are linked to major Iranian banks, received sanction designations for operating in the financial sector.

The Treasury also issued new guidance threatening sanctions for entities that make “toll” payments to the Iranian regime or the IRGC in exchange for traversing the Strait of Hormuz.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/us-sanctions-35-individuals-entities-dismantle-irans-shadow-banking

North Carolina Uncovers 34,000 Dead Voters Still on the Rolls, State Board Admits it’s ‘Higher Than We Anticipated’

The North Carolina State Board of Elections has identified approximately 34,000 deceased individuals on the state’s voter rolls following a comprehensive data comparison with the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database.

On April 17, 2026, the State Board submitted 7,397,734 voter records to the SAVE system as part of its initiative to strengthen the accuracy and integrity of the state’s voter registration list.

The discovery comes as an added benefit of the State Board’s ongoing effort to verify the citizenship status of registered voters. The primary goal of comparing voter registration records with the SAVE database is to identify any non-U.S. citizens on the voter rolls and ensure that only eligible individuals are registered to vote in North Carolina, but we expect that this process will also help identify other anomalies such as duplicate registrations, name mismatches and, as highlighted here, deceased voters.

“While we expected to find some cases, this is higher than we anticipated,” said Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “The benefit of entering into cross-state and federal database checks is that it allows us to uncover issues like this. Our goal is to use every available and legal tool at our disposal to achieve the most accurate voter rolls possible. Now, we must roll up our sleeves and begin the hard work to act of verifying that every person registered to vote in North Carolina is eligible. Our team, along with our state and federal will do what’s necessary to meet this responsibility.”

Election officials emphasize that list maintenance is a routine and necessary function to ensure compliance with state and federal law. The identification of deceased individuals on the voter rolls does not necessarily indicate that illegal votes were cast in their names, but it does underscore the importance of regular updates and strong interagency coordination.

The State Board will follow established procedures to verify records and will work with county boards of elections to remove deceased individuals from the voter rolls in accordance with state and federal law. These processes include cross-checking additional state and federal databases and providing due process before any removal occurs.

The comparison criteria for a SAVE database search uses voters’ names, dates of birth, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers sent to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), who then perform a cross check with the Social Security Administration.

For voters who have passed away in North Carolina, the State Board receives information from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, a process that occurs weekly and is handled at the county level. This new process of matching state voter records with the SAVE database where the result shows a person is deceased in federal records will help identify those voters who registered here at one time and then moved and passed away in another state.

https://www.ncsbe.gov/news/press-releases/2026/04/27/state-board-identifies-deceased-individuals-voter-rolls-through-federal-database-comparison

Google inks Pentagon AI deal – media

The agreement comes despite a backlash within the company and follows a fallout between the US military and Anthropic

Google has struck a deal to provide the Pentagon with its AI models for classified use, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

The agreement came despite internal company protests and ongoing disputes over military applications of the technology. The Pentagon has been rapidly securing access to advanced AI through similar deals with major developers since last year.

The deal reportedly expands a $200 million contract signed in 2025, allowing Google’s Gemini AI to operate on classified networks. The tech-giant confirmed the agreement but provided no further details.

“We are proud to be part of a broad consortium… providing AI services in support of national security,” the company’s spokeswoman Jenn Crider said, adding that the company remains committed to ensuring AI is not used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons without human oversight.

The Information, which first reported the deal, said the Pentagon can now use Google’s AI for “any lawful governmental purpose” – terms that reportedly mirror agreements with other AI developers. US officials say the new agreement is meant to give the military more flexibility and avoid reliance on a single supplier as it integrates AI into sensitive operations such as mission planning and weapons targeting. However, the deal reportedly allows the Pentagon to request changes to Google’s safety filters while making clear the company cannot veto “lawful government” decisions, a provision that has raised concern among critics.

The agreement has triggered backlash inside Google. In an open letter this week, more than 600 employees, including senior staff, urged CEO Sundar Pichai to halt military use of the company’s AI, warning it could be used in “inhumane or extremely harmful ways.” They called for a moratorium on such contracts, greater transparency, and an ethics board to oversee military partnerships.

The deal follows a fallout between the Pentagon and AI startup Anthropic, which earlier this year refused to loosen safeguards on surveillance and autonomous weapons. The Defense Department labeled it a “supply-chain risk,” effectively sidelining it from future contracts. Anthropic has since challenged the decision in court.

Other firms have taken a different approach. OpenAI recently struck its own deal to deploy models on classified Pentagon networks, while Musk’s xAI has integrated its systems into the military’s internal AI platform, GenAI.mil, used by millions of personnel.

The Pentagon’s AI push has sparked protests from tech workers and activists, who warn the technology could be used in military settings without proper accountability. Demonstrators last month gathered outside OpenAI offices with slogans such as “No AI surveillance state” and “Orwell warned us.”

https://www.rt.com/news/639243-google-pentagon-deal-ai/

Islamic Sect Raided Over Sex Crime, Forced Marriage, and Slavery Allegations.

More than 500 police officers conducted a raid on the Islamic Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) headquarters in Crewe, England, resulting in the arrest of sect members over allegations of sex offenses, human trafficking, forced marriage, and modern slavery.

The group, founded in 2018 by Egyptian-American Abdullah Hashem, mixes Shia Islam with beliefs around aliens and the Illuminati. Authorities said the investigation stems from reports made last month involving one female victim, with alleged offenses dating back to 2023. Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley said police are treating the allegations with the utmost seriousness. Modern slavery has become a major issue in Britain, with some estimating that there are over 120,000 people living as modern slaves in the country.

💬 KEY QUOTE: “Today’s operation is the outcome of a detailed and robust investigation into reports of serious sexual offenses, forced marriage and modern slavery involving members of a religious group called Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Crewe.” – Ch Supt Gareth Wrigley, Cheshire Constabulary

🎯 IMPACT: The arrests have prompted a thorough search of the premises, and authorities are working to provide advice and safeguarding to other group members. Nine arrests have been confirmed, all involving foreign nationals with citizenship in the United States, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Egypt. The case underscores the growing issues in Britain with foreign religious sects and migrant communities engaging in modern slavery and sexual exploitation.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/04/29/islamic-sect-raided-over-sex-crime-forced-marriage-and-slavery-allegations/

Brexit Boss Nigel Farage Reveals His Home Was Targeted in Firebombing Attack

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has revealed that his home was targeted in a firebombing attack in the latest example of political violence directed towards the Brexit leader.

While the world was once again forced to hold its collective breath on Saturday evening as an attempted assassin sought to slay U.S. President Donald Trump, the safety of populists throughout the West has become an increasing concern.

Over the pond in Britain, longtime Trump ally Nigel Farage has long faced acts of political violence, including all too frequent assaults, including from people throwing cement and milkshakes. Last year, an Afghan illegal migrant was also convicted of threatening to kill the Brexit boss in a series of menacing TikTok videos.

Perhaps most concerning of all was an attack on his home last year, which Mr Farage has hitherto kept quiet. Speaking to The Telegraph this week, the Reform leader revealed that last year a petrol incendiary device was pushed through the letterbox of his house in a firebombing attack.

“It was an outright arson attempt. I wasn’t at home at the time, but when I came back and opened the door, I found the damage. Luckily, it had burned itself out in the porch, and we think maybe the perpetrators were disturbed in the act. The police were all over it. They did their best, but there are no suspects so far,” he told the broadsheet.

Mr Farage said that the attack happened shortly before a string of arson attacks against cars and properties tied to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

However, unlike the Prime Minsiter, the Reform leader chose to keep the attack on his home private for fear of encouraging copycat attacks, as had previously occurred with other forms of violence against him.

Mr Farage said that he felt forced to disclose the attack now, given that it was leaked to the press that he had received a multimillion-pound gift from Reform UK mega donor Christopher Harborne prior to becoming an MP to pay for private security.

“I would rather not be discussing any of this, but I am having to because someone has got hold of material about my private finances, which is outrageous, and which I believe was illegally obtained,” the Reform leader said.

Harborne, a Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire, is said to have given Mr Farage £5 million, in addition to donating over £12 million to the Reform party.

The personal donation to the Brexit boss was made by Harborne in 2024, before Farage came out of retirement to run for parliament, meaning that the gift was never declared as a political contribution. Harborne was reportedly with Farage when the Brexit boss was hit with a milkshake in 2019 and had become concerned over his lack of security.

“This money was given to me so that I would be safe and secure for the rest of my life,” Farage said. “I have tried and failed in the past to get security funded by the Home Office, and I don’t think the state will ever help me. I’m very much on my own and will be for the rest of my life, and I have to face up to that grim reality. Christopher is an ardent supporter who is deeply concerned for my safety.”

However, both the Conservative and Labour parties have attempted to claim that Mr Farage may have broken parliamentary ethical codes by failing to declare the gift, the BBC reported.

The leak of financial information comes just days before critical local elections across the United Kingdom, in which Farage’s Reform UK party is tipped to make major gains as the two establishment parties continue to fade in popularity among voters.

Mr Farage predicted this week that Reform will deliver a “crushing” defeat for Labour in its industrial heartlands which will ultimately force Prime Minister Starmer to resign from his post.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/04/29/brexit-boss-nigel-farage-reveals-his-home-was-targeted-in-firebombing-attack/

>>24554373

https://www.antiwar.com/

60 minutes Australia aired a special about that Ranch (starts with a Z) a few days ago. Many have heard about possible girls buried from the emails but I had never heard about some of the other seriously dark shit. Other countries aren’t going to let this story die. We won’t either. I was surprised to find 60 Minutes Australia YouTube has a playlist with 59 videos on it. Definitely going to be checking many of them out.

https://x.com/i/status/2049254493557072269

Doctors say Israel testing new, banned micro-cube shrapnel and heavy metal weapons on Gaza civilians

Bombs then marketed as ‘battle-proven’ as genocidal regime profits from its maimed and murdered victims

The Israeli military is using at least two new types of weapon on civilians in Gaza, one designed to maximise deaths and injuries over the maximum area and the other to leave behind only minute chemical traces in its shrapnel victims.

Volunteer doctors serving in Gaza say that they are finding tungsten micro-cubes of metal, designed to travel at high speeds across a wide area from a missile strike, in the wounds of bombing victims – and in others, no shrapnel is left behind but residues of highly toxic heavy metals remain in victims’ systems to poison them and cause organ failure.

Israeli arms manufacturers then market these weapons as ‘battle proven’:

Both these types of weapon are banned under international war for their indiscriminate nature. As the International Committee of the Red Cross points out, the use of poisoned weapons:

constitutes a war crime in international armed conflicts under the Statute of the International Criminal Court

while Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits the use of

any weapon the primary effect of which is to injure by fragments which in the human body escape detection by X-rays.

Similarly, the tungsten micro-cubes constitute a cluster munition, which is likewise a war crime “under any circumstances under the Convention on Cluster Munitions:

Each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances to:

Use cluster munitions;

Develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer to anyone, directly or indirectly, cluster munitions;

Assist, encourage or induce anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention.

Israel, the rogue, mafia and terror state, is profiting directly from the maiming and murder of its victims. The UK Starmer regime continues to collude with terrorists and gangsters while classifying a group as terrorists that damages Israeli weapons factories.

https://skwawkbox.org/2025/08/23/doctors-say-israel-testing-new-banned-micro-cube-shrapnel-and-heavy-metal-weapons-on-gaza-civilians/

>>24554413

>>24554413

We are researchers who deal in open-source information, reasoned argument, and dank memes. We do battle in the sphere of ideas and ideas only.We neither need nor condone the use of force in our work here.

fuck off glowy

Zionists staging fake "antisemitic attacks" happens so often that it is unreasonable to treat each instance as an isolated individual event. This is a coordinated tactic. Someone compiled a 35-minute video of news reports about these staged incidents:

https://twitter.com/i/status/2049377883437912176

IDF chief says there is ‘no ceasefire’ in south Lebanon as fight against Hezbollah continues

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says there “is no ceasefire” in southern Lebanon as troops continue to operate against the threat of Hezbollah.

He also says that the IDF “will not tolerate” Hezbollah’s attacks, while adding that Israel will not leave its new security zone until the threat to Israel’s northern communities is removed.

“In Lebanon, the mission assigned to us by the political echelon is to position ourselves along the line to prevent direct fire on the communities. We have achieved this; this is the line we are on. We may be required to remain on it,” Zamir says during a visit this morning to the southern Lebanon town of Taybeh, where troops are deployed.

“We will not tolerate attacks and fire on our communities, and we will not leave until long-term security for the northern communities is ensured,” he says, according to remarks published by the IDF.

Zamir says the IDF is continuing to fight: “We continue fighting and are working to deepen the operational achievements and to protect our forces.”

“On the combat front, there is no ceasefire; you continue to fight, to remove direct and indirect threats from the northern communities, to thwart terror infrastructure, to locate and kill terrorists,” he continues.

“Any threat, anywhere, to our communities or our forces, including beyond the Yellow Line and north of the Litani [River], will be removed. Your mission and duty are to act with freedom of action and remove any threat,” Zamir says.

He says that “at this stage we are not advancing beyond the line, but we will continue to act and remove threats freely.”

“The forces on the ground continue to operate, and there is no restriction on [destroying] infrastructure and killing terrorists,” Zamir adds.

Zamir also says that “Everything defined for us by the political echelon regarding the current campaign in Iran and Lebanon has been achieved and even beyond that.”

“In doing so, we have created the operational conditions for the processes now being led by the political echelon,” he says.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-chief-says-there-is-no-ceasefire-on-south-lebanon-front-as-troops-fight-on-against-threats/

🚨 IT’S OFFICIAL: The Louisiana Supreme Court has SUSPENDED the license of Black Lives Matter lawyer Tanzanika Ruffin after she was indicted for stealing $250,000

BLM was one huge SCAM and fraud operation! Imagine that.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2049202391535296860

MICROSOFT CAN ERASE YOUR ENTIRE COMPUTER!

A man is going viral after exposing what millions of Windows users are just now realizing about Bill Gates’ Microsoft.

"I think they should have to go to jail for this."

Windows updates quietly turn on OneDrive without a plain English warning.

Your files don’t get “backed up.”

They get moved.

Your computer becomes a temporary access point.

Microsoft’s servers become the primary copy.

Then the trap snaps shut.

People report:

• Family photos gone

• Work files wiped

• Years of data erased

• Clean desktops with no warning

• A little icon asking: “Where are my files?”

Many thought it was ransomware.

It wasn’t.

Turning OneDrive off can delete everything locally.

Deleting files to “free up space” deletes them everywhere.

The only way out? A buried menu… or a YouTube tutorial.

Nowhere does it clearly say:

“We are transferring your entire computer to our servers.”

Millions clicked “Update” without knowing this was included.

If a company can silently take control of your files and delete them with one wrong click - how is this not malware?

https://x.com/i/status/2049367060418052317

The ultimate authority on all questions involving life on earth, Al Gore, is now declaring that global warming is out, and global freezing is in. Safe bet that he found a whole new angle to line his pockets off the climate grift.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2049307004846375414

💥Trial was scheduled to start at 9 am. Netanyahu wanted it to start at noon. Judges said no, but gave him till 9:30. It is 10 am. Netanyahu showed up and said he had to be at IDF HQ at 10:30. 🤷‍♂️ Faced with a defendant who acts like an anarchist, the judge succumbed. No trial.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2049384353923252318

>>24554474

Dead?

Governor Of Sinaloa And Nine Other Current And Former Mexican Officials Charged With Drug Trafficking And Weapons Offenses

The Defendants Allegedly Conspired With Leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to Import Massive Quantities of Narcotics Into the United States in Exchange for Political Support and Bribes

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance C. Cole, announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging RUBEN ROCHA MOYA, ENRIQUE INZUNZA CAZAREZ, ENRIQUE DIAZ VEGA, DAMASO CASTRO ZAAVEDRA, MARCO ANTONIO ALMANZA AVILES, ALBERTO JORGE CONTRERAS NUNEZ, a/k/a “Cholo,” GERARDO MERIDA SANCHEZ, JOSE ANTONIO DIONISIO HIPOLITO, a/k/a “Tornado,” JUAN DE DIOS GAMEZ MENDIVIL, and JUAN VALENZUELA MILLAN, a/k/a “Juanito,” with drug trafficking and related weapons offenses. MILLAN is additionally charged with offenses related to his participation in kidnappings of a DEA source and the source’s relative that resulted in their deaths. The defendants are all current or former high-ranking government and law enforcement officials in the Mexican State of Sinaloa (“Sinaloa”), including the current Governor of Sinaloa, RUBEN ROCHA MOYA, and are alleged to have partnered with the Sinaloa Cartel to distribute massive quantities of narcotics to the United States. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.

“The Sinaloa Cartel is a ruthless criminal organization that has flooded this community with dangerous drugs for decades,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As the indictment lays bare, the Sinaloa Cartel, and other drug trafficking organizations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll. The support of corrupt foreign officials for deadly trafficking of drugs must end. Let these charges send a clear message to all officials around the globe who work with narco-traffickers: no matter your title or position, we are committed to bringing you to justice.”

“The Sinaloa Cartel is not just trafficking deadly drugs, it is a designated terrorist organization that relies on corruption and bribery to drive violence and profit,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “This indictment exposes a deliberate effort to undermine public institutions and put American lives at risk. The defendants allegedly used positions of trust to protect cartel operations, enabling a pipeline of deadly drugs into our country. No one is above the law. We are grateful for our U.S. and Mexican partners who choose integrity every day and stand with us to safeguard our communities. Together, we will continue to apply sustained pressure against the Sinaloa Cartel and the networks that support it to protect the American people and save lives.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:[1]

The Sinaloa Cartel (the “Cartel”) is one of the most violent criminal organizations in the world and has transformed the Mexican State of Sinaloa into the geographic epicenter of the global narcotics trade. From its home base in Sinaloa, the Cartel has worked with criminal elements around the world—cocaine producers and distributors in Colombia and Venezuela, drug traffickers and corrupt politicians throughout Central and South America, and precursor chemical manufacturers in China and elsewhere—to distribute massive quantities of narcotics into the United States and inflict severe damage on communities throughout this country. The Cartel has also carried out rampant violence, including thousands of murders, throughout Mexico and elsewhere around the world, including in the United States.

To protect and grow this drug trafficking empire, the Cartel has allegedly partnered with corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials, including the defendants, who have abused their authority in support of the Cartel, exposed and subjected victims to threats and violence, and sold out their offices in exchange for massive bribes. Indeed, certain police officials in Mexico, including, as alleged, certain of the defendants, have directly participated in the Cartel’s violence and retribution, including by murdering enemies of the Cartel and kidnapping individuals in Mexico suspected of cooperating with U.S. law enforcement in this investigation.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/governor-sinaloa-and-nine-other-current-and-former-mexican-officials-charged-drug

Coordinated Takedown of Scam Centers Leads to at Least 276 Arrests; Alleged Managers and Recruiters Charged in San Diego

SAN DIEGO – Unprecedented cooperation between the FBI, Dubai Police Department, and Chinese Ministry of Public Security has resulted in the arrest of at least 276 individuals and the dismantlement of at least nine scam centers used for cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes. These centers targeted Americans who have suffered millions of dollars in losses from such schemes.

This international crackdown last week was spearheaded by the Dubai Police, under the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Interior. Among the 275 arrested by Dubai authorities were three defendants charged in the Southern District of California with federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. An additional person was arrested by the Royal Thai Police.

Thet Min Nyi (27, a Burmese national), Wiliang Awang (23, an Indonesian national), Andreas Chandra (29, an Indonesia national), Lisa Mariam (29, an Indonesian national), and two fugitive co-conspirators have been charged with federal fraud and money laundering charges unsealed in San Diego today. Dubai Police apprehended Thet Min Nyi, Chandra, and Mariam, while the Royal Thai Police apprehended Awang.

“These scammers thought they were safe half a world away. But their world has changed. Global crime now faces global justice,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California.

“Fraudsters who target Americans from overseas cannot operate with impunity, no matter where in the world they reside,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The charges and arrests announced today reflect an international consensus that scam centers are unwelcome everywhere and must be rooted out. Scam center organizers and fraudsters who defraud Americans and others will face justice in American courts and in courts around the world. In contemporary society, fraud is borderless, and law enforcement activity to combat it and eliminate it is as well.”

“This operation demonstrates the FBI's steadfast commitment to preventing scammers from further defrauding the American people,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “We can't do this work alone, and we are proud to coordinate and collaborate with our partners to hold accountable those who work to enable and facilitate these scams.”

“Today’s indictment demonstrates the FBI’s determination to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these global scam centers defrauding Americans no matter where they set up shop,” said Mark Remily, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “FBI San Diego will continue to coordinate with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners to protect victims from cryptocurrency fraud, stop losses before they happen, and recover victim funds where we can.”

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/coordinated-takedown-scam-centers-leads-least-276-arrests-alleged-managers-and

Former Executive Director of East Carroll Parish Housing Authority Indicted for Federal Program Theft and Money Laundering

LAFAYETTE– On April 15, 2026, a federal grand jury in Lafayette returned a four-count indictment charging Kelsi J. McDaniel, a 29-year-old Lake Providence resident, with one count of embezzling from the East Carroll Parish Housing Authority (“ECPHA”) and three counts of concealment money laundering relating to that embezzlement. McDaniel faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the federal program theft charge, up to 20 years in federal prison for the money laundering charges, and three years of supervised release for each count.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

“Agencies like ECPHA serve some of the most vulnerable members of our Louisiana communities, and frauds like the one allegedly perpetrated by Ms. McDaniel strike at the heart of those agencies’ ability to do their work,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our Office and federal partners look forward to seeing justice done in this case.”

“Kelsi McDaniel’s alleged actions exploited her position and violated the public trust by stealing federal funds that were intended to help provide housing for the most vulnerable people in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Jerome Winkle with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable individuals who take advantage of their positions of trust to defraud HUD programs.”

According to court documents, McDaniel served as the Executive Director of ECPHA, a Louisiana state agency that received funding from HUD. In that role, McDaniel was the authorized signatory for ECPHA’s Bank 1 account, with that account receiving HUD funds to promote HUD’s housing support mission. To execute her scheme, McDaniel would transfer ECPHA funds from its Bank 1 account into her personal Bank 1 account and then transfer the funds from that account to CashApps belonging to others, who would then transfer the money back to her.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheyenne Wilson with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/former-executive-director-east-carroll-parish-housing-authority-indicted-federal

Atlanta Hawks' Former Senior Vice President of Finance Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzlement

ATLANTA – A former Atlanta Hawks accounting executive, Lester T. Jones, Jr., has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison for embezzling approximately $3.7 million from the NBA team through fraudulent expense reimbursement requests and misuse of corporate credit cards.

“Jones turned his dream job as a high-ranking executive for the Atlanta Hawks into an opportunity to steal the team’s funds, purchasing luxury apparel, jewelry, watches, and trips for himself,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “But, for Jones and others who abuse their employers’ trust to embezzle substantial funds, the gravy train’s final destination is federal prison.”

“This case underscores the significant damage that can be caused by insider threats within an organization,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Jones abused his authority and access to embezzle millions, but schemes like this are not immune from detection. The FBI remains committed to investigating and disrupting financial crimes at every level.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Jones joined the Accounting and Finance Department of ATL Hawks, LLC (“the Hawks”) in 2016. Following his promotion to Senior Vice President of Finance in August 2021, Jones became the most senior accounting executive for the Hawks after the Chief Financial Officer.

Beginning in early 2021, Jones became the sole administrator of the Hawks’ corporate credit card account with American Express. In this role, Jones supervised the Hawks’ corporate American Express credit card program; served as American Express’s sole contact with the Hawks in the event of payment issues, delays, and card suspensions; and determined when and to which employees corporate credit cards should be issued. Jones was the only Hawks employee with full visibility into the number of corporate credit cards, the identities of the cardholders, account balances, and other program details. Jones also began serving as administrator of the Hawks’ electronic reimbursement platform, supervising employees who handled expense reimbursements.

From a date unknown and continuing through in or about June 2025, Jones used his position to defraud the Hawks out of approximately $3.7 million dollars. Jones accomplished his scheme in two ways: (1) by submitting or directing the submission of dozens of fraudulent expense reimbursement requests to cause the Hawks to reimburse him for fictitious business expenses; and (2) by charging personal expenses to corporate credit cards and covering it up through false representations to other Hawks employees, including to his subordinates in the Accounting and Finance Department. Those personal expenses included approximately $80,000 in overseas travel to the Bahamas and Thailand, $99,800 in apparel at Saks Fifth Avenue, a $115,795.01 diamond ring, $21,888.90 in Omega watches, and over $160,000 in tickets to concerts and other events.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/atlanta-hawks-former-senior-vice-president-finance-sentenced-federal-prison

French National Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison For Laundering Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars Using Shell Companies And Crypto Accounts

Maximilien de Hoop Cartier was Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Operating an Unlicensed Cryptocurrency Exchange That Laundered More Than $470 Million

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington, D.C., Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Cynthia Hearn, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today that MAXIMILIEN DE HOOP CARTIER was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a sophisticated international money laundering network that laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds, including the proceeds of drug trafficking, through the United States. CARTIER was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. On October 23, 2025, CARTIER pled guilty to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

“Maximilien de Hoop Cartier exploited his knowledge of U.S. and international financial systems to launder drug money and other crime proceeds,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “De Hoop Cartier created a network of shell companies and crypto accounts to wash and conceal criminal proceeds. He used that network to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars from the United States to overseas criminal organizations, fueling their continued illicit operations. Stopping money laundering stops crime more broadly. This federal prison sentence sends a clear message that those who launder criminal proceeds will face serious consequences.”

“Today’s announcement demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation’s commitment to disrupting the illicit flow of money that enables narcotics traffickers to illegally launder millions in illicit drug money,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Hearn. “Our Global Illicit Financial Team is proud to have provided its financial expertise in this investigation. CI and our law enforcement partners are committed to aggressively investigating individuals who engage in money laundering and other financial crimes.”

“Maximilien de Hoop Cartier exploited U.S. companies and banks to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in support of international criminal enterprises,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners on the New York Homeland Security Task Force remain determined to stopping illegal cash flow into foreign countries.”

According to charging documents and other filings and statements made in court:

Since at least 2018 through the date of the defendant’s arrest, CARTIER, a descendant of the Cartier family known for luxury jewelry, ran an unlicensed money transmitting business that operated an over-the-counter (“OTC”) cryptocurrency exchange to buy and sell cryptocurrency on behalf of his clients. This operation played a key role in a sophisticated international money laundering network that exploited the U.S. financial system to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in criminal proceeds through the United States to Colombia, among other countries.

CARTIER’s OTC cryptocurrency exchange consisted of a large network of U.S.-based shell companies that CARTIER operated and controlled for the sole purpose of converting cryptocurrency into hard currency. CARTIER opened more than a dozen accounts at U.S. banks, lying to the banks about the nature of his businesses and the purposes of the bank accounts. CARTIER fraudulently claimed the businesses operated in the software publishing and software development industries, when in fact they existed for the sole purpose of receiving and transmitting drug money and other crime proceeds. CARTIER used forged contracts, invoices, and other business records to make it appear to banks that the funds related to legitimate business rather than crime. CARTIER received drug money in the form of cryptocurrency, converted that cryptocurrency into hard currency, deposited it into shell company accounts that CARTIER opened and controlled, and then transmitted the funds to other nodes in the money-laundering network to further conceal their nature and origin before the funds were ultimately withdrawn in local currency in Colombia. CARTIER knew that he was operating a money services business for criminals but did not register as a money transmitting business or follow the anti-money laundering protocols required by law. In total, CARTIER personally helped launder more than $470 million through his shell companies.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/french-national-sentenced-eight-years-prison-laundering-hundreds-millions-dollars

Alabama School District Employee Pleads Guilty to Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor in Pensacola

Pensacola, Florida – Christopher W. Glover, 47, of Simms, Alabama, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor, and one count of Traveling in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case is a reminder that parents need to be aware of the online threats facing our kids from sexual predators, like this defendant, who seek to sexually exploit and victimize children. Our state and federal law enforcement partners are relentless in their pursuit of these sick individuals preying upon our kids, and my office will continue to follow through on those investigations and arrests with aggressive prosecutions to keep our children safe online.”

Court documents and pretrial hearings in federal court in Pensacola reveal that the defendant communicated online with who he believed to be a 14-year-old female, and offered to pay her hundreds of dollars in return for sexual acts in October 2025. The defendant then traveled from Alabama, where he worked for the Baldwin County School District, to Pensacola to meet with the minor. The purported minor, however, was an undercover law enforcement officer. When the defendant reached Pensacola to engage in sexual acts with the minor, he was taken into custody. He possessed over $200 in cash intended to pay for the illicit sexual acts.

Glover faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment. Glover will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/alabama-school-district-employee-pleads-guilty-attempted-sex-trafficking-minor

Former Sun Prairie High School Dean of Students Sentenced to 18 Years for Producing Child Pornography

MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier, 31, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 18 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. The prison term will be followed by 25 years of supervised release. Gilkey-Meisegeier was also ordered to pay a $10,000 assessment. He pleaded guilty to this crime on February 6, 2026.

“Make no mistake, Gilkey-Meisegeier is a predator,” said U.S. Attorney Elgersma. “He used his position as the Dean of Students to target, groom, and exploit students in his care. I commend the courage of the victims and the diligence of investigators who worked tirelessly to hold Gilkey-Meisegeier responsible for his crimes. Today’s sentence sends a clear message – anyone who sexually exploits children will face serious consequences.”

Gilkey-Meisegeier originally joined the Sun Prairie School District in July 2022 as a youth advocate. Two years later, in August 2024, the school district promoted him to Dean of Students, a position that he held until the district terminated him on June 9, 2025.

In the spring of 2023, two individuals complained to school district personnel about Gilkey-Meisegeier’s concerning behavior towards certain students. In April 2025, a third individual submitted an anonymous tip to district personnel alleging that Gilkey-Meisegeier was having an inappropriate relationship with a student. He denied the allegation.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi/pr/former-sun-prairie-high-school-dean-students-sentenced-18-years-producing-child

How UK Media Shields the Israel Lobby

Leading U.K. media don’t mention the Israel Lobby because they’re part of it, writes Mark Curtis. But its influence over U.K. politics is likely to be greater than any other state, except perhaps the U.S.

Britain’s national media fails to recognise the influence – and even the existence – of an Israel lobby, our new media analysis shows.

Declassified researched two years of reporting by seven British media outlets and found only 16 mentions of the phrase Israel lobby without speech marks.

Nearly all those mentions are in comment articles rather than news pieces and none we found expound on what influence such an Israel lobby might have.

The phrase “Israel lobby” – used with speech marks – is slightly more common in these outlets, with 26 mentions in two years, and tends to be used to quote others in a disparaging way or to suggest such a lobby does not exist.

For example, one Guardian article refers to “the trope of the ‘Israel lobby’.” The Daily Mail reported in May 2024 of hecklers at a speech by then foreign secretary secretary David Lammy “accusing the MP of having taken ‘shady money’ from the ‘pro-Israel lobby’ on the grounds that he once lawfully accepted £30,000 from a Zionist lobbyist named Trevor Chinn.”

In fact, British businessman Trevor Chinn has funded Keir Starmer and several senior Labour ministers and was awarded the Israeli medal of honour for his “dedication” to and “love” for Israel.

Of seven media outlets analysed — BBC, Express, Guardian, Independent, Mail, Telegraph and Times — the BBC and the Express are the most extreme. No mentions of the phrase Israel lobby, used without speech marks, could be found at all in their publications.

The BBC is failing to mention the Israel lobby while having regular meetings with it. As Declassified recently revealed, the BBC held nine meetings with Jewish groups strongly sympathetic to Israel in the first year of the Gaza genocide.

The Guardian was found to have made only five mentions of an Israel lobby without speech marks, three of which are in comment pieces by columnist Owen Jones.

By contrast, independent Scottish newspaper The National, which has consistently criticised U.K. policy towards Israel, has mentioned the Israel lobby twenty-three times in the two-year sample period, never in speech marks.

Israel Lobby

The Israel lobby in Britain is extensive. Declassified has revealed that a quarter of MPs have been funded by pro-Israel individuals and groups, as have one half of Keir Starmer’s Cabinet.

Neither of these findings have been reported in the mainstream media, as far as Declassified is aware.

British ministers and officials are known to hold off-the-books meetings with pro-Israel lobbyists, and under Starmer’s government, the Foreign Office has held numerous meetings with pro-Israel advocacy groups such as Board of Deputies of British Jews and the European Leadership Network (ELNET).

The U.K. government’s total proscription of the Lebanese movement Hezbollah in 2019 was the work of pro-Israel lobbyists while the lobby group, We Believe in Israel, has taken credit for the U.K. government’s proscription of Palestine Action last year.

More

https://consortiumnews.com/2026/04/29/how-uk-media-shields-the-israel-lobby/

Joe Rogan launches a fresh spray at Australia after claiming he would NEVER live here

American podcast host Joe Rogan has praised Australians as rugged and tough but claimed the nation is ruled by an oppressive government.

During a discussion with singer Ryan Bingham this week, Rogan, 58, shared a mix of praise and criticism about Australia.

'You know, Australia is such a crazy place, man. It is. I mean, it's bigger than the United States and, or the size of the United States roughly, and it has less people than Los Angeles.

'And everything will kill you over there. Everything will kill you.

'They have saltwater crocodiles and giant f** great white sharks. Whoo! And hardy people, man. Yeah, hardy motherf**** come from that place.'

Bingham replied: 'I feel like Texas and a lot of folks from Australia are a bit kindred spirits.'

Rogan continued by praising Australia’s rugged landscape and laid-back people, before turning his fire on the nation’s leadership.

'Australia, it's like, it's the same kind of thing. It's like, it's a rugged place, and the kind of people that live there, they're fun.

'They've kind of got a super f* up oppressive government, unfortunately.'

It is not the first time Rogan has blasted Australia having declared in 2024 that he would never move Down Under.

The remarks came during Rogan's conversation with retired mixed martial arts fighter Royce Gracie, as they discussed a perceived reduction in personal freedom in the US amid rising crime.

'I keep telling people if America falls I think the whole world will fall, the rest of the world will fall,' Gracie said.

'Yeah, maybe that's the plan,' responded Rogan.

'There's no place that has this kind of freedom,' he added.

Gracie continued to ask: 'Where would you go?'

Eventually, Rogan said he once considered Australia a viable alternative to the US, but his mind had since changed.

'I used to think Australia but then I saw how they handled the pandemic. I was like, "oh f***, that well that's what happens when no one has guns",' he said.

'Yep, the army just rolls in and tells you what to do and puts you in concentration camps because you have a cold, like it's crazy.'

During the Covid pandemic, Australia required people arriving in the country to quarantine for weeks before entering the community.

Most were housed in hotels, while some were placed in temporary isolation facilities.

Rogan repeatedly attacked Australia's Covid response during the pandemic, accusing the government of imposing heavy-handed restrictions.

'There's some crazy shit going on right now where the army is trying to keep people inside in Australia,' he said in 2021.

'They have full on government lockdowns where the government is flying helicopters over streets saying "go back indoors, you're not allowed outside".

'Which is crazy - this disease does not even transmit well outside. Being outside and getting vitamin D is probably one of the best things you can do.'

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15774327/joe-rogan-australia.html