Month: November 2022

Posted on

Defense News: U.S. Navy’s Newest Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) arrives in Portsmouth

Source: United States Navy

During the visit, Sailors will have a chance to experience the rich culture of Portsmouth through morale welfare and recreation tours to popular cultural and historical landmarks around the city. This port visit marks the first stop for the ships while deployed in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) area of operations.

“The crew of USS Gerald R. Ford is honored and excited to visit Portsmouth, heart of the Royal Navy, during Ford’s first deployment,” said Capt. Paul Lanzilotta, commanding officer of Ford. “The United Kingdom is a cherished ally. We are here to work together, strengthen our partnership, and give our Sailors the opportunity to explore this beautiful city.”

Ford deployed from Norfolk, Virginia on Oct. 4 and has been conducting exercises with NATO allies, including Canada, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, throughout their deployment.

As a founding member of NATO, the United States shows continued support to fellow founding member, the United Kingdom, with a port visit from its next generation aircraft carrier. The United States and England have a strong naval history and partnership that is highlighted in the city of Portsmouth.

NAVEUR and the Royal Navy share a proud maritime partnership and defense cooperation focused on promoting security, stability and prosperity across NATO territories. The U.S. and the U.K. share a commitment to upholding and advancing the rules-based international system.

“So honored to meet the sailors of the USS Gerald R. Ford. The patriotism, commitment, and professionalism of the men and women of the Ford is so inspiring and I know how much it means to our British friends to see them here in British waters. It’s yet another example of the Special Relationship in action,” said Jane Hartley, U.S. Ambassador to the U.K.

The NATO alliance is vital to European security and also to U.S. national interests. NATO allies and partners take every opportunity to train together to refine tactics, techniques, and procedures to increase our interoperability.

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group consists of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, USS Normandy (CG 60), USS McFaul (DDG 74), and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116).

For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

Posted on

Security News: Former Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department Detective and Three Others Indicted for Conspiracy to Hold Young Women in Involuntary Servitude and Forcing Them to Provide Sexual Services

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A federal grand jury in Topeka, Kansas, returned a three-count indictment, unsealed today, charging former Kansas City Police Department detective Roger Golubski and three other men – Cecil Brooks, LeMark Roberson and Richard Robinson – with conspiring, decades ago, to hold young women in a condition of involuntary sexual servitude. Brooks, Roberson and Robinson are also charged in a substantive count with holding a young woman, identified as Person 1, in a condition of involuntary servitude; and Brooks, Roberson and Golubski are charged in a substantive count with holding another young woman, Person 2, in a condition of involuntary servitude.

According to the indictment, from 1996 through 1998, Brooks provided a location at Delevan Apartments in Kansas City, where young women were held and where Brooks, Roberson and Robinson used physical beatings, sexual assaults and threats to compel young women to provide sexual services to men. Then detective Golubski is alleged to have accepted money from Brooks; provided protection from law enforcement for the criminal activity, including sex trafficking; and forcibly raped the young woman identified as Person 2.

The first count of the indictment charges all four men with conspiring to hold young women, including Person 1 and Person 2, in a condition of involuntary servitude; the second count  charges Brooks, Roberson, and Robinson with holding Person 1 in involuntary servitude and forcing her to provide sexual services to Roberson; and the third count charges Brooks, Roberson and Golubski with holding Person 2 in involuntary servitude and forcing her to provide sexual services to adult men, including Brooks, Roberson and Golubski.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Golubski was previously charged, in a separate indictment with civil rights violations for allegedly acting under color of law to commit aggravated sexual assaults.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for the District of Kansas and Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Kansas City Field Office investigated the case in conjunction with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting for  the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Posted on

Security News: Former Department of Transportation employee charged with bribery and extortion

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A federal grand jury in Houston has returned an indictment charging a former Department of Transportation (DOT) employee with bribery and extortion.

Patrick Gorena, 54, Lyford, is scheduled for his initial court appearance today 2 p.m.

According to the indictment, returned Nov. 2, Gorena was a border investigator for DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In exchange for minimizing purported safety violations he encountered while auditing a trucking company, which would have exposed the company to potential fines and the loss of their DOT license, Gorena allegedly demanded a $3,500 payment. The charges allege Gorena ultimately accepted a $2,000 bribe from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a representative of the trucking company.

Gorena is charged with one count of bribery and one count of extortion under color of law.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Damiani of the DOT Office of Inspector General’s (DOT-OIG) Southern Region made the announcement.

The DOT-OIG and McAllen FBI Public Corruption Squad are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hanes for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

Posted on

Security News: Bristol Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Trafficking Cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on November 10, 2022, JORGE FREYTES, 37, of Bristol, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut through the U.S. Mail.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service developed evidence regarding a drug trafficking organization that was sending USPS parcels containing kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut and Massachusetts.  Between July and December 2018, law enforcement intercepted and seized five suspect parcels that were being mailed to addresses in Bristol, Meriden and Burlington, Connecticut, and in Worcester, Massachusetts. All five of the suspect parcels contained multiple kilogram-sized bricks of cocaine.  On several occasions, investigators conducted surveillance of the delivery of suspect parcels and the scheduled delivery of seized parcels.  During surveillance, investigators observed Freytes and others picking up or attempting to pick up parcels that had been seized.  The investigation revealed that the cocaine was being sent from Puerto Rico by another member of the conspiracy

On January 9, 2019, investigators arrested Freytes and other members of this drug trafficking organization and seized approximately 2.5 kilograms of cocaine, items used to process and package narcotics, and more than $150,000 in cash.

Freytes has been detained since November 1, 2021, after his bond following his arrest on narcotics distribution charges while he was awaiting trial in his federal case.  On November 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.  His state charges are pending.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.  The DEA Puerto Rico Caribbean Corridor Strike Force and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Newark Division, San Juan (P.R.) Office, have assisted the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Posted on

Defense News: Naval Medical Forces Pacific team participates in Keen Sword 23

Source: United States Navy

Keen Sword 23 is a biennial, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command-scheduled, and U.S. Pacific Fleet-sponsored field training exercise (FTX). The joint/bilateral FTX runs through Nov. 20. KS23 is designed to enhance Japan-U.S. combat readiness and interoperability while strengthening bilateral relationships and demonstrating U.S. resolve to support the security interests of allies and partners in the region.

As a feature of this year’s Keen Sword, NMFP deployed a small headquarters element from Naval Base San Diego, and Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) 150-Alpha, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., to support medical-related exercise scenarios at Camp Foster, Marine Corps Base S.D. Butler.

During KS23, NMFP’s command and control concept will test Navy Medicine’s joint and bilateral integration with a Japan Ground Self Defense Force medical base in Okinawa, III Marine Expeditionary Force units, and other Navy units to refine interoperability with partners in the region.

“Keen Sword is a tremendous opportunity for our Navy Medicine team to exercise a new medical command and control concept in support of the operational forces,” said Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes, commander, NMFP. “Additionally, our deployed EMF in Keen Sword is a concrete example that we are a key component in providing deployable health services that enable strengthening alliances and partnerships.”

Expeditionary medical facilities are globally positioned to support combat operations, contingencies, and exercises worldwide. An EMF can be pre-positioned and lay dormant until called upon; or deployed with a unit from a staging base.

Okinawa hosts a prepositioned facility, one of five, that can accommodate a deployed scalable EMF.

The EMF is a platform of Navy Medicine and has a three-part mission:
• Provide health-service support to military operations involved in medical stability as expeditionary advanced-based functional components.
• Deploy as part of the fleet commander’s projection ashore to support geographical combatant commanders’ theater plans policies.
• Provide medical capability ashore in situations where a sustained land campaign is envisioned for a Marine Expeditionary Force, or for limited contingencies involving naval forces.

Recently, EMF-150, as part of Commander, Task Force 75, deployed to Guam in 2020 and played an important role in the DoD’s response to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In Keen Sword, EMF-150-Alpha will provide a forward-deployed theater hospitalization capability as requested by the Component/Combatant Commander in support of operational forces,” said Navy Capt. Elizabeth Smith, commanding officer, EMF 150-Alpha, which is part of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Camp Pendleton, NMFP. “EMF leaders participated early in the exercise planning process and refined the requirement to provide the lightest, leanest capability possible while still meeting the requirement and capacity to enable increased survivability for all U.S. and Allied partners.”

Military medical platforms are classified by the Military Health System roles of care to describe battlefield medical and health capabilities.
The military organizes health-service support capability across the theater of operations, communications zone, and home station to provide medical care from Roles 1-4.

Role-4 capability represents the most definitive medical care available, such as those provided by U.S. and overseas-based military medical treatment facilities.

The EMF is a Role-3 theater hospitalization capability, which includes everything from surgery, ancillary services, holding capabilities, and specialty services like neuro, urology, and even OB-GYN if the mission requires.

These assets usually act in a general support role to an entire theater vice a single unit.

Role-1 units are usually a direct support capability supporting their owning unit, while Role-2 units can function in a general support or direct support role.

“This exercise provides an opportunity to further operationalize Navy Medicine platforms under a new medical command and control concept to provide the right care, at the right time, under any conditions,” said Smith.

Naval Medical Forces Pacific provides oversight for 10 NMRTCs, on the West Coast and Pacific Rim that man, train, and equip medical forces, primarily in military treatment facilities. NMFP also oversees eight research laboratories that deliver cutting edge health and medical research to enhance the deployment readiness and survivability of our Joint Forces.