Month: September 2023

Posted on

Texas Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON — A Texas man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Billy Joe Gober, 65, of Smithville, Texas, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. Gober is charged with several misdemeanor offenses as well, including, entering and remaining in restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

            Gober was arrested on Sept. 13, 2023, in Bastrop County, Texas, and made his initial appearance today in the Western District of Texas.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, at approximately 1:57 p.m., law enforcement authorities were attempting to maintain the police line on the south side of the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace. During this time, Gober walked up a set of stairs to approach the police line, charged and struck a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer. A few seconds later, the officer removed Gober’s hands from their person, but Gober approached the line again and attempted to pull a police barricade away from another officer.

            A few minutes later, at approximately 2:04 p.m., a section of the police line on the south side of the Lower West Terrace was collapsing as a result of rioters’ repeated efforts to breach the line, including through the assault of multiple officers. At that time, Gober charged at another MPD officer, grabbed the officer’s baton, and attempted to take it.

            Using the baton, Gober then pulled the officer into the crowd of rioters. Once he had pulled the officer into the crowd, Gober grabbed and placed his arms around the officer.

            On January 11, three days after Gober’s flight back to Texas, he posted a photograph of himself in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s San Antonio and Washington Field Offices, which identified Gober as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #333 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigations are ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

            A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Posted on

Defense News: USS Shoups’ Congressional Visit

Source: United States Navy

The representatives included: Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS), House Armed Services Committee, Chairman of SeaPower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), House Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), House Ways and Means Committee. It was a wonderful opportunity for the congressman and sailors to sit down and discuss a variety of topics ranging from national security to the food served onboard.
Matthew Heimer, the Weapons Officer, onboard states, “It was really eye opening to meet with Representatives from a variety of districts throughout the United States. SHOUP crew members enjoyed interacting with our nation’s leaders and were proud to show them the capabilities of a patrol ready Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) destroyer. “The visit consisted of lunch with the crew and a tour of the ship featuring the pilot house, combat information center, engineering spaces and much more.
Command Master Chief, Sean Baney says, “The SHOUP crew had an excellent opportunity to highlight their efforts as part of Seventh Fleet to our elected representatives. It is important for elected officials to see first-hand the challenges and opportunities our Sailors have here in Japan. Hosting the delegation visit gave our shipmates the chance to share their experiences with the decision makers from the highest level of government. I couldn’t be more proud of the way our crew represented their professionalism and the fighting spirit of the Navy.” The crew of mighty warship Shoup effectively displays their warfighting attitude in every aspect of shipboard life and were extremely grateful for the opportunity to welcome these elected representatives.

Posted on

Defense News: Saildrones Set Sail in Support of U.S. 4th Fleet’s Operation Windward Stack

Source: United States Navy

Launched from Naval Air Station Key West’s Mole Pier and Truman Harbor, the Saildrones’ mission once on station is to improve maritime domain awareness, or MDA, by detecting and quantifying targets that pass within range of the Saildrones’ sensors.

Operation Windward Stack is a long-term operation of unmanned and manned forces working together, also known as a hybrid fleet, as envisioned by the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. Windward Stack is part of 4th Fleet’s unmanned integration campaign, which provides the Navy a region to experiment with and operate unmanned systems in a permissive environment, develop Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) against near-peer competitors, and refine manned and unmanned Command and Control (C2) infrastructure, all designed to move the Navy to the hybrid fleet.

First, operators and watchstanders at U.S. 4th Fleet will conduct tests and coordinate information flow as the solar-powered Saildrones sail into the Caribbean. “Operation Windward Stack begins with testing as we integrate the information we receive from the Saildrones into our fleet command center to further increase maritime domain awareness in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility (AOR),” said Lt. Cmdr. John Clark, U.S. 4th Fleet’s Current Operations (COPS) Director. “We will eventually have the opportunity to work through the command and control of both manned and unmanned forces operating throughout our region.”

The 10 Saildrones will serve as the initial unmanned vessels in the operation. Plans are to add additional USVs, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned maritime forces over the next few months to further challenge C2 integration and to expand the MDA coverage.

“We were able to demonstrate coordinated operations of manned and unmanned forces during UNITAS LXIV, a multinational maritime exercise, but that was for a relatively short time,” said Capt. David Fowler, U.S. 4th Fleet Maritime Operations Center (MOC) Director. “With Windward Stack, we’re going to coordinate these operations for many months. That is how we will truly learn what these unmanned vessels can do for us on a day-to-day basis.”

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports USSOUTHCOM’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.

Posted on

Indictment Charges Maryland Pair in Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – An arraignment was held today for Edward Steven Monge, 22, of Beltsville, Maryland, on charges connected to his alleged role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Monge and his co-conspirator, Jennifer Echeverria Flores, 26, of Silver Spring, Maryland, are named in an indictment charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Echeverria Flores is further charged with unlawful distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

            According to the charging documents, on five different occasions between February 17, 2023 and July 19, 2023, Echeverria Flores — who allegedly used Monge as her source of supply — sold a total of approximately 4,500 pills containing fentanyl to undercover agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. The pills are blue, marked “M” on one side, and “30” on the other side. DEA laboratory testing has confirmed that the pills contain fentanyl.

            Echeverria Flores was arrested on July 31, 2023, and has been ordered held without bond pending trial. On August 3, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Monge in Hyattsville, MD, pursuant to an outstanding arrest warrant for him from Fairfax County, VA. Upon a search of Monge, officers found approximately 1,102 pills on his person, which field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. Monge was arrested on a federal arrest warrant on September 11, 2023.

            The conspiracy charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. The distribution charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of five years in prison with a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The minimum and maximum statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Field Division and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

Posted on

Idaho Woman Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – An Idaho woman was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on two felonies and four misdemeanors related to her actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Yvonne St Cyr, 55, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates to 30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and fines. 

            St Cyr was found guilty by a jury on March 10, 2023, of the six charges filed against her, including two counts of obstructing and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder, both felonies. In addition to the felonies, St Cyr was convicted of several misdemeanor charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

            According to the evidence presented at trial, St Cyr, a former Marine Corps drill instructor, traveled from Idaho to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally on Jan. 6, 2021. After leaving the rally, St Cyr went to the U.S. Capitol building, where she joined a crowd of rioters who occupied the Lower West Plaza. When she arrived at the Capitol, St Cyr forced her way to the front of the crowd and pushed her body against the police line barricades on the Lower West Plaza. Despite orders from police, St Cyr remained there for more than fifteen minutes, disobeying police commands to move.

            When the crowd ultimately overwhelmed the police officers in that area, St Cyr was one of the first rioters to break through the fence line. She then marched forward, eventually making her way into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where she witnessed vicious acts of violence against police officers. St Cyr entered the Tunnel twice and eventually climbed onto a ledge overlooking the crowd of rioters, which she filmed with her phone and shouted at the crowd, “We need fresh people” and “Push, push, push.”

            After leaving the Tunnel, St Cyr climbed through a broken window, entering a Senator’s hideaway room adjacent to the Tunnel. Once inside, St Cyr helped another rioter enter and made a livestreamed video of herself while occupying the room.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City, Boise Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. 

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.