Security News in Brief: One of the Nation’s Largest Chicken Producers Pleads Guilty to Price Fixing and is Sentenced to a $107 Million Criminal Fine

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (Pilgrim’s), a major broiler chicken producer based in Greeley, Colorado, has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to pay approximately $107 million in criminal fines for its participation in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products, the Department of Justice announced today.

Security News in Brief: Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Florida Tax Return Preparers

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The United States has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida seeking to bar three Miami Gardens-area tax return preparers and their businesses and franchises, from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The United States has simultaneously filed a request for a preliminary injunction that would immediately prohibit defendants from further preparing taxes during the pendency of the suit.

Defense News in Brief: Pacific-Based Marines, Navy Complete Integrated Training for Joint Exercise

Source: United States Navy

III Marine Expeditionary Force Exercise 21, a joint exercise that further enhanced the Navy-Marine Corps team’s ability to respond to crises or contingencies, concluded February 12. During MEFEX, III MEF in direct coordination with U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet conducted realistic training at each echelon of its command to train III MEF staff in the planning, deployment, and command and control of a force of more than 25,000 service members who are postured forward across Japan and Hawaii…

Defense News in Brief: NPS to Launch New Maritime Security Certificate Supporting Naval Strategies

Source: United States Navy

With the recent release of the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy Advantage at Sea and the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Navigation Plan – strategies for the Navy to project power and sea control amid competition – the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is building a new in-resident maritime security certificate program to further educate our international naval officers on maritime domain challenges.

Security News in Brief: Former Owner of Aquarium Business Sentenced to Prison for Illicit Trafficking of Protected Reef Creatures

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department announced today that a Puerto Rico man was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for felony violations of the Lacey Act that involved the trafficking and false labeling of protected reef creatures as part of an effort to subvert Puerto Rican laws designed to protect coral reef organisms.