Latest news with #USHomelandSecurityInvestigations
GMA Network
28-05-2025
- GMA Network
NBI rescues 6 minors from sexual exploitation in CamSur
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) rescued six minors who were victims of sexual abuse and exploitation in Bombon, Camarines Sur. The NBI said it conducted the operation after the US Homeland Security Investigations team in Manila reported that a Filipino was peddling child sexual abuse materials (CSAEM) online in exchange for cash. Further, the subject was allegedly offering live shows of minor children. Following this, the NBI Violence Against Women and Children Division and the NBI Naga District Office conducted an entrapment operation at the subject's residence, leading to his arrest on May 27. The NBI then examined the cellphones retrieved from the operation. Agents found that four of the minors appeared in the photographs sold by the subject. The individual was then presented for inquest proceedings for violation of Section 4(c) of Republic Act 11930, otherwise known as the "Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act," in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175, otherwise known as the "Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012." — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Business Mayor
07-05-2025
- Business Mayor
Search suspended with 10-year-old still missing after boat capsizes off San Diego coast
A 10-year-old Indian girl remains missing at sea after a boat carrying migrants capsized outside of San Diego on Monday morning. One of the bodies recovered is the girl's 14-year-old brother. According to the Department of Justice, the family's mother is hospitalized while their father remains in a coma. The US Coast Guard announced it had stopped its search on Monday evening. The justice department stated that of the original nine people reported missing, all except for the 10-year-old girl had been found. Two Mexican nationals were killed in the boat's capsizing as well. The vessel, a blue 'panga'-style boat, a type of boat historically used for fishing, was more than 20ft long, and had a damaged engine. The boat washed up on San Diego's Torrey Pines beach, and was spotted by local hikers at about 6.30am on Monday morning. Shawn Gibson, a special agent in charge of the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agency, said the incident was a 'stark reminder of the dangers posed by maritime smuggling'. 'The ruthless smuggling of undocumented individuals is not only illegal, it's deadly,' Gibson said of the incident, which occurred about 30 miles north of the US-Mexico border. Read said ocean conditions off the San Diego county coast were rough at the time, with 7ft seas reported. skip past newsletter promotion Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion According to the justice department, border patrol agents located eight of the originally nine missing migrants after stopping two vehicles tied to the boat incident. The justice department has charged five Mexican nationals in relation to the event. Two were arrested at the beach on charges of 'Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death' and 'Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain', while three were arrested later with charges of 'Transportation of Illegal Aliens'. Smuggling off the California coast has long been a risky alternative for migrants to avoid heavily guarded land borders. In 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach amid heavy fog. One boat capsized in the surf. It was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling cases in waters off the US coast. Human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Amnesty International have stated that strict border policies drive people around the world to riskier routes, resulting in increased death and human rights abuses.
Saudi Gazette
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
US seizes second plane belonging to Venezuelan President Maduro
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally seized a second plane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government on behalf of the United States on relationship between Caracas and Washington has been marked by tensions for decades and the plane's seizure follows a similar instance in September when a Venezuelan aircraft was seized while in the Dominican aircraft were used by high-level Venezuelan officials throughout their travels, according to Edwin Lopez, the country attaché for US Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo. The other aircraft was flown to Florida at the time of its seizure in September, under the Biden plane seized on Thursday, a Dassault Falcon 200EX with the tail number YV-3360, was under US sanction, Lopez said. The aircraft has been held in Santo Domingo since April 2024. Rubio, in the Dominican Republic on his first trip as top US diplomat, watched as a warrant was taped on the door of the aircraft was purchased in 2017 by the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA from the US, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. Following the imposition of sanctions on PDVSA, the plane was 'serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States,' which violates US export control and sanctions told Rubio that thanks to the leadership at the US Embassy, they were able to get the money to fix the second plane and proceed with the seizure Thursday. It will be taken to Miami in the coming months.'Collectively, the two planes, they give us a treasure trove of intelligence,' including a list of all of Venezuela's Air Force members 'and their personally identifiable information, receipts, and flight manifests,' Lopez explained to Rubio.'What's going to be of value as well is the transponders,' which will allow them to get information that was blocked by the pilots in flight, he has reached out to the Venezuelan government for September 2024, after the other plane linked to the Maduro regime was seized and flown to Florida, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN the second plane – the one formally seized Thursday – was being investigated in the Dominican have known of the two planes for at least five years. A 2020 news release from the US Treasury says the plane seized by Rubio 'was used throughout 2019 to transport senior members of the former Maduro regime,' including a trip to an OPEC meeting in the United Arab September, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland said the aircraft seized at that time was 'illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies.' The US had requested it be immobilized so they could search it for 'evidence and objects linked to fraud activities, smuggling of goods for illicit activities and money laundering,' according to the foreign minister of the Dominican Republic Roberto that plane's seizure, officials described it as the Venezuelan equivalent of the American president's Air Force One. The Venezuelan government described the plane's seizure in September as 'piracy' and accused Washington of escalating 'aggression' toward Maduro's years, US officials have sought to disrupt the flow of billions of dollars to the regime in Venezuela. Homeland Security Investigations — the second largest investigative agency in the federal government — has seized dozens of luxury vehicles, among other assets, heading to agencies have gone after corruption in Venezuela but pressure from the US intensified following Maduro's controversial reelection for a third presidential term in year, the US reimposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gas sector in response to the Maduro government's failure to allow 'an inclusive and competitive election' to take place. In March 2020, the US Department of Justice charged Maduro, together with 14 current and former Venezuelan officials, with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption. Maduro's government has long denied any involvement in drug trafficking and has dismissed criticism of last year's election results. — CNN
CNN
07-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
US formally seizes second plane belonging to Venezuelan President Maduro
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally seized a second plane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government on behalf of the United States on Thursday. The relationship between Caracas and Washington has been marked by tensions for decades and the plane's seizure follows a similar instance in September when a Venezuelan aircraft was seized while in the Dominican Republic. Both aircraft were used by high-level Venezuelan officials throughout their travels, according to Edwin Lopez, the country attaché for US Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo. The other aircraft was flown to Florida at the time of its seizure in September, under the Biden administration. The plane seized on Thursday, a Dassault Falcon 200EX with the tail number YV-3360, was under US sanction, Lopez said. The aircraft has been held in Santo Domingo since April 2024. Rubio, in the Dominican Republic on his first trip as top US diplomat, watched as a warrant was taped on the door of the aircraft. The aircraft was purchased in 2017 by the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA from the US, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. Following the imposition of sanctions on PDVSA, the plane was 'serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States,' which violates US export control and sanctions laws. Lopez told Rubio that thanks to the leadership at the US Embassy, they were able to get the money to fix the second plane and proceed with the seizure Thursday. It will be taken to Miami in the coming months. 'Collectively, the two planes, they give us a treasure trove of intelligence,' including a list of all of Venezuela's Air Force members 'and their personally identifiable information, receipts, and flight manifests,' Lopez explained to Rubio. 'What's going to be of value as well is the transponders,' which will allow them to get information that was blocked by the pilots in flight, he added. CNN has reached out to the Venezuelan government for comment. In September 2024, after the other plane linked to the Maduro regime was seized and flown to Florida, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN the second plane – the one formally seized Thursday – was being investigated in the Dominican Republic. Authorities have known of the two planes for at least five years. A 2020 news release from the US Treasury says the plane seized by Rubio 'was used throughout 2019 to transport senior members of the former Maduro regime,' including a trip to an OPEC meeting in the United Arab Emirates. In September, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland said the aircraft seized at that time was 'illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies.' The US had requested it be immobilized so they could search it for 'evidence and objects linked to fraud activities, smuggling of goods for illicit activities and money laundering,' according to the foreign minister of the Dominican Republic Roberto Alvarez. After that plane's seizure, officials described it as the Venezuelan equivalent of the American president's Air Force One. The Venezuelan government described the plane's seizure in September as 'piracy' and accused Washington of escalating 'aggression' toward Maduro's government. For years, US officials have sought to disrupt the flow of billions of dollars to the regime in Venezuela. Homeland Security Investigations — the second largest investigative agency in the federal government — has seized dozens of luxury vehicles, among other assets, heading to Venezuela. Federal agencies have gone after corruption in Venezuela but pressure from the US intensified following Maduro's controversial reelection for a third presidential term in July. Last year, the US reimposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gas sector in response to the Maduro government's failure to allow 'an inclusive and competitive election' to take place. In March 2020, the US Department of Justice charged Maduro, together with 14 current and former Venezuelan officials, with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption. Maduro's government have long denied any involvement in drug trafficking and has dismissed criticism of last year's election results.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US formally seizes second plane belonging to Venezuelan President Maduro
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally seized a second plane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government on behalf of the United States on Thursday. The relationship between Caracas and Washington has been marked by tensions for decades and the plane's seizure follows a similar instance in September when a Venezuelan aircraft was seized while in the Dominican Republic. Both aircraft were used by high-level Venezuelan officials throughout their travels, according to Edwin Lopez, the country attaché for US Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo. The other aircraft was flown to Florida at the time of its seizure in September, under the Biden administration. The plane seized on Thursday, a Dassault Falcon 200EX with the tail number YV-3360, was under US sanction, Lopez said. The aircraft has been held in Santo Domingo since April 2024. Rubio, in the Dominican Republic on his first trip as top US diplomat, watched as a warrant was taped on the door of the aircraft. The aircraft was purchased in 2017 by the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA from the US, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. Following the imposition of sanctions on PDVSA, the plane was 'serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States,' which violates US export control and sanctions laws. Lopez told Rubio that thanks to the leadership at the US Embassy, they were able to get the money to fix the second plane and proceed with the seizure Thursday. It will be taken to Miami in the coming months. 'Collectively, the two planes, they give us a treasure trove of intelligence,' including a list of all of Venezuela's Air Force members 'and their personally identifiable information, receipts, and flight manifests,' Lopez explained to Rubio. 'What's going to be of value as well is the transponders,' which will allow them to get information that was blocked by the pilots in flight, he added. CNN has reached out to the Venezuelan government for comment. In September 2024, after the other plane linked to the Maduro regime was seized and flown to Florida, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN the second plane – the one formally seized Thursday – was being investigated in the Dominican Republic. Authorities have known of the two planes for at least five years. A 2020 news release from the US Treasury says the plane seized by Rubio 'was used throughout 2019 to transport senior members of the former Maduro regime,' including a trip to an OPEC meeting in the United Arab Emirates. In September, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland said the aircraft seized at that time was 'illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies.' The US had requested it be immobilized so they could search it for 'evidence and objects linked to fraud activities, smuggling of goods for illicit activities and money laundering,' according to the foreign minister of the Dominican Republic Roberto Alvarez. After that plane's seizure, officials described it as the Venezuelan equivalent of the American president's Air Force One. The Venezuelan government described the plane's seizure in September as 'piracy' and accused Washington of escalating 'aggression' toward Maduro's government. For years, US officials have sought to disrupt the flow of billions of dollars to the regime in Venezuela. Homeland Security Investigations — the second largest investigative agency in the federal government — has seized dozens of luxury vehicles, among other assets, heading to Venezuela. Federal agencies have gone after corruption in Venezuela but pressure from the US intensified following Maduro's controversial reelection for a third presidential term in July. Last year, the US reimposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gas sector in response to the Maduro government's failure to allow 'an inclusive and competitive election' to take place. In March 2020, the US Department of Justice charged Maduro, together with 14 current and former Venezuelan officials, with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption. Maduro's government have long denied any involvement in drug trafficking and has dismissed criticism of last year's election results.
