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☆ 4 flight attendants smuggled millions in drug money out of the US using the crewmember lane at JFK, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Using this status, they could access a special security lane at John F. Kennedy International Airport without undergoing typical passenger screening procedures. Advertisement"Flight attendants are ideal for smuggling bulk cash" for this reason, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent wrote in the indictments. Related storiesThe pair believed the money was the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and needed to be transported, according to the indictment. AdvertisementHe said the investigation "exposed critical vulnerabilities in the airline security industry" and has "illuminated methods that narcotics traffickers are utilizing."

Persons: —, — Charlie Hernandez, Sarah Valerio Pujols, Emmanuel Torres, Jarol Fabio, John F, Damian Williams, Hernandez, Pujols, Torres, Fabio, HSI, Ivan J, Arvelo Organizations: Service, Business, US, Office, of, Transportation Security Administration, Kennedy, Homeland Security Investigations, Pujols, Customs, Border, JFK, Delta Airlines, NBC News, Delta Locations: New York, Dominican Republic, Southern, of New York

☆ Dept. of Homeland Security embraces AI and other federal agencies are likely to follow
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Bob Violino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during the third annual Axios What's Next Summit at the Planet Word Museum on March 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. When the White House issued an executive order last October to promote safe and responsible development and use of artificial intelligence in the federal government, one of the first agencies to say it was on board the AI train was the Department of Homeland Security. In one pilot, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will test AI to help in investigative processes focused on detecting fentanyl and combatting child exploitation. The unprecedented speed and potential of AI's development and adoption presents both opportunities and risks, according to Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security. What DHS learns from the pilot projects will be beneficial in shaping how it can effectively and responsibly use AI across homeland security moving forward, he said.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden, Mayorkas, — Organizations: Word, White House, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, United, United States Citizenship, Immigration Services, Homeland Security, DHS, Mayorkas, Republican Locations: Washington ,, United States

☆ Americans lost over $1 million last year falling for online puppy adoption scams, largely on Facebook Marketplace
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Americans were scammed out of over $1 million in online puppy frauds last year. AdvertisementA shocking number of Americans are falling for online puppy scams. The Better Business Bureau said it received thousands of reports of puppy scams last year, totaling more than $1 million in losses, according to veterinarians.org. AdvertisementThe prevalence of puppy scams online has led to an official crackdown. The Illinois Attorney General's office, for instance, charged one man with 16 different felonies related to an online puppy scam in January.

Persons: —, veterinarians.org, Katherine Smith, Smith, Prosecutors, Kwame Raoul Organizations: FTC, Service, Better Business Bureau, BBB, Facebook, Craigslist, ABC News, Federal Trade Commission, Illinois, Homeland Security Investigations Locations: North Carolina, Yorkshire, Illinois

☆ Why Is Sean Combs the Subject of a Homeland Security Investigation?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The raids of Sean Combs’s homes in Los Angeles and the Miami area this week raised a barrage of questions about the nature of the inquiry, which a federal official said was at least in part a human trafficking investigation. The government has said little about the basis for the search warrants, but the raids came after five civil lawsuits were filed against Mr. Combs in recent months that accused him of violating sex trafficking laws. In four of the suits women accused him of rape, and in one a man accused him of unwanted sexual contact. Mr. Combs, a hip-hop impresario known as Puff Daddy and Diddy who has been a high-profile figure in the music industry since the 1990s, has vehemently denied all of the allegations, calling them “sickening.” Officials have not publicly named him as a target of any prosecution. As the civil suits against Mr. Combs illustrate, the term human or sex trafficking has a broader meaning in the law than perhaps the more popularly understood image of organized crime and forced prostitution rings.

Persons: Sean Combs’s, Combs, Diddy, “, ”, Jim Cole Organizations: Mr, ”, Homeland Security Investigations Locations: Los Angeles, Miami

☆ Diddy's lawyer issues statement after DHS raid maintaining the rapper's innocence
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Aaron Dyer, Combs' attorney, in a statement sent to Business Insider, maintained Combs' innocence and said the search conducted on his properties was "a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs' residences." This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. "Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way." Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name."

Persons: —, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Aaron Dyer, Mr, HSI, Cassandra, Cassie, Ventura Organizations: Service, Department of Homeland Security, Business, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Security Investigations, Ventura Locations: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, HSI Los, HSI Miami

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said conspiracy charges against KuCoin and two executives should warn other crypto exchanges that they cannot serve U.S. customers without following U.S. laws. An indictment in Manhattan federal court said the company and its founders tried to conceal the existence of its U.S. customer base. KuCoin was also required to cease New York operations after falsely representing itself as a crypto exchange without registering as a securities and commodities broker-dealer, James said. “KuCoin grew to service over 30 million customers, despite its alleged failure to follow laws necessary to ensuring the security and stability of our world’s digital banking infrastructure,” McCormack said. Three companies doing business as KuCoin were incorporated in the Cayman Islands, the Republic of Seychelles and Singapore.

Persons: Damian Williams, KuCoin, Letitia James, James, Williams, “, ”, Darren McCormack, “ KuCoin, ” McCormack, Johnny, Chun Gan, Ke Tang Organizations: New York, Homeland Security Investigations Locations: U.S, Manhattan, York, New York, China, Cayman Islands, Republic of Seychelles, Singapore

☆ How Diddy got to be one of hip-hop's biggest businessmen
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Madeline Berg | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

AdvertisementFederal officials raided the Los Angeles and Miami homes of Sean Combs on Monday. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. Within the first two years of the partnership, annual sales grew from 75,000 to 400,000 cases, according to a lawsuit Combs filed against Diageo last year. "She recognized that she was powerless, and that reporting Mr. Combs to the authorities would not alter Mr. Combs's status or influence but would merely give Mr. Combs another excuse to hurt her." AdvertisementIn a separate lawsuit filed in November, Joi Dickerson-Neal alleges that Combs drugged and assaulted her in 1991.

Persons: Sean, Diddy, Combs, He's, —, Sean Combs, Casandra Ventura, Ventura, Cassie, Rodney Jones Jr, Lil Rod, groping, Aaron Dyer, Mr, Craig Mack, Faith Evans, Mase, B.I.G, Forbes, Sean Jean, they'd, DeLeon, He'd, Mark Wahlberg, Ciroc, Ethan Miller, Zack O'Malley Greenburg, Jay, — he's, he's, Kerry James Marshall, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean, Michel Basquiat, Joi Dickerson, Neal, Jane Doe Organizations: Service, Federal, Federal Homeland Security, AP, Business, Bad Boy Records, Uptown Records, East, Bad, Arista Records, Global Brands Group, Diageo, of, Hulu, Combs Enterprises Locations: Los Angeles, Miami

Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. The authorities did not say whether Mr. Combs was a target or what criminal charges they were investigating. “This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs,” Mr. Dyer said. “There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”

Persons: Sean Combs, ”, Aaron Dyer, “ Mr, Combs, —, Mr, ” Mr, Dyer Organizations: Homeland Security Investigations, Miami, Fox Locations: Los Angeles, Miami Beach, Fla

☆ Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is target of investigation carried out by Homeland Security team that specializes in human trafficking, source says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( John Miller | Elizabeth Wolfe | Federal Authorities Swarmed Diddy S Homes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Homes belonging to Sean “Diddy” Combs were searched by authorities Monday because he is a target of a federal investigation carried out by a Department of Homeland Security team that handles human trafficking crimes, according to a senior federal law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. Agents were authorized to search for documents, phones, computers and other electronic devices that hold data or videos, the second law enforcement source said. A law enforcement source earlier told CNN that Monday’s searches were related to an ongoing sex trafficking investigation. Law enforcement officers ride a vehicle near a property belonging to Sean "Diddy" Combs on Monday in Los Angeles. At least one armored law enforcement vehicle was seen arriving at the Los Angeles property, and agents were processing paperwork on card tables outside the Miami-area home.

Persons: Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Combs, HSI, “, ” Combs, Sean, Diddy, Eric Thayer, Casandra “ Cassie ” Ventura, ” Ben Brafman, Mr, Ventura, ” Weeks, ”, videographer Rodney “, Rod ” Jones, Jones, Shawn Holley, Department of Homeland Security’s, –, CNN’s Josh Campbell, Holmes Lybrand, Elizabeth Wagmeister, Carlos Suarez Organizations: CNN, Homes, Department of Homeland Security, Southern, of, Miami, Star Island, Mobile, Star, Homeland Security, HSI –, Department of Homeland Locations: of New York, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, New York’s, Star

☆ Diddy is one of hip-hop's richest and most powerful businessmen. Take a look at his net worth and web of influence.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Madeline Berg | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewFederal officials raided the Los Angeles and Miami homes of Sean Combs on Monday. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. Mr. Combs is innocent." Within the first two years of the partnership, annual sales grew from 75,000 to 400,000 cases, according to a lawsuit Combs filed against Diageo last year. "She recognized that she was powerless, and that reporting Mr. Combs to the authorities would not alter Mr. Combs's status or influence but would merely give Mr. Combs another excuse to hurt her."

Persons: —, Sean Combs, Combs, Casandra Ventura, Ventura, Cassie, Rodney Jones Jr, Lil Rod, groping, Aaron Dyer, Mr, Diddy, Craig Mack, Faith Evans, Mase, B.I.G, Forbes, Sean John, they'd, DeLeon, He'd, Mark Wahlberg, Ciroc, Ethan Miller, Zack O'Malley Greenburg, Jay, — he's, he's, Kerry James Marshall, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean, Michel Basquiat, Joi Dickerson, Neal, Jane Doe, Sean Jean Organizations: Service, Federal Homeland Security, AP, Business, Bad Boy Records, Uptown Records, East, Bad, Arista Records, Global Brands Group, Diageo, of, Hulu, Combs Enterprises Locations: Los Angeles, Miami

Federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security on Monday raided homes in the Los Angeles area and Miami that a person with knowledge of the case said were connected to Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul who has been accused of sexual assault and sex trafficking in multiple civil lawsuits over the last several months. In a statement on Monday, in response to questions about news reports of a raid on Mr. Combs’s residences, Homeland Security Investigations said: “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available.”A spokesperson for Mr. Combs did not respond to a request for comment. The criminal inquiry was being conducted by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York and federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations, a law-enforcement official said. Video from Fox 11 (KTTV), a local television news station in Los Angeles, showed armed officers entering a home in the Holmby Hills area of the city, which the station said was connected to Mr. Combs’s company, Bad Boy Entertainment.

Persons: Sean Combs, HSI, Combs, Nicholas Biase Organizations: Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, of, Southern, Fox, Bad Boy Entertainment Locations: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, HSI Los, HSI Miami, Southern, of New York, Holmby

☆ Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Los Angeles and Miami mansions raided by federal officials: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Read previewFederal officials raided the Los Angeles and Miami homes belonging to Sean "Diddy" Combs, according to multiple reports. In a statement to CBS, Homeland Security Investigations confirmed that it had "executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners." This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The DHS and representatives for Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider. "Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct."

Persons: —, Sean, Diddy, Combs, HSI, Casandra, Cassie, Ventura Organizations: Service, CBS, Homeland Security Investigations, Business, DHS, Ventura Locations: Los Angeles, Miami, HSI Los, HSI Miami

☆ Feds raid Sean Combs properties in LA, Miami on search warrants out of New York: NBC News
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Federal agents on Monday raided homes owned by hip-hop mogul Sean Combs in Los Angeles and Miami, NBC News reported, citing sources. The Department of Homeland Security agents were authorized to search the properties by warrants issued in Manhattan federal court, months after a series of lawsuit accused Combs of serious sexual misconduct, law enforcement sources said. Benjamin Brafman, a New York attorney who has represented Combs, did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. "We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law," Wigdor said in a statement. Combs was sued in Manhattan federal court by Ventura, who is known as Cassie.

Persons: Sean Combs, Combs, Diddy, Jane, HSI, Benjamin Brafman, Douglas Wigdor, Casandra Ventura, Jane Doe, Wigdor, Rodney, Li Rod, Jones, Tyrone Blackburn, Ventura, Cassie, Cassie's, Liza Gardner, Joie Dickerson, Neal, Blackburn, Gardner, Dickerson Organizations: NBC News, Department of Homeland Security, NBC, Homeland Security Investigations, Security, Combs, Bad Boy Records Locations: Los Angeles, Miami, Manhattan, New York, HSI Los, HSI Miami

CNBC embedded with teams from HSI and California Highway Patrol to witness four organized retail crime operations for this investigation. CNBCAt the bottom of organized retail crime rings are boosters — the people who go into stores and take the items. A bin filled with sparkly silver boots that police suspect an alleged San Jose, California, crime ring stole from T.J. Maxx. In a statement, a TJX spokesperson said the company is "thankful" for CHP's efforts and is taking organized retail crime "very seriously." Court records filed in connection with the case provide a rare glimpse into the inner workings of an alleged organized retail crime ring.

Persons: Michelle Mack, Mack, Michelle Mack's, Louis Vuitton, Adam Parks, they've, Parks, HSI, It's, Joaquin, El, Guzman, Scott Robles, Robles, moisturizer, Allegra, Maxx, Gabrielle Fonrouge, Manny Nevarez, TJX, Michael Ball, Diego, Donna Washburn, Washburn, Mack —, we'll, Charlotte, Estee Lauder, masterminding, Rob Bonta, Kenneth Mack, Bonta, Kimora Lee Gooding texted Michelle Mack, Jan, Gooding, Andrew Barclay, Scott, let's, Kenneth Mack texted Michelle Mack, Michelle Mack texted Alina Franco, Sephora, Prada, Ulta's, Dave Kimbell, Kimbell Organizations: Police, CNBC, Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland, New, U.S . Custom House, Operation French, Walgreens, New Orleans Public, Federal, Gillette, CHP, TJX Companies, Bay Area, CNBC Police, Flea, Santa, Attorney, Capitol Flea, L'Oreal, Macy's, Body Locations: San Diego, Bonsall , California, California, Washington , Utah , Oregon, Colorado , Arizona , Illinois , Texas, Florida , Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, U.S, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, HSI, New Orleans, Orleans, San Jose, Jose , California, Maxx, Bay, Bay Area, San Jose , California, Santa Clara, Washburn, St, Augustine , Florida, Charlotte Tilbury, Prada, LensCrafters

☆ A Royal Caribbean cleaner has been arrested over suspicions he hid cameras in ship bathrooms to film young female passengers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewAn employee working on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has been arrested on suspicion of placing secret cameras inside passengers' bathrooms and filming them without their knowledge. According to the affidavit, Mirasol admitted to hiding video cameras in passengers' bathrooms and told investigators that he would masturbate while watching the videos. The start of the footage "clearly" shows Mirasol placing the camera in the bathroom, according to the affidavit. Mirasol told agents that he had been placing cameras in passengers' bathrooms since he started working on the Symphony of the Seas in December, per the affidavit. Advertisement"We have zero tolerance for this unacceptable behavior," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told NBC News.

Persons: —, Arvin Joseph Mirasol, Mirasol Organizations: Service, Royal, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration, Customs, Business, Agents, Court, Southern, Southern District of, NBC Locations: Royal Caribbean, Port Everglades , Florida, voyeurism, Broward County, Florida, Southern District, Southern District of Florida

The officials displayed a table piled high with knockoff sports memorabilia including jerseys, T-shirts, caps, beanies and a sparkling silver replica of the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy. Commercial air operations at nearby Harry Reid Airport are not expected to be affected. Ralph Lepore, an airport administrator with the Clark County Department of Aviation, focused on efforts to stem human trafficking, which he said was neither new nor exclusive to big events. “It’s extremely important.”Burke noted that TSA officers were trained to spot human trafficking and that extra agents will be added to handle record post-game crowds expected to top more than 100,000 passengers a day early next week at Harry Reid airport. She promised that every lane of every airport security checkpoint will be open nonstop for 48 hours after the Super Bowl ends.

Persons: Administration —, Ozzie —, Harry Reid, Vince Lombardi, ”, Cheryl Davies, Christopher Miller, Aaron Ford, Karen Burke, Davies, Ralph Lepore, “, ” Burke Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Super, NFL, Homeland Security, Customs, Border Protection, Transportation, Administration, Harry, Harry Reid International Airport, . Customs, Homeland Security Investigations, Allegiant, Federal Aviation Administration, TSA, Blackhawk, Clark County Department of Aviation Locations: Las Vegas, United States, Nevada, TSA Nevada

☆ Four Secret Service agents were disciplined after getting snookered by imposter federal cops
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But what happened to the four Secret Service agents they bamboozled? But the remaining two are still working as Secret Service agents "after discipline," Mihalek said. But the pair's ability to trick four Secret Service agents was no laughing matter. But at least one of the other Secret Service agents had his location tracked while working. AdvertisementRegardless, it's a bad look, former Secret Service agents told Business Insider.

Persons: —, imposters, Jill Biden, Haider Sher Ali, Arian Eugene Taherzadeh, Donald J, Mihalek, Ali, Joe Biden, Ari Eugene Taherzadeh, Taherzadeh, Air Marshal who'd, he'd, El, Calvin Klein, Jill Biden's, Taherzadeh's, Jill, Joseph Funk, Funk, Bill Pickle, Al Gore's, Pickle Organizations: Secret Services, Service, Federal, Association Foundation, Secret, Court, Southern District of, Southern District of New York, Army Ranger, Air, Homeland Security, Anadolu Agency, DHS, Secret Service, agency's Uniformed Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Uniformed Division, Business, Employees, TorchStone, Rolex Locations: Washington ,, Southern District, Southern District of New, Eastern, United States, Southern District of New York

MIAMI (AP) — The U.S. has expelled a former Chilean Army officer accused of torturing and killing folk singer Victor Jara during the country's bloody 1973 coup. Pedro Barrientos had emigrated to Florida in 1990, the same year the bloody dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet came to an end. This year, he was stripped of his U.S. citizenship after it was found he concealed information about his Chilean military service during his immigration proceedings. Jara, a popular singer and university professor, was a fervent supporter of socialist President Salvador Allende. Homeland Security Investigations said that Barrientos was removed Thursday on a flight from Miami and taken into custody by Chilean law enforcement officials upon his arrival in the South American country.

Persons: Victor Jara, Pedro Barrientos, Augusto Pinochet, Jara, Salvador Allende, Pinochet, Allende, Barrientos, Jara’s, Jara's, Joan Turner Jara Organizations: MIAMI, Chilean Army, Joan Turner Jara . Homeland Security Investigations Locations: Florida, Santiago, British, Joan Turner Jara ., Miami

(AP) — Two people accused of operating a high-end brothel network with wealthy and prominent clients in Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C., suburbs will remain behind bars for now, a judge said on Wednesday. Lawyers for Han Lee and Junmyung Lee agreed to a voluntary order of detention during a brief court hearing two weeks after their arrest. Authorities have said the commercial sex ring in Massachusetts and northern Virginia catered to politicians, company executives, military officers, lawyers, professors and other well-connected clients. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesProsecutors have argued Han Lee and Junmyung Lee pose a risk of flight, pointing to their financial resources and lack of ties to the community. Authorities say Han Lee recruited women and maintained the websites and brothels.

Persons: Han Lee, Junmyung Lee, David Hennessy, Josh Levy, Han Lee's, James Lee Organizations: Washington, D.C, Prosecutors, Homeland Security Investigations, Authorities Locations: WORCESTER, Massachusetts, Worcester , Massachusetts, Virginia, Watertown, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Fairfax , Virginia, California

☆ Two South Koreans accused of running US ‘high-end’ brothel ring to appear in court Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

He is accused of running part of the financial side of the brothels – renting out apartments in his or fake identities and operating numerous businesses to allegedly launder money through. The website advertised “models” – pictured on the sites in underwear in provocative poses – for photographers to hire, the affidavit says. Junmyung, investigators say, was born in Korea and is in the US on a student visa, which started in 2018. The confidential source, working with investigators, contacted James to set up a brothel in Connecticut, the affidavit says. He also mentioned during the call that he worked with a “Hana in Boston,” according to the affidavit.

Persons: Han Lee, Junmyung Lee, James Lee, Zachary Mitlitsky, Han, Junmyung, James, –, James laundered, Massachusetts Joshua Levy, ” Levy Organizations: CNN, Homeland Security, TSA, Hana Locations: Boston, Washington, Worchester , Massachusetts, California, Las Vegas and Virginia, Eastern Virginia, Virginia, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Korea, Tysons , Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts

☆ DOJ announces arrests in ‘high-end brothel network’ used by elected officials, military officers and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Three individuals have been arrested on charges of operating a “high-end brothel network” in Massachusetts and Virginia with a clientele that included elected officials, military officers and government contractors with security clearances, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. “Pick a profession,” Joshua Levy, acting US attorney for Massachusetts, said of the sprawling client list during a press conference in Boston. The three individuals, Levy said, transported women and advertised them online for pre-approved clients to choose from through several websites and ran the brothels out of apartments they rented. The agent said about 20 sex buyers were interviewed in connection with the multiyear investigation. One customer described getting a text of available options at a brothel, including the women available, the sexual services and the hourly rate.

Persons: “, ” Joshua Levy, “ They’re, ” Levy, Han Lee, James Lee, Junmyung Lee, Levy Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Homeland Security Investigations Locations: Massachusetts, Virginia, Boston, Massachusetts , California, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Torrance , California, Dedham , Massachusetts

☆ SafeMoon executives charged in US with fraud related to crypto token
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed related civil charges against the defendants, and over the Provo, Utah-based company's alleged unregistered sale of the SafeMoon token. Lawyers for SafeMoon and the individual defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to court papers, SafeMoon also promised investors that the token's features would "drive the price to stratospheric all-time highs" and "Safely to the Moon." SafeMoon was valued at about $50 million on Wednesday afternoon, losing more than half its value after the charges were announced, according to CoinMarketCap. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Al Drago, Kyle Nagy, Braden John Karony, Thomas Smith, SafeMoon, Ivan Arvelo, Smith, BRO, Karony, Nagy, Gary Gensler, Jonathan Stempel, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SafeMoon, McLaren, Porsche, Homeland Security Investigations, SEC, Thomson Locations: American, Washington , U.S, Brooklyn, Provo , Utah, New York, Provo, Bethlehem , New Hampshire

☆ Victor Jara killing: Suspect and Chilean national Pedro Barrientos is in custody after his US citizenship was revoked
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Andy Rose | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Chilean national who’s been wanted in that country in the killing of leftist singer-songwriter Victor Jara 50 years ago is now in custody in Florida, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. Pedro Barrientos was arrested last week during a traffic stop in Deltona, Florida, ICE announced Tuesday. Barrientos, a former military officer, was charged by a Chilean judge in 2012 in the brutal 1973 killing of Jara. Chilean singer Victor Jara was tortured and killed during the country's military dictatorship in 1973. Victor Jara, a popular folk musician, was among the most famous victims.”Demonstrators carry a flag with Victor Jara's image during a protest against the Chilean government in January 2020.

Persons: CNN —, who’s, Victor Jara, Pedro Barrientos, Barrientos, Jara, “ Barrientos, ”, John Condon, Augusto Pinochet, Salvador Allende, “, Victor Jara's, Marcelo Hernandez Organizations: CNN, Customs Enforcement, ICE, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, Reuters, Getty Locations: Florida, Deltona , Florida, Chilean, Chile

NEW YORK (AP) — Target will close nine stores in four states, including one in East Harlem, New York and three in San Francisco, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers. Political Cartoons View All 1182 ImagesWhile the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move is significant. For example, the Target store in East Harlem is located in a heavily Hispanic area, and residents have few choices to buy good quality healthy foods. “Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime,” Cornell told analysts. More than two-thirds of respondents said they were seeing even more violence and aggression from perpetrators of organized retail crime compared with a year ago.

Persons: Target, ”, Brian Cornell, Cornell, ” Cornell, Anne Organizations: Target, University of Washington, Month, Pride Month, Dick's Sporting Goods, National Retail Federation, ACT, U.S . Department of Homeland, Security Investigations Locations: East Harlem , New York, San Francisco, Portland , Oregon, Seattle, East Harlem, Folsom

☆ Son of El Chapo Extradited to Chicago to Face Federal Drug Charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Alan Feuer | More About Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ovidio Guzmán López, one of four sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the Mexican drug lord best known as El Chapo, was extradited to Chicago on Friday to face trial on a sprawling set of federal drug charges, according to his lawyer and American officials. The extradition came a little more than nine months after Mr. Guzmán López was arrested by the Mexican authorities in Culiacán, a city in northwestern Mexico that has long been the home base of the Sinaloa drug cartel, the criminal organization his father helped bring to prominence. It also came nearly four years after Mr. Guzmán López’s calamitous first arrest, which prompted a bloody siege of Culiacán by cartel gunmen that was so destructive the authorities were ultimately forced to let him go. Ultimately, the sons — known collectively as Los Chapitos — were charged in a series of competing indictments in Washington, Chicago and New York. The 40-page indictment against him and his brothers — Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Joaquín Guzmán López — takes a sweeping look at drug sales and violent crimes reaching back, in some instances, to 2008.

Persons: Ovidio Guzmán, Joaquín, Loera, El Chapo, Guzmán López, Guzmán López’s calamitous, Guzmán, —, Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar Organizations: Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Locations: Mexican, Chicago, Culiacán, Mexico, Sinaloa, Brooklyn, Washington , Chicago, New York, Washington, San Diego

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