U.S. Department of Justice

#ThisWeekatJustice, the Department: ▶️ Attorney General Garland delivered statement on arrests of alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel ▶️ Arrested and indicted an Arizona man for threatening to assault and murder federal officials and state employees ▶️ Indicted a Chinese National for importing enough precursor chemicals to make millions of fatal doses of #Fentanyl ▶️ Sentenced an Indiana man for sending violent #Antisemitic threats to the Anti-Defamation League ▶️ Charged a Kentucky man with a federal #HateCrime and Firearm Offenses for making threats against a Palestinian American Keep up with the latest news from the Justice Department at justice.gov/news For closed captions: https://lnkd.in/gg_cq26D

Former Federal Correctional Officer Faces Additional Charges Involving Sexual Abuse of Inmates and a Federal Civil Rights Violation A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment yesterday charging former correctional officer Darrell Wayne Smith with 15 counts of sexual abuse, including a civil rights violation, against five female victims who were inmates under his custody and control at Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin (FCI Dublin). “As alleged, Officer Daryl Smith engaged in appalling criminal acts when he sexually abused those in his care and custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “This superseding indictment is the latest product of the Department’s ongoing work to seek justice for victims of sexual assault at FCI Dublin. We remain steadfast in our commitment to root out sexual assault within the BOP and hold to account those who so egregiously violate their duty.” The initial federal indictment against Darrell Wayne Smith, 55, now residing in Florida, was filed April 13, 2023, and charged him with engaging in illegal sexual acts with three female inmates while he was employed at FCI Dublin as a correctional officer. That initial indictment charged 12 counts that alleged 12 acts occurring between May 2019 and May 2021 in which Smith engaged in separate sexual conduct with each of the three inmate victims. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gY-J_key

“The Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable." - Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks on the arrests of alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael Zambada Garcia (El Mayo) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez. For closed captions: https://lnkd.in/gX6-pasQ

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the arrests of alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael Zambada Garcia (El Mayo) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez: “The Justice Department has taken into custody two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. Ismael Zambada Garcia, or “El Mayo,” cofounder of the Cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other cofounder, were arrested today in El Paso, Texas. Both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks. El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States. That includes the Cartel’s other cofounder, Joaquin Guzman Loera, or “El Chapo”; another of El Chapo’s sons and an alleged Cartel leader, Ovidio Guzman Lopez; and the Cartel’s alleged lead sicario, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, or “El Nini.” Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gcZHHr3n

Today, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco met with Irish Minister of State for Justice James Browne to reaffirm the strong U.S.-Ireland law enforcement partnership. The two leaders discussed combating #HumanTrafficking and shared efforts on youth justice initiatives.

Nineteen Alleged Members of Human Smuggling Organization Charged for Illegally Bringing Migrants into United States Nineteen alleged members of a human smuggling organization were charged for coordinating the smuggling of dozens of unauthorized migrants into the United States from Mexico, mostly aboard personal watercraft via the Pacific Ocean. Nine of the 19 are in custody. A grand jury returned an indictment against 14 members of the organization, and a complaint was filed against an additional five. “The Justice Department is committed to dismantling transnational human smuggling operations that prey on migrants and threaten our national security,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Nefarious organizations like the one charged in this case can expect to answer for their alleged crimes in American courtrooms.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gK_zQGPj

Nevada Man Arrested and Indicted for Threatening to Murder Federal Officials and State Employees A grand jury returned a 22-count indictment charging Spencer Christjencody Gear, 32, of Las Vegas, Nevada, with threatening to assault and murder federal officials, including federal judges, and state employees in Washington, D.C., New York, New Jersey and Montana. “The citizens we rely on to serve the public must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department has no tolerance for acts and threats of violence targeting public servants, and we will stop at nothing to find and bring to justice those responsible.” “The FBI will not tolerate individuals who threaten government officials for doing their jobs and who create a climate of fear,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI National Security Branch. “As this case demonstrates, we will work with our partners to investigate and hold accountable all those who threaten or interfere with government officials as they carry out their duties.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKpFU2WC

Indiana Man Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Sending Violent Antisemitic Threats to Anti-Defamation League Andrezj Boryga, 67, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to 24 months in prison and two years of supervised release for willfully transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure other people and for choosing his victims because of their religion. According to the records filed in the case, between July 9 and Dec. 14, 2022, Boryga left voicemails at Anti-Defamation League offices located in New York, Texas, Colorado, and Nevada. Boryga used antisemitic slurs on eight voicemails as he threatened to assault or kill Jewish people. In the last few months, the Justice Department has brought charges, obtained plea agreements, and obtained sentences for more than 30 defendants for criminal acts motivated by antisemitic hate. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gn9P4Zwx

Departments of Justice and Interior Host 2024 Tribal Justice, Safety and Wellness Summit The Justice Department and the Department of the Interior convened this year’s Tribal Justice, Safety, and Wellness Summit from July 9 – 11. The three-day virtual event featured several key presentations and panels on public safety issues taught by nationally recognized subject matter experts working in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Hundreds of federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, advocates, court staff, victim/witness services staff, and Tribal leaders attended the Summit. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland provided opening remarks. He reiterated the Department’s commitment to working with Tribal partners to ensure that Tribal communities feel safe. He also discussed the Department’s efforts to address, with our federal and Tribal law enforcement partners, the public safety challenges that Tribes face, including the disproportionately high rates of violence experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives, the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous persons, and the devastating impact of human trafficking and drug trafficking. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gRJ6yqwQ