The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the conclusion of a significant law enforcement operation in Brazil that has led to U.S. indictments for criminal human smuggling. The targeted smugglers are alleged to have smuggled individuals from South Asia and elsewhere into Brazil and ultimately to the U.S.

Whether the criminal prohibition against encouraging or inducing illegal immigration for financial gain violates the First Amendment will be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court this term.

In a voice vote this week, the House of Representatives passed the National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act. The legislation will now move to the Senate for passage.

Following a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police 2019 conference, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a commission to review law enforcement priorities. The commission will be established through the Department of Justice to better understand crime and law enforcement trends.

Tune in to FEDtalk this week for a discussion on agency efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. The Drug Enforcement Administration has been leading interagency efforts to reduce drug use and increase awareness about the dangers of opioids. As their annual Red Ribbon Week ends, they join us to discuss the progress being made on this important issue.

Legislation introduced to the House of Representatives by Congressman Neal Dunn (R-FL) would bar the Veterans Affairs (VA) secretary from entering into collective bargaining agreements that offer “financial incentives to prospective members.”

Chandra Yarlagadda owned and operated Alpha Bioenergy LLC (Alpha), formerly known as Naturol Bioenergy LLC, which purchased and sold biodiesel fuel. Yarlagadda has pled guilty to violating tax laws in order to avoid paying an additional $2.3 million in federal income taxes.

While Leonardo Ortega was closing a Subway shop, two masked men entered. One aimed a gun at Ortega and the other stole cash from the register. A struggle ensued, and Ortega was shot and pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) critiqued agencies on their failure to adequately secure personnel from violence and threats of violence. The report found that many of these assaults or threats came from those harboring anti-government views. GAO analyzed data and attacks from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Forest Service, National Park Service (NPS), and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The Diplomatic Security Service is counting down the final days until the opening of their brand new Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) in Blackstone, Virginia. The training center has been under construction since 2016, following the purchase of 1,400 acres for the project in 2015.

As the life insurance choice of over 46,000 Feds and their families, WAEPA is committed to providing Federal employees with access to products and services that promote their health, welfare, and financial well-being.

Huey and I traveled from New Hampshire to Vermont. Our drive wove through scenic small towns and stretches of unbroken trees, which were starting to become tinted with fall colors.

Jong Woo Son, a South Korean national, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week for his involvement with Welcome To Video, the largest child sexual exploitation market by volume of content. Son is the international actor among hundreds of domestic perpetrators indicted on charges relating to the website’s use.

In a memo to agencies and a guidance posted last week, the Office of Personnel Management is encouraging agencies to step away from progressive penalties and tables of penalties in deciding what disciplinary action to take against employees. The guidance was issued to assist in the implementation of White House Executive Order 13839, which pushed agencies to promote greater accountability in their offices.

The National Security Agency (NSA) is known for its secrecy, but last week the agency opened its doors to journalist to provide an inside look at the new Cybersecurity Directorate. Reporters were welcomed into the agency’s Fort Meade, Maryland headquarters for a tour of the operations underway to protect the U.S. against emerging cyber threats.

Convicted “D.C. sniper” Lee Boyd Malvo’s appeal of his sentence to life in prison without parole was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this week.

In the months following the assassination, there was a desperate need to understand what had happened, why it happened, and if it could have been prevented.

Tune in to FEDtalk this week for a discussion on Cybersecurity Awareness Month. A few weeks ago we heard from industry leaders about top cybersecurity concerns. This week, the individuals leading efforts to combat cyber threats in government will join us to discuss their work.

A grand jury has convicted three leaders of the national criminal organization, Gangster Disciples. The convicted offenses include racketeering conspiracy (RICO) involving murder, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking conspiracy, and other crimes.

The Transportation Security Administration has announced its intention to better manage data using cloud solutions. In the solicitation request entitled TSA’s Cloud Strategy 2.0, the agency described how they plan to “adopt and integrate cloud based services” to better achieve their mission.