CBP Goes 4 for 4, Seizing Undeclared Currency, Firearms, and Ammunition while Conducting Outbound Inspections at Eagle Pass Port of Entry


U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) interdicted a steady stream of undeclared currency, firearms and ammunition this week in four enforcement actions at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry.

“Our front-line officers continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of blending inspection skills and experience with the use of technology in these enforcement actions,” said Port Director Paul Del Rincon, Eagle Pass Port of Entry.

On Monday April 27, 2020, at Camino Real Bridge while inspecting a GMC 3500 truck, CBP officers discovered a Taurus Armas GC2 9 mm. pistol and two Pro Cal 9 mm magazines hidden within a DVD player. Pistol and magazines were seized and a $500 penalty was issued.

Also on April 27, CBP officers conducting an outbound examination of a Chevrolet Silverado discovered 28 .22-caliber rounds. The ammunition was seized.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at the International Bridge 1 while conducting an examination of a Chevrolet 2500 truck, CBP officers discovered a Smith and Wesson SD40 Crimson Trace pistol, a Winchester 190 .22-calber long rifle, three Smith and Wesson SD40 14-round magazines, one Pro Mag Smith and Wesson .40-caliber 25-round magazine and 319 rounds of ammunition of varying calibers. The pistol, rifle, magazines and all ammunition were seized.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2020, CBP officers inspected a 2008 Saturn Astro XR traveling outbound at the Camino Real Bridge driven by a 35-year-old male Mexican citizen accompanied by a 45-year-old male Mexican citizen. During the inspection officers discovered $12,247 of unreported currency.

The undeclared money was seized and both subjects were arrested and turned over to Maverick County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation.

CBP.gov (May 2020) CBP Goes 4 for 4, Seizing Undeclared Currency, Firearms, and Ammunition while Conducting Outbound Inspections at Eagle Pass Port of Entry

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Racially-Motivated Interference With Election in Charlottesville, Virginia and Cyberstalking in Florida


Daniel McMahon, 31, pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court in the Western District of Virginia to one count of threatening an African-American Charlottesville City Council candidate identified by the initials D.G. because of his race and because he was running for office, and to one count of cyberstalking a separate victim through Facebook messenger. 

“Racially motivated threats of violence have no place in our society and will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The defendant in this case violated the civil rights of his victims through intimidation and we are grateful for all the work and collaboration our partners have done on this case.”

“Although the First Amendment protects, without qualification, an individual’s right to hold and express abhorrent political views, it does not license threats of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen for the Western District of Virginia. “The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who weaponize social media to harm others.” 

“Peaceable protest is a core American value protected by law,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. “This defendant violated the law by threatening violence against an African-American individual who planned to announce his candidacy for City Council and an autistic child merely because the child’s mother opposes his extreme racially motivated views. This collaborative prosecution demonstrates that the Department of Justice as a whole will not tolerate these types of threats and intimidation.”

“This investigation underscores the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices continued commitment to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals engaging in racially-motivated threats and violent extremist activities. It also exemplifies the seamless information sharing between FBI Divisions in eliminating potential threats to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael F. McPherson.

“Protecting the civil rights of all Americans is a high priority for the FBI and is a mission to which we are fully committed. In this case, the defendant used racially-motivated threats of violence to disrupt an election,” said David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “In addition, he used a social media account to stalk and terrorize another victim and a minor child. We will continue to prioritize and aggressively investigate violations of these kinds. We are grateful for the partnership and efforts of FBI Tampa Division, the U.S. Attorney Offices in Virginia and Florida, and the Department of Justice, and for their assistance on this case.”

At the plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he uses the online pseudonyms “Jack Corbin,” “Pale Horse,” “Restore Silent Sam,” and “Dakota Stone,” to promote white supremacy and white nationalist ideology, and to express support for racially-motivated violence.

The defendant admitted that in January 2019, upon learning that D.G., an African-American resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, planned to announce his candidacy for City Council, the defendant used his Jack Corbin account on the social media platform Gab to threaten violence against D.G. because of D.G.’s race and because D.G. was running for office. The defendant admitted that his posts used racial slurs and invoked long-standing racial stereotypes, and that he intended for D.G. to understand his posts as threats to his safety. 

In addition to this, the defendant also admitted to cyberstalking Victim 2 using his “Restore Silent Sam” Facebook account. In connection with this charge, the defendant admitted that he used Facebook to send Victim 2 numerous intimidating and threatening messages that placed Victim 2 in reasonable fear of harm to Victim 2’s minor child.

The defendant acknowledged that Victim 2 has been active in countering white nationalist rallies in her community. The defendant admitted that, because of Victim 2’s activism, he began an online campaign to intimidate her and to extort information from her about her fellow activists. This included sending Victim 2 numerous messages over the course of twelve days in which he threatened to sexually assault Victim 2’s minor daughter, who has autism.

The defendant admitted that, at around the same time that he sent these messages, he also used the internet to conduct searches relating to sexual contact with girls who have autism. The defendant admitted that his messages reasonably caused Victim 2 serious emotional distress and fear for Victim 2’s child’s safety.

McMahon will be sentenced on July 23, 2020. He faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison for threatening D.G. and five years in prison for cyberstalking Victim 2.

This case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen of the Western District of Virginia; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia; Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George of the Middle District of Florida; and Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

Justice.gov (April 2020) Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Racially-Motivated Interference With Election in Charlottesville, Virginia and Cyberstalking in Florida

Iranian Christian Sentenced to Flogging and Prison


International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on April 21, 2020, Christian human rights activist Mary Fatima Mohammadi received a suspended prison sentence of three months by the Iranian government.

The sentence included a directive ordering Mary to receive a flogging of 10 lashes.

Mary has come under significant pressure from the Iranian authorities over the years because of her Christian human rights activism. In the latest incident, she was arrested because she was present in the area of a protest where Iranians had rallied regarding the government’s downing of Ukrainian Airline Flight 752. The issue of the government’s complicity in targeting the passenger flight remains highly sensitive in Iran. Mary further explained this connection on Instagram, saying that her sentence is a consequence of “protesting against the slaughter of human beings; because of showing sympathy for the families of those who perished on the Ukraine airline crash; because of defending the rights of all humans.”

After her arrest, Mary disappeared for nearly a month before she was discovered in Qarchak Women’s Prison, a jail with a reputation for various types of gender abuse. While there, Mary reported that she was beaten and suffered other kinds of mistreatment at the hands of the officials, including being strip-searched twice. She was eventually released on a bail of 30 million tomans ($2,250 USD) and charged with “disrupting public order by participating in an illegal rally.”

Her court hearing was initially delayed because of COVID-19, but took place on April 17. Iran’s Human Rights Activist News Agency (HANA) reports that during the hearing, the judge repeatedly questioned Mary about her conversion to Christianity. Her case was heard in Branch 6 of the 33rd District Court of Evin before being transferred to Branch 1167 of the Tehran Provincial Criminal Court (Quds Judicial Complex).

Following her sentencing, Mary tweeted: “There is no evidence against me, so I ought to have been acquitted. But instead I was sentenced not only to imprisonment, but also flogging. It should be mentioned that even before the verdict was handed down, I was forced to endure all kinds of torture, none of which was sanctioned by law, and which ought to be considered crimes in themselves. We have refrained from appealing against the verdict because the appeal courts have turned into confirmation courts! I am proud of sympathizing with human beings in the real harsh environment of the streets. This is my conviction and the cost.”

Iran has not publicly sentenced a Christian to a flogging for nearly two years, although persecution has increased during that interim. Because of COVID-19, Iran has evaluated the situation of its thousands of political prisoners. Many Christians were not included in this evaluation, although some were temporarily furloughed and three had their prison sentences canceled. Many political prisoners have complained that during this time of COVID-19, judges are absent, the authorities fail to provide health updates of prisoners to families, and officials have not clarified how furloughed prisoners will be reincorporated into the prison system following COVID-19.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “We must not let the number of political prisoners furloughed in Iran because of COVID-19 confuse the issue that Iran has always been one of the top human rights violators in the world. The authorities have made it clear, time and time again, that they do not value their citizens and that they will not tolerate freedom of conscience. The sentencing of Mary Mohammadi is alarming, but unfortunately, not surprising Iran’s government does not want human rights activism, and they do not want Christians exercising their voice publicly. Mary Mohammadi is an example of courage and bravery to us all. We must continue calling on Iran to respect human rights and allow its citizens to voice their convictions of conscience.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

Persecution.org (April 2020) Iranian Christian Sentenced to Flogging and Prison

(Update) $50,000 reward offered for information for homicide of Postal Employee

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) who shot and killed a USPS employee.


(Update 04/29/2020) A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of an Indianapolis mail carrier.

United States Postal Inspectors, IMPD detectives and FBI Special Agents arrested Tony Cushingberry, 21, Tuesday evening for his involvement in the death of Angela Summers, 45.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) who shot and killed a USPS employee.

The USPS employee was shot and killed at approximately 4:00 pm on April 27, 2020, at the 400 block of North Denny St, Indianapolis, Indiana.

According to Fox59:

Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department found a woman with at least one gunshot wound.

She was “awake and talking.”

Medics transported the woman to a local hospital, where she later died.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office identified the woman as 45-year-old Angela Summers. The USPS confirmed she was one of its employees.

Melissa Hardy is having a hard time processing what happened to her friend, Angela Summers. They have been friends for 15 years.

“There was a neighborhood app that had said it was a female and I knew it was close to where she carried and my heart just sank,” Hardy said.

TAKE NO ACTION TO APPREHEND THIS PERSON YOURSELF

If you have any information about this incident, please contact: Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS, all information will be kept strictly confidential.

USPIS.gov (April 2020) Seeking Information for Homicide of Postal Employee

COVID-19 Changes Daily Life of Marines


The work, social and home lives of Marines living in the barracks deviates from life before the pandemic. Marines assigned to the distribution management office, DMO, on Camp Foster, Okinawa, have a unique and difficult task to perform during this time.

DMO Marines are tasked with booking flights for temporary assignments and permanent-change-of-station orders, as well as moving all of a Marine’s personal property to the new location. With the Defense Department’s travel ban, DMO Marines are teleworking to help successfully move Marines and sailors to and from the island.

Communication is the most challenging aspect of teleworking during the outbreak, said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Amanda Martinez, a personal property clerk at Marine Corps Base Camp Butler on Okinawa.

“We are used to face-to-face interactions, but we are having to call and email members, and they’re teleworking as well,” Martinez said. “It has been taking a little bit longer as far as documents being signed and information being sent back and forth.”

The daily lives of U.S. Marines have drastically changed since the outbreak of COVID-19. Marines stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan, have implemented teleworking as a way to practice social distancing and combat the spread of the virus.

While teleworking is an effective way to combat the spread of the virus, it hinders the DMO to operate at its full potential.

“Half of our staff is in office, and half of the staff is teleworking at the barracks. So, we’re trying out a bunch of things to figure out the best way to communicate with our members and our team to make mission,” said Marine Corps Cpl. Ricardo Casarez, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the passenger travel office at Camp Butler. “Regardless, we continue to work as a team in order to adapt and overcome COVID-19.”

Not only have their jobs been affected, but so have their daily duties as Marines and the uniforms they wear.

“We are now required to wear masks. It’s become a part of our everyday carries for us, and we are required to maintain social distancing, which are both not part of our daily routines, but it has become a norm for Marines,” Casarez said.

Even the Marines’ physical training schedule has been altered, but it does not stop them from working out however they can.

“We used to PT every day, now it’s all on yourself to maintain your physical fitness,” Martinez said. “It is kind of hard because of the gyms being closed, but a lot of us are just running every day, and do what we can with what we have. We are just adapting and overcoming to still be ready to fight if we have a calling.”

The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force announced Health Protection Condition Charlie Plus, which prohibits off-base liberty. However, the Marines still see a bright side during these difficult times.

“Due to COVID-19, Marines [are not] able to execute liberty off-base and enjoy the island,” Casarez said. “I think it’s brought camaraderie within units. It has definitely brought that feeling of being close for us. I believe it has made us more united than we have ever been.”

(Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brennan Beauton is assigned to Marine Corps Installations Pacific.)

Defense.gov (April 2020) COVID-19 Changes Daily Life of Marines