By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Alabama isn’t exactly considered a hotbed of terrorism activity. But on Friday, an Uzbek national living in the U.S. pleaded in Birmingham, Ala., to providing material support to terrorist activities and threatening to kill President Obama — all as part of a federal sting. Ulugbek Kodirov, 22, of Uzbekistan, becomes…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com ATF’s Operation Fast and Furious just looks worse all the time. The latest: Fox News reports that the former head of the DEA in Tucson said some agents in other federal agencies tried unsuccessfully to put an end to the operation. Tony Coulson said many federal field agents knew the ATF…
By Danny Fenster ticklethewire.com A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent has pleaded guilty to leaking information to relatives involved in drug trafficking, authorities said. Jovana Deas, 33, of Rio Rico, Ariz., pleaded guilty to all 21 counts against her, the FBI said in a statement on Monday. Deas was…
By Danny Fenster ticklethewire.com Provisions which allowed local law enforcement officials more choices in complying with the federal Secure Communities immigration enforcement program will be “streamlined” or “eliminated,” bringing law enforcement groups in line with federal mandates, reports the LA Times. The information-sharing program between the FBI and local law enforcement, which allows the FBI…
By Danny Fenster ticklethewire.com Suspected drug couriers from the east coast and Panama apparently used some innovation, smuggling cocaine and heroin in small pockets sewn into Lycra shorts and in their hair weaves and wigs, according to the website Government News Service. GNS reports that 12 individuals were charged in a 20-count indictment, the results…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com A man charged in the Feb. 15 murder in Mexico of ICE agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE agent Victor Avila has been extradited from Mexico to the U.S. to face trial. The Justice Department announced the charges and the extradition on Wednesday of Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Every day, thousands of federal law enforcement agents wake up, grab their gun and badge and a cup of java, orange juice or tea and go out into the world to protect the public and enforce the laws. Unfortunately, every year, a few step over the line — way over the…
By Danny Fenster ticklethewire.com Tuesday in Arizona was a big one for the DEA’s Phoenix Field Office, where authorities seized 44 firearms, 650 pounds of marijuana and a $7.8 million in cash in a 15-month sting dubbed “Operation Crank Call.” The trafficking network is believed to be related to the infamous Sinaloa Cartel of Mexico….
