The former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, 55, also known as JOH, was sentenced today to 540 months in prison and 60 months of supervised release for cocaine importation and related weapons offenses. The former two-term president was in office until weeks before his extradition to the United States in April 2022. Hernández was convicted on March 8 following a three-week jury trial.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in collaboration with state and local law enforcement partners, announced the opening of a new Northeast Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) in Cleveland. Joining him were Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio.
Rodolfo Maldonado-Bustos, also known as Don Jose, and Euclides Camacho-Goicochea, also known as El Quilles, who occupy leadership roles in the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel, were charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy to import heroin into the United States.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 24, formerly of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced to 55 concurrent life sentences to run consecutive to 190 years in prison after pleading guilty to 74 hate crimes and firearms charges related to the Nov. 19, 2022 mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQIA+ establishment in Colorado Springs.
For the first time, the Justice Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. State Department are offering $8 million in rewards for information that leads to the arrest, conviction, or financial disruption of key leaders of the Clan Del Golfo’s human smuggling operation.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks at the Elder Justice Coordinating Council on June 12, 2024, marking the first time the Council convened at the Department of Justice.
At a meeting of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, 17 federal agencies, including the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, reviewed a decade of expanded efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. These efforts have encompassed enforcement, public education, training, interagency collaboration, research, and support for older adults at risk of or experiencing abuse.
The Justice Department announced it has charged over 500 defendants under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first standalone federal statute specifically designed to target unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
On Thursday, June 6, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer convened the Justice Department’s Reproductive Rights Task Force (RRTF) to discuss ongoing efforts to protect reproductive freedoms under federal law. The RRTF, chaired by Acting Associate Attorney General Mizer, was established in July 2022 following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
The Justice Department has announced the launch of Access DOJ, a new initiative led by the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ). This initiative aims to enhance access to Justice Department programs and services through human-centered design.
Fourteen indictments were unsealed today, charging 47 alleged members of an Imperial Valley, California-based drug distribution network linked to the Sinaloa Cartel with offenses including drug trafficking, firearms violations, and money laundering.
The leader of a migrant smuggling organization was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for her role in smuggling over 100 migrants from Honduras to the United States for profit.
A Huntington Beach, California man was arrested today on federal charges related to sending threats to individuals and knowingly making false bomb threats. Kevin Dunlow, age 62, is charged in a complaint unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of North Carolina following his arrest in California. He will have his initial appearance today, and his detention hearing will be set at a later date.
The Justice Department announced a multi-agency law enforcement action targeting armed drug trafficking networks in Washington, D.C., resulting in 24 arrests over the past nine days. This follows an increase in law enforcement resources and tools announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in January to combat violent crime in the area.
David DePape, a 44-year-old resident of Richmond, California, was sentenced to 360 months in prison and five years of supervised release today. This sentence follows his conviction on charges of assault and attempted kidnapping related to an incident that occurred on October 28, 2022. On this date, DePape trespassed into the home of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today convened a meeting of the Election Threats Task Force. The task force, established in June 2021, has been spearheading the Department's efforts to counter threats of violence against election workers and ensure their ability to perform their duties without fear or intimidation.
A Mexican national, accused of supplying the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG or Jalisco Cartel) with precursor chemicals for controlled substances production, was extradited from Mexico to Washington, D.C., today to face trial. Francisco Pulido Coracero, 66, is set to make his initial court appearance on May 13 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya in the District of Columbia.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland joined international and national partners at the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG) Annual Principals Meeting this week. The meeting focused on discussions surrounding technology, innovation, encryption, and their impacts on global safety.ICE Acting Director Lechleitner highlighted the importance of FELEG partnerships in enhancing law enforcement investigations on a global scale and increasing cooperation between partner nations. He stated, “FELEG partnerships enhance law enforcement investigations on the national and...
On May 1, 2024, the Justice Department held a significant meeting with Jewish community stakeholders, coinciding with the commencement of Jewish American Heritage Month. The gathering was aimed at addressing the surge in antisemitic hate crimes and ensuring the safety and well-being of Jewish communities across the nation.During the meeting, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland reiterated the Department's commitment to combating antisemitic hate crimes. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division provided insights into the...
