The U.S. Justice Department and Treasury Department have announced a major crackdown on the Sinaloa cartel, with charges filed against four sons of imprisoned drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and sanctions imposed against two Chinese companies and five people in China and Guatemala. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the charges are part of a larger effort to combat the trafficking of fentanyl coming north into the U.S. while also cracking down on the trafficking of guns going south into Mexico. The Biden administration has said it is committed to strengthening cooperation with Mexico to combat the trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs.
Posts tagged as “The Justice Department”
The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in an emergency dispute over a Texas judge's ruling which prevents pregnant women from obtaining the key abortion drug mifepristone by mail. The Justice Department argues that the ruling countermands the FDA's scientific judgment and would make it more difficult for women to access the drug, particularly in rural areas. The Supreme Court has yet to respond to the motion, which if accepted, would put the lower court ruling on hold and allow women to continue to access the drug by mail.
The Justice Department has announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reimposed restrictions on mifepristone, commonly known as the abortion pill. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department "strongly disagrees" with the court's decision and will be asking the Supreme Court to intervene. The FDA's decision to lift restrictions on mifepristone had been welcomed by abortion rights advocates, and the Supreme Court's decision on the case could have a major impact on the availability of the drug.
President Joe Biden has expressed concern over the recent leak of classified US documents, and has indicated that the Justice Department's investigation of the leaker is "getting close" to a conclusion. The FBI has reportedly narrowed the number of people they believe could be responsible, and the investigation is being conducted by the Intelligence Committee and the Justice Department. It is unclear what the consequences for the leaker may be, or what impact the leak may have on US foreign policy.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a temporary reprieve to access to the abortion pill mifepristone, allowing the FDA's initial approval of the drug to remain in place but with tighter rules than before. The ruling leaves considerable uncertainty over access to the drug, but it does provide a temporary solution until the full case is heard.
A federal appeals court has partially granted a request to freeze parts of a Texas judge’s order that would have suspended the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a medication abortion drug, mifepristone. The court’s order will keep the approval in effect and the drug on the market while an expedited appeal plays out, but under tighter rules that would allow the drug only to be dispensed up to seven weeks, not 10, and not by mail. The decision is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Nine media organizations, including CNN, have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the FBI and US Attorney's Offices at the Justice Department for access to surveillance tapes of the Capitol Hill riot on January 6, 2021. The tapes, which have been provided exclusively to Fox News, contain 44,000 hours of footage and the plaintiffs argue that they should be made available to all media outlets. The lawsuit argues that the tapes are of public interest and the media outlets have diligently sought access to them for the past two years.
The FBI is investigating a major leak of classified Pentagon documents that have been shared on social media sites, which the Justice Department is looking into. CBS News has reviewed some of the leaked documents, and the Biden administration is assessing and containing the fallout. The Pentagon is reviewing the matter and tightening the flow of such documents, while the FBI is trying to track down the source of the leak.