Two Chinese nationals, Lu Jianwang and Chen Jinping, have been arrested on charges of operating an illegal police station in New York City to monitor and intimidate critics of the Chinese government. The FBI raided the station last October and more than three dozen officers with China’s national police force have been charged with using social media to harass dissidents inside the United States. The arrests are a reminder of the Chinese government's efforts to monitor and intimidate its critics in the United States.
Posts tagged as “The Justice Department”
The US Justice Department has charged 34 officers of the Chinese national police with operating an illegal police station in New York City to intimidate and silence dissidents. Two of the defendants have been arrested by the FBI and are expected to appear in federal court in New York. The US Attorney in the Eastern District of New York has said that the US government will not tolerate any foreign interference in its internal affairs.
Tennessee Air National Guardsman Arrested and Charged with Applying to be a Hitman on Parody Website
Tennessee Air National Guardsman Arrested and Charged with Applying to be a Hitman on Parody Website
Josiah Ernesto Garcia, a 21-year-old Tennessee Air National Guardsman, was arrested and charged Thursday after applying to be a hitman on rentahitman.com, a parody website. Garcia indicated in February that he had “military experience, and rifle expertise” and requested an “in depth job description.” He is currently being held in the Washington County Detention Center and is facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The U.S. Justice Department has charged 28 members and leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, including three sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, with fentanyl trafficking, weapons and money laundering. The Chapitos are accused of fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, and more charges are expected to be filed in the future as part of the Justice Department's larger effort to combat the opioid crisis in the United States.
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.
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.