Russia's Man Of War: My Crime Beat Column On Viktor Bout, AKA, 'The Death Merchant'

I doubt that former President Biden read “Trump: The Art of the Deal.” If he had, I suspect that he would not have authorized the swap of Russian international arms dealer Viktor Bout for Brittany Griner, an American woman professional basketball player who was sentenced to a Russian prison for nine years for possession of vape cartridges that contained hashish oil.

Back in April 2012, then-DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart announced that Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiring to sell millions of dollars’ worth of weapons, including hundreds of surface-to-air missiles and over 20,000 AK-47s to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (the “FARC”), a designated foreign terrorist organization based in Colombia. Bout had been arrested in Thailand after a DEA-led sting operation caught him negotiating a deal with a DEA asset posing as a FARC representative. He had been convicted on November 2, 2011 of all four counts for which he was charged.

According to Ms. Leonhart, Bout understood that the weapons would be used to kill Americans in Colombia.

“The crimes Viktor Bout committed represent the worst-case scenario for modern law enforcement--the merger of criminal international narcotics cartels with their terrorism enablers,” Ms. Leonhart said. “But his sentencing today also reflects the best of modern international law enforcement-- sophisticated, determined, and coordinated. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of criminal investigators and prosecutors in the United States, Thailand, Romania, Curacao and elsewhere, the ‘Merchant of Death’ has finally been held to account in a court of law for his years of profiteering from death and misery around the world.” 

Cathy Scott-Clark, a British journalist and author, offers an in-depth look at the Russian arms dealer in “Russia’s Man of War: The Extraordinary Viktor Bout.” Traveling to Russia, she secured a series of interviews with Bout, his wife and daughter and some of his associates.

“Bout insisted that during the early days, when he flew weapons to dictators and murderous rebel armies all over Africa, he was simply a businessman helping post-colonial proto-communist liberation movements defend themselves in government-to-government deals,” Ms. Scott-Clark writes in the book. “The West was often arming the other side of right-wing regimes and authoritarian rulers. Amid the decay that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the atomization of its client states rose warlords and new political fronts. Bout, who flew carriers into these new conflicts, claimed he was not responsible for what warlords and presidents did with the weapons, and he denied profiting from blood diamonds or arming child soldiers. He was simply a logistician, not the buyer, the seller, or the wielder of arms. His specialty was identifying “sweet spot” opportunities to make money with his air fleet, and he had fully intended to continue until someone stopped him.

“The U.S. government saw things differently. The CIA, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Departments of the Treasury and Justice blamed Bout for hundreds of thousands of deaths—for arming rampaging militias, who raped and tortured—even though the United States was by far the world’s most prolific arms supplier. By 2023, Washington would be exporting $238 billion in arms a year, including almost unimaginable sums to Israel. In almost all locations where Bout had ventured, the United States had been arming the other side, often using proxies and cut-outs to transship weapons invisibly. Sometimes, they would be competing to assist the same side, and to claim the same assets in payment, mining concessions, or precious stones.”

Ms. Scott-Clark notes that by the time Bout was 30, he was a multimillionaire and was known throughout the world as the “merchant of death.”

“He was a KGB officer, agent, or asset, doing the Kremlin’s bidding and endangering the West, said the White House. He was a terrorist facilitator and fire-lighting numerous conflicts raging across sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, said U.N. weapons inspectors. He was an amoral master criminal and the world’s most prolific arms trafficker, according to the U.S. State Department, Interpol, the CIA, and MI6. At first, he enjoyed the notoriety, but later it cost him his fortune and his liberty. The more Bout protested his innocence, the more the West denounced him. After 9/11, the U.S. National Security Council described him as the second-most dangerous man in the world after Osama bin Laden. In 2005, Nicholas Cage portrayed Bout in the Hollywood blockbuster Lord of War.”

Ms. Scott-Clark strikes me as biased against the U.S., but to her credit, she offers a counterbalance to her interviews with Bout with extensive interviews with DEA special agents and other U.S. officials who took Bout down. 

Russia’s Man of War: The Extraordinary Viktor Bout

Cathy Scott-Clark 

Hurst, $34.99, 360pp

Operation Midnight Hammer: Defense Department Officials Laud Success Of U.S. Strike on Iran Nuke Sites

The Defense Department released the photos and information below:

During a press conference at the Pentagon today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, lauded the success of the U.S. Central Command's overnight strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities. 

Dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer," Centcom deployed multiple combined assets to inflict significant damage at the sites of Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. 

"The order we received from our commander in chief was focused, it was powerful and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program," Hegseth said at the outset of his remarks, also noting that the operation did not target Iranian troops or citizens. 

"Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," Caine told the media. 

After proceeding quietly and with minimal communication for 18 hours from the U.S. to the target area, the first of seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped two 30,000 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator "bunker buster" bombs at the Fordo site yesterday at approximately 6:40 p.m. EDT, Caine said.  

The initial mission package also included several decoy aircraft that flew west over the Pacific Ocean as "a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and CENTCOM commanders," Caine said.

Such tactics were also used in support of the main strike package of aircraft. 

"The U.S. employed several deception tactics — including decoys — as the fourth and fifth generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats," Caine said. 

Following the initial strike on Fordo, the remaining B-2s went on to deploy their ordnance, eventually totaling 14 MOPs hitting the targeted areas.

This was the first operational use of the GBU-57 MOP, Caine noted.  

In addition to the MOPs, Caine said a U.S. submarine operating in Centcom's area of responsibility launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles at key infrastructure targets at the Isfahan site, bringing the overall total of precision-guided weapons employed during the operation to approximately 75. 

Caine stated there was no detectable retaliation to the strikes. 

"We are unaware of any shots fired at the package on the way out. Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not see us," he said, adding, "Throughout the mission, we maintained the element of surprise."

Both Hegseth and Caine shared praise for the military personnel who worked to execute the mission. 

"I want to recognize the pilots who flew those bombers, who flew those fighters, who flew those refuelers; warriors. I want to recognize the sailors on those destroyers, in those subs, on those carriers; warriors, all of them," Hegseth said, also recognizing soldiers who conducted air and base defense. 

"Every American involved in this operation performed flawlessly," he added, also giving recognition to the Israeli government for its contribution to the positioning and preparation of the effort." 

"This was a complex and high-risk mission, carried out with exceptional skill and discipline by our joint force," Caine said, also noting that the mission demonstrated the "unmatched reach, coordination and capability of the United States military." 

"In just a matter of weeks, this went from strategic planning to global execution," he said, adding that he concurs with President Donald J. Trump's assessment that "no other military in the world could have done this." 

When asked about the overall intent of the strikes, Hegseth said the mission was specifically focused on preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. 

"This mission was not, and has not been, about regime change. The president authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program and the collective self-defense of our troops and our ally, Israel," Hegseth said. 

As to the potential for Iran attempting retaliation for the U.S. strikes, Caine said Centcom is operating under elevated force protection measures throughout the Middle East region and that any retaliation by Iran or its proxies would be "an incredibly poor choice." 

"We will defend ourselves. The safety of our service members and civilians remains our highest priority," he said.

President Trump Bombs Iran

President Trump announced that he ordered the bombing of Iran.

You can listen to a Fox News report via the link below:

BREAKING: US launches attack against Iranian nuclear sites | Fox News Video

 

My Threatcon Column: Another Terrorism Plot Against A U.S. Military Base

My latest Threatcon column was posted on Counterterrorism magazine’s website.

You can read the column via the link below or the text below:

IACSP - ThreatCon Articles

In the latest issue of the Journal, I covered the terrorist plot against the Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois. Xuanyu Harry Pang, a former U.S, Navy sailor, planned the attack purportedly on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

You can read the piece via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: Raven Pleads Guilty: My Counterterrorism Magazine Piece On The Former Navy Sailor Who Planned An Attack On The Great Lakes Naval Station

Pang pleaded guilty to conspiring to and attempting to willfully injure and destroy national defense material, national defense premises, and national defense utilities, with the intent to injure, interfere with, and obstruct the national defense of the United States.

The story was of particular interest to me as I attended “Boot Camp” at the Great Lakes Naval Recruit Training Center in 1970.

I spent more than 37 years living and working on military bases. Beginning with my selling Philadelphia newspapers as a teenager at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in the mid-1960s, I went on to serve as a young, enlisted sailor on a variety of bases both overseas and in America. I later served on military bases as a Defense Department civilian employee. 

Performing security work as the administrative officer of a Defense Department command on the compound of the Defense Personnel Support Center in South Philadelphia, locally known as the “Quartermaster,” and later at the Naval Support Activity in Northeast Philadelphia, I helped plan and execute security policies and procedures to protect the property and personnel on the military bases. 

So, I was concerned when it was reported that yet another man was arrested for planning a terrorist attack on a military base in Michigan. 

Last month the Justice Department announced that Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said (seen in the above photo), 19, a former member of the Michigan Army National Guard, was arrested  after he attempted to carry out a plan to conduct a mass-shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Michigan on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization.

Said is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device.

“This defendant is charged with planning a deadly attack on a U.S. military base here at home for ISIS,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, we foiled the attack before lives were lost. We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the Department to find and prosecute those who seek to harm our men and women in the military and to protect all Americans.”

U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan added, “ISIS is a brutal terrorist organization which seeks to kill Americans. Helping ISIS or any other terrorist organization prepare or carry out acts of violence is not only a reprehensible crime – it is a threat to our entire nation and way of life. Our office will not tolerate such crimes or threats, and we will use the full weight of the law against anyone who engages in terrorism.”

Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division noted, “The defendant allegedly tried to carry out an attack on a military facility in support of ISIS, which was disrupted thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners. The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to detect and stop terrorist plans aimed at the American homeland or at U.S. interests overseas.”

According to the Justice Department, Said informed two undercover law enforcement officers of a plan he had devised and formulated to conduct a mass-shooting at the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) facility at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan.

“In April 2025, the two undercover officers indicated they intended to carry out Said’s plan at the direction of ISIS. In response, Said provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter TACOM and which building to target,” the Justice Department stated.

“On May 13^th, the scheduled day of the attack, Said was arrested after he traveled to an area near TACOM and launched his drone in support of the attack plan,” the Justice Department stated. “He will make his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of Michigan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will be asking the court to hold Said in pretrial detention because of his danger to the community and the risk that he will flee.”  

Based on the charges, Said faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count if convicted.

“The arrest of this former soldier is a sobering reminder of the importance of our counterintelligence efforts to identify and disrupt those who would seek to harm our nation,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “I commend the tireless work of our special agents and FBI partners who worked together to investigate and apprehend this individual. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to prevent similar incidents in the future. We urge all soldiers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to their chain of command, as the safety and security of our Army and our nation depends on our collective efforts to prevent insider threats.”

Paul Davis’ Threatcon column covers crime, espionage and terrorism.

The Devastating Effects Of Elder Abuse

Broad & Liberty ran my piece on elder abuse. 

You can read the piece via the below link or the below text:

Paul Davis: The devastating effects of elder abuse 

Some years ago, I attended a series of preliminary hearings at the 3rd police district in South Philadelphia as a reporter and crime columnist for the South Philadelphia American weekly newspaper. 

One of the hearings in particular was truly tragic. An elderly man stood sheepishly with his head hung low as his 40ish daughter and her husband were accused of stealing his monthly Social Security checks. As Social Security was his only income, he was left poor, hungry and neglected.

Later, while out on a ride-along with a 1st district sergeant. I accompanied the sergeant as he responded to a 911 call. The emergency call came from an elderly woman who told the sergeant that four young neighborhood men were entering her home without her permission. On several occasions, the men broke into her home and stole her cash and other valuables as she sat there meekly, unable to stop them. She feared for her life, as the men warned her not to call the police or they would hurt her. She was not physically harmed during the home invasions, but the thieves were leaving her without money for food and other necessities. She cried when she told the sergeant her sad story.

“If my husband were still alive, he would beat the crap out of these punks,” she told the sergeant.

The sergeant took her statement and description of the young men. He said that he would pass on his report to South Detectives and they would soon be calling on her. He also said that he would assign patrol officers to check in on her periodically. He assured her that the police would soon round up the heartless thieves. 

After all these years later, elderly people are still becoming the victims of elder abuse crimes.

June 15th was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and the FBI reminded us that this type of fraud takes many forms as criminals seek to take advantage of this vulnerable and growing population. 

“The FBI is committed to educating the public about these scams and investigating financial fraud schemes against seniors. Not only are there devastating financial consequences, but these victims and their loved ones can suffer great emotional and mental effects because of these scams,” the FBI stated.  

According to the FBI, the Bureau investigates various types of financial scams targeting seniors, including investment scams, technical/customer support schemes, money mule and romance scams, and others. 

The FBI pointed to the 2024 data from their Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). There was a total of $4.885 billion in losses from 147,127 complaints. This is a 46 percent increase in complaints from 2023, as well as a 43 percent increase in losses. The FBI stated that they will continue to work with local and federal partners to tackle elder fraud and stop those who attempt to harm the elderly. 

“Educating the American public, and specifically our seniors about the devastating effects of elder fraud schemes are critical to protecting them and their hard-earned money,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “There are far-reaching consequences of these elaborate schemes, which can decimate the life savings of the elderly. The FBI works with our local and federal partners to make sure our seniors, their caregivers, families and friends know the signs to look for to keep Americans safe from falling victim to these deceitful criminals.” 

According to the FBI, seniors are frequently targeted by criminal actors, as they are often perceived to be more polite and trusting. These actors may also assume that seniors are more financially stable, own real estate, spend a great deal of time alone, and are less likely to report fraud if they feel ashamed or are unfamiliar with reporting channels such as IC3.gov.  

The FBI noted that fraud can happen to anyone, and small steps can be taken to protect yourself and your information:   

·     Search online for the contact information (name, phone number, email, addresses) of any unknown source which reaches out to you, as well as the proposed offer. Verify the legitimacy of businesses on websites such as Better Business Bureau. Other people have likely posted information online about businesses and individuals attempting to run scams.  

·     Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to lure victims into immediate action, typically by instilling trust and inducing empathy or fear, or the promise of monetary gains, companionship, or employment opportunities.    

·     Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door service offers.  

·     Never give or send to unverified people or businesses any personally identifiable information, money, checks, gift cards, or wire information.  

·     Take precautionary measures to protect your identity should a criminal gain access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts and monitor them for suspicious activity.   

If you believe you are a victim of fraud, or know a senior who may be—regardless of financial loss—immediately report the incident to your local FBI field office or other law enforcement agency, or by calling 1-800-CALL FBI, or go online at tips.fbi.gov or go to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. 

Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes an online Crime Beat column. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.  

A Little Humor: Navy Boot Camp Medical Condition

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy when I was 17 in 1970. 

I attended Naval Recruit Training at Great Lakes, Illinois, which sailors call Boot Camp, back in February of 1970. 

I recall suffering through one particularly freezing and grueling day on the grinder, marching and doing strenuous exercises with a 12-pound rifle. 

I finally had enough and I told the drill instructor that I had a medical condition. He told me to report to sick bay. 

I saw a Navy corpsman in sick bay and I told him I had a back problem.

About a half hour later the corpsman ushered me into the Navy doctor's office. 

The doctor consulted a sheet and asked, "You have a back problem?" 

"Yes, Sir," I replied. "I wish I was back home in Philadelphia." 

Meet The FBI’s Newest Class Of Crisis Response Canines

The FBI offers a piece on two new recruits to the Bureau’s Victim Services Division:

The FBI’s Victim Services Division has welcomed two new recruits: yellow English Labradors named Taz and Peg. Taz and Peg join the FBI family as certified crisis response canines (CRCs). These dogs are specially trained to support victims of crime and foster trust among impacted communities. CRCs also help victims find the courage and confidence to share their experiences in sensitive settings, such as investigative interviews and on the witness stand in court.

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

Meet the FBI’s Newest Class of Crisis Response Canines — FBI

Afghan National Pleads Guilty To Plotting Election Day Terror Attack In The United States

The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, a native and citizen of Afghanistan, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Oklahoma City to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism.

“By pledging allegiance to ISIS and plotting an attack against innocent Americans on Election Day, this defendant endangered lives and gravely betrayed the nation that gave him refuge,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s guilty plea guarantees he will be held accountable, stripped of his immigration status, and permanently removed from the United States, and shows the Justice Department has zero tolerance for those who exploit our freedoms to spread violence.”

“The defendant admits he planned and obtained firearms to carry out a violent terror attack on Election Day in 2024, a plot that was detected and disrupted through the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Let this serve as notice to anyone who tries to conduct attacks in our homeland for ISIS or any other terror group: we will find you and you’ll face American justice. I want to commend the FBI teams and our partners for their hard work and success in executing the mission.”

“Through incredible law enforcement effort and coordination, a violent terrorist attack on American soil was thwarted, and those responsible are being held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “I commend the outstanding work by the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and prosecutors to diligently discover, thoroughly investigate, and completely foil this terror plot. These guilty pleas serve as an emphatic reminder that the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those who attempt to harm Americans through terrorist acts.”

“Thanks to outstanding work by the Oklahoma City Joint Terrorism Task Force, the defendant’s plan to kill innocent Americans in a terrorist attack on Election Day was stopped,” said Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The FBI is grateful to all who stand beside us in our fight against terrorism. Together, we will continue to safeguard our communities from those who conspire against the United States.”

According to court documents, Tawhedi admitted that between June 2024 and October 2024 he conspired with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and 10 magazines, with the intent to carry out a mass-casualty attack on or around Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, on behalf of ISIS.  According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed in the case, Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator about his plan to purchase firearms for use in the terror plot, including asking the individual whether 500 rounds of ammunition would be sufficient.

Tawhedi and his co-conspirator, Abdullah Haji Zada, were arrested on Oct. 7, 2024, after purchasing the firearms and ammunition from an undercover FBI employee.  Zada, 18, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to the firearms offense in connection with his role in the terror plot and is awaiting sentencing. Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult.

At sentencing, Tawhedi faces a maximum penalty 20 years in prison for the material support charge and up to 15 years in prison for the firearms charge. Zada faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Upon completion of any sentence, Tawhedi and Zada will be permanently removed from the United States and barred from reentry under stipulated judicial orders of removal to Afghanistan. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department, is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma; Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, who previously served in the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section; and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorney Mark Stoneman of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, who previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, also assisted with the prosecution. 

Celebrating Flag Day 2025

When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, the colonists weren’t fighting united under a single flag, notes History.com. 

Instead, most regiments participating in the war for independence against the British fought under their own flags. In June of 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to create the Continental Army—a unified colonial fighting force—with the hopes of a more organized battle against its colonial oppressors. This led to the creation of what was, essentially, the first “American” flag, the Continental Colors.

For some, this flag, which was comprised of 13 red and white alternating stripes and a Union Jack in the corner, was too similar to that of the British. George Washington soon realized that flying a flag that was even remotely close to the British flag was not a great confidence-builder for the revolutionary effort, so he turned his efforts towards creating a new symbol of freedom for the soon-to-be fledgling nation. 

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress took a break from writing the Articles of Confederation and passed a resolution stating that "the flag of the Unted States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white," and that "the union be 13 stars, white in blue field, representing a new constellation." 

Over 100 years later, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson marked the anniversary of that degree by officially establishing June 14 as Flag Day. 

Note: My beautiful and wonderful daughter pleased her patriotic father by being born on June 14^th, Flag Day, in 1987.  

Above is the Jasper John painting Three Flags.  

ICE Arrests Russian National Accused Of Being Member Of Al Qaeda In Philadelphia

Broad & Liberty ran my piece on ICE arresting a Russian national with Al Qaeda ties in Philadelphia. 

You can read the piece via the link below or the text below:

Paul Davis: ICE arrests local Russian national accused of al Qaeda membership

Back in June of 2015, Donald Trump, launching his presidential bid, criticized the Obama administration for allowing illegal immigrants to swarm across the southern border. He noted that Mexico was not sending the U.S. its best people.   

“They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume, are good people,” Trump said. “But I speak to border guards and they’re telling us what we’re getting,” he said.

President Trump, then and now, has been condemned by many for calling some of the illegal aliens drug traffickers, criminals and rapists. 

But looking at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) roundup of illegals these days, one can clearly see that President Trump was right. ICE has arrested many illegals with criminal records both here and in their home countries. The crimes range from murder to child rape to armed robbery.

As well as one illegal alien and accused terrorist who used a makeshift flame thrower and Molotov cocktails to attack Jews in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder, incidentally, is a sanctuary city.

On June 2, the Justice Department filed charges against illegal alien Mohammed Sabry Soliman, the alleged perpetrator of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Colorado.

“The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world.

“This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.”

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon also weighed in, stating “No American should experience violence motivated by hatred based on their faith or national origin, and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. There can be zero tolerance for such acts in our great nation.”

According to the Justice Department, Soliman is being charged with a federal hate crime in addition to facing state charges for attempted murder in Colorado.

And on June 3, ICE announced the arrest of another illegal alien, a Tajikistan-born Russian national who is wanted overseas, and who is suspected of ties to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, right here in Philadelphia. 

ICE announced that ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia, in partnership with the FBI, arrested a 39-year-old male, born in Tajikistan and a citizen of Russia, in the early morning hours on May 23. His name was not released.  

“Arresting individuals linked to terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda reaffirms our unwavering commitment to safeguard the homeland. Through close collaboration with our outstanding partners at the FBI, we have taken decisive action to make our communities safer and prevent potential threats to the American people,” said ERO Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “I commend the dedicated men and women of ICE and the FBI for their tireless efforts and steadfast resolve in protecting this great nation.

“This individual was first encountered at San Ysidro Pedestrian West point of entry in California March 21, 2023, where he was charged as an inadmissible alien under the Immigration and Nationality Act because he didn’t have an immigrant visa. He was served a notice to appear before an immigration judge and paroled into the United States. Tajikistan officials declared this individual a fugitive, wanted for organization of a criminal community. It is alleged that he is or was a member of Al-Qaeda. After his arrest, this individual was detained in ICE custody, where he will remain pending removal from the U.S.”

I wonder if the illegal alien with suspected ties to Al-Qaeda was planning a terrorist attack here in Philadelphia. Thankfully, ICE has rounded him up.

According to ICE, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers enforce immigration laws within the interior to preserve national security and public safety.

“ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including the identification, arrest, detention and removal of aliens who are subject to removal or are unlawfully present in the United States.

“Like all law enforcement agencies, ERO officers prioritize their enforcement actions based on agency and department priorities, funding and capacity. ERO operations are flexible enough to allow its officers to respond to events such as spikes in border crossings, modifications to U.S. laws, pandemics, and natural disasters at home and abroad.”

ICE’s ERO is super busy locking up the illegal alien drug traffickers, criminals and rapists that President Trump spoke of back in 2015, both here in Philadelphia and across the nation.    

Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes the “On Crime” column for the Washington Times. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.  

My Crime Fiction: 'Missing Muster'

The story below is another chapter from my novel, Olongapo, which I hope to soon publish. 

The story originally appeared in American Crime Magazine. 

Missing Muster

 By Paul Davis

As we were nearing the end of our WESTPAC (Western Pacific) 1970-1971 cruise, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk was on station in the Gulf of Tonkin, launching aircraft that performed combat sorties against the North Vietnamese. 

On the deck just below the flight deck, I was shifting through copies of message traffic at my small desk in the Message Processing Center. I came upon a copy of a message to the carrier’s captain that solved a mystery that had haunted the officers and men aboard the carrier since the beginning of the cruise in November of 1970. What happened to Seaman Moore? 

Seaman Martin Moore was one of only a few casualties we had suffered on the cruise. Thankfully, all of pilots had returned safely to the aircraft carrier after bombing raids over North Vietnam. Unlike some of the pilots from our sister carriers, our pilots hadn’t been shot down and killed or taken prisoner. 

As I read the message, I recalled the frantic search for Seaman Moore as we sailed from Hawaii to the Philippines prior to reporting on “Yankee Station” in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam. 

Aboard the ship at sea, sailors were gathered periodically in groups and attendance was taken in what was called “musters.” Musters were held at various times to account for all of the nearly 5,000 crew members and airwing personnel. On the third muster at sea, it was reported that Moore was missing. He had been accounted for in the first two musters held while the carrier was at sea.   

On the assumption that he had fallen accidentally overboard into the sea, aircraft was launched to scan the Pacific Ocean and look for the missing sailor. The ship was also searched, compartment by compartment, looking for the sailor. It was thought that he was perhaps dead or dying somewhere or he was hiding on the carrier to avoid work. 

When two Marines showed up at the Message Processing Center, Chief John Helm would not allow them into the center to search for Moore. Despite the order from the carrier’s captain to search all spaces aboard the ship, the chief stopped the Marines from entering the center as they did not possess the proper clearances to do so. The chief was backed up by LTJG Albert Moony. 

As the Marines, Chief Helm and LTJG Moony had a standoff in the passageway outside of the top-secret center, a call was put into the Marine commanding officer, who in turn called the ship’s captain. Commander Thomas Larkin, an officer on the captain’s staff, showed up along with the Marine commanding officer. 

Chief Helm was adamant. 

“These Marines are not cleared to enter the Message Processing Center,” Helm said. “We can’t allow them in.” 

“The chief is right, Sir,” Moony added. “This is a high security area.”  

Larkin told Helm and Moony that he was cleared to enter the center. He offered to go in and search in lieu of the Marines. Helm, Moony and the Marine commanding officer agreed. Chief Helm punched in the four digits on the security panel that opened the door to the center.    

Larkin entered the Message Processing Center and walked around with Moony and Helm, holding a photo of Moore. He showed the photo to the sailors in the center and asked us if we had seen him. 

I glanced at the photo and noted that Moore looked a lot like Alfred E. Neuman, MAD magazine’s goofy cartoon character who sprouted “What me worry?” 

Moore, like Neuman, had a mop of reddish-brown hair, gap buck teeth, big ears and a silly grin. 

Satisfied that the missing sailor was not in the center, Larkin thanked Helm and Moony and left the center. 

As the captain ordered, the entire aircraft carrier was searched. Moore was not found, so he was reported as missing at sea and presumed dead from drowning.

 

But according to the Naval Investigative Service report I was reading, Moore was alive and well in Honolulu.                       

According to the NIS report, Moore had deserted the ship when the carrier sailed from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii to Subic Bay in the Philippines. 

With images of World War II naval combat in his head, with sailors being killed from Imperial Japanese fire and sailors drowning as ships were sunk, Moore was frightened that he would die aboard the carrier in devastating combat with the North Vietnamese. 

Apparently, he didn’t know that the 7^th Fleet aircraft carriers operated in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam in a battle group. The carrier was not only protected by the ship’s aircraft, the carrier was also protected by destroyers, a submarine and other defenses. The North Vietnamese shot at the carrier pilots flying over North Vietnam, but they didn’t dare try to attack the aircraft carriers at sea. 

Moore did not discuss his great fears with anyone. If he had, they might have told him this. By all accounts, Moore was a dim lad. 

The NIS report stated that as Moore was a loner and did not have much of a social life, so he was able to save a good bit of money. As the Kitty Hawk was preparing to leave Pearl Harbor, Moore failed to report back onboard. Wearing civilian clothes, he checked into a cheap Honolulu hotel and hid out. 

For many months, he ate little, bought little, and spent his days on the Waikiki beach, watching the pretty girls in bikinis. He watched the girls, but he was far too shy to approach them or dare to speak to them. 

Moore had not contacted his family back in Boulder, Colorado. He didn’t know that the Navy had reported his presumed death to his parents, as he had not given a thought to how the Navy would respond to his missing status.  

Moore’s stay in Honolulu ended after two local thugs beat and robbed him. The thugs punched and kicked him and ripped his well-worn shirt. They took the money he had in his shirt pocket. They left him on the beach unconscious. The police took him to a hospital and as he lay unconscious, the police checked his pocket and found his Navy ID. 

The Honolulu police reported the incident to the NIS and the NIS ran his ID and discovered that Moore was listed as missing at sea. When Moore awoke, he saw two NIS special agents at his hospital bedside. They questioned him, and he confessed that he had not reported aboard the Kitty Hawk prior to the ship's sailing out for the Philippines.  

When he was released from the hospital, Moore was taken into custody by the NIS and charged with desertion.  

Who reported Moore present in the first two musters, or why, remained a mystery.           

     

Note: You can read other chapters via the below links: 

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Butterfly'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Salvatore Lorino'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: The Old Huk

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: Join The Navy And See Olongapo

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Boots On The Ground'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'The 30-Day Detail'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Cat Street'

Paul Davis On Crime: Chapter 12: On Yankee Station 

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'The Cherry Boy'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'The Hit'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: Welcome To Japan, Davis-San

Paul Davis On Crime: A Look Back At Life Aboard An Aircraft Carrier During The Vietnam War: 'The Compartment Cleaner'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Murder By Fire'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Admiral McCain'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Hit The Head' 

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'A Night At The Americano'  

Former CIA Analyst Sentenced To Over Three Years In Prison For Unlawfully Transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information

The Justice Department released the below information yesterday:

A former CIA analyst was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for unlawfully retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it, information which was publicly posted on social media platforms in October 2024.

According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) until his employment was terminated after his arrest.

“For months, this defendant betrayed the American people and the oaths he took upon entering his office by leaking some of our Nation’s most closely held secrets,” said John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “As this case demonstrates, the Department of Justice will continue to protect our nation by vigorously investigating and prosecuting leakers who compromise our nation’s security.”

“Asif Rahman violated his position of trust by illegally accessing, removing, and transmitting Top Secret documents vital to the national security of the United States and its allies,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The urgency with which Mr. Rahman was identified, arrested, charged, and prosecuted is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of the investigators and prosecutors who brought him to justice. This case should serve as a stern warning to those who choose to place their own goals over their allegiance to our nation.”

“By stealing and divulging classified information and then attempting to conceal his crimes, Asif Rahman not only violated the law; he also betrayed his oath as a government employee and his responsibility to the American people,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Now he will pay the price for putting American lives and U.S. national security at risk. Let this be a warning to all clearance holders: The FBI will exhaust all avenues to find and bring to justice anyone — no matter who they are — who endangers our nation by disclosing sensitive information without authorization."

On Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two Top Secret documents containing National Defense Information regarding a U.S. foreign ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. Rahman removed the documents, photographed them, and transmitted them to individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them.  By Oct. 18, 2024, the documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification markings. After Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman engaged in a deletion campaign of work product on his Top Secret work station.

In 2024, continuing through November, Rahman repeatedly accessed and printed classified National Defense Information, including documents classified up to the Top Secret and further compartmented levels, that he learned in the course of his employment and transmitted to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive it.

Rahman was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 7, 2024, and was arrested by the FBI as he arrived to work on Nov. 12, 2024. On Jan. 17, Rahman pleaded guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.