TUCSON, Arizona, May 31 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, Gary Restaino, issued the following news release: Sinisa Djurdjic, 50, of Tucson, Arizona, was convicted on May 19, 2023, by a federal jury on charges of Visa Fraud and Attempted Unlawful Procurement of Citizenship. The guilty verdicts came after a nine-day jury trial before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps. In 2009, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched an investigation upon receiving a roster of  more

FORT HUACHUCA, Arizona, June 2 -- The U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command issued the following story: By Enrique Tamez Vasquez, NETCOM Public Affairs Office This past winter the Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) Headquarters transitioned its Department of the Army (DA) civilian workforce to the Cyber Excepted Service (CES). This new personnel system, under the authority of the Secretary of Defense, provides advantageous human capital flexibilities and benefits for hir  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 1 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management's Arizona State Office issued the following news release on May 31, 2023: As part of the President's Investing in America agenda, the Bureau of Land Management will invest $15.2 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for the protection and conservation of wildlife habitats and recreation opportunities on public lands in Arizona. This funding will be focused in two landscape areas called Sky Islands and  more

DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, Arizona, June 2 -- The U.S. Air Force Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (355th Fighter Wing) issued the following news: The 66th Rescue Squadron inactivated during a ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, June 1, 2023 for the second time in the unit's history. The 66 RQS falls under the 355th Wing but is located at Nellis AFB. The inactivation opens up additional space for a larger fighter presence at Nellis AFB as it transitions to the Fifth Generation Center of Excellence.   more

DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, Arizona, May 31 -- The U.S. Air Force Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (355th Fighter Wing) issued the following news: By Airman 1st Class Devlin Bishop, 355th Wing Public Affairs In the United States Air Force, when one hears, "That others may live," they immediately think of rescue. The 79th Rescue Squadron at DM fulfills that mission, and more, by supporting and enacting rescue at a moment's notice. "The mission of the 79th RQS is to provide worldwide personnel recovery supp  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 3 -- The U.S. Justice Department's Drug Enforcement Administration's Phoenix Division issued the following news release: Steve Lugo Leon, 24, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 70 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Leon pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl. Leon's co-defendant, Ra  more

WASHINGTON, June 1 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued the following news release on May 31, 2023: Last week, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies announced the results of Operations Blue Lotus and Four Horsemen, surge efforts to curtail the flow of illicit fentanyl smuggled into the United States from Mexico, as the U.S. Department of Justice announced referrals for prosecution in cases stemming from the operations in Arizona and Southern California. In just two  more

LUKE AFB, Arizona, May 31 -- The U.S. Air Force's 56th Fighter Wing issued the following news: By Airman 1st Class Jakob Hambright, 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs The 62nd Fighter Squadron and 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit, assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, traveled to Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Oregon, to participate in off-station interoperability fighter pilot and Airmenship training with the 173rd Fighter Wing of the Oregon ANG on May 9-19,   more

LAKEWOOD, Colorado, June 2 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Mountain Regional Field Office issued the following news release: In July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey approximately 1,700 cattle operations across the Mountain Region states of Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, to provide an up-to-date measure of the United States cattle inventory. "Th  more

LAKEWOOD, Colorado, June 2 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Mountain Regional Field Office issued the following news release: Thousands of milk producers across the country, including approximately 500 producers in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming will receive surveys from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), as the agency collects information for the July 2023 Milk  more

WASHINGTON, June 1 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board issued the following news release on May 31, 2023: The Surface Transportation Board's Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) today issued a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed construction of a new rail line in Mesa, Arizona by Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP). The Draft EA analyzes the potential environmental and historic impacts of approximately 6 miles of new rail line to connect UP  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release: Steve Lugo Leon, 24, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 70 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Leon pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl. Leon's co-defendant, Rafael Ivan Valenzuela   more

TUCSON, Arizona, June 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release: Miguel Armando Castro, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker, to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Castro pleaded guilty to Smuggling Goods from the United States. On January 19, 2022, Castro attempted to exit the United States in  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release: Adren Yazzie, 39, of Blue Gap, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 15.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Yazzie pleaded guilty to second degree murder. In June 2022, Yazzie struck the victim in the head multiple times with a shovel, killing him. Both Yazzie and the victim are members of the Navajo  more