MIAMI, Florida, March 22 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations worked with international partners to seize 4,294 pounds (1,948 kilograms) of cocaine on March 6 off the coast of the British Virgin Islands, denying transnational criminal organizations approximately $48.7 million. A National Air Security Operations aircrew detected suspicious vessel activity near   more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued the following enforcement news release: . -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida entered a consent order on March 20 imposing a permanent injunction, civil monetary penalty, restitution, and equitable relief against (Carvajales), a resident of Florida. The order requires Carvajales to pay $2.4 million in restitution to defrauded customers and  more

MIAMI, Florida, March 23 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release: On March 21, an inmate serving a 60-month sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Miami pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. During a routine search at FCI Miami, correctional officers found Pedro Jose Collazo-Prieto with more than 50 grams of cocaine, divided among 21 plastic baggies, and one large  more

OCALA, Florida, March 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Nicole Harding (38, Clermont) on an indictment charging her with one count of wire fraud. If convicted, Harding faces up to 20 years in federal prison. According to court records, between March 28 and April 14, 2021, Harding devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting a  more

MIAMI, Florida, March 23 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release: On March 20, a Miami pawn shop owner was charged by criminal complaint with money laundering and operating a money transmitting business without a license. As alleged in the criminal complaint and underlying criminal complaint affidavit, Andrey Perov, 38, of Miami, Florida, owned Bee Pawn LLC, a pawn shop in Miami and Hard Rock Giffies, a pawn shop in Hollyw  more

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, March 16 -- The U.S. Central Command issued the following news release: TAMPA, Fla. - On March 16, between 7:50 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched two unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV) from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea. United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and destroyed one UAV and the other is presumed to have crashed into the Red Sea. There were no reports of damage or injuries fr  more

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, March 16 -- The U.S. Central Command issued the following news release: TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on March 16, 2024, at 11:58 a.m. (Gaza time) to provide essential relief to civilians in Gaza affected by the ongoing conflict. The combined joint operation included Jordanian provided food and a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft. A U.S. C-130 dropped 16 3  more

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, March 21 -- The U.S. Central Command issued the following news release: TAMPA, Fla. - On March 21, between 8:50 a.m. and 11:40 a.m. (Sanaa time), a coalition aircraft successfully engaged and destroyed one unmanned surface vessel (USV) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. Additionally, coalition forces successfully engaged and destroyed two anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi te  more

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, March 21 -- The U.S. Central Command issued the following news release: TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command conducted an air drop of humanitarian assistance into Northern Gaza on March 21, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. (Gaza time) to provide essential relief to civilians affected by the ongoing conflict. The joint operation included two C-17 U.S. Air Force aircraft, and U.S. Army Soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of U.S humanitarian assistance supplies. U.S. C-17s dr  more

TYNDALL AFB, Florida, March 23 -- The U.S. Air Force Tyndall Air Force Base (325th Fighter Wing) issued the following news: By Airman 1st Class Zeeshan Naeem, 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Airmen from the 95th Fighter Squadron and Fighter Generation Squadron recently executed their first F-35A Lightning training deployment to Truax Field, Wisconsin Air National Guard Base, March 1-16, 2024. This mission marks the first off-station flying training event for Tyndall's F-35A Lightning II mis  more

TAMPA, Florida, March 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced James Eugene Smith (44, Wimauma) to eight years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The court also ordered Smith to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Smith entered a guilty plea on December 18, 2023. According to court documents, in the early morning hours of January 14,   more