Category Archives: Military

How About Consulting FBI and SOCOM on Immigration

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Homeland Security and Homeland Defense cannot be divided, one relies on the other.

For starters, the FBI has had a long term operation in Central America. The FBI declares the gang operations for instance in El Salvador does affect public safety in America.

“Many of the gang members committing these homicides are 13-, 14-, and 15-year-olds,” he explained, “and every day there are new members coming in.”

“We aren’t facing a group of youths who are rebelling, but a very structured organization conducting criminal activities,” said Luis Martinez, El Salvador’s attorney general and the country’s highest ranking law enforcement officer. “They are using military-grade weapons, and they are using them against the police, military, and prosecutors.”

MS-13 and 18th Street gang members have gained a foothold in numerous U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, Charlotte, Newark, and the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. They commit a variety of crimes—mainly trafficking drugs and extorting individuals and business owners—and they maintain strong ties to Central America.

The program is called Central American Law Enforcement Exchange (CALEE).

The success of the Central American Law Enforcement Exchange (CALEE) program hinges on bringing together U.S. and Central American law enforcement officers who share a common cause in the fight against violent transnational gangs. During the most recent CALEE, an important new partner was added to the group—prosecutors.

“We have seen that when prosecutors and investigators work together from the outset, cases tend to have more successful outcomes,” said Special Agent Grant Mann, who helped plan and administer CALEE 2015, the sixth session since the program began in 2009.

In the U.S, it is typical for FBI agents and prosecutors to sit down at the beginning of an investigation to discuss possible charges and investigative strategies. Historically, that collaborative process is less common in Central America—but thanks to programs such as CALEE, it is gaining acceptance.

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At Joint Task Force-Bravo which is located at Soto Cano Air Base, Hondura, the task force supports training engagements, counterdrug missions and humanitarian and disaster relief efforts in Central America.

Southern Command continues support for Guatemala’s counter trafficking efforts, human rights efforts and future U.S. military engagement activities. Guatemalan police unit and an interagency task force – both focused on countering illicit traffickers in the nation in cooperation with the U.S. military.

Additionally, in El Salvador we have partnerships that provides key support to regional counter illicit trafficking efforts. The U.S. military has a Cooperative Security Location hosted at Comalapa International Airport where U.S. aircraft fly missions to detect, monitor and track aircraft or vessels engaged in illicit drug trafficking in the region.

File photo of the Curacao/Aruba Cooperative Security Location. (U.S. Air Force photo)

The CSLs are not bases.  They are tenant activities on existing airfields whose purpose is to support CTOC missions (see more on SOUTHCOM’s role in Countering Transnational Criminal Organizations).

U.S. Southern Command oversees the operations from the CSLs.  The Key West, Fla.-based Joint Interagency Task Force South coordinates U.S. aircraft usage and operations.

From these locations, U.S. detection and monitoring aircraft fly missions to detect, monitor and track aircraft or vessels engaged in illicit drug trafficking. The unarmed aircraft offer unique surveillance capabilities that support and compliment the counter-drug efforts of partner nation law enforcement agencies. (Note: Host nation officials are responsible for decisions to interdict suspected traffickers within their borders/airspace, and U.S. law enforcement agencies lead interdiction efforts in international waters.)

U.S. military, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S Customs personnel operate from the CSLs to support the U.S. aircraft and to coordinate communications and information.   More here.

The House Armed Services Committee is chaired by Democrat Adam Smith. Back in May of 2019, Chairman Smith admitted several crisis conditions in Central America, the Southern border and Latin America. This included the flow of migrants and the flaws of the asylum laws. However, Congressman Adam Smith still blames the Trump White House for the cause of the crisis.

There continues to be particular focus and resource attention on Venezuela which does affect other neighboring countries. Southern Command leader Adm. Faller declares that Iran, China and Russia exacerbate the problems not only in Venezuela but also in Central America. This rogue foreign actor declaration was also validated by other national security experts in the hearing, noting Kathryn Wheelbarger, acting assistant defense secretary for international security affairs and Kenneth Rapuano, assistant secretary for homeland defense and global security.

Wray’s Senate Testimony on China

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Two significant items that prove Chinese espionage activities in the United States: a) Chinese Talent Plan b) Corporate Party Cells

This website has published several articles regarding the Chinese propaganda operation in the U.S. public school system and up to and including the university level.

As part of the Chinese mission to steal intellectual property beyond the insertion of censorship, culture and propaganda, China has at least two other successful objectives, the talent plan and the party cells.

China’s New Talent Policy: Objectives and Opportunities ...

A 5 page summary document on the talent plan is found here.

(U) Chinese Talent Programs are a vital part of Chinese industry. Talent programs recruit experts to fill technical jobs that drive innovation and growth in China’s economy. National, provincial, and municipal talent recruitment programs provide opportunities for experts to work in industry and academic organizations supporting key areas deemed critical to China’s development. The talent programs recruit experts globally from businesses, industry, and universities with multiple incentives to work in China. Associating with these talent programs is legal and breaks no laws; however, individuals who agree to the Chinese terms must understand what is and is not legal under US law when sharing information. A simple download of intellectual property (IP) or proprietary information has the potential to become criminal activity.

(U//FOUO) The large number of foreign students, researchers, scientists, and professionals in the United States, combined with current technological capabilities, allows foreign governments to contact and recruit individuals with the hopes to acquire advanced technology without research costs. While the majority of the population are law abiding individuals, anyone has the capability to acquire information. The theft of information can come from current or former employees, business partners, consultants, contractors, temporary hires, foreign agents, suppliers, or even vendors who have access to proprietary information. Read on here.

Per the applied website:

China initiated “the Recruitment Program of Global Experts” (known as “the Thousand Talents Plan”) since the end of 2008, under which it would bring in overseas top talents to China over the next five to ten years. Relying upon National Key Innovation Projects, National Key Disciplines and National Key Laboratories, central SOEs and state-owned commercial and financial institutions, and various industrial parks( mainly the high-tech development zones), this plan called for strategic scientists or leading talents who can make breakthroughs in key technologies or can enhance China’s high-tech industries and emerging disciplines.

By the end of May 2014,more than 4180 overseas high-level talents have been introduced in “1000 Talent Plan” by 10 times. When they go (back) to China, they are playing a positive role in the scientific innovation, technological breakthrough, discipline construction, talent training and hi-tech industry development, as an important force in the construction of the innovative country.

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May Day Story: Chinese Government’s Communist ‘Party Cells ...

As for the Party cells, China, Inc. meaning all Chinese corporations/businesses are to have a department or cell within the company that is a mobilized team ensuring all business activities and employees adhere to the Communist Party mandates.

In November, at the most important Communist Party meeting, which takes place every five years, Mr. Xi called on officials to strengthen the party in “government, the military, society and schools, north, south, east and west.” The message was quick to reach party members lower down in the ranks.

Soon after Mr. Xi’s speech, party officials in the central province of Hunan issued a notice to members instructing them to write the party into legal documents for private and state-owned companies alike. The document was accidentally made public when a local state-owned newspaper published it, but it was quickly taken down.

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In July, executives from more than a dozen top European companies in China met in Beijing to discuss their concerns about the growing role of the party in their local operations, Reuters reported.

One senior executive whose company was represented at the meeting told Reuters some firms were under “political pressure” to revise terms of their joint ventures with state-owned partners to allow the party the final say over business operations and investment decisions.

The business component with the party cells is quite important to consider when there is Chinese investment in the United States. When it comes to foreign applications, the U.S. Treasury may need to alter the approval process for all things China inside the United States given the history of theft. As for schools and business, it may be a consideration for the Chinese government to put up an export bond. Consider this is all going on as China defense industry is now the top arms maker ahead of all Western military contractors and manufacturers.

The Other Items Complicating a China Trade Deal

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Beyond the traditional trade talks between the U.S. Trade Representative and envoy with Beijing, there are complicating factors that enter into the debates and it is generally dealing with military aggression and espionage. So consider the following items:

  1. New Delhi: China has recently leased vast tracts of land along the coast of the Koh Kong province of Cambodia to turn into a seaside resort. An area of 45,000 hectares — 20 per cent of the coastline — has been leased for 40 years for a paltry annual rent of US $1 million.

    A Chinese private company called Union Development Group (UDG) is undertaking the project, named the Dara Sakor Seashore Resort Long Term Project.

    However, there has also been increased military cooperation between Beijing and Phnom Penh, and the US has raised concerns, with Vice-President Mike Pence writing to Cambodian PM Hun Sen that these facilities could be put to military use.

    Paul Chambers, professor of international affairs at the Naresuan University in Thailand, has claimed that senior Cambodian officials privately admitted that Hun Sen was considering approving a Chinese naval base at Kiri Sakor. The Chinese resort in Cambodia that can overnight be ...

    Hun Sen has claimed there are no foreign troops on Cambodian soil, but China has been accused of using debt traps to get its way. And according to satellite imagery accessed by ThePrint, there is a real possibility of the resort project currently under construction turning into a Chinese military base.

  2.   BRUSSELS (Reuters) – China’s ZTE opened a cybersecurity lab in Brussels on Wednesday, aiming to boost transparency four months after bigger telecoms equipment rival Huawei [HWT.UL] did the same to allay concerns about spying.Chinese vendors of network gear are being scrutinized by the United States and some of its allies who believe the equipment could be used by Beijing to spy on customers if deployed in 5G networks, which are beginning to be built around the world.

    Huawei, the world’s biggest maker of telecoms network gear, has been blacklisted by the U.S. government, meaning that U.S. companies need special approval – which they are unlikely to get – to export products to the Chinese company.

  3. The Chinese military has deployed military personnel and armored medical vehicles to Germany for joint drills, a first for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army as it attempts to forge closer ties with Europe.

    The joint exercise — Combined Aid 2019 — is focused on preparing troops with the medical service units of the Chinese and German armed forces to respond to humanitarian crises, such as mass casualty incidents and serious disease outbreaks, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported.

    The exercise follows a cooperative military medical training exercise in 2016 in Chongqing, where the PLA and the German Bundeswehr practiced responding to an imaginary earthquake scenario.

  4. Over one million Uyghurs and Muslims from other ethnic minority groups have been detained by the Chinese government and sent to “re-education” internment camps. Sources indicate that detainees are psychologically and physically abused. Uyghurs outside the camps in Xinjiang are also not free, as they are kept under constant surveillance, often using advanced technology. The Chinese government is increasingly testing this technology in Xinjiang and exporting it nationally and globally, with concerning implications for democracy and human rights.
  5. (UPI) — China is condemning a recent U.S. decision to sell $2.2 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan, saying the “reckless” policy tampers with Chinese sovereignty.

    Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday at a regular press briefing China opposes U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, a country China recognizes as a breakaway province.

    “The United States has recklessly interfered in Chinese domestic affairs,” Geng said. “It has undermined China’s sovereignty and security interests.”

    The U.S. State Department on Monday approved two potential arms sales to Taiwan, worth $2.2 billion.

    The weapons to be sold to Taiwan include 108 Abrams tanks, 250 Stinger missiles and related equipment.

    On Tuesday Geng reminded reporters Beijing does not recognize Taiwanese sovereignty.

    “Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory,” the foreign ministry spokesman said. “Do not underestimate the Chinese government and the people’s will to defend national sovereignty and territory.”

    Geng added the United States was in “severe violation” of Beijing’s “One-China” policy.

    Tensions have grown between Taiwan and China since President Tsai Ing-wen assumed office in 2016.

    Tsai’s recent decision to stay in the United States for four nights during a “layover” has angered China. Beijing, under its law, bans the Taiwanese leader from making contact with U.S. politicians.

 

UN Report of Killing Squads and Deaths in Venezuela

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Primer:

Venezuelan security forces have been sending death squads to commit extrajudicial killings of young men, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday. The crime scenes are then staged to make it look like the victims were resisting arrest.

Caracas has said that about 5,287 people died last year when they refused to be detained by officers, and that this has been the case for a further 1,569 through the middle of May this year. However, the UN report suggests that many of these deaths were actually extrajudicial executions.

The report relays the accounts of 20 families, who say that masked men dressed in black from the Special Actions Forces (FAES) arrived at their homes in black vehicles without license plates. They then broke into their houses, assaulted the women and girls and stole belongings.

“They would separate young men from other family members before shooting them,” the report said.

“In every case, witnesses reported how FAES manipulated the crime scene and evidence. They would plant arms and drugs and fire their weapons against the walls or in the air to suggest a confrontation and to show the victim had ‘resisted authority.'” Read more here.

Venezuelan Authorities Seize US-Made Weapons Shipment ... photo

Enhanced interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

41st session of the Human Rights Council

Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet

5 July 2019

Mr President,
Members of the Human Rights Council,
Excellencies,

As requested by Council resolution 39/1, the Office has submitted a report on the human rights crisis in Venezuela.

In March, my staff conducted a technical visit to the country. Human rights officers also made nine visits to interview Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Spain.

Additionally, I was able to visit Caracas two weeks ago – the first official mission by a High Commissioner for Human Rights.  I met with President Nicolás Maduro and several Government ministers and officials. I also met the president of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General and the Ombudsman. I held discussions with the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as well as Members of Parliament, and the President of the National Constituent Assembly.

I also had meetings with representatives of the Catholic Church, the business sector, academia, trade unions, human rights organisations, the diplomatic community, the United Nations country team, and approximately 200 victims.

Let me begin this update on a positive note. I am hopeful that the access which I was granted – together with the authorities’ subsequent acceptance of a continuing presence of two human rights officers to conduct monitoring, and commence providing technical assistance and advice – signify the beginning of positive engagement on the country’s many human rights issues.

However, as our report makes clear, essential institutions and the rule of law in Venezuela have been profoundly eroded. The exercise of freedom of opinion, expression, association and assembly, and the right to participate in public life, entail a risk of reprisals and repression. Our report notes attacks against actual or perceived opponents and human rights defenders, ranging from threats and smear campaigns to arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment, sexual violence, and killings and enforced disappearance.

Excessive and lethal force has repeatedly been used against protestors. My Office has also documented excessive use of force in the context of security operations by the Special Action Forces, with multiple killings, mainly of young men. Many may constitute extrajudicial killings, and should be fully investigated, with accountability of perpetrators, and guarantees of non-recurrence.

The death in custody six days ago of a retired Navy captain – allegedly after torture – is deeply regrettable. I note the opening of an investigation and the arrest of two military counter-intelligence officers in this context. However, there is a pattern of torture reports in Venezuela in the context of arbitrary detention. The authorities must ensure full investigation in accordance with international standards, as well as accountability and, where relevant, remedy for all cases of alleged torture.

Mr President,

The Venezuelan people are enduring an economic breakdown. Since 2013, the cumulative contraction of GDP has been 44.3%, and cumulative inflation since 2013 reached a dramatic 2,866,670% at the end of January 2019 – 2.8 million percent. Over the past two years, public revenue has dropped with the drastic reduction of oil exports. Figures published by the Central Bank of Venezuela on 28 May 2019 show that key economic indicators began to decline well before August 2017. Regardless, the latest economic sanctions are further exacerbating this situation, given that most of the country’s foreign exchange earnings derive from oil exports, many of which are linked to the US market. In addition, the effects of these sanctions appear to be affecting  the State’s ability to provide basic health service to the population.

Humanitarian assistance from the United Nations and other actors has been gradually accepted by the Government. However, the scale of the crisis is such that it is difficult to fully respond to the needs of the people.

The situation has had a negative impact on people’s livelihoods – and indeed, their lifespan, particularly of those most vulnerable. In the course of my visit I met many people who are suffering. The minimum wage – which is estimated at around $7 USD per month  cannot cover even 5% of the basic food basket for a family of five people. Deaths from malnutrition have been reported, although data on this, as many other, topics has not been released.

Venezuela is a country with many valuable resources, including formidable oil and gold reserves, a young and vibrant population, key location and systems which for many years provided free universal healthcare, education and other public services. The current and dramatic crisis has dramatic impact on economic, social and cultural rights as well as political and civil rights.

Many public services have all but collapsed, including transportation, electricity and water. The healthcare sector is in critical condition. The non-availability of basic medication and equipment is causing preventable deaths, while non-availability of contraception forces many women to bear children they will not be able to adequately care for. An assessment of humanitarian needs conducted by OCHA in March found that an estimated seven million people in Venezuela need humanitarian assistance: one quarter of the population.

Hunger and deprivation have led many to become migrants or refugees. Many are forced to leave in ill-health, without economic resources of any kind, and their human rights protection must be considered a matter of urgency.

I am also concerned about the situation of indigenous peoples in Venezuela. In particular, I note loss of control over their traditional lands, territories, and resources; militarization; violence; lack of access to adequate food and water; and the effects of mining.

Members of indigenous communities are reportedly being exploited in conditions of slavery for the illegal extraction of gold.  There has been violence against some indigenous authorities and leaders, and statements by various officials have been reported, suggesting an intention to eliminate members of the Pemón community who oppose the Government.

As I said in Caracas, to all political leaders, the only way out of this crisis is to come together, in dialogue. I encourage the Government to view the opposition and human rights defenders as partners in the common cause of human rights and justice, and to plant the seeds for a durable political agreement that leads to reconciliation.

Among other points, the Government has agreed to allow us to carry out an evaluation of the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture, including a commitment to full access to all centres of detention. I look forward to the honouring of this and other commitments.

We will also conduct an assessment of major obstacles to access to justice. Furthermore, the authorities have stated they will engage more substantively with international human rights bodies. In particular, they have agreed to accept ten visits from the Council’s Special Procedures experts over the next two years.

We have also been consistently advocating for the release of all those who are currently in detention for acts of non-violent dissent. Prior to my visit, three detainees were released. Subsequently, 59 Colombian nationals, including one woman, who had been arbitrarily detained since 2016 were also released. And just yesterday, 22 detainees were also released. We welcome these releases and encourage the authorities to release others detained for the exercise of their human rights.

Above all, as I expressed in my meetings with victims and their families, all Venezuelans have fundamental human rights. They deserve to enjoy those rights. I sincerely hope that the Office will be able to assist in improving the human rights situation in Venezuela.

The situation is complex, but the report contains clear, concrete recommendations for the way forward. I sincerely hope the authorities will take these recommendations in the constructive spirit in which they are made.

As I said in Caracas, the fate of more than 30 million Venezuelans rests on the leadership’s willingness and ability to put the human rights of the people ahead of any personal, ideological or political ambitions. It is for this Council and the international community to support them in this shared endeavour. We should all be able to agree that all Venezuelans deserve a better life, free from fear, and with access to adequate food, water, health-care, housing and all other basic human needs. For my part, I stand ready to accompany the people of Venezuela.

Thank you Mr President.

 

High-End Russian Frigate in Cuba, Why?

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This advanced warship is using docking space formerly used by the U.S. cruise lines of Carnival and Norwegian.  The Russian frigate has an arctic port of Severomorsk and is part of the Northern fleet. Cuba gave a 21 gun salute greeting to the arrival. Remember too, that several weeks ago, Russia dispatched a pair of Tu-160 strategic bombers to Venezuela. Gotta wonder if this Russian frigate will make the next stop in Venezuela…

Military and Commercial Technology: "Admiral Gorshkov" project 22350 undergoing a final testing ...

A U.S. destroyer is off the coast of Havana, Cuba, shadowing a detachment of Russian naval ships that includes one of the country’s most advanced surface ships, USNI News has verified.

As of Tuesday morning, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) was roughly 50 nautical miles north of Havana and about 72 miles from Key West, Fla., operating in the Straits of Florida, according to publicly available ship location data reviewed by USNI News.

A day earlier, Russia’s first-in-class frigate Admiral Gorshkov arrived in Havana. Admiral Gorshkov was joined by support vessel Elbrus and salvage tug Nikolay Chiker, according to several media reports.

Navy officials told USNI News they were aware of the Russian detachment’s arrival in Cuba and were monitoring its activities. The same officials referred USNI News to U.S. Northern Command for more information on Dunham.

In a statement provided to USNI News on Wednesday morning, NORTHCOM said, “We are aware of the deployment of the Russian ship Gorshkov and are taking steps to actively track it. We won’t discuss all measures being taken, but NORAD is conducting air operations in defense of the U.S. and Canada and USNORTHCOM has deployed maritime assets to track Gorshkov.”

The first-in-class Admiral Gorshkov departed its homeport of Severomorsk, on the Barents Sea, on Feb. 26. This around-the-world cruise is the ship’s first significant deployment, according to a Russian Navy statement. Admiral Gorshkov made port calls to Djibouti, Sri Lanka and China. The frigate also visited Ecuador before passing through the Panama Canal, according to the Russian Navy.

The Russian Navy did not release information about Admiral Gorshkov’s visit to Cuba, only stating that “the Russian ships will continue to perform tasks in accordance with the long-range cruise plan and make business calls to the ports of some island states in the region.”

During the past decade, Russian naval ships have periodically visited Cuba, according to several media accounts, including a post from PBS News Hour. 

In the last several years, the Russian signals intelligence ship Viktor Leonov also has visited Cuba.

The Admiral Gorshkov class of frigates has a displacement of 4,500 tons, a top speed of 29 knots and a crew of about 210, according to an account posted on English-language Russian news site RT Sputnik. The ship features a modern Russian vertical launch system and a variety of anti-ship and land-attack missiles that parallel capabilities of modern U.S. and allied surface combatants.

The ship is the first of a new generation of Russian Navy surface ships that have been developed since the end of the Cold War. Russian surface forces have lagged behind their submarine counterparts, with limited deployments of surface action groups relative to submarines.

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The ship is the first in class of new blue water frigates for the VMF, according to Vice Admiral Viktor Bursuk, deputy chief of naval armaments. “We will operate four Gorshkov-class surface combatants,” he said.

The Admiral Gorshkov has a full displacement of 5,400 tonnes, a length of 135 m, a beam of 16 m, and a draft of 4.5 m. Its armament suite comprises 16 3M55 Oniks anti-ship missiles (ASMs) or 3M54/3M14 Kalibr ASMs/land attack missiles, a 9K96 Poliment-Redut naval air defence system, an RPK-9 anti-submarine rocket launcher, two 3M89 Palash close-in weapon systems, and an A-192 130 mm naval gun. The frigate also carries a Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopter. The Admiral Gorshkov is powered by a combined diesel and gas turbine engine, producing a maximum speed of 30 kt. The ship has a range of 4,500 n miles and an endurance of 30 days. It has a crew of 180-210.

A military source told Jane’s the Admiral Gorshkov has already been assigned to the Northern Fleet’s 43rd Missile Ship Division.

Jane’s has also learned that sea trials of the second Project 22350 frigate, Admiral Kasatonov , are scheduled for late 2018.

The source also reported that the Severnoye Design Bureau (SPKB) started design work on the upgraded Project 22350M frigate in 2018. “The navy is planning to build a larger series of modernised [Project 22350] ships and to receive the first upgraded frigate in 2026,” the source said.