Governor Hochul Directs State Agencies to Prepare and Urges New Yorkers to Use Caution as Coastal Storm Expected to Impact State Through Weekend

New Yorkers Urged To Stay Vigilant and Monitor Forecasts as Storm Track Remains Uncertain

Dangerous Surf and High Risk of Rip Currents Forecasted for Long Island and New York City Beaches

Rain, Wind and Coastal Flooding Impacts Expected To Continue Through Sunday with Potential Flash Flooding on Long Island

New Yorkers Encouraged To Sign Up for Weather and Emergency Alerts by Texting 333111

Governor Kathy Hochul directed State agencies to prepare for a coastal storm expected to impact New York State through the weekend and urged New Yorkers, particularly those in shoreline and low-lying coastal communities on Long Island, and in New York City and the lower Mid-Hudson, to take necessary precautions ahead of the storm forecasted to bring high winds, dangerous surf and potential flooding.

“We do not currently anticipate widespread damage from this system but hazards along our coastlines, including dangerous surf and flooding, pose a very real threat to personal safety,” Governor Hochul said. “We also know how quickly coastal storms can change course, so I urge New Yorkers in the affected regions to stay vigilant, monitor local weather forecasts and be ready to act if conditions change. Our state agencies are closely tracking this storm, and we want to ensure everyone remains safe, informed and prepared."

Strong, gusty winds are expected to develop mid-week as the storm intensifies off the coast. Starting Wednesday afternoon, persistent winds combined with high tides will likely cause minor to moderate coastal flooding and beach erosion. The storm begins mid-week, but coastal flooding and high surf threats are forecast to last through the weekend. Depending on the storm's exact path, which remains highly uncertain, periods of rain and gusty winds are also possible late Friday into the weekend, especially in New York City and on Long Island.

Due to the potential for heavy downpours, the National Weather Service has issued the following localized alerts:

• Saturday through Saturday Night: A Marginal Risk for Excessive Rainfall and isolated flash flooding is in effect for eastern Long Island.
• Sunday through Sunday Night: A Marginal Risk for Excessive Rainfall and isolated flash flooding remains in effect for extreme eastern Long Island.

There is also a high risk of dangerous, life-threatening rip currents at all ocean beaches lasting through the weekend. Swimming will be highly dangerous, with breaking waves at the beach potentially growing taller than six feet by Wednesday, and offshore ocean seas forecast to exceed 12 feet by Thursday. The severity of wind and flooding impacts will depend on the storm's precise path over the coming days.

New Yorkers should ensure that government emergency alerts are enabled on their mobile phones. They should also sign up for real-time weather and emergency alerts that will be texted to their phones by texting their county or borough name to 333111.

Residents are encouraged to monitor their local forecasts, weather watches and warnings. For a complete listing of weather alerts, visit the National Weather Service website.

Safety Tips for New Yorkers

To prepare for high winds, coastal flooding and heavy rain, New Yorkers should take the following precautions:

• Stay Out of the Water: Avoid swimming, surfing or boating. Extremely dangerous rip currents and high surf make entering the ocean life-threatening. Stay off rock jetties and beaches where sudden high waves can sweep you into the water.
• Do Not Drive Through Flooded Roads: If you encounter water on the roadway, turn around and find an alternate route. As little as six inches of moving water can cause you to lose control of your vehicle, and two feet of water can sweep a car away.
• Secure Outdoor Items: High winds can turn loose items into dangerous projectiles. Secure patio furniture, trash cans, umbrellas and other outdoor decorations.
• Prepare for Potential Power Outages: Charge your cell phones and other essential mobile devices. Keep flashlights and fresh batteries handy. Avoid using candles for emergency lighting due to fire risks.
• Stay Clear of Downed Power Lines: Never touch or go near downed utility lines, as they may still be live and highly dangerous. Report downed lines immediately to your local utility provider.
• Check on Neighbors: If safe to do so, check on vulnerable neighbors, friends and family members — especially the elderly or those with functional needs — to ensure they are safe and prepared.

For more preparedness information and safety tips from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, visit dhses.ny.gov. 

DHS Announces Release of 2026 Election Infrastructure Security Plan

 

“Securing the Next 250” outlines voluntary, no-cost resources to help election officials strengthen security and resilience

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement announcing that, as directed by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released 2026 Election Infrastructure Security Plan: Securing the Next 250.

The plan provides information about available no-cost, voluntary services for securing our election infrastructure, including threat information sharing, technical expertise, vulnerability scanning, and other risk-mitigation support.

“Election security is national security,” said Secretary Mullin. “Under the leadership of President Trump, CISA has returned to its core mission to protect critical infrastructure. This plan, which will be implemented in full, is crucial to the security, freeness, and fairness of choosing the leaders of our country. Making America safe again isn’t just done at the border, in our streets, and on the coast—it’s also done in protecting the integrity of American elections.”

The security of election infrastructure remains a vital national security priority, and requires continuous security efforts and coordination among state, local, and federal partners. Since election infrastructure was designated as a critical infrastructure subsector in 2017, CISA has expanded its support for election officials through the delivery of cybersecurity and physical security services.

The Election Infrastructure Security Plan addresses threats to election technologies, processes, facilities, and personnel while outlining CISA’s no-cost resources for election infrastructure stakeholders.

Through information sharing, risk assessments, training, vulnerability scanning, and exercises, CISA helps election partners strengthen resilience and protect public confidence in the voting process.

Ensuring the integrity of our elections is fundamental to preserving trust in American democracy. DHS and CISA remain committed to supporting state and local election officials as they work to protect election infrastructure.

You can read the report here.

DEA Caribbean Division Highlights Major HSTF Guilty Pleas and Sentencings in Puerto Rico

 

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Division highlights significant prosecutorial results achieved through the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) during the week of September 14 through September 18, 2026, including multiple guilty pleas and federal prison sentences involving cocaine importation, drug trafficking organizations, and firearms used in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

The results include prison sentences of up to 195 months, or more than 16 years, as well as a 15-year federal sentence involving the importation of approximately 250 kilograms of cocaine.

“These results demonstrate that dismantling a drug trafficking organization does not end with an arrest or a seizure—it ends with accountability,” said DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Mayer. “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, DEA and our partners are attacking these criminal networks at every level, from international cocaine importation and distribution to the firearms used to protect their operations. Whether these organizations operate on our streets, inside correctional institutions, or across international waters, we will continue working together to identify those responsible, disrupt their operations, and bring them before the U.S. justice system.”

CONVICTIONS THROUGH GUILTY PLEAS

On September 14, Winder José González pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import more than five kilograms of cocaine from Colombia. González was arrested in Colombia on December 9, 2024, and extradited to Puerto Rico on October 31, 2025. Sentencing is scheduled for December 14, 2026.

On September 16, Josué Raúl Cantres-Ríos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He was arrested on September 9, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2026.

Also on September 16, Frambel Rijos-Hernández, a.k.a. “Domi,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to the indictment, the organization operated from several public housing projects in Carolina and San Juan, including the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026.

On September 17, Steve Vegeli Negrón pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances within prison institutions. Sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2026.

Also on September 17, Francisco Martínez-Mendoza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire, bank, and mail fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026.

Alexander Rodríguez-Luna also pleaded guilty on September 17 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in the Pedro Rosario Nieves Public Housing Project and other areas in and around Fajardo, Puerto Rico, as well as carrying firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sentencing is scheduled for December 21, 2026.

SENTENCINGS

On September 14, Ramón Camilo Rodríguez López was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute at least two kilograms but less than 3.5 kilograms of cocaine.

On September 15, Luis Pérez Colón was sentenced to 168 months,14 years in federal prison and eight years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Also on September 15, Edwin Correa Toro was sentenced to 120 months, 10 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to import approximately 340 kilograms of cocaine.

Yasiel Morales López was sentenced to 144 months, 12 years in federal prison and eight years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

On September 16, Ángel L. Sanjurjo was sentenced to 195 months, 16 years and three months in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Also on September 16, Efraín Ramírez-Cortés was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and six years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

On September 17, Gregorio Sánchez Chala was sentenced to 180 months, 15 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release on narcotics-related offenses involving the importation of approximately 250 kilograms of cocaine.

Also on September 17, Leomar Jesús Capote-Ramos was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for offenses involving conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a U.S. vessel, as well as conspiracy and attempted importation of cocaine.

On September 18, Dannyshka Tosada-Sánchez was sentenced to time served and five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, a whole-of-government partnership bringing together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat criminal cartels, transnational criminal organizations, trafficking networks, foreign gangs, and other criminal threats operating in the United States and abroad.

DEA Caribbean Division is a member of HSTF San Juan and continues working alongside its federal, state, local, and international law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and throughout the Caribbean region.

Brooklyn Man Convicted of Brandishing a Firearm During Bank Robbery

Vincenzo Randazzo was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  The conviction arises from Randazzo’s robbery of an Empire State Bank branch in Brooklyn on March 5, 2026.  The verdict followed a two-day trial before United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon.  Prior to trial, on August 26, 2026, Randazzo pleaded guilty to the robbery of Empire State Bank on March 5, 2026.  When sentenced, Randazzo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to the sentence imposed for the bank robbery.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict. 

“Today’s verdict rightly holds the defendant accountable for entering a Brooklyn bank with a loaded firearm, pointing it at a bank employee, and stealing money,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Brandishing a firearm during a bank robbery endangers innocent victims and transforms an already serious crime into a potentially deadly encounter.  Our Office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute criminals who use firearms to terrorize our communities.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department for their assistance in the case.

“Vincenzo Randazzo used a firearm to commit an armed bank robbery – a violent crime with serious consequences.  This verdict sends a clear message: the FBI and our NYPD partners on the Joint Violent Crime Task Force will hold violent criminals accountable and protect New Yorkers,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

As proven at trial, on March 5, 2026, Randazzo entered an Empire State Bank branch in Brooklyn, displayed and pointed a loaded firearm at a bank employee, and demanded money.  After stealing over $6,000, Randazzo fled the bank in his vehicle, the license plate of which he had concealed, and discarded clothing he had worn during the robbery.

On March 17, 2026, law enforcement officers arrested Randazzo and executed a court-authorized search of his residence.  During the search, officers recovered currency taken during the robbery, as well as four firearms together with ammunition and magazines.  Three of the recovered firearms resembled the firearm Randazzo brandished during the robbery.  In a recorded post-arrest interview, Randazzo admitted that he entered the bank, pulled and pointed a loaded firearm at a teller, and took money from two tellers. 

Manhattan D.A., D.O.I, Announce Indictment In $128K NYCERS Theft

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., and NYC Department of Investigation Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata announced the indictment of YAKIK RUMLEY, 51, for allegedly stealing $128,142.12 from the NYC Employees’ Retirement System (“NYCERS”) by depositing his mother’s pension checks for two years after her death. RUMLEY is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Identity Theft in the First Degree, and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, among other charges.

“As alleged, Yakik Rumley went to great lengths to fraudulently collect his deceased mother’s pension benefits, including impersonating her voice on multiple calls to NYCERS,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Our city’s employees work hard and deserve to know their savings are safeguarded. I thank Commissioner Shihata and the Department of Investigation for their commitment to protecting the integrity of our city’s pension system.”

DOI Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata said, “As charged, this defendant allegedly forged his deceased mother’s signature on pension checks, and impersonated her on phone calls, so he could illegally obtain more than $128,000 in pension funds. Exploiting the City pension system for personal gain undermines the system’s integrity and drains essential funds meant to support City workers who served the public — it is a serious crime. I thank NYCERS for referring this matter to DOI and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for their continued partnership in safeguarding New York City’s pension system.”

As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record in court, RUMLEY fraudulently submitted forms to NYCERS and deposited checks issued to his mother for two years after she died, to obtain benefits he was not entitled to receive. In total, between September 2023 and April 2025, RUMLEY deposited 20 NYCERS pension benefits checks totaling $128,142.12 into his personal accounts.

To further his theft, RUMLEY allegedly submitted forms purporting to be his mother to NYCERS and forged her signature on pension checks. In March 2025, he sought a reissue of a lost check, and in June 2025, he falsely verified that his mother was still alive. RUMLEY also called NYCERS’s Call Center fifteen times, often impersonating his mother’s voice.

Charged:

•    Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count
•    Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, two counts
•   Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, two counts
•   Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony, two counts
•    Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony, two counts

[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.

Uzbek National Extradited to the United States to Face Charges for Providing Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organizations

 

Defendant was the Founder and Leader of a Network Known as the “Tea Party” and Allegedly Raised Funds to Support ISIS and the al-Nusrah Front, and Coordinated Local Support Network for Foreign Fighters

Davud Ansariy, a citizen of Uzbekistan and naturalized citizen of the United States, also known as “Kozimjon Gafurov” and “Kozim,” will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi on an indictment charging him with one count of conspiring and one count of provision of material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and Al-Nusrah Front (ANF), both foreign terrorist organizations at the time of the charged conduct. Ansariy was extradited to the Eastern District of New York from Tbilisi, Georgia, on Sept. 23, where he was arrested in August 2026. 

“After a decade on the run, Ansariy is back in the United States where he must answer to the charge that he supported two of the most ruthless terrorist groups in the world, ISIS and the al‑Nusrah Front,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “As alleged in the indictment, Ansariy ran a network that raised money, arranged travel, and paved the way for individuals who hoped to fight for these foreign terrorist organizations. We thank our partners, domestic and otherwise, for helping us to ensure that terrorists are apprehended wherever they hide.”

“More than a decade ago, the defendant fled the United States in an effort to evade justice for his extremely serious crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, the defendant facilitated an expansive network that sought to finance the travel of foreign fighters to wage violent jihad. His extradition and prosecution should serve as a reminder that our office and our law enforcement partners will work relentlessly to hold accountable those who would provide support to terrorists seeking to harm the United States. Ansariy will now face justice for his actions in a U.S. courtroom.”

“This individual allegedly raised funds to help two foreign terrorist organizations and left the U.S. before he could be held accountable,” said Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The passage of years and geographic distance will not stop the FBI; we will find those who help foreign terrorist groups and work with our partners to see justice is served. The FBI is committed to finding networks set up to fund terrorist acts and will shut them down.”

According to court filings, Ansariy was the leader of a group of radicalized individuals based primarily in Brooklyn, New York, who planned to travel to Syria to become ISIS or ANF fighters, or who financed the travel of aspiring fighters. The government’s investigation uncovered an extensive financial support network that raised money for those seeking to travel to Syria to join and fight for foreign terrorist organizations. The network’s participants referred to the group as “chayxona,” an Uzbek word which translates to “tea house” or “tea party.”  The group also raised money to help support the families that fighters left behind when they traveled to Syria, and to help support the widows and families of those who were killed fighting. As a result of these “tea party” collections, Ansariy and others funded the travel of at least three individuals to Syria in 2013. All three are believed to have been killed in Syria.  

In May 2016, Ansariy departed the United States for Turkey on a one-way ticket that he purchased the previous day. His departure from the United States came five days after the arrest of one of Ansariy’s co-conspirators, on May 11, 2016. Since then, Ansariy has remained a fugitive. A federal grand jury in Brooklyn returned an indictment against the defendant in November 2021. 

If convicted of the charges, Ansariy faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.

The FBI investigated the case, with the assistance of the New York Police Department, New York State Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Port Authority Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Office of the Law Enforcement Attache in Tbilisi and the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia secured the arrest and extradition of Ansariy.

Attorney Generals Secures $2.3 Million and Reforms to Protect Consumers After Labcorp Data Breach

 

Massive Data Breach Exposed the Personal Information of Over 27.5 Million People Nationwide

New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a bipartisan coalition of 43 other attorneys general in securing approximately $2.3 million and critical reforms to protect consumers from Laboratory Corporation of America (Labcorp) after a 2019 data breach impacted millions of Labcorp customers. The data breach affected Labcorp’s debt collector, American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA), potentially exposing the personal information of over 27.5 million people nationwide, including 10.2 million Labcorp patients, 420,000 of which lived in New York. As part of a settlement with Attorney General James and the coalition, Labcorp will overhaul its data security practices and develop a new system for sharing data with third party debt collectors to protect consumers. Labcorp will also pay approximately $2.3 million to the states, including nearly $90,000 to New York.

“Corporations have a responsibility to protect their customers’ private data, especially sensitive medical information,” said Attorney General James. “Millions of patients’ private health information was potentially exposed because of Labcorp’s failures to protect its customers. As a result of our investigation, Labcorp will make critical changes to protect patients and prevent this kind of data breach from happening again.”

AMCA is based in Elmsford, New York and specializes in small-balance medical debt collection, primarily for laboratories and medical testing facilities. Labcorp, based in Burlington, North Carolina, provides laboratory testing for diagnostic services. Between August 1, 2018 and March 30, 2019, a hacker accessed AMCA’s internal system and was able to collect customers’ personal information. Despite numerous warnings from banks that processed their payments about a potential breach, AMCA failed to detect the intrusion. The breach exposed the personal information – including Social Security numbers, payment card information, and names of medical tests and diagnostic codes – of approximately 420,00 New Yorkers.

As a result of Attorney General James and the coalition’s investigation, Labcorp must make comprehensive changes to its security policies to better protect its customers, especially when they interact with Labcorp’s vendors. These changes include:

• Improving Labcorp’s information security program and developing an incident response plan that includes internal reporting of vendor security breaches;
• Minimizing data sharing with vendors while balancing certain needs of debt collectors to meet their legal obligations;
• Expanding the vendor risk management program to include requiring a dedicated team, employing tools to evaluate vendors, and verifying vendor compliance;
• Implementing new requirements for debt collectors, enforcing cybersecurity standards through contracts, segmenting data which is often aggregated by debt collectors for multiple clients, requiring debt collectors to perform assessments and audits, and including the right of termination for non-compliance; and
• Hiring a third-party assessor to perform an information security assessment with a focus on vendor risk management.

As part of the settlement, Labcorp will pay $2,287,455 to the states, including $89,178 to New York. This settlement will supplement a multistate settlement with AMCA that Attorney General James and the coalition secured in 2021, which included a $21 million suspended payment due to the company’s bankruptcy.

Attorney General James joined in securing this settlement with the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

During Climate Week, Governor Hochul Announces $16.8 Million Available to Help Farmers Across the State Combat Impacts of Climate Change

Funding Awarded Through the State’s Environmental Protection Fund Will Help Farms Increase Sustainability Efforts and Resilience to Extreme Weather Events

Applications for the Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program Due Monday, November 23, 2026

During Climate Week NYC, Governor Hochul announced $16.8 million is available for projects that will help address the impacts of climate change and protect water quality across New York State through the Climate Resilient Farming (CRF) Grant Program. Funded projects aim to help New York farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect water quality, protect and enhance soil health and increase on-farm resiliency. These funding opportunities build on the Governor’s efforts to support programs and initiatives that combat climate change and support the conservation of the state’s natural resources.

“It is important that we continue to position our farmers with the right resources to adapt to a changing climate,” Governor Hochul said. “The Climate Resilient Farming Program allows our farmers to implement practices that will strengthen their operations while protecting our natural resources and supporting the future of New York agriculture.”

The CRF Program, funded through New York’s Environmental Protection Fund, focuses on helping farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration on farms and mitigate the impacts of severe weather attributed to climate change, such as increased heavy storm events, early spring frost and periods of drought. The program is now in its tenth round and funding is available in four tracks.

Track 1 – Livestock Management: Manure and Methane Management and Precision Feed Management

Projects will reduce methane emissions from the farm and increase the farm’s resiliency to major precipitation events.

Track 2 – Adaptation and Resiliency

Projects will help prepare agricultural producers for the impacts of a changing climate, such as flood events, drought and extreme temperature fluctuations.

Track 3 – Healthy Soils NY: Systems and Best Management Practices that Support Soil Health and Agroforestry

Projects will improve soil health on farms and enhance a farm’s resiliency to the impacts of climate change. Soil health practices can also create carbon sinks, increase water holding capacity and improve recycling of nitrogen by crops, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

Track 4 – Agricultural Forestry Management

Projects will support forest management and tree planting on agricultural lands for carbon sequestration.