ATF Seizes Thousands of Illegal Firearms Bound for Cartels in Mexico

 

4,359 firearms and an average of 1,600 rounds per day kept out of the hands of violent drug gangs since President Trump’s Inauguration.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today announced that since January 20, 2025, it has seized 36,277 illegal crime guns and 2,317,999 rounds of ammunition from prohibited persons, gang members, and suppliers for transnational criminal organizations.

4,359 of these seized firearms were bound for Mexico, where they would have been used by violent drug cartels and gangs.  648,975 rounds of the seized ammunition were bound for Mexico, which averages to over 1,600 rounds per day.

Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, ATF has led an aggressive nationwide effort to dismantle the domestic and international networks that arm violent criminals.

“Illegal crime guns increasingly originate from every state in the country. This is not a southwest border problem, it is a national threat,” said ATF Deputy Director Robert Cekada. “ATF agents are aggressively targeting gangs, cartels, and transnational criminal organizations that illegally traffic firearms and turn American streets into war zones. We will dismantle these networks at every level, cut off their access to weapons, and hold every criminal fully accountable under the law”.

ATF protects America’s communities by confronting violent crime driven by the illegal use of firearms, explosives and acts of arson.  Our special agents concentrate on identifying and dismantling illegal firearms traffickers who fuel violence by arming prohibited persons, gang members, drug cartels, illegal aliens and terrorist organizations.

Through advanced Crime Gun Intelligence (NIBIN, firearms tracing, and touch DNA), ATF partners with state and local law enforcement to investigate, identify, and prosecute violent offenders.  At the same time, we safeguard lawful commerce and uphold the Constitution. 

More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.

Attorney General James Provides Update on Gateway Project Funding

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that as a direct result of her office’s successful lawsuit against the Trump administration, all previously frozen funding for the Gateway Program’s Hudson Tunnel Project has now been released:

“This funding freeze was unlawful from the start. We took swift action in court, and now every dollar that was illegally withheld has been released. This morning, New York and New Jersey received the remaining nearly $130 million owed for the Gateway Project, finally unlocking all the funding that had been frozen.

“These funds should never have been withheld in the first place. I am thrilled that hardworking New Yorkers can now get back on the job and move forward with the most important infrastructure project in the country. We will remain vigilant to ensure this funding continues uninterrupted, so that workers and commuters are never again left in limbo by the president’s targeted and unlawful whims.  

“My office will keep fighting in court to save Gateway permanently, on behalf of the millions of workers and riders who depend on it.”

Earlier this month, Attorney General James and New Jersey Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport sued the Trump administration to stop its unlawful, months-long freeze of Hudson Tunnel funding, which threatened to force an immediate construction shutdown. On February 6, Attorney General James won a temporary restraining order requiring the federal government to release more than $200 million in overdue funds, which took effect on February 12.

In compliance with the court’s order, the administration released $30 million on February 13, followed by an additional $77 million earlier this week. This morning, the administration delivered the remaining funds, ensuring that construction on the Hudson Tunnel can resume.

Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul

“For months, Donald Trump illegally suspended funding for the Gateway Tunnel, putting the most important infrastructure project in the nation in jeopardy. Today — after our preliminary court victories and repeated conversations with the President about the need to keep funds flowing — we secured a major result: The federal government released the remaining $98 million in overdue funding to Gateway and provided an additional $30 million in reimbursements for work completed in January.

“This afternoon, the Gateway Development Commission will notify contractors to prepare to resume work next week. Many of the 1,000 union workers I stood with yesterday, whose livelihoods were put at risk by the President’s actions, will soon be back on the job.

“I have told the President repeatedly that when he targets New York, we will fight back and we will not back down. Today’s progress is significant, but we need certainty that Gateway funding will remain in place for the duration of the project. The federal government has a legal obligation to fully fund Gateway, and New York will accept nothing less.”

Gainesville Man Sentenced for Carrying Multiple Firearms While Selling Drugs

 

Kendrick J. Hills Jr., 23, of Gainesville, Fla., was sentenced to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is committed to backing up our brave men and woman of law enforcement on the front lines of this battle against drugs and violence in our communities. We will continue to deliver successful prosecutions like this as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America to ensure our streets are safe and our communities are drug-free.”

Court documents reflect that the defendant was pulled over for multiple traffic violations. During the traffic stop, law enforcement smelled and observed marijuana in his vehicle. The presence of illegal narcotics was also confirmed by a K9 on scene. During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a stolen 9-millimeter pistol on the driver’s floorboard, a .40-caliber pistol with an extended 22-round magazine under the driver’s seat, and a backpack filled with almost a pound of marijuana and drug-distribution paraphernalia, such as scales and baggies. The defendant later admitted that he possessed the firearms to protect himself, including protecting himself from the risk of drug-related robberies.

“This case is an example of the proactive work our deputies do every day to identify criminal activity before it escalates into something even more dangerous,” said Sheriff Chad D. Scott, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. “Through strong partnerships with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office, we are sending a clear message: Alachua County will not tolerate drug distribution and the armed criminal behavior that so often accompanies it.”

“I’m proud of the way our agents and officers from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office came together to bring this criminal to justice,” said DEA Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar. “We have great relationships with our North Florida law enforcement partners, and I look forward to our continued enforcement efforts together.”

The defendant’s imprisonment will be followed by a seven-year term of supervised release, meaning if he violates any of the conditions of his supervision, he will potentially face additional prison time.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.

Two Defendants Charged With Murdering Man at a Queens Intersection

Victim was Fatally Shot in His Vehicle Over a Drug Debt Dispute 

At the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Rafael Hernandez, also known as “Cap” and “Ralphy,” and Joibel Perez, also known as “J.P.,” with multiple crimes relating to the February 26, 2021 murder of Akil Kornegay in Queens, New York.  The defendants were arrested and were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Seth D. Eichenholtz.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and indictment.

“As alleged, the defendants chose to escalate a drug dispute to a deadly act of retaliation,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Such flagrant violence in our communities will not be tolerated and I commend the FBI Special Agents, NYPD detectives, and our prosecutors for their resolve and hard work resulting in today’s arrests.  Our Office is committed to preventing the loss of life due to drug and gun crimes.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the FBI/NYPD Metro Safe Streets Task Force, the NYPD Queens South Homicide Squad, the 102nd Precinct Detective Squad, and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office for their work on the case.

“Rafael Hernandez and Joibel Perez allegedly murdered a customer of their drug trafficking operation over a debt dispute,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “Their drug distribution and retaliatory violence endangered nearby residents. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains dedicated to crushing violent crime by dismantling criminal enterprises and holding those who terrorize our communities accountable.”

As alleged in court filings, Hernandez and Perez operated a lucrative drug trafficking business, distributing marijuana out of the Taylor Street-Wythe Avenue Housing Development in Brooklyn.  A dispute over a drug debt arose between the defendants and Kornegay, who was their customer.  Text messages sent by Hernandez to Kornegay reflect demands for payment, or “bread,” and accuse Kornegay of “ducking” the defendants and “playing kid games.”  As the dispute escalated, Kornegay robbed the defendants of drugs, money, and other items.  In retaliation for that robbery, in the early morning hours of February 26, 2021, the defendants stalked Kornegay, following him as he drove through a Queens neighborhood.  They pulled alongside Kornegay when he stopped at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard and fired multiple shots into the vehicle. Kornegay sustained multiple gunshot wounds and crashed his vehicle into a pole, and died as a result.

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of narcotics conspiracy, possessing, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and causing Kornegay’s death through the use of a firearm, the defendants face a maximum term of life in prison.

Transferred Mexican National Sentenced for Role in Large Scale International Cocaine Trafficking Offense

 

A Mexican national was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import approximately 1,900 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.

According to court documents, the defendant, Jose Francisco Mendoza-Gomez, was a member of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Marisela Flores-Torruco that was responsible for importing multi-hundred-kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States for years. The DTO also engaged in bulk cash smuggling, bribery of Mexican officials and attempted kidnappings related to rival traffickers.

The DTO, which had operations in New York, Texas, and elsewhere in the United States, sourced its cocaine from Colombia and provided logistical and financial support to coordinate the narcotics’ passage through Central America and Mexico and into the United States. During the investigation, law enforcement made several cocaine seizures, including approximately 971 kilograms of cocaine on April 21, 2017, and 500 kilograms of cocaine on May 10, 2017, nearly all of which was attributable to the DTO.   

In addition to cocaine trafficking, the DTO transported substantial illicit proceeds earned from its operations back to Mexico and elsewhere. DTO members engaged in bulk money transfers with cocaine suppliers and utilized a Chinese money laundering network to repatriate bulk narcotics proceeds out of the United States. The DTO also engaged in bribery of Mexican officials, including to gain access to information useful to its cocaine trafficking operations, and planned and attempted to execute multiple kidnappings related to rival drug traffickers and in efforts to secure outstanding debts.

Mendoza-Gomez assisted in coordinating and transporting cocaine for distribution in the United States, handled hundreds of thousands worth of narcotics proceeds, provided advice to the DTO’s leader and participated in the DTO’s efforts to plan kidnappings and obtain information from corrupt Mexican officials.

On Aug. 12, 2025, Mendoza-Gomez, along with 25 other fugitives, were transferred from Mexico to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated the transfers.

Two of the defendant’s co-conspirators, Marisela Flores-Torruco and Qiyun Chen, have been convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for their roles within the DTO, as have several individuals involved in the related Chinese money laundering network. Flores-Torruco pleaded guilty to possession, manufacture, or distribution of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison. Chen pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, with assistance from DEA’s offices in Cartagena (Colombia), Bogota (Colombia), Panama City, Mexico City, and Guatemala City. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

Senior Executives Of Telecom Company Charged In Accounting Fraud Scheme

 

Andrew Warner and Kishore Vangipuram Schemed to Defraud Investment Firm in Connection with Its $915 Million Acquisition of Mobileum, Inc.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging ANDREW WARNER, the former Chief Financial Officer of Mobileum, Inc., and KISHORE VANGIPURAM, the former Chief of Delivery of Mobileum, with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, securities fraud, and wire fraud.  The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged scheme by WARNER and VANGIPURAM to inflate Mobileum’s key financial metrics in advance of the company’s 2022 sale to an investment firm at an enterprise value of $915 million. Mobileum declared bankruptcy in 2024, after the fraud was uncovered.  WARNER surrendered in San Jose, California, and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen.  VANGIPURAM was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. 

“As alleged, Andrew Warner and Kishore Vangipuram manipulated Mobileum’s financial metrics to sell the company at a higher price and, as a result, line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “The company’s investors, creditors, and employees deserved fair and complete financial information, not inflated numbers and schemes.  When C-Suite executives commit fraud, the women and men of our Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will hold them accountable.  That is what investors and the American people want.” 

“Andrew Warner and Kishore Vangipuram allegedly exaggerated their company’s fiscal success through doctored billable hours and invoices to defraud an unsuspecting investment firm of nearly one billion dollars,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “These two executives allegedly exploited their respective CFO and CDO positions to betray the trust of an interested buyer out of selfish greed.  The FBI continues to protect the integrity of corporate transactions from fraudsters seeking to profit from deceitful practices.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court:

WARNER and VANGIPURAM were the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Delivery Officer, respectively, of Mobileum, a Silicon Valley-based company that provided data analytics and network solutions to telecommunications firms around the world.

Beginning in or about September 2021, WARNER and VANGIPURAM schemed to deceive an investment firm into overpaying for Mobileum as part of a private equity transaction.  To inflate Mobileum’s apparent value, and to convey the illusion of robust growth and operational efficiency, WARNER and VANGIPURAM falsified the company’s financial metrics, including revenue and unbilled revenue.  In or about March 2022, after receiving those artificial metrics, the investment firm acquired Mobileum at an inflated enterprise value of $915 million.  In connection with the sale, WARNER received approximately $5.2 million, and VANGIPURAM received approximately $5.5 million, in cash, stock, and other proceeds.

WARNER and VANGIPURAM’s scheme hinged on the fraudulent acceleration of revenue. Under Mobileum’s accounting method, the company purported to recognize revenue over the life of a project in proportion to the work performed.  Consequently, any inflation of hours worked, or reduction in estimated total effort, resulted in fraudulent recognition of revenue.  WARNER and VANGIPURAM manipulated the revenue recognized by directing employees to transfer hours from projects where the hours were non-billable to projects where the hours were billable, to create the false appearance that billable work had been performed.  They also directed employees to artificially reduce the “level of effort” for projects, effectively shrinking the total work required so that work already performed represented a higher percentage of the contract.  By making projects appear significantly closer to completion than was factually accurate, the defendants manufactured millions of dollars in imaginary revenue.

To cover up their fraudulent acceleration of revenue, WARNER and VANGIPURAM engaged in more fraud.  Their fraudulent revenue acceleration resulted in a substantial spike in “unbilled revenue”—income recognized on Mobileum’s books but not yet invoiced to customers.  Before the sale of Mobileum, when the potential buyer repeatedly inquired about Mobileum’s high unbilled revenue as a red flag indicating poor cash conversion, WARNER and VANGIPURAM directed employees to create fictitious invoices for billing milestones that Mobileum never reached. To prevent discovery of the underlying fraud by Mobileum’s clients, WARNER instructed that those invoices be processed internally to satisfy the investment firm’s scrutiny but strictly withheld from the customers themselves.

Even after the sale of Mobileum to the investment firm, WARNER and VANGIPURAM continued their deceptive practices to prevent the investment firm from discovering the true state of Mobileum’s financial health.  After the sale, VANGIPURAM cautioned a subordinate not to send emails about their invoicing because it would land them in a “lot of trouble.”  The scheme unraveled in 2024 after the investment firm discovered the defendants’ fraud, Mobileum’s true financial condition was disclosed, and the company—which the defendants had represented as a nearly billion-dollar enterprise—filed for bankruptcy.

WARNER, 62, of Morgan Hill, California, and VANGIPURAM, 53, of Pleasanton, California, are charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. 

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: State's Tuition Assistance Program Not Keeping Up With Inflation, Tuition Costs

 

77,000 Fewer Undergrad Students Receiving Help Compared to 2008

A new report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli finds that New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), the state’s primary need-based grant program for college students, has not kept pace with inflation or rising tuition costs since the 2008-09 academic year (AY) and that undergraduate TAP recipients dropped by 77,000 (21%), with steep declines among two-year programs (45%), private-sector schools (40%), and lowest income households (38%).

“TAP has helped generations of New Yorkers attend college, but it’s falling behind the realities of today’s costs,” DiNapoli said. “Updating award criteria so that TAP continues to be a useful support for families is needed to help New York retain talent and ensure students have the resources they need to succeed.”

The decline in recipients since 2008 is partially related to the fall in high school graduates and the drop in postsecondary enrollments, but utilization of TAP was already dropping at a greater pace than for resident enrollment in many sectors, before rebounding in AY 2024-25.

Between AYs 2008-09 and 2024-25, the average award increased only 21% to $2,643, while inflation rose 44% during this time. Over the same period, State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) tuition grew more than three times faster.

Only students from households earning $7,000 or less qualified for the maximum annual TAP award of $5,665 in AY 2025-26, an income ceiling that has not changed for 30 years. Students receiving maximum awards in AY 2024-25 decreased 38% since AY 2008-09.

Limited Support for Many Recipients

TAP is a more meaningful source of support for students at public institutions, where tuition tends to be more affordable. For these students, average awards cover 36% to 42% of tuition depending on system and level of degree. The average TAP award for students attending private sector institutions covers just 6.5% of the average four-year non-profit school tuition. TAP may not be used for non-tuition costs, which can represent significant expenses.

Expanding TAP Access

Recent state actions to expand eligibility for TAP have coincided with the highest number of TAP recipients in AY 2024-25 since AY 2019-20. New York has provided new assistance for certain students to pursue postsecondary education and retraining for career shifts, and has increased income limits for students to qualify for an award. In 2024-25 alone, there was a 20% increase in the number of total TAP recipients from the prior year. The gains across different groups demonstrate the impact of broadening access for part-time study and non-degree or certificate programs along with expanding household income ceilings for eligibility.

These actions support institutes of higher education that have been expanding their enrollments with historically under-represented students, including those who are older and independent. DiNapoli said updating criteria that determine sizes of TAP awards and consideration of TAP’s use for non-tuition purposes are options policymakers can consider for providing support that New York students need to pursue postsecondary education here, enabling them to realize economic benefits for themselves, their families and the state.

Analysis

Is New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program Meeting Need?

Related Reports

Federal Impact on Higher Education – Federal Funding and New York | Office of the New York State Comptroller

Higher Education in New York: Evaluating Competitiveness and Identifying Challenges