Coast Guard Rescues Four From Vessel Trapped in Ice for Over 24 Hours in Alaska

 

The rescuing USCG helicopter aircrew worked through the night and flew more than 800 miles in near-zero visibility through mountainous terrain, blowing snow, and icing conditions

A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) helicopter aircrew flew more than 800 miles in near-zero visibility through mountainous terrain, blowing snow, and icing conditions to rescue three adults and one child from an 18-foot vessel trapped on an ice floe near Chefornak, Alaska, Sunday.

“Amid hazardous weather and challenging terrain, this helicopter crew showcased exceptional teamwork, steadfast determination, and bravery in carrying out this successful mission to safely rescue these four individuals,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Their lifesaving efforts are a testament to the Coast Guard’s motto: Semper Paratus, always ready. We are proud of the patriots who serve in the U.S. Coast Guard and continue their important work despite the Democrats’ reckless DHS shutdown.”

Shortly before 4:30 p.m. Saturday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Arctic District command center received a report from Alaska State Troopers that a group of four people on a subsistence seal hunting expedition required assistance after being trapped on the ice for over 24 hours.

Despite freeing the vessel from the ice overnight in an attempt to reach a shore party that had come from the village with snow machines, the hunting party was unable to reach the shore party due to moving ice.

Coast Guard watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak to respond. Following fuel stops in King Salmon and Bethel, the helicopter aircrew arrived on scene at approximately 5 a.m. Sunday.

The hunting party had three forms of communication on board, including satellite-based communications, which helped the Coast Guard’s ability to locate and rescue them. All four people were safely rescued with no reported injuries and transported back to the village of Chefornak.

Perry Man Indicted for Gun & Drug Crimes

 

Deontae David Bernard Watkins, 43, of Perry, Fla., has been indicted in federal court for two counts of possession with intent to distribute multiple illegal drugs, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.

Watkins appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 2, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida.

Watkins faces a minimum mandatory prison sentence of 10 years’, and up to life, imprisonment on the drug possession counts, and a consecutive five years’ imprisonment for carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. He also faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon.

The case is being jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Perry Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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.

D.A. Bragg Announces Guilty Plea Of Chief Marketing Officer For Embezzling Nearly $6 Million

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. today announced the guilty plea of MICHAEL COLLINS, 61, for embezzling nearly $6 million from two companies where he worked as a marketing executive between March 2016 and April 2024. COLLINS pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to one count each of Grand Larceny in the First Degree and Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. He is expected to be sentenced on June 22, 2026, to 3-9 years in prison with judgement orders for the victim companies.

“Michael Collins exploited these companies for his own personal gain. He took millions for himself and made extravagant purchases, including luxury items and international travel. Our businesses and marketplaces cannot function properly when this type of fraud occurs, and we will continue to root out such brazen schemes,” said District Attorney Bragg.

As admitted in the defendant’s guilty plea, between March 8, 2016, and April 28, 2024, COLLINS embezzled $5,915,712 from two of his employers. First, he stole nearly $5 million while employed as the Chief Marketing Officer of a financial education company. In 2022, COLLINS left that company without the theft being detected and later became the Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer for an education-technology company, where he stole nearly $1 million. 

COLLINS used the same embezzlement scheme at both companies. He created and controlled two fictitious marketing consulting companies, Quattro Quadrati LLC and Regiondrivers LLC, which he incorporated in New York. To make them appear legitimate, he obtained multiple email addresses, phone numbers, websites, and bank accounts for each. COLLINS then used his position as a marketing executive to purportedly hire Quattro Quadrati and Regiondrivers as marketing vendors and consultants and submitted invoices for non-existent work which his employers paid. He submitted 144 fraudulent invoices to the financial education company and five invoices to the education-technology company. 

To hide the theft, COLLINS created presidents and employees of the Quattro Quadrati and Regiondrivers and registered email accounts to those names. He corresponded with those fictitious email addresses and forwarded those conversations to other employees at his workplaces, in some instances forwarding invoices for payment as well. COLLINS also asked the service he used to incorporate Quattro Quadrati and Regiondrivers if his identity could be “shielded or masked from anyone looking at the two entities through online services or research.” 

COLLINS transferred the funds from the Quattro Quadrati LLC and Regiondrivers LLC bank accounts directly to his personal bank accounts and used the stolen funds for executive club memberships, luxury brands, fine dining, and extensive travel and lodging, including over 150 flight tickets purchased during this period. He also used the stolen funds to pay for a $150,000 engagement ring from a boutique jewelry store purchased directly from a Quattro Quadrati bank account. 

FUGITIVE AND CODEFENDANT EXTRADITED TO FACE BURGLARY CHARGES AFTER FLEEING TO PANAMA

  

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Juan Acevedo was arraigned and remanded today on grand jury indictment charges of escape, criminal contempt and criminal mischief for fleeing the country days after his criminal court arraignment on burglary charges for allegedly breaking into homes in December 2025 and February 2026. The defendant was charged previously in a separate indictment for allegedly stealing cash, jewelry and designer handbags during three home burglaries on a single day last year.

Acevedo allegedly cut off his court-ordered ankle monitor on March 9, 2026. Following a month-long investigation into the defendant’s whereabouts, Acevedo was apprehended on April 1, 2026, in Panama at the request of the United States. He and a codefendant were extradited to New York yesterday.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, this defendant cut off his ankle monitor and left the country after being indicted for invading the sanctity of people’s homes over and over again. He blatantly defied the criminal justice system and we were relentless in returning him to this borough to be held accountable for his actions. I thank the members of my Career Criminal/Major Crimes Bureau and Extradition Unit, as well as our law enforcement partners in the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigations for ensuring the defendant’s return. A codefendant has also been brought back to face burglary indictment charges. Both defendants have been remanded without bail.”

Acevedo, 30, of College Point, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with escape in the second degree, criminal contempt in the second degree and criminal mischief in the fourth degree. He was also arraigned on an indictment charging him with burglary in the second degree, grand larceny in the third degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, burglary in the second degree and grand larceny in the second degree for the December 2025 and February 2026 incidents.

Supreme Court Justice David Kirschner remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court May 27. If convicted, Acevedo faces up to 79 years in prison.

Codefendant Jeison Figueroa Nomesqui, 33, of Flushing, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with burglary in the second degree, grand larceny in the second degree, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree, reckless driving, failing to make a lawful U-turn, operating a vehicle at unreasonable speed and operating a motor vehicle without a license. Supreme Court Justice David Kirschner remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court May 27. If convicted, Nomesqui faces up to 15 years in prison.

DA Katz said that according to the indictment and investigation, Acevedo – acting in concert with two others who have not been apprehended – rented a Porsche and drove to three residences on March 5, 2025.

At approximately 11:45 a.m., Acevedo allegedly broke into a home on Springfield Boulevard in Bayside. Acevedo and his crew stole $9,800 in designer handbags and cash. When the police responded, they found a winter hat in the immediate vicinity of the home. DNA later retrieved from the hat matched the defendant.

At approximately 3:51 p.m., Acevedo allegedly hopped a fence and broke into a home on 219th Street in Queens Village. The crew stole designer handbags, jewelry and money valued at $30,200.

At approximately 5:40 p.m., Acevedo and others broke into a home on Boelsen Crescent in Rego Park. They stole jewelry valued at $1,500.

Unbeknownst to Acevedo, the rented Porsche had a GPS tracker from the rental company that linked the defendant’s whereabouts to all three residences at the time of the crimes.

Following a long-term investigation into the burglaries, Acevedo was arrested and arraigned on December 5, 2025, on indictment charges of burglary in the second degree, burglary in the third degree, grand larceny in the third degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree and grand larceny in the fourth degree. The court ordered supervised release with electronic monitoring as part of his pre-trial release conditions.

Acevedo was outfitted with an ankle monitor on February 25, 2026.

Following Acevedo’s December indictment, the Queens District Attorney’s office continued their investigation into additional burglaries and determined that Acevedo allegedly burglarized more homes in December 2025 and February 2026.

According to the second indictment, on December 29, 2025, at approximately 6:40 p.m., Acevedo and two others broke into a home on 166th Street in East Flushing and stole jewelry valued at $20,000. The jewelry was sold at an exchange in Manhattan the next day.

On February 16, 2026, at approximately 7:48 p.m., Acevedo and two others broke into a home on 229th Street in Oakland Gardens using a collapsible ladder and stole $100,000 in cash and jewelry. Codefendant Nomesqui was present at the scene and allegedly acted as the getaway driver.

On March 6, 2026, Acevedo was arraigned in criminal court on charges stemming from the December 29, 2025, and February 16, 2026, incidents. The Queens District Attorney’s Office argued for remand, but the court ordered continued electronic monitoring.

On March 7, pursuant to the investigation into the February 16 incident, officers attempted to pull over Nomesqui at the intersection of Cross Bay Boulevard and 107th Avenue. Nomesqui allegedly made an illegal U-turn, sped past the posted speed limit and swerved in and out of lanes without signaling to evade the officers. He was finally pulled over and arrested for the February 16 burglary as well as the vehicle infractions on the scene and driving with a suspended license. At Nomesqui’s arraignment, the court ordered supervised release with a return date of April 22.

On March 9, two days after Acevedo was released with continued electronic monitoring upon arraignment, law enforcement officials received an alert that Acevedo’s ankle monitor strap had been cut and the last known location was near the Grand Central Parkway. Members of the NYPD immediately attempted to locate the defendant but were only able to find the cut bracelet at the last known location. A bench warrant was issued for Acevedo’s arrest.

The Queens District Attorney’s office, in partnership with the NYPD’s Queens North Burglary Task Force, Queens Warrant Squad and federal law enforcement partners, submitted multiple search warrants and subpoenas in an attempt to locate Acevedo.

Following a month-long investigation, Acevedo was apprehended on April 1, 2026, at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City after presenting a forged Colombian passport before boarding a flight to Bogota, Colombia. Codefendant Nomesqui was at the scene and apprehended along with Acevedo.

The District Attorney’s Extraditions Unit, led by Section Chief Timothy McGrath, worked with our federal and local law enforcement partners to secure the defendants’ return to New York.

The District Attorney extends her gratitude to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attache Office (LEGAT) in Panama and the FBI/NYPD New York Joint Major Theft Task Force for working with the Government of Panama to secure the arrests and extraditions.

Florida Man Arrested For 1993 Execution-Style Murders Of Husband And Wife In The Bronx

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael Alfonso, and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the arrest of WILLIAM ANTONIO SOLIS, a/k/a “Vegano,” a/k/a “La Vega,” in connection with the June 21, 1993, execution-style murders of Luis Guerrero and his wife, Danis Sime, in the Bronx.  SOLIS was arrested earlier today in Tampa, Florida, by HSI agents and is expected to be presented later this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Saxe Griffin in the Middle District of Florida.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain. 

“For more than 30 years, this Bronx double murder has haunted a family and the people of New York,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “That ends today.  This Office always will pursue perpetrators of violence, and time is no bar to our investigation and prosecution of these horrific crimes.  We will always pursue justice for victims in New York and elsewhere.” 

“The defendant in this case allegedly executed two New Yorkers in cold blood over 30 years ago, right in front of their three-year-old child,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.  “Today’s indictment sends a clear message: the NYPD will always work to make sure criminals are held accountable, no matter how long it takes or how far they may run.  This long-term investigation underscores the tireless efforts of our NYPD investigators, in collaboration with our partners at HSI, who were undeterred in solving these brutal murders.  I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for its partnership in bringing these charges.”

“As alleged, William Solis spent decades hiding in plain sight more than a thousand miles from where he viciously murdered the Guerreros in front of their young child,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso.  “This arrest is the result of years of meticulous investigative work by dedicated special agents and task force officers who refused to let this case go cold.  Regardless of the time that has passed or the distance traveled, HSI New York, together with the Southern District of New York and the NYPD, will stop at nothing to ensure those responsible for senseless violence face justice on behalf of New Yorkers.”

As alleged in the Indictment, other documents filed in federal court, and statements made in public court proceedings:[1]

On or about June 21, 1993, SOLIS and two co-conspirators participated in the planned robbery of Guerrero, a narcotics supplier, at an apartment in the Bronx.  During the course of that robbery, SOLIS and his co-conspirators restrained Guerrero, took his drugs, then lured his wife, Danis Sime, into the apartment, where she too was overpowered and bound.  SOLIS then executed both victims by shooting them in the head.  The murders were carried out in the presence of the victims’ three-year-old child.

SOLIS, 62, of Tampa, Florida, is charged with intentional killing while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison or death.

The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI’s Violent Gang Task Force, the NYPD, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Mr. Clayton also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, HSI Tampa and the Tampa Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

High-Ranking Member of Los Zetas Cartel Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

 

A Mexican national and high-ranking violent member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty today to federal narcotics charges.

According to court documents, Daniel Perez Rojas, also known as Cachetes and Cacheton 49, of Mexico, was a high-ranking member of Los Zetas cartel, a drug trafficking organization comprised primarily of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Perez Rojas defected from the Mexican military’s special forces unit in 2001 to join Los Zetas. He served in security roles for the then-leaders of Los Zetas before being named in 2007 as the successor to then-leader Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano.

“Daniel Perez Rojas was a high-ranking member of Los Zetas Cartel, one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico that trafficked massive amounts of cocaine and marijuana into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Perez Rojas was responsible for rampant violence, corruption, and intimidation in Mexico and elsewhere that allowed the cartel’s rampant drug trafficking to continue. Today’s conviction is a powerful reminder that the Criminal Division will aggressively pursue violent cartel members and hold them accountable for the harm they have caused here and abroad.”

“Daniel Perez Rojas, a high-ranking member of the Los Zetas cartel, was transferred to the United States in August, and today pled guilty to federal drug charges,” said Chief of Operations Matthew W. Allen of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Let this be a clear message: No one escapes justice in America. This Administration will use the full strength of the federal government to defend our nation and protect the American people.”

Perez Rojas routinely used violence on the cartel’s behalf. In 2008, he traveled to Guatemala, where Los Zetas had paid millions of dollars in bribes to the newly elected president. Perez Rojas and other Los Zetas members met with Guatemalan government officials to discuss the cartel’s expansion into Guatemala and with other drug traffickers to arrange supplies of cocaine. During a meeting with a rival Guatemalan drug trafficker, Perez Rojas and other Los Zetas members murdered that rival and several of his associates and bodyguards.

Perez Rojas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and one thousand kilograms or more of marijuana for unlawful importation into the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 30 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The DEA is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich, Hunter Smith and Erik Cervantes of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in connection with Perez-Rojas’ August 2025 transfer from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.

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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Homeland Security Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

Governor Hochul Announces Groundbreaking for Westchester Crossing in Port Chester

Up to $10 Million From Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund Will Help Enable 957 New Housing Units, Including 105 Affordable Homes

$65 Million Redevelopment of Former United Hospital Site Advances Governor’s Housing Agenda

Project Awarded in Pro-Housing Certified Village of Port Chester

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the groundbreaking of Westchester Crossing in Port Chester, a major infrastructure investment that will prepare the former United Hospital site for a mixed-use redevelopment expected to deliver 957 new housing units, including 105 affordable homes. Supported by up to $10 million from the Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund, the approximately $65 million effort will upgrade essential utilities, improve roadway access, and ready the long-underutilized property for new residential and community development. The project advances Governor Hochul’s strategy to increase housing supply, strengthen communities and drive economic growth across the Mid-Hudson Region. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has created or preserved more than 4,000 affordable homes in Westchester County.

“This groundbreaking marks an important step forward in transforming an underutilized site into a vibrant mixed-use community that will deliver hundreds of new homes and strengthen the surrounding neighborhood,” Governor Hochul said. “By investing in the critical groundwork needed to support nearly 1,000 residences, New York State is helping Port Chester create new housing opportunities, support local economic activity and move our housing agenda forward.”

The Westchester Crossing improvements include new water, sewer and stormwater systems, new internal roadways and walkways and significant traffic and pedestrian improvements in the surrounding area. Planned off-site work includes upgrading the sanitary sewer, a new High Street bypass, widening the I-287 Exit 11 off-ramp, widening Boston Post Road, and traffic and pedestrian enhancements to Boston Post Road improving circulation, safety and access to the surrounding corridor. These upgrades will prepare the property for phased vertical development and future mixed-use uses.

Funding for the project is being provided through the Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund, which supports infrastructure investments that enable housing and mixed-use development across the region. The Westchester Crossing redevelopment will transform the former hospital property into a new residential community while improving connectivity and supporting long-term regional growth.

To date, more than 400 communities across New York have been certified as Pro-Housing Communities including the Village of Port Chester. Localities must be certified under Governor Hochul's Pro-Housing Communities Program, which recognizes and rewards municipalities actively working to unlock their housing potential and encourages others to follow suit. After becoming certified, localities have exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Since the launch of the Pro-Housing Communities Program, funds awarded to Pro-Housing Communities throughout the state have supported the creation of up to 20,000 homes. 

Community Update from State Senator Gustavo Rivera about Yesterday’s Deadly Fire in Belmont

 

“I am deeply saddened by yesterday’s devastating fire at 660 East 187th Street in Belmont that caused the death of two individuals, displaced 82 families, and destroyed 3 small businesses. The impact of this tragedy is significant, not only due to the total physical damage to the building itself but also the emotional toll that it will take on the families of those who perished, on those families who have become displaced overnight, on the affected business owners, and our entire Belmont community. 

I understand that the Department of Buildings (DOB) has confirmed that the building must be fully vacated due to the extent of damage from this five-alarm fire. 

While the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, I am incredibly concerned by some of the victims’ testimonies who said that no fire alarm went off. If this is verified, such landlord negligence is unacceptable, and it is my hope that those responsible are held accountable for this egregious oversight. 

I want to thank the FDNY, NYPD, DEP, SBS, DOB, Con Edison, and the Red Cross for working around the clock to ensure that the fire was contained and that victims received immediate assistance. 

I stand in solidarity with our affected neighbors as they face a difficult road ahead. My office will continue to monitor the situation closely and be on standby, ready to assist those affected in any way possible. 

Any residents who need help with their recovery and have not already connected with the Red Cross should call 1-877-RED CROSS (877-733-2767) and select Option 1 or call our office at 718-933-2034.  

Lastly, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church located at 627 E 187th Street is kindly collecting non-perishable food, clothing, and toiletries today until 7:00PM to help our neighbors in need."