EFTA Document EFTA01649156

From: NY To: Undisclosed recipients:; Subject: SITREP and Orange is the Color of the Day for Monday, June 2, 2025 Date: Mon, 02 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000 Importance: Normal lane-Images: Outlook-ghi3931.jpg DER u BUREAl 0 I \ t ESTIGATION Go to New York Field Office News and Information Follow this site to get updates in your newsfeed. NEWLY LISTED EVENTS Nothing to report. COLOR OF THE DAY Orange iligoTAPITY INDEX As of 7am (AQ1) Value of Index = 28 OZONE = 22 Daily AQI Color = Green Reference: AlrNow.gov NATIONAL WFATHFR SERVICE Sunny with a high of 71. SIGNIFICANT NEWS EVENTS FBI Investigating Attempts to Impersonate White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles The Associated Press (05/30, Price) reported that the U.S. government is investigating messages impersonating Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump's chief of staff, which were sent to elected officials, business executives, and other prominent figures. According to the article, the messages, including text messages and AI- generated voice calls, appeared to come from Wiles' contacts but not her actual phone number, and some recipients reported that they did not sound like her. The FBI warned in a public service announcement this month of a "malicious text and voice messaging campaign" in which unidentified "malicious actors" have been impersonating senior U.S. government officials. The scheme, according to the FBI, has relied on text messages and AI-generated voice messages that purport to come from a senior U.S. official and that aim to dupe other government officials as well as the victim's associates and contacts. "Safeguarding our administration officials' ability to securely communicate to accomplish the president's mission is a top priority," Director Patel said in a statement Friday. Additional reporting on the story was provided by ABC News (05/30, Barr, Stoddart), Al Jazeera (05/30, Staff Writer), CNN (05/30, Collins, Treene), The Daily Beast (05/31, Neal), Fox News (05/30, Nitzberg), The Guardian (05/30, Aratani), The Independent (05/30, Papenfuss), The Telegraph (05/30, Stringer), the Washington Post (05/31, Ho), Washington Examiner (05/30, Bide), Newsweek (05/30, King, Croucher), New York Post (05/30, Nava), Reuters (05/30, Bose), Wired (05/30, Greenberg, Burgess, Newman). Fox News (05/30, Video) published broadcast coverage of the story. British Man Charged Over Plot to Smuggle U.S. Military Technology to China The Independent (06/01, Garnsworthy) reported that a British man, John Miller, 63, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, has been charged with spying for allegedly trying to smuggle sensitive American military technology to China. According to the article, Miller, along with his co-accused, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, face charges including conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The U.S. is seeking to extradite Miller from Serbia, where he is currently located, in connection with the alleged plot to export military technology, including missiles, air defense radar, drones, and cryptographic devices, to China. Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: "The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles, and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC, and targeting him with violence." The press release quoted Deputy Director Bongino: "The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People's Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America. The same individuals are also charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive U.S. military technology to China. I want to commend the good work of the FBI and our partners in the U.S and overseas in putting a stop to these illegal activities." Additional reporting on the story was provided by BBC (06/01, Chisholm), Daily Mail (05/31, Graham, Taher, et at), Politico Europe (06/01, Jack), The Times (06/01, Beal), The Telegraph (06/01, Mendelson, Johnston. Tait), The Guardian (06/01, Quinn). Two Utah Men Charged With Supporting Mexican Cartel Designated as Terrorist Group Fox News (05/30, Sabes) reported that Maxwell Sterling Jensen, 25, and James Lael Jensen, 68, from Utah, were charged with conspiring to support the Jalisco New Generation cartel, a designated terrorist organization. According to the article, the men allegedly conspired to conceal and disguise the source of proceeds from illegally smuggled crude oil, in addition to aiding and abetting the fraudulent entry of 2,881 shipments of oil. The DO1 said they allegedly operated an enterprise in Rio Hondo, Texas, named Arroyo Terminals. "It is a top priority of the FBI to eliminate foreign terrorist organizations by depriving them of the funding they need to operate and by seizing their most valued assets," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the San Antonio Field Office in the press release. "Together with our law enforcement partners, we will use every resource and capability at our disposal to ensure violent cartels and anyone who corruptly facilitates their operations are held accountable to the American people and unable to establish a foothold in our communities." EFTA01649156 FBI Offers $20K Reward for Capture of Former Arkansas Police Chief on the Run Fox News (05/30, Conklin) reported that the FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the re-capture of a former Arkansas police chief serving time for murder and rape — dubbed 'the Devil in the Ozarks" — who escaped on the afternoon of May 25. Former Gateway Police Department Chief Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison, that Sunday afternoon in Calico Rock, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. The FBI said Hardin has ties to Garfield, Eureka Springs, Holiday Island, and Huntsville. "The FBI's Little Rock Field Office is assisting the U.S. Marshal Service, the Arkansas Department of Corrections, and the Arkansas State Police with the search for and apprehension of Grant Matthew Hardin," reads an FBI wanted poster. Broadcast Coverage CBS Morning News: "The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Grant Hardin's arrest? CBS Mornings: "The FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a prison escapee whose name is Grant Hardin." Feds Arrest New Hampshire CEO for Allegedly Devising Conspiracy to Stalk, Intimidate Journalists CBS News (05/31, Tabachnick) reported that the former CEO of Granite Recovery Centers, a network of drug and alcohol treatment centers in New Hampshire, was arrested Friday for allegedly orchestrating a conspiracy to stalk journalists, the Department of Justice said in a statement. According to the article, Eric Spofford, 40, was accused of targeting journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) in retaliation for publishing an investigation that allegedly revealed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him while he was the CEO of the recovery centers. Spofford opened the Granite Recovery Centers after struggling with heroin addiction and turned the business into the largest addiction treatment network in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Public Radio President and CEO Jim Schachter said everyone on their team was grateful to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI for pursuing the case against Spofford and his associates. The New York Times (05/30, Enrich), NBC News (05/31, Lavietes), Patch (05/30, Schinella), and UPI (05/31, Heuer) also reported on the story. Cybersecurity Investigators Worry Ransomware Attacks May Worsen as Young, Western Hackers Work With Russians CBS News (05/30, Whitaker) reported that the FBI and private security companies are constantly battling ransomware gangs, which are groups of hackers that break into corporate computer networks, encrypt critical files, and demand a ransom in exchange for unlodung the data, with victims including companies, cities, hospitals, and hotels. According to the article, the FBI is particularly concerned about a group of young, English-speaking hackers from the US, UK, and Canada known as 'Scattered Spider, who were thought to have gone quiet after several arrests but are now believed to be back in operation, and are suspected of being involved in one of the most pernicious ransomware attacks in history, which was unleashed on MGM Resorts in September 2023, costing the hotel and casino giant over $100 million. The article highlighted that the FBI recommends that companies do not pay ransoms to hackers, as it can encourage further attacks, and instead advises companies to focus on improving their cybersecurity measures to prevent such attacks from happening in the first place, with the head of the FBI's Cyber Division, Bryan Vorndran, stating that "from an FBI perspective, our position is we recommend a ransom not be paid'. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Vorndran stated that ransomware attacks have become increasingly brazen, with global losses exceeding $1 billion per year, posing a significant problem for the global economy, the U.S. economy, and the security of the United States. The article explained that the Russian government provides a safe haven for these ransomware gangs, and as a result, they have become a significant threat, prompting the NSA to join the fight, with the agency's director of cybersecurity, Rob Joyce, stating that the Colonial Pipeline attack was a wake-up call. In the interview, Vorndran calls this an evolution of cybercrime, and the Bureau has made several arrests, including a 19-year-old from Florida, Noah Urban, who pleaded guilty to stealing cryptocurrency and has been tied to Scattered Spider, with other arrests and ties to the group also being made. TRAFFIC ALERT Nothing to report. 26 Federal Plaza 23rd Floor Gym Closure irherlikle. Facilities will close the 23rd floor Gym every Tuesday evening from 3:30 pm•12:00 am for cleaning. Men's and Women's locker room will be cleaned out the first Tuesday of the month and all items left in the locker room will be disposed of. Please direct any questions to Facilities at extension x3900. Federal Bureau of Investigation New York Division 26 Federal Plaza New York, NY 10278 EFTA01649157