EFTA Document EFTA01654395

nmmNY4MMEMMENF To: Undisclosed recipients:; Subject: SITREP and Orange is the Color of the Day for Friday, August 8, 2025 Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000 Importance: Normal Milne-Images: Outlook-vlgbrbzc.jpg EDEB‘I . BUREAU OF IN'ESTIGATION )4 Go to New York Field Office News and Information Follow this site to get updates in your newsfeed. NEWLY LISTED EVENTS Nothing to report. ICE ERO OPERATIONS Daily Teams Channel for ICE Operations: 8.8.2025 ICE ERO Operations I M365-NY-OPERATIONS I Microsoft Teams Effective September I, 2025, all New York Operations Orders will be completed in the FD-888. Microsoft will no longer support InfoPath as the software has reached its end of life. FBINETSharePoint Ops Orders will no longer be supported, all Op Plans will be submitted in the FD-888 for approval. Agents should utilize FACT for FD-888 processing: 1 ps://faciffitgovillome.aspx All approved FD-888's must be submitted to the NYOC: ny opscentereffitgov COLOR OF THE DA! Orange AIR OIIAI.ITY INDEX As of 7am (AQI) Value of Index = 41 OZONE = 51 Daily AQI Color = Yellow Reference: AlrNow.gov NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Sunny, with a high near 77. SIGNIFICANT NEWS EVENTS FBI Fires Senior Officials, including Former Acting Director Reuters (08/07, Lynch) reported that the FBI is firing another round of employees, including former Acting Director Brian Driscoll, in its latest moves against officials who worked on issues that drew President Donald Trump's ire, four people briefed on the matter said on Thursday. Driscoll, who temporarily served as the bureau's director early this year before Director Patel's Senate confirmation, was viewed as a hero by some in the bureau after he sought to shield them from being targeted for their role in investigating people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a failed bid to overturn Trump's election defeat. The article explained that the Justice Departments former Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who has since been confirmed to serve as an appellate court Judge, accused Driscoll and former FBI Acting Deputy Director Robert Kissane of insubordination after they tried to fend off his efforts to collect a list of the names of all those people. Driscoll, nicknamed "The DrIzz," told his colleagues in a farewell message on Thursday that he was given no explanation for his removal. "Last night I was informed that tomorrow will be my last day in the FBI. I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I currently have no answers. No cause has been articulated at this time," he wrote. "Please know that it has been the honor of my life to serve alongside each of you." The article highlighted that the FBI also notified at least three other agents that they will be terminated by Friday, including the Washington Field Office's Assistant Director-In-Charge Steve Jensen, former Las Vegas Special Agent-in-Charge Spencer Evans, and Walter Giardina, an agent in the Washington field office. Jensen, in a message to his staff, said he received a similar message that his employment will be terminated effective Friday. "Never waver in your resolve to answer the call to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution," he wrote. The FBI declined to comment. Additional reporting on the story was provided by Washington Examiner (08/07, Deese), Fox News (08/07, Deppisch, Spunt, Gibson), New York Times (08/07, Goldman, Barrett, Thrush, Rashbaum), CBS News (08/07, Milton, 'Goldman, Kates, Miller), The Guardian (08/07, Stein), NBC News (08/07, Kosnar, Gregorian), The Hill (08/07, Beitsch), ABC News (08/07, Mallin, Barr, Levine, Katersky), Associated Press (08/07, Tucker), MSNBC (08/07, Benen), CNN (08/07, Perez, Polant2, Lybrand), New York Post (08/07, Marino, King), LISA Today (08/07, Meyer), Washington Post (08/07, Roebuck, Nakashima, Stein), Politico (08/07, Gerstein, Cheney), and Newsweek (08/07, Whisnant). EFTA01654395 Continued Reporting: Texas Redistricting Feud Escalates as Democrats Face Bomb and FBI Threats The BBC (08/07, Faguy) reported that a dispute over a plan to redraw electoral boundaries in Texas has escalated again after Republican John Cornyn said the FBI had agreed to help find Democrats who have fled the state. According to the article, the FBI would not confirm whether they agreed to help, and Cornyn did not specify what kind of assistance the FBI would offer. It comes a day after some Democrats were forced to evacuate a hotel because of a bomb threat In Illinois, as they protest Republicans' efforts to change the map of congressional districts. The article noted that earlier this week, President Trump said the FBI "may" have to get involved. Sen Cornyn said In a statement that Director Patel had "approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats". The article explained that It is not clear whether federal officers were already Involved In the search for more than 50 state lawmakers who have left Texas. The location of many of them Is well known. On Tuesday, they held a press conference in a Chicago•area hotel, decrying the gerrymandering attempt. Additional reporting on the story was provided by Wall Street Journal (08/07, Avila, Findell), NBC News (08/07, Lebowitz Kosnar), CNN (08/07, Lybrand, RaJu), Newsweek (08/07, Stanton), Axios (08/07, Kaufmann, Wang), ABC News (08/07, Shepherd, Murray), Texas fl ibune (08/07, Dahlkamp), CBS News (08/07, Linton), New York Times (08/07, Goodman, Bosman), Fox News (08/07, Wallace), The Hill (08/07, Bolton), Reuters (08/07, Lynch, Winter, Ax), The Daily Beast (08/07, Ewall•Wice), Washington Times (08/07, Ferrechlo), National Review (08/07, Strack), Bloomberg (08/07, Miller, Wasson), Politico (08/07, Ewing), New York Post (08/07, Christenson), and MSNBC (08/07, Benen). Continued Reporting: Top Trump Officials Discussed Epstein at White House Meeting Wednesday Night CNN (08/07, Holmes) reported that top Trump officials, Including AG Bondi, Director Patel, and Vice President JD Vance, met at the White House to discuss the Jeffrey Epstein case. According to the article, the meeting discussed several topics, including the Jeffrey Epstein case and potential next steps, with the administration's handling of the case and the need to craft a unified response being a main focus of the discussion. The meeting was also expected to address the Issue of whether to publish an audio recording and transcript of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's recent conversation with Ghislalne Maxwell, an accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, which has been a point of consideration for Trump administration o0ficials. Additionally, the gathering was seen as an opportunity for AG Bondi and Director Patel to resolve their differences over the Epstein case strategy, as they had previously clashed on the issue, and Vice President Vance had attempted to mediate between them and Deputy Director Bongino. The article stated that despite the meeting taking place, Vice President Vance's office denied on Wednesday that a meeting on the Epstein case was occurring, adding to the secrecy surrounding the discussion. Additional reporting on the story was provided by Raw Story (08/07, Davis), The Hill (08/07, Scully), The Daily Beast (08/07, Forster), HuffPost (08/07, Tolliver), Los Angeles Times (08/07, Offenhari2, Ding), and The Guardian (08/07, Beldempis). Opinion pieces were published by MSNBC (08/07, Benen), The Hill (08/07, Samuels), CNN (08/07, Collinson), and The Atlantic (08/07, Tiffany). MSNBC (08/07, Video) published video coverage of the story. Director Patel Meets Australian Partners to Combat Transnational Organized Crime The Australia Today (08/07, Sanval) reported that Director Patel visited Australia to strengthen cooperation with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, focusing on transnational organised crime and national security. According to the article, Director Patel discussed shared concerns, including the growing Influence of the People's Republic of China, with senior Australian officials, including Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. The article highlighted that the visit aimed to reinforce international partnerships within the Five Eyes alliance, with the FBI committed to countering global security challenges through Joint efforts with its allies. "For decades, the FBI has had personnel in Australia, and we've benefited from strong cooperation with our counterparts here," said Director Patel. "The FBI cannot do It alone: he said while inaugurating the new office. Mysterious Crime Spree Targeted National Guard Equipment Stashes WIRED (08/07, Cameron) reported that thieves targeted Tennessee National Guard facilities in a string of break-ins, stealing equipment such as night vision goggles and thermal weapons sights. The break-ins, which occurred over a seven•week span, suggest potential insider help and have raised concerns about the vulnerability of US armories to theft and intrusion. The article highlighted that the FBI is leading the investigation Into the break-ins, which are believed to be part of a larger trend of "domestic violent extremists" targeting military facilities for weapons and gear. The article added that Luke Baumgartner, a former Army officer and extremism researcher at George Washington University, says the Tennessee armory break-ins do appear to bear the hallmarks of an inside Job—assuming suspicions about the Intruders knowing the locations of secure keys are accurate. "It's not an uncommon occurrence: he says, pointing to the recent thefts at Washington's Joint Base Lewis•McChord. In June, the FBI arrested two former service members for their alleged involvement In the thefts and the hammer assault of a soldier on base. The FBI recovered a stockpile of weapons found in the suspects' home, amid an assortment of Nazi iconography and white supremacist literature. Pennsylvania Man Accused of Detonating Bomb Placed Under Former Boss' Car WCAU (NBC•10) (08/07, Grassi) and The Philadelphia Inquirer (08/07, Moran) reported that Michael Patrick Takacs Jr, 43, Is accused of placing a bomb under his former supervisor's car after being Bred from his Job. According to the articles, the bomb was detonated remotely, and the incident was caught on camera, with Takacs seen driving away from the scene before the explosion. The articles noted that Takao has been charged with unlawfully transporting explosive materials and other related charges and has been detained. "We learned a bomb was placed under a person's vehicle, and it exploded before dawn on a Saturday in Delran, NJ. Our agents, intelligence analysts, bomb technicians, evidence response team, and task force officers with state and local police agencies rushed to the scene and Immediately began searching for a suspect. We worked around the clock and developed evidence in Just days to allege that Takao built the bomb and took very specific steps to avoid detection. Our most important mission In these types of investigations Is to protect the public from Injury or death by preventing additional attacks. The people of New Jersey do not always get to see the swift and incredible work done by the FBI and our law enforcement partners, but this case illustrates what we do and the way we do it is vital to the communities we serve," FBI Special Agent In Charge Stefanie Roddy said In the press release. Canadian Supreme Court Won't Hear Appeal Application, Rail Terror Case The Canadian Press (08/07, Bronskill) reported that the Supreme Court of Canada has declined to hear the appeal of Raed Jaser, bringing a definitive close to the high•profle Via Rail terror case. Jaser and co•consplator Chiheb Esseghaier were charged in 2015 for conspiring to commit murder and terrorism•related offenses in connection with a thwarted plot to derail a passenger train traveling from New York to Toronto. Esseghaier was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years, while Jaser received a life sentence with no parole eligibility for EFTA01654396 13 years. Their convictions were upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal in 2020. The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the appeal leaves the lower court rulings intact finalizing the legal proceedings. The Via Rail case marked one of Canada's most significant terrorism prosecutions. The investigation, which involved extensive surveillance and cross-border cooperation between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the FBI, revealed that the planned attack was inspired by al•Qaeda and intended to inflict mass casualties. Law enforcement successfully disrupted the plot before it could be carried out Neo-Nazi Group Leader Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Planned Maryland Power Grid Attack The Associated Press (08/07, Skene) and Reuters (08/07, Gorman) reported that Brandon Russell, the founder of a Florida-based neo-Nazi group, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to attack Maryland's power grid. According to the article, Russell was convicted of conspiracy to damage an energy facility, with the goal of precipitating societal collapse in a majority•Black city. His co-defendant, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, was previously sentenced to 18 years in prison for her role in the plot which was foiled when the two were arrested in February 2023. The article contains a photo of Thomas J. Soboclnskl, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Baltimore Field Office, speaking during a news conference in Baltimore, Feb. 6, 2023. The article highlighted that a confidential informant helped lead the FBI back to Russell while he was still under supervised release from the Florida case, linking him to encrypted Internet messages from a user known as "Homunculus" urging attacks on electrical substations, according to federal authorities. Continued Reporting: Army Soldier Accused of Trying to Leak Secrets to Russia for Citizenship USA TODAY (08/07, Khan) reported that Taylor Adam Lee, a 22-year•old active•duty U.S. Army soldier, was arrested for trying to leak classified defense information to Russia. According to the article, Lee allegedly attempted to share information about the M1A2 Abrams tank in exchange for Russian citizenship, meeting with someone he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer, and passing them an SD card with sensitive Information. "Today's arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S. - especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland," Roman Rozhaysky, assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, said in the release. "The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information" The article noted that Lee has been charged with attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license. Additional reporting on the story was provided by ABC News (08/07, Mallin), KOAT (ABC-7) (08/07, Catlin), KCEN (NBC-6) (08/07, Wallin), CBS News (08/07, Myers), Army Times (08/07, South), Dallas News (08/07, Sierra), El Paso Times (08/07, Martinez), Dallas Express (08/07, Galt), and BBC News (08/07, Ahmadi). Federal Hate Crime and First-Degree Murder Charges Filed Against Alleged Killer of Israeli Embassy Staff Members The Hill (08/07, Schonfeld) reported that Elias Rodriguez, 31, has been indicted on hate crime charges for killing two Israeli Embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Shortly after the shooting, Rodriguez allegedly told event attendees "I did it for Palestine" and yelled at them, "Shame on you" The indictment stated that Rodriguez, one day prior, authored a document saying he takes "satisfaction" in arguing the "perpetrators and abettors have forfeited their humanity: He allegedly scheduled it to post on social media in the hours after the shooting. The press release noted that the case is being investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office. Forward (08/07, Gilson) also reported on the story. FBI Focuses on Central Mexico in Hunt for Canadian Ex•Olynmpian Ryan Wedding CBC (08/07, Daigle) reported that the FBI has launched a Spanish language social media campaign targeting residents in the State of Mexico to generate leads on the whereabouts of Ryan Wedding, a 43-year-old former Canadian Olympian turned fugitive. Wedding, who competed in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics, is accused of leading a violent transnational drug trafficking network and has been on the run since 2015. Authorities believe he is hiding near Mexico City, potentially under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel. He was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in March and is wanted on multiple federal charges, including murder and conspiracy to export cocaine. A $10 million reward is being offered for information leading to his capture. Investigators have traced Wedding to several locations in Mexico City, including a Starbucks where he reportedly met with an FBI informant, and a hotel in the Santa Fe district where a recent photo of him was taken. Known by aliases such as "Public Enemy" and "El fele," Wedding is described as wealthy, dangerous, and highly connected. The international manhunt is part of broader cooperative efforts between the FBI and RCMP, with top officials from both agencies meeting recently in Ottawa. Wedding's associate, The Dictator" (Clark), has already been arrested and extradited, and another alleged courier has agreed to face charges in the U.S. Authorities continue to pursue leads to bring Wedding to justice. Video Shows Department of Justice Official Urging Ian. 6 Rioters to 'Kill' Cops NPR (08/07, Dreisbach) reported that Jared Lane Wise, a former FBI agent and Jan. 6 defendant is now serving as a senior adviser in the Department of Justice under the Trump administration, despite his prior involvement in the 2021 Capitol riot. Wise was captured on police bodycam footage urging rioters to "kill" law enforcement officers and shouting inflammatory remarks, including calling officers "Nazis' He was initially charged with six misdemeanor counts, including unlawfully entering a restricted area and disrupting government business. Wise pleaded not guilty, with his legal team arguing his speech was protected under the First Amendment. Following a presidential pardon issued by Donald Trump on his first day in office, the case against Wise was dismissed. His subsequent appointment to a senior DOJ role—specifically advising a team tasked with dismantling perceived political weaponization of federal agencies—has sparked widespread criticism. The DOJ has defended the hiring, referring to Wise as a "valued member of the department. His placement in a leadership position has raised questions about the administration's handling of Capitol riot prosecutions and its broader approach to accountability for the events of January 6. Additional reporting was provided by Newsmax (08/07, McCarthy), The Independent (08/07, Woodward), and Roiling Stone (08/07, Dickinson). Virginia Youth Pastor Accused of Using Fake Social Media Accounts to Target Minors WDBJ (CBS•7) (08/07, Beatty) reported that Jacob Ryan Barnett, a 34•year-old youth pastor at Catawba Valley Baptist Church, has been arrested and charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor after allegedly posing as a teenage boy online to solicit explicit material from underage girls. Using the alias "Jodie Johnson," Barnett is accused of targeting minors through social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Discord. The case was initiated when the mother of a 15-year-old girl in Michigan discovered sexually explicit messages on her daughter's phone and alerted authorities. Investigators traced the digital activity back to Barnett's home in Virginia, where they found evidence of contact EFTA01654397 with thousands of underage girls. Barnett was arrested in North Carolina and is currently being held without bond at the Catawba County Detention Facility in Newton. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. The FBI and Department of Justice are using the case to highlight the importance of parental involvement in children's online safety. The press release quoted Ann Busby, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Richmond Division: "The heinous crimes Barnett is charged with are what keep parents up at night. Educating our kids and communities about the threats posed by faceless, online personas is crucial to maintaining their safety. Working with our partners, FBI Richmond will bring the full weight of the Justice system on anyone who attempts to harm our children. The FBI will never stop searching for these predators and bringing Justice for victims." Additional reporting provided by WSLS (NBC•10) (08/07, Staff Writer), The Independent (08/07, Rohrlich), WSET (ABC•13) (08/07, Locklear). Feds Allege Philadelphia Man Took A Minor To New Jersey For Sex ni.com (08/07, Cameron) reported that BobbyJean Orak a 30•year•old man from Philadelphia, has been charged with multiple federal crimes. He is accused of taking a minor from Pennsylvania to New Jersey in 2022 for sex and producing child pornography. The article explained that Orak was identified as the suspect after the minor was rescued by FBI agents and local police in Atlantic County, and his phone and online accounts were found to contain substantial quantifies of child sexual abuse materiaL TRAFFIC ALERT Nothing to report. 26 Federal Plaza 23rd Floor Gvm Closure crhedule• 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 Phone: Email: KN/DD EFTA01654398