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From: To: Subject: Fw: Today's New Mexico Headlines 7/19/2019 Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2019 15:05:00 +0000 Importance: Normal Thank you On Jul 19, 2019 8:49 AM, (AQ) (FBI)" wrote: Good Mornina Please see below under Jails/Prison - Ruidoso News, "Six charged with total of 26 offenses in jail contraband scheme" From (AQ) (FBI) Sent: Friday, July 19, 2019 7:40 AM Subject: Today's New Mexico Headlines 7/19/2019 TOP OF THE NEWS 2 inmates in New Mexico charged with attempted murder after attack on prison guards Five inmates have been charged following an attack on two Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility guards Tuesday evening. New Mexico State Police, which is investigating, stated the two correctional officers were transported to an area hospital with severe non-life-threatening injuries after the attack. (Las Cruces Sun- News) Deputy US Marshal hit by car during foot chase with homicide suspect A deputy U.S. Deputy Marshal was hit by a car during a foot chase at Coronado Center in Albuquerque Thursday. Authorities said the deputy was chasing a homicide suspect before being hit by a car. (KOB) No Epstein Indictment Here, For Now Investigators with the New Mexico Attorney General's Office plan to turn over any information they gather about alleged sex crimes committed here by Jeffrey Epstein to federal prosecutors "as soon as possible," a spokesman for the AG says. That means that for now, Attorney General Hector Balderas' team is working as fact-gatherer for the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, where Epstein pleaded not guilty last week to charges of sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking conspiracy, says Matt Baca, senior counsel for Balderas' office. (Santa Fe Reporter) FBI IN THE NEWS Navajo man from Sanostee pleads guilty to federal involuntary manslaughter and child abuse charges Tavis Washburn, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Sanostee, N.M., pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque on July 12, 2019, to charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse in Indian Country. (USAO) EFTA01659529 FBI Media Alert: FBI to Hold Diversity Agent Recruiting Event in Albuquetquk The Albuquerque FBI Division will hold a recruiting event next month to encourage members of underrepresented communities-especially women and minorities—to consider becoming special agents. The Diversity Agent Recruiting (DAR) event will be held in Albuquerque on August 20, 2019, from 6 to 9 p.m. (FBI) FBI Media Alert: Body Found in Trunk of Burning Car Near Church Rock, New Mexico The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety are investigating a body that was found in the trunk of a burning car near Church Rock, New Mexico. The vehicle, believed to be a Dodge Avenger SXT, was discovered on fire off Pipeline Road, in an isolated area north of Church Rock, on Monday morning, July 15, 2019. (FBI) VIOLENT CRIME Man dies after arriving at southeast Albuquerque convenience store with injuries Police are asking the public to avoid an area in southeast Albuquerque Friday morning following the death of a man who arrived at a convenience store with injuries. Officers with the Albuquerque Police Department arrived at the 7-11 at San Mateo and Kathryn early Friday in response to a male who had arrived at the store bleeding from his abdomen. (ICRQE) Standoff In Williamsburg Truth or Consequences Police took a Williamsburg man into custody after he barricaded himself inside a home Friday afternoon, July 12. Just before 4 p.m., city police officers were called to the 800 block of Carmen in Williamsburg when a man reportedly became upset over a vehicle he was purchasing, that it was being repossessed. (Sierra County Sentinel) Man pleads guilty in 2018 double homicide The man who killed a retired Albuquerque lawyer and the woman he was renting a room to in January 2018 — dumping their bodies by the side of a road in a town about 45 miles east of the city — has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and other charges. Michael Patrick, the spokesman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office, said James Knight, 33, will spend at least 30 years in prison under the terms of the plea agreement. (Albuquerque Journal) Trial wraps up for one suspect in elderly woman's death The fate of a woman accused of teaming up with her boyfriend to kill his elderly aunt in May 2017 is in the hands of an Albuquerque jury. Authorities say Josie Ortega, an 86-year-old great-grandmother, was found dead in her pajamas with a plastic bag over her head and her hands zip-tied behind her back. (Albuquerque Journal) Santa Fe police investigate Barela Lane shooting Santa Fe police were still searching late Thursday for a man suspected in a shooting earlier in the day outside a home on Barela Lane, off Agua Fria Street, that sent another man to a local hospital and left construction workers at nearby homes rattled with feat One man working on a roofing project down the street described hearing some 15 gunshots — one that whizzed by just inches from his head. (New Mexican) Albuquerque police release lapel video from day mother, daughter were found dead The Albuquerque Police Department released lapel video from the day a mother and daughter were found dead in southeast Albuquerque home. Police say Jesus Cartagena killed his ex-girlfriend Shanta Hanish and her mother Laura in June. (KOB) Loved ones struggle to cope with random killing of man on I-25 Family and friends are mourning the death of Jose Ruben Diaz. The 45-year-old father of three was shot and killed near the Big I on Monday. "It's hard, you know," said Diaz's longtime friend Deanne Lopez. (KOB) Roswell mother describes moment she learned her son was shot, killed EFTA01659530 Police are on the hunt for 25-year-old Jorge Luis Villa. Villa is accused of shooting and killing 27-year-old Johnathan Carter in Roswell Monday morning. Nicole Maynard Sena, 36, is a person of interest in the case. (KOB) Albuquerque woman who sued city to stay in home found murdered An Albuquerque woman who fought a major legal battle with the city of Albuquerque has been found murdered. The Valencia County Sheriff's Office says 54-year-old Mary Kay Brizzee's body was found two weeks ago in a remote area west of Los Lunas. (KRQE) Man involved in high-profile murder, home invasion in trouble again He spent just 10 years in prison for his role in a high-profile murder, and for nearly beating an elderly couple to death during a home invasion—and when Benito Lopez was released last year, he violated his probation and was sent back to prison. Just a year later, he's back out and back in trouble. (KRQE) Father: 'She slipped out of my hands and went down into the water' When Albuquerque police officers were called to a hotel because an 11-month-old girl possibly drowned, they were told by the father the girl simply slipped through his hands and into a pool. New body camera video obtained by Target 7 shows how cops were able to able to find a different story. (KOAT) Police confirm victim in June homicide, seek unknown suspect Police have identified the man shot and killed inside a home on the city's west side, more than a month after the slaying took place. Las Vegas Police say 27-year-old Cruz M. Gallegos died of a single gunshot wound at a home in the 1100 block of Chavez Street on June 15. (Las Vegas Optic) SEX CRIMES Former Santa Fe Mayor Accused Of Sex Abuse In 2nd Lawsuit A second man has accused former Santa Fe mayor Louis Montalto of child sexual abuse in a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Santa Fe Boys & Girls Club. Montafto was the director of the youth organization, then called the Boys Club of Santa Fe, when the alleged abuse took place. (KUNM) rand jury indicts former Zia Middle School principal for child pornography A grand jury indictment against the former principal of Zia Middle School in Mesilla was filed in federal court Wednesday. Joel Aguilar Villanueva, 42, was arrested in April after police executed a search warrant at Villanueva's Telshor Boulevard apartment and found up to 192 files containing suspected child pornography on a hard drive belonging to Villanueva. (Las Cruces Sun-News) 19-year-old faces charges in Snapchat child porn case A 19-year-old has been arrested in a child pornography case. Yarelis Cespedes was taken into custody Wednesday morning in the South Valley. (KOB) ABQ couple charged with raping young children, recording it Investigators have just arrested an Albuquerque couple, they say the husband and wife performed sex acts on two little girls. According to the search warrant, the girls were just 6 and 3 years old and the adults recorded it possibly for porn. (KOAT) DRUGS Man escapes police custody after drug trafficking arrest Two men were arrested at Storrie Lake State Park over the Fourth of July weekend and charged with trafficking controlled substances, but one man escaped from police custody. Harold Anderson, 58, of Roy, and Steven Gutierrez, 31, of Las Vegas, were taken into custody by New Mexico State Police on July 7. (Las Vegas Optic) LAW ENFORCEMENT Video: Man suspected of driving while high crashes into law enforcement academy EFTA01659531 High school students participating in the State Police Youth Academy last week got to see more action than they expected. A driver who police think was high, barreled through a fence and onto the training track at State Police headquarters. (KRQE) NMSU under fire for new policy regarding student-athletes Student-athletes at New Mexico State will now fall under the same code of conduct as regular students, and not necessarily be held to a higher standard. Under the old policy, a student-athlete faced automatic dismissal when convicted of a felony. That is not the case any longer. (KRQE) Criminals beware. D.A. knows who your friends are. It's likely that a man seen on surveillance video breaking into a pawn shop through a ceiling would have gotten off with probation or a small jail sentence, prosecutors say. Why? Because he had never been arrested for a violent crime. (KOAT) Judge dismisses case against former senator A judge granted a motion Thursday made by an attorney for former state Sen. Timothy Jennings, D-Roswell, to dismiss a case against the former legislator for failing to immediately report a vehicle accident to law enforcement. Buddy Hall, a magistrate judge from De Baca County who heard the case Thursday during a motion hearing in Chaves County Magistrate Court, granted the motion by the defense to dismiss the case with prejudice — meaning charges can not be railed. (Roswell Daily Record) LAPD to stop emailing ICE after complaint Los Alamos Police Chief Dino Sgambellone said Tuesday his department will reevaluate whether the department will include Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on a weekly email list that includes jail reports. The list is sent to law enforcement and court officials every Monday. (Los Alamos Monitor) BORDER County, gov's office argue over contact after state of emergency declaration Following a county commission meeting where Otero County Commission Chairman Couy Griffin and other commissioners voiced their dismay that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office has not responded to the county directly since a declaration of emergency, the governor's office responded that "the Otero County Commission never directly contacted the Governor's Office over their concerns." To disprove this, Otero County sent a response to the governor's office showing that the county contacted them via fax, email and certified mail in April following the county declaring a state of emergency. (Alamogordo Daily News) Reports, but no confirmation of ICE raid in Taos This month's announcement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would round up undocumented immigrants starting Sunday (July 14) caused hysteria throughout the nation, including in Taos, where a few local residents reported sightings of the federal agents. Local law enforcement heard the rumors, too, but agency heads said they could not confirm the federal agency's presence in the county this week. (Taos News) FRAUD/THEFT Las Cruces Police Ask For Help Identifying Auto Theft Suspects Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that helps identify the two men suspected of stealing a sport utility vehicle from the parking lot of a local store. About noon on Sunday, March 10, a Honda CRV was stolen from the parking lot of Target, at 2541 E. Lohman Ave. (KRWG) US lawmakers propose ban on export of tribes' sacred items A group of U.S. lawmakers made another push Thursday to ban collectors and vendors from exporting Native American ceremonial items to foreign markets, including Paris, where there has been uproar over auction houses listing tribal pieces for sale over the years. The lawmakers introduced legislation that would increase penalties within the United States for trafficking objects that tribes hold sacred by increasing prison time from five years to 10 years for violating the law more than once. (AP) Nob Hill jewelry store broken into— again Lilly Barrack, a jewelry story in Nob Hill, was broken into for the second time in less than three months. In May, surveillance video caught a man stealing about $50,000 worth of jewelry. (KOB) EFTA01659532 New Mexico man convinced woman to invest in fake salsa business A New Mexico man has been convicted of swindling a California woman out of more than $60,000 by convincing her to invest in a fake salsa business. A Las Cruces jury found Eduardo Triste guilty of fraud and embezzlement after he struck up a phone relationship with the 70-year-old woman, who worked in a call center. (KRQE) LABS LANL releases economic impact report Los Alamos National Laboratory released Thursday its latest economic impact figures. In fiscal year 2017, the lab was responsible for directly employing over 11,800, and direct expenditures from its workers and vendors created an additional 9,400 jobs. (Albuquerque Business First) Nuclear weapons waste being shipped to NM Radioactive waste shipped to Idaho during the Cold War has been compacted and sent to New Mexico for permanent disposal, officials said Wednesday. A U.S. Department of Energy contractor, Fluor Idaho, said nearly 26,000 cubic yards of waste contaminated with plutonium-238 was sent to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad. (AP) JAILS/PRISONS Children and pregnant women no longer allowed in solitary confinement in NM A long-sought set of reforms to the way New Mexico jailers and prison officials use solitary confinement kicked in July 1, barring the practice for certain populations and starting the clock on what civil rights advocates and lawmakers hope will lead to unprecedented transparency on the controversial practice in the state. Effectively immediately, pregnant women and children can no longer be held in solitary, and beginning in November prisons and jails around the state will start publicly reporting how many people are being held in solitary. (New Mexico In Depth) Six charged with total of 26 offenses in jail contraband scheme Six individuals were charged with a collective total of 26 offenses in connection with an attempt to smuggle contraband into the Lincoln County Detention Center in Carrizozo, according to information from County Undersheriff Mike Wood. In the early morning of July 3, following several nights of surveillance, officers with the White Mountain Drug Task Force intercepted a package thrown over the fence of the detention center, Wood said Wednesday in a news release. (Ruidoso News) COURTS State revamps administration of magistrate, district courts New Mexico is consolidating administration of most magistrate and district courts across the state. The state Administrative Office of the Courts said the reorganization means the office no longer will manage the dozens of magistrate courts statewide and that those courts' hiring and staffing decisions instead will be instead by overseen locally by judicial districts that already administer district courts. (AP) Review casts doubt on DA's pretrial detention plan A recent review calls into question the likely effectiveness and outcomes of a proposal by 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raid Torrez to change the way pretrial detention is handled in New Mexico. In May, Torrez unveiled the framework for a constitutional amendment intended to make it easier to detain defendants charged with specific crimes and expand the criteria for holding defendants until trial. (Albuquerque Journal) New Mexico court denies appeal in pickax killing of father A New Mexico Supreme Court ruling Thursday denies a Socorro man's appeal of a lower court's order that he be detained for life in a mental health facility for the pickax killing of his father. Manuel Baca was charged with murder in the 2016 killing of 67-year-old Fidel Baca Sr. but a judge ruled the son was dangerous and not competent to stand trial. (AP) OPINION EFTA01659533 Editorial: NM AG's staff must serve public, not special interests "Our Vision: We aspire to be an innovative leader in New Mexico, recognized for proactively finding solutions and responding to evolving needs by building partnerships with individuals, community organizations, government agencies and businesses." — New Mexico Attorney General's Office website. "Building partnerships" sounds good, especially if it helps stretch every dollar you have for the public you serve — until it turns out one of the partners answers to a very different master. (Albuquerque Journal) BULLETIN INTELLIGENCE DATE: FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Judge May Toss Criminal Case Against Flynn's Ex-Lobbying Partner. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Suspected ISIS Member Brought To US For Prosecution. • Florida Man Sentenced To 20 Years For Posting Bomb-Making Guides. • US Charges Syrian Refugee With Plotting Pittsburgh Church Bombing. • LATimes Analysis: DHS Has "Gutted" Programs That Detect WMD Threats. • Senate Reaches Deal To Vote Next Week On Bill Extending Compensation Fund For 9/11 First Responders. • German Police Detain Six Suspected Islamic Extremists. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Career Officials Say White House Didn't Pressure Them On Security Clearances. • Pentagon Reviewing Plan To Relocate Key US Intel Hub Within UK. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Epstein Denied Bail. • Illinois Man Sentenced To Life For Murder Of Chinese Student. • Three Former Paterson New Jersey Officers Say They Stole Money With Fourth Officer. • Intense Secrecy Surrounds Whereabouts Of "El Chapo." • US Charges Maryland Man With Threatening Member Of Congress. • FBI Visits Home Of Omaha Man After Congressman Alleged Threats. • FBI Seeks Public's Help In Search For Missing Arizona Woman. • Coast Guard Vet's Family Hopes FBI Program Helps Crack Case. • West Virginia Man Sentenced For Meth Conspiracy. • Reputed California Gang Member Charged With Human Trafficking. • Former CBP Officer Pleads Guilty To Illegal Sun-Sales Scheme. • Shot Twice By Police, St. Louis Man Sentenced For Latest Incident. • Gunman Sought In Two Florida Walgreens Robberies. • Michigan Man Sentenced For Robbing Credit Union. • Massachusetts Man Arrested In Bank Robbery. • Police Raid Pennsylvania Residences In Search For Shooting Suspect. • Oklahoma Man Pleads Not Guilty In Sex Abuse Case. • Former Kansas Priest Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography. • California Man Charged With Murder After Driving Family Off Pier. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Trump Denounces Puerto Rican Officials Amid Protests Demanding Rosselld's Ouster. • Chao: FAA Has No Timeline To Lift Grounding Of 737 MAX. • FBI Raids Illinois Home Of Confidant Of State House Speaker. • Former Goldman Sachs Banker In Plea Discussions To Avoid Trial Over 1MDB Charges. • Second Circuit Upholds Shkreli's Conviction. • US Charges Chicago Employee With Lying To FBI. • Former Nevada Lawmaker Sentenced For Campaign Fund Fraud. • FBI Probing Baseball Card Collectors Suspected Of Fraud. • FBI Reportedly Probing Oklahoma Charter Schools' Practices Finances. EFTA01659534 • Authorities Probing Alleged Bank Fraud At U Of Wisconsin-Parkside. CYBER DIVISION • Schumer Seeks FBI, FTC Probes Of FaceApp. • Fox News: Senior Law Enforcement Official Says China Is Now "Direct Peer" of US On Cyber. • Vietnam Not Using Huawei In 5G Network. • Senate Passes Bill To Expand Anti-Hacking Law To Criminalize Voting3ystem Attacks. • Georgia County Commissioner Says No Ransom Demanded After Cyber Attack. • Cyber Command Tested "Persistent Engagement" During Recent Exercise. • Qpinion: Cyber Weapons Are Changing The Landscape Of Modem Warfare. • Lryptojacking Becoming A Growing Malware Menace. • Opinion: Ghost Keys "Solution" To Encryption Is No Solution. • Education Department Issued Security Alert That At Least 62 Colleges Impacted By Hacker Attack. • New UK Prime Minister Will Need To Make 5G Decision Quickly. • House GOP Campaign Chief Ends Any Chance Of Truce On Using Hacked Material In 2020 Campaigns. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • Four Chicago Cops Fired For Role In Fatal Shooting. • Philadelphia Officers Fired For Facebook Posts. • Portland Considers Banning Masks During Protests. • Federal Data Show Rural Communities Were Flooded By Prescription O ioids INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • New York FBI Agents Assist In Bust Of Sicilian Mob With US Ties. OTHER FBI NEWS • FBI Hosting Recruiting Event In Cleveland. • Lawmakers Press Secret Service For Plan To Avoid Future Mar-a-Lago Security Breaches. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Media Analyses Skeptical Of Trump's Distancing Himself From "Send Her Back" Chant. • Prosecutors Signal Additional Charges Related To Alleged Trump "Hush Money" Payments Are Unlikely. • Trump Highlights Indictment Of MS-13 Members Praises ICE, CBP. • Politico Report: Cuccinelli Already Among Trump's "Top Immigration Lieutenants." • McAleenan: Fewer Than 1,000 Migrant Children Have Been Separated From Families Since October. • Bipartisan Group Of Senators Offer Plan To Accelerate Deportations. • Tensions Between ICE LAPD Growing. • Seventy Catholics Arrested Protesting Trump Immigration Policies At Capitol. • DOJ May Block Sprint T-Mobile Merger If Divestiture Deal Isn't Finalized Next Week. • Mnuchin: Negotiators Agree On Broad Outlines Of Budget Deal. • Trump Says Administration Will Carefully Review Pentagon Cloud Contract. • Trump To Nominate Gene Scalia For Labor Secretary. • Senate Expected To Confirm Esper Next Week. • White House Pushes Out Ross Aide Over Handling Of Census Question. • Roughly Two-Thirds Of USDA Agency Staff To Leave Ahead Of Move. • House Votes To Raise Minimum Wage To $15 An Hour. • EPA Won't Ban Pesticide Linked To Children's Health Problems. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Taliban Car Bombs Targeting Afghan Police Kill 12 In Kandahar. • Former Pakistani PM Arrested On Corruption Charges. • Trump: US Downed Iranian Drone That Threatened Navy Ship. • Trump Says No Decision Yet On Turkey Sanctions. • US Deploying Troops To Saudi Arabia Amid Bipartisan Criticism Of War In Yemen. • Israeli Bahraini Foreign Ministers Meet In Washington. • Pompeo: China's Treatment Of Uighurs "Stain Of The Century." • American Tapped To Top NATO Intelligence Post. • UK Parliament Approves Measures Making No-Deal Brexit Less Likely. • Dutch PM Gives Trump Flag From First US Ship To Land At Normandy. • Kardashian West Lobbies Trump To Help American Rapper Jailed In Sweden. EFTA01659535 • WPost Decries Italy's "Callous And Cynical Disregard" For Asylum Seekers. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Judge May Toss Criminal Case Against Flynn's Ex-Lobbying Partner. CNN (7/18, Polantz, 83.16M) reports federal Judge Anthony Trenga is deciding whether to throw out the conspiracy and foreign lobbying charges "that Michael Flynn's ex-lobbying partner faces because the evidence prosecutors have presented at trial this week has been 'very, very circumstantial."' The judge said, "Much of it's very speculative." If Trenga were to end the case "against Flynn's partner Bijan Kian, it would be an enormous boon to Flynn and a shocking blow to a Justice Department effort." The biggest hole in prosecutors' presentation "appears to have been the lack of testimony from Flynn, who initially had agreed to help prosecutors and then was dropped as a witness earlier this month." The Washington Post (7/18, Weiner, I4.2M) reports that, despite his comments, the judge "declined for the moment to throw out the case against Bijan Rafiekian, an Iranian American businessman who ran a consulting firm with Flynn called the Flynn Intel Group." But the judge may "revisit the concerns he expressed after hearing all the government's evidence, before or after the case goes to a jury." The judge said, "There has to be some evidence" of an agreement. The AP (7/18) reports prosecutors "rested their case Thursday." Defense lawyers "moved to have the case dismissed." They say the evidence "shows Kian and Flynn's work to discredit Gulen was at the behest of a private business." Politico (7/18, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports Law firm Covington & Burling "appears to have billed Flynn about $5 million after he became a client in early 2017, when his lobbying and consulting work came under Justice Department scrutiny." Covington partners Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony initially assisted the retired Army lieutenant general and his consulting finn, Flynn Intel Group, "navigate a Justice Department inquiry into the firm's work on Turkey-related issues." The law firm invoices "were introduced by defense lawyers Tuesday as Kelner testified at a criminal trial in Alexandria, Va., federal court for Flynn's former business partner." Barr Investigation Sets Up Clash Between Intel Community, Skeptical Republicans. The Washingos Times (7/18, Al, Scarborough, 492K) Attorney General Barr's investigation into "the Obama-era conclusion that Russia interfered in the election to help Donald Trump sets up a struggle between the nation's top spies and Mr. Trump's skeptical Republican allies." Trump's "past two CIA directors and his current chief of national intelligence" have all "publicly endorsed the January 2017 intelligence community assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered to help Mr. Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton." The Times adds that "senior Trump aides," including former CIA director and now Secretary of State Pompeo, and current CIA Director Haspel, "back the intelligence community assessment." However, there are "dissenters, and they are close to the White House." Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee "issued a report last year that found no Russian-Trump conspiracy. Special counsel Robert Mueller confirmed the finding in March." Jonian Raises Questions About Dining Of Final Carter Page FISA Extension. The Washingom Examiner (7/18, Chaitin, 448K) reports Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) "said a `significant' question is why the FBI submitted a third Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act renewal to surveil onetime Trump campaign adviser Carter Page after Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel." Jordan said, "They signed it after he was named special counsel. I think that's significant. I'm sure someone's going to ask about that question." Trump Administration Quietly Escalating Fight With Intel Committees Over Access To Sensitive Documents. ABC News (7/18, 2.97M) reports the Trump Administration "has been quietly engaged in an escalating tug-of-war with the House and Senate intelligence committees over sensitive documents from the special counsel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election." "The scope of confidentiality interests being asserted by the executive branch is breathtaking," said Andrew M. Wright, an expert on executive privilege who served as a congressional investigator and as a White House attorney in two Democratic administrations. As is "the lack of accommodation and compromise," he added. Though Mueller's report "does not discuss the classified intelligence gathered during the investigation," congressional investigators "believe the team was given access to a range of materials that could include intercepts, secretive source interviews, and material shared by the spy agencies of other foreign governments." Experts "said the EFTA01659536 stand-offs between branches of government may ultimately force the third branch of government — the judiciary — to get involved." Graham Reveals Three Areas Of "Deep Dive" Inquiyy Following Release Of DOJ IG Report The Washington Examiner (7/18, Chaitin, 448K) reports Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) discussed "three areas he wants to explore as part of his `deep dive' inquiry into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation after the conclusion of Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz's investigation into alleged abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act." Graham, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, "said there are questions he wants to ask former FBI Director James Comey and his deputy Andrew McCabe." He said, "I'd want to ask Comey, what did you tell the president in January of 2017, `Here is the dossier, I can't verify it, but I want you know about it. And he used the same document and told the court that it was reliable on four different occasions. I want to know when McCabe reaffirmed again that without the dossier that there would be no warrant." COUNTER-TERRORISM Suspected ISIS Member Brought To US For Prosecution. The AP (7/18, Tucker) reports the Administration has "brought home for prosecution a US national suspected of fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Syria." The Pentagon said in a statement Thursday that the unidentified individual "had previously been held by Syrian Democratic Forces as a suspected member" of ISIS. The AP adds that it "wasn't immediately clear where in the US the individual had been brought." CNN International (7/18, Browne, Shorten) reports, "The US military helped facilitate the transfer. `The Department of Defense assisted in the movement of a US national from Syria to the United States. He was previously held by Syrian Democratic Forces as a suspected member of ISIS,' a Pentagon spokesperson later confirmed to CNN. `He was transferred to the US for prosecution. As a matter of policy, DOD does not discuss matters of litigation; so for further details, please contact the Department of Justice,' the spokesperson added." Florida Man Sentenced To 20 Years For Posting Bomb-Making Guides. The AP (7/18, Anderson) reports from Miami, "A Florida man was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in federal prison for posting bomb-making instructions on websites frequented by extremist groups such as the Islamic State." US District Judge K. Michael Moore "imposed the maximum possible sentence on Tayyab Tahir Ismail, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan." The FBI "says Ismail, 34, posted bomb instructions last year on five occasions and that they were accurate. 'It's the government's position that no offense could be more serious,' said Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gilbert at a hearing. `Instead of radicalizing people in person, he did the same thing online."' Ismail's attorneys "had sought a lenient sentence, arguing he suffered through a terrible childhood and has a mental disorder," but Moore "noted that many people who have a difficult upbringing go on to impressive achievements." US Charges Syrian Refugee With Plotting Pittsburgh Church Bombing. The AP (7/18) reports from Pittsburgh, "A federal grand jury is accusing a Syrian refugee of plotting to bomb a Christian church in Pittsburgh to inspire Islamic State of Iraq followers." According to the AP, the grand jury "handed up a three-count indictment Wednesday against 21-year-old Pittsburgh resident Mustafa Mousab Alowemer," who is "charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and two counts of distributing information about an explosive, destructive device, or weapon of mass destruction." Authorities "claim he had detailed plans to bomb the Legacy International Worship Center, a small Christian church." The Pittsburgh Patch (7/18, Heyl) reports, "The indictment alleges that Alowemer, a recent Brashear High School graduate, allegedly plotted to bomb the Legacy International Worship Center in Perry South to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States to commit similar terrorist acts." Alowemer "allegedly distributed multiple instructional documents related to the construction and use of explosives and improvised explosive devices (LEDs) to an individual Alowemer believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter. That person was an FBI agent." LATimes Analysis: DHS Has "Gutted" Programs That Detect WMD Threats. The Los Angeles Times (7/17, 4.64M) reports a LATimes investigation has determined that the Trump Administration "has quietly dismantled or cut back multiple programs that were created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to help detect and prevent terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction." The pull back has occurred during the past two years at DHS, "which has primary domestic responsibility for helping authorities identify and block potential chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats." The LATimes claims the changes "were made without rigorous review of potential security vulnerabilities, undermining government- EFTA01659537 wide efforts aimed at countering terrorist attacks involving unconventional weapons, known as WMD." More than 30 current and former Homeland Security employees and contractors "voiced concern that the changes — including the cancellation of dozens of training exercises and the departure of scores of scientists and policy experts — have put Americans at greater risk." The Hill (7/18, Mitchell, 2.98M) reports on the LA Times story, and notes that the LATimes "found that more than 100 scientists and policy experts with knowledge of radiological and nuclear threats were reassigned or given positions not related to their expertise." The LA Times noted that the "same has happened to numerous more scientists and experts specializing in countering biological threats." Senate Reaches Deal To Vote Next Week On Bill Extending Compensation Fund For 9/11 First Responders. The Washington Post (7/18, Sonmez, Barrett, 14.2M) reports the Senate on Thursday "reached an agreement to hold a vote next week on legislation extending a victims compensation fund for 9/11 workers, following an emotional appeal by comedian Jon Stewart and first responders." Senate Majority Leader McConnell's office "said that the vote will take place on or before next Wednesday and that the Senate will also consider two amendments" — one offered by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), the other by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). The AP (7/18, Daly) reports Senate Minority Leader Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) "said Thursday they had reached an agreement" with Lee and Paul "to bring up the bill no later than Wednesday." The agreement came after "comedian Jon Stewart again blasted Republicans who have held up the bill." The Hill (7/18, Wise, 2.98M) reports Paul accused Stewart of being "a member of the left-wing mob' Thursday after the comedian and activist called Paul's move to block legislation to extend the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund an `abomination."' While speaking with host Neil Cavuto on Fox News, "Paul argued that he's spent his entire Senate career putting forward 'pay-fors anytime spending is expanded,' including for disaster relief funding." NBC Nightly NewS:Avn (7/18, story 9, 1:45, Holt, 127K) reported that Paul said, "So if Jon Stewart could read, maybe he could read the bill and say, 'Oh my God, who in their right mind would vote for a bill that doesn't have a dollar amount in it.'" The Hill (7/18, Camey, 2.98M) reports that the bill, which passed the House in a 402-12 vote, "would reauthorize funding until fiscal 2090" and is "expected to easily pass the Senate." CBS Remembers New York Firefighters Who Died Of Cancer. The CBS Evening Newskies:,. (7/18, story 12, 0:50, O'Donnell, 251K) remembered "two brave New York firefighters who worked on the 9/11 rescue and recovery. Kevin Nolan was 58, and Richard Driscoll was 73. Both died of cancer." It added, "Paul blocked a fast-tracking of the bill, noting the country is $22 trillion in debt. But what about the debt of gratitude America owes first responders and their families? That is a debt the country can never repay for sacrifices we can't afford to forget." German Police Detain Six Suspected Islamic Extremists. The AP (7/18) reports that police in Cologne "raided the apartments of alleged Islamic extremists on Thursday and detained six people amid suspicions the group may have been planning an attack." The "main suspect is a 30-year-old German-Lebanese convert to Islam who has been on authorities' radar as an extremist for six years and tried repeatedly to travel to territory controlled by the Islamic State group, senior police official Klaus- Stephan Becker told reporters." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Career Officials Say White House Didn't Pressure Them On Security Clearances. The Hill (7/18, Enjeti, 2.98M) reports in an exclusive that during a closed door session of the House Oversight Committee, "two career White House security officials" testified "that no political pressure was asserted on their office in determining security clearances, according to a GOP staff memo obtained by Hill. TV" According to the memo, career White House security official Crede Bailey testified "that he at no point felt pressure from anyone at the White House to determine a security clearance one way or the other." Similarly, former career employee Cory Louie "testified that at no time in his two week tenure in the security office under the Trump administration did he ever feel undue political influence on the security clearance process." The Hill says their testimony "could deal a blow to Democratic assertions that President Trump and the White House counsel might have used undue influence on the process to win clearances for his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his daughter Ivanka Trump." Pentagon Reviewing Plan To Relocate Key US Intel Hub Within UK. EFTA01659538 Stars And Stripe., (7/18, Vandiver, 30K) reports a US intelligence gathering hub at RAF Molesworth "could stay where it is as the Pentagon reconsiders a plan to move the center to a different site." Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Carla M. Gleason said in a statement, "The Department of Defense is currently re- assessing the future location of the Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex and the NATO Intelligence Fusion Center." The Pentagon stopped short of "saying whether it is considering scrapping a plan to build a new center at RAF Croughton, which would include $200 million in upgrades, and keep the intelligence activities at Molesworth." The Senate's 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which still requires House approval, "calls for funds to build an `intelligence fusion center' and `battlefield information collection and exploitation system center' at Molesworth." The Senate NDAA "did not specify how canceling the move would affect the $200 million slated for the Croughton project." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Epstein Denied Bail. NBC Nightly Newtidon (7/18, story 3, 1:35, Holt, 127K) reported a federal judge on Thursday for "wealthy financier Jeffery Epstein accused of sexually abusing dozens of young girls." On ABC World News Tonight RV idea. (7/18, story 5, 2:05, Muir, 597K), Tom Llamas reported that the judge sided with prosecutors that E 's both a "risk of flight" and a "danger to the community." The judge also cited "Epstein accusers ;NJ _and who testified he was still a threat." On the CBS Evening Newsidea. (7/18, story 5, 1:40, O'Donnell, 251K), Mola Lenghi reported, "Prosecutors argued if granted bail, the 66-year-old was a significant flight risk, pointing to what they found in a safe in his Manhattan townhouse, $70,000 in cash, dozens of diamond, and a fake foreign passport that had expired." CBS also mentioned that Epstein is "a former friend of the President," and "many, including Mr. Trump, have now distanced themselves from the multimillionaire." The Daily Beast (7/18, Briquelet, I.39M) reports that US District Judge Richard Berman "said the evidence offered by federal prosecutors that it was too risky to release the globe-trotting financier appeared `strong.' The evidence includes testimony of victims, some of whom were minor girls when they were allegedly sexually abused by Mr. Epstein; other witnesses, including potential coconspirators; physical evidence, including passports reflecting extensive foreign travel; sexually suggestive photographs of nude underage girls; plea discussions; and police reports describing witness tampering and intimidation,' Berman wrote in a 33-page opinion." The Palm Beach (FL) Daily News (7/18, Musgrave, 21K) reports, "Multimillionaire Epstein has pleaded not guilty to the charges revealed in a July 8 indictment." Federal prosecutors "accuse Epstein of luring dozens of underage girls to his Palm Beach mansion and his townhouse in New York for nude massages that, for most, led to sex." Judge Berman "also said he was swayed by Epstein accusers and former Palm Beach County resident . Both testified at Epstein's bond hearing on Monday, a landmark moment in which Epstein was confronted in open court by his accusers. `I would ask there be no bond for the safety of the other girls, like me, who were sexually abused, told Berman on Monday while Epstein looked on impassively. `He's a scary person.' The New York Post (7/18, Denney, Golding, 4.57M) reports that Judge Berman's "decision to deny Jeffrey Epstein bail will encourage more women to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse when they were underage girls, a lawyer for several accusers said Thursday." Judge Berman's ruling "made it `safer for everyone' to come forward against the multimillionaire financier and convicted pedophile, lawyer Sigrid McCawley said." McCawley "predicted that the number of current Epstein accusers was 'just the tip of the iceberg' and said that she had signed up four new clients following Epstein's July 6 arrest. 'They've been living in this cage of fear and intimidation ever since he committed these horrible crimes against them,' she said." McCawley "wouldn't identify her new clients but said she encouraged them to report their alleged abuse to the FBI." Illinois Man Sentenced To Life For Murder Of Chinese Student. Reuters (7/18, Chiarito) reports, "An Illinois man described by prosecutors as obsessed with serial killers was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for the kidnapping and decapitation of a Chinese graduate student two years ago." A federal jury in Peoria, Illinois "found Brendt Christensen, 29, guilty last month of all charges in the murder of Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign," and EFTA01659539 "on Thursday, the same jury of five women and seven men told the judge that they were unable to unanimously decide between life in prison or the death penalty," and Christensen "was then sentenced to life imprisonment by default." The AP (7/18, Tarm) reports, "Jurors deliberated about eight hours over two days before announcing they were deadlocked on whether 30-year-old Brendt Christensen should be put to death for killing Yingying Zhang in 2017 as part of a homicidal fantasy, automatically resulting in a sentence of life behind bars without the possibility of parole." US District Judge James Shadid "castigated Christensen in court later Thursday as he formally sentenced him, telling him his `inexplicable act of violence has taken its toll on so many, first and foremost the Zhang family."The Zhang family ... must live with the thought that Yingying was ripped away from them by a total stranger, thousands of miles away, fulfilling his self-absorbed and selfish fantasies,' he told Christensen." The Urbana/Champaign (IL) News-Gazette (7/18, Zigterman, 121K) reports that the sentence "comes after seven days of often emotional testimony during the sentencing phase, beginning with Ms. Zhang's family describing how difficult her death has been for them and her friends describing how bright and generous she was." WTTW-TV Chicago (7/18, 7K) and WGN-TVChicago (7/18, 576K) also report. Three Former Paterson, New Jersey Officers Say They Stole Money With Fourth Officer. The Bergen (HI) Record (7/18, Malinconico) reports from Paterson, New Jersey, "At the time of his federal indictment last March, Paterson police officer Eudy Ramos faced the possibility of having one of his fellow cops testify against him," but "that didn't seem to bother his lawyer, Miles Feinstein, who asserted that Ramos was innocent and anxious to clear his name of the accusations that he participated in illegal traffic stops and shakedowns of motorists." The Record adds that "the odds seem to be getting worse for Ramos after Tuesday's proceedings in federal court in Newark." According to the Record, "In pleading guilty on Tuesday to federal civil rights crimes, former officer Frank Toledo said he teamed up with Ramos on Dec. 2, 2017 to steal $1,000 from someone they arrested." The ongoing FBI probe "has resulted in the arrests of seven cops, including five who already pleaded guilty." Intense Secrecy Surrounds Whereabouts Of "El Chapo." The New York Times (7/18, Palmer, 18.61M) reports, "Throughout his long and bloody career, the drug kingpin known as El Chapo has proved to be a master of escape, breaking out of two Mexican prisons to continue his reign leading the Sinaloa cartel," and "within hours of being sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, the notorious Mexican crime lord, Joaquin Guzman Loera, was whisked away from a federal jail in Manhattan and transferred to an undisclosed location, his lawyers said." His attorneys "expect he will end up at the nation's most forbidding federal prison, the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, or ADX, in Florence, Cob." The Times adds, "The intense secrecy surrounding Mr. Guzmin's transfer to another prison reflected the anxiety over his Houdini-like ability to engineer escapes in the past and the deep financial resources at the disposal of the cartel." US Charges Maryland Man With Threatening Member Of Congress. The Baltimore Sun (7/18, Kelvey, 1.33M) reports that a Westminster, Maryland man "was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury after allegedly threatening to kill a member of Congress in June." Darryl Albert Vamum "was indicted on one felony count of threatening a federal official by the grand jury for the U.S. District of Maryland, according to federal court documents." The indictment "stems from Vamum's allegedly leaving a voicemail for a member of Congress — identified in a criminal complaint filed in Baltimore's U.S. District Court only as `United States Congressperson #1' — on June 28." The Daily Beast "identified the member of Congress allegedly threatened as Democratic Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson, but the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, Wilson's office and U.S. Capitol Police declined to confirm that reporting." The Miami Herald (7/18, Rabin, 1.09M) reports Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) received a death threat from a Pentagon contractor "after she introduced a bill requiring public schools to vaccinate children before receiving federal funding, according to a complaint and warrant filed in Maryland federal court." The complaint, filed in US District Court in the District of Maryland, does not identify Wilson by name, but she was identified by the Daily Beast. The complaint says Darryl Albert Vamum "called Wilson's Florida office on June 26, threatening to come down to Miami and kill her if the bill were introduced." Vamum "works for a company in Columbia, Maryland, called Sealing Technology, which is currently contracted out by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency." FBI Visits Home Of Omaha Man After Congressman Alleged Threats.