Case update from @FBIAtlanta: Social media personality Mercedes Reshard New, a/k/a “Shawty Dred,” was arrested on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining more than $4 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Between January 2020 and July 2026, New allegedly controlled more than 350 fraudulent SNAP accounts that were created using stolen identities. Over the course of the scheme, New allegedly duped DFCS into transferring approximately $4,600,000 in SNAP benefits to fraudulently established beneficiary accounts.
Read more: justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/soc…
.@FBIDirectorKash: "We are not waiting for the scammers to hit our citizens. We are going out there in full force."
Through Operation Blackout this FBI is taking the fight directly to the source. If you prey on the American people, we will find you, and we will bring you to justice.
Case update from @FBINewHaven: Nursulton Izzatulloevich Khaydarov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, has been charged by indictment for his alleged involvement in the theft of numerous trucking cargo shipments.
As alleged in court documents, a Homeland Security Task Force (@HSTaskForce) investigation revealed that Khaydarov purchased or otherwise assumed control of multiple motor carrier companies, then posed as the previous business owner to obtain contracts for interstate shipments. A driver picked up the shipment from the distribution location; however, the load did not make it to its intended destination and was subsequently reported stolen. To date, the estimated retail value of the stolen products of the cargo thefts Khaydarov was personally involved in is more than $12 million.
Learn more: justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/homel…
ALT FBI New Haven Homeland Security Task Force announces that a Uzbekistan national has been charged with stealing trucking cargo.
ALT Statement from Special Agent in Charge P. J. O'Brien from FBI New Haven: "Cargo theft is not a victimless crime, it disrupts businesses, strains the supply chain, and ultimately raises costs for consumers. The alleged retail estimate of the stolen products is over $12 million, and it shows that targeting commercial shipments for personal profit will not go unnoticed. We will work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure this individual is held accountable."
FBI retweeted
Early this morning, the FBI and our partners arrested 8 of 15 defendants in Southern California, Dallas and Chicago, for their roles in health care schemes that collectively resulted in $2 billion in fraudulent claims to government and private health care programs, including sham substance abuse treatment programs, unnecessary artery treatments, and bogus hospice services. Two of the 15 defendants were arrested last week.
“Today the FBI and our partners executed 8 arrests, with 7 additional defendants charged, after the subjects involved allegedly orchestrated a multi-year healthcare fraud scheme resulting in $1.8 billion in losses,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The defendants - including medical professionals - made fraudulent claims to steal from taxpayer funded healthcare and insurance programs, including substance abuse treatment programs, hospice care, and Medicare programs in the Los Angeles area designed to help the most vulnerable. Under President Trump’s leadership with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, stealing from American taxpayers will no longer be tolerated in this country. This FBI will continue to move aggressively with our Department of Justice to dismantle fraud networks stealing from hard working taxpayers.”
“Healthcare fraud cheats American taxpayers and health care programs out of billions of dollars,” said Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to do everything in our power to safeguard our government health care programs and the taxpayers picking up the bill.”
@IRS_CI @USAO_LosAngeles @HHS @DEALosAngeles
Additional details: justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/la-…
Public office is a position of trust, not a shield from the law.
Sen. Louise Lucas has been federally indicted, with prosecutors alleging she used her position to shield a five-year marijuana enterprise involving her family and nearly $5 million.
Thanks to @TheJusticeDept, @AGToddBlanche, FBI agents, and our partners for working to hold those who violate that trust accountable.
FBI retweeted
Recently, we hosted 45 canine explosive detection teams from law enforcement agencies across the region for our annual “Barktoberfest” training event. Special agent bomb technicians led this unique experience, providing these highly trained teams with the opportunity to recognize and imprint on bomb making materials and explosives.
This special training enhances each team's ability to rapidly detect hazardous devices, a critical skill that helps keep our communities safe and supports effective responses to critical incidents.
ALT Three police dogs in harnesses stand alert beside officers in tactical gear during a law enforcement operation.
ALT Sheriff K9 dog wearing a harness sniffs the tire of a parked police SUV during a search operation.
ALT Police officer in tactical gear holding a leash attached to a sitting K9 unit inside a garage with vehicles.
ALT Yellow Labrador police dog sniffing the side of a white vehicle during a security check.
Case update from @FBIJackson: Former gymnastics coach Sean Gardner, 39, was sentenced to 90 years in prison for secretly videoing young gymnasts in the bathroom of a gym where he coached.
During the execution of a search warrant at Gardner’s Iowa residence, law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed numerous images and videos depicting minor children – some under the age of 12 – in states of undress that appeared to have been recorded using a concealed camera.
Read more: justice.gov/usao-sdms/pr/for…
The #FBI Wall of Honor remembers Special Agent Sang T. Jun, who died on October 22, 2008, after collapsing during SWAT tryouts earlier that month. fbi.gov/history/wall-of-hono…
ALT The Federal Bureau of Investigation honors our fallen: Special Agent Sang T. Jun. October 22, 2008 // The FBI seal is shown in the lower right corner.
Case update from @FBIPhoenix: Juan Hernandez Ochoa, 51, of Mexico, plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana for unlawful importation into the United States.
According to court documents, Hernandez Ochoa worked from 2015 to 2017 as a distributor and transporter for various drug traffickers affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel. Hernandez Ochoa employed a network of associates to transport marijuana and methamphetamine from Mexican border towns into the United States using private planes, human couriers, tunnels, semi-trailer trucks, and vehicles with hidden compartments. He also coordinated the transportation of cash for the purchase of drugs and its repatriation from the U.S. following their sale.
Learn more about the Homeland Security Task Force (@HSTaskForce) investigation: justice.gov/opa/pr/sinaloa-c…
#NewsAlert from @FBIBoston: A Providence man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island for his role in a conspiracy involving the theft of high-end automobiles and motorcycles from dealerships across New England and Pennsylvania.
Learn more: xitter.cf/FBIBoston/status/21129…
Following an #FBI Boston investigation with assistance from our state and local partners, Onix Eduardo, of Providence, RI, admitted today to conspiring to steal hundreds of high-end automobiles & motorcycles from a dozen dealerships across New England and Pennsylvania, worth an estimated value of $5 million. Read more from @USAO_RI: ow.ly/TW0j50ZZOfW
ALT Image is a court photo that shows a black BMW sedan parked on a driveway with modern alloy wheels and shiny chrome accents.
ALT Image is a court photo that shows a black BMW sedan parked on a driveway with modern alloy wheels and shiny chrome accents.
FBI retweeted
In an interview with John Riggi of the American Hospital Association, Brett Leatherman, Assistant Director of FBI's Cyber Division, discussed Operation Riptide, which brought more than 200 arrests, six extraditions, and numerous takedowns of malicious infrastructure during a 60-day push against cybercrime and cyber-enabled fraud. AD Leatherman explained how those actions advance the FBI’s cyber strategy and help protect healthcare organizations and other critical infrastructure.
@FBI cyber teams have become “exceptionally good at attribution,” AD Leatherman said, identifying people behind attacks and pursuing them aggressively. Even when actors are beyond the immediate reach of US law enforcement, the FBI is finding ways to seize their funds, dismantle their tools, and disrupt operations. Each of those actions reduces harm and makes it costlier to target US victims.
That work couldn’t be done without private sector partners. In the #cyber domain, the FBI needs industry as an equal partner in the fight, with trust built before a crisis. The FBI wants to use its partnership with the AHA as a model for equally effective cooperation across critical infrastructure sectors.
aha.org/advancing-health-pod…
FBI retweeted
Mexican Nationals of U.S.-Flagged Vessel Extradited to Face Maritime Narcotics Trafficking Charges Following a Homeland Security Task Force Initiative
The Eastern District of Wisconsin announced at a press conference today the extradition of three Mexican nationals from Costa Rica to Milwaukee on October 16. They were crew members of a U.S.-flagged vessel, the My Lisa Too, that was interdicted by Costa Rican authorities on April 15, 2025, with law enforcement seizing approximately 840 kilograms of cocaine concealed within the vessel.
FBI Milwaukee SAC Karr spoke about how the #FBI, and our Homeland Security Task Force partners are working together every day to crush violent crime to include cartels.
The DEA Milwaukee Field Office and the DEA San Jose, Costa Rica Country Office investigated this case, with support and assistance from the FBI Milwaukee. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Costa Rican government, including the Policía de Control de Drogas (PCD) and the Grupo de Operaciones Policiales Especiales del Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas (GOPES SNG), secured the arrests and extraditions from Costa Rica. The U.S. Marshals Service provided substantial assistance with returning the fugitives to the United States.
Read more about this case: justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/mex….
#NewsAlert from @FBIDallas: Project Safe Schools investigation uncovers reporting failures at Dallas ISD, leading to $1 million settlement
Learn more: xitter.cf/FBIDallas/status/21129…
Acting ASAC Chris Maffei joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas at a press conference announcing a civil settlement with Dallas Independent School District to resolve allegations that it falsely certified compliance with state mandated reporting requirements.
Learn More Here: justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/pro…
FBI retweeted
Two critical vulnerabilities have been identified in PHP, a widely used programming language that powers websites and web applications. These vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) could allow malicious cyber actors to remotely execute code in PHP core, potentially compromising sensitive data and networks.
The FBI urges organizations to take the following steps now:
➡️ If an immediate update is not feasible it is recommended that organizations take the system offline until it can be fully mitigated.
➡️ Immediately update affected PHP installations following the guidance on php.net. Inventory where PHP runs in your environment, prioritizing internet-facing systems and vendor products that bundle PHP.
➡️ Monitor web servers for suspicious activity, including PHP processes unexpectedly launching command shells or downloading files. Ensure appropriate process-monitoring capabilities are in place to help identify potential exploitation.
➡️ If you find signs of compromise, isolate affected systems, preserve your web server and PHP logs, and report it to your local FBI field office or ic3.gov. Those reports help us identify the actors involved and warn other organizations before they become victims.
For the latest information, follow PHP’s announcement on php.net, CERT-EU Security Advisory 2026-018, and CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
ALT Critical vulnerability alert for PHP Core with CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, CVSS score 9.2, urging immediate patch and threat hunting.
Case update from @FBIDallas: Milan Tanovic, a Serbian national living in Spain, has been sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for intent to distribute cocaine while aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, following a Homeland Security Task Force (@HSTaskForce) investigation.
According to information presented in court, Tanovic was identified as a large-scale cocaine trafficker who worked with other drug traffickers based in Serbia and Albania to ship ton amounts of cocaine from South America to Europe, using container vessels. Tanovic was connected to multiple drug shipment seizures through analysis of multiple chats on an encrypted messaging platform.
Learn more: justice.gov/usao-edtx/pr/ser…
FBI retweeted
In early October, online communications about a death threat to a school in Riverside County, CA, came to the attention of law enforcement and led to arrests today. Read more here from the Corona Police Department and the response by FBI Director, Kash Patel.
Case update from @FBIWFO: Melvin Green, 27, was sentenced to 60 months in prison in connection with his role in a 2023 kidnapping that later resulted in the deaths of two men.
According to court papers, Green served as a lookout while his co-conspirators searched an unoccupied Mercedes SUV. Green’s associates later kidnapped the Mercedes’ owner, dragging him from the driver’s seat and capturing a second victim. As the kidnapping unfolded, an individual passed a firearm to Green, who tucked the gun into his waistband and walked away.
Learn more: justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/man-s…
This FBI is delivering historic results in our fight to reduce violent crime. Learn how @FBIBaltimore is working alongside law enforcement partners to keep communities safe.
xitter.cf/FBIBaltimore/status/21…
Everyone who calls Maryland home deserves to feel safe. The FBI is intensifying efforts, prioritizing partnerships, and targeting the most violent offenders to help drive down crime.
In this op-ed, @FBIBaltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul shares why protecting our state is personal for him. ow.ly/iz9U50ZZutf
ALT graphic featuring photos of FBI Baltimore SAC Jimmy Paul and the title of an op-ed appearing in the Baltimore Sun: "Our Mission is Showing Results Against Violent Crime in Maryland"
#ICYMI: Last week, @FBIAlbany and law enforcement partners announced the results of Operation Cold Front. Learn more: xitter.cf/FBIAlbany/status/21126…
#ICYMI: Last week, we stood with our Broome County #LawEnforcement partners to announce three federal arrests in a large-scale meth ring.
Summer may be over, but while seasons change, this priority does not.
As we continue Operation Cold Front, the #FBI will continue to work with our partners at every level of law enforcement to aggressively investigate criminals trafficking dangerous drugs and guns into our communities and ensure they end up in prison.
If you’re pedaling poison on our streets, we WILL find you and hold you accountable.
Thanks to the Broome County DA, @NDNYnews, @BroomeSheriff, @BinghamtonPD, @EndicottPolice, @JohnsonCityNYPD, @Vestal_Police, @nyspolice for their incredible partnership and coordination.