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 nt 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/l…

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, nts, and our partners for working to hold those who violate that trust accountable.

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 ing 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.

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 nic 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/f…

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-o…

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 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…

#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: x.com/FBIBoston/stat…

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 ercrime 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-heal…

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 tober 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/m….

#NewsAlert from @FBIDallas: Project Safe Schools investigation uncovers reporting failures at Dallas ISD, leading to $1 million settlement

Learn more: x.com/FBIDallas/stat…

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 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.

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 ation.

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/s…

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 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…

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.

x.com/FBIBaltimore/s…

#ICYMI: Last week, @FBIAlbany and law enforcement partners announced the results of Operation Cold Front. Learn more: x.com/FBIAlbany/stat…

Case update from @FBIMiamiFL: Ygor Fokin Saviolli, a Brazilian national, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his role as a manager and supervisor in a money laundering organization that laundered more than $30 million in illicit proceeds, including the proceeds of drug to court documents, members of the conspiracy arranged for U.S.-based couriers to receive bulk cash proceeds from the sale of controlled substances and then to deposit the cash at banks across the country in order to conceal and return those profits to, among others, the sources of drug supply operating outside the United States.

Read more: justice.gov/opa/pr/brazili…

FBI Springfield participated in a full-scale emergency preparedness exercise led by the Illinois State Police Special Operations Command’s Statewide Weapons of Mass Destruction Team on October 7 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

The exercise simulated a large public event that al, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) threat. This training brought together multiple municipal, state, and federal partners to strengthen real-time coordination, test response capabilities, and enhance communication during complex incidents.

We appreciate the collaboration of all participating agencies and remain committed to working alongside our public safety partners to protect the communities we serve.

When our partners - the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office and @LAStatePolice - asked for help, the #FBI's Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force answered without hesitation. @FBITampa made the arrest, and yesterday Baton Rouge FBI agents and LSP brought 31-year old Timothy e Parish where he's charged with 27 counts of production of child sexual abuse material involving a child under 13 years old.

We join Sheriff Stassi, D-A Clayton, and Louisiana State Police in recognizing the little girl's mother for reaching out to law enforcement right away. Her quick thinking will no doubt end up helping her child and other suspected victims across the country. This investigation is far from over. #Partnerships

The historic drop in violent crime was no accident. Hard work by the #FBI and our law enforcement partners has created safer communities for you and your loved ones. Services operated by the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division have stopped school shootings, m being your child’s teacher or bus driver, and aided police in arresting violent criminals. We’re dedicated to protecting the American people.

wvnews.com/bridgeportnews…