ICE Raids North Carolina Manufacturing Plant

Safety Backpack: What’s in Your Safety Kit Gregg Kielma FFL, Firearms Instructor, First Aid Fundamentals Instructor, Gunsmith, CPR-Defibrillator Instructor, and ERT Captain Says Gregg Kielma, FFL, Firearms Instructor, First Aid Fundamentals Instructor, Gunsmith, CPR-Defibrillator Instructor and ERT Captain In this blog I share with you some of the advanced first aid backpack lifesaving items I have in my vehicle and carry with me at the range. I also carry the backpack with me when permitted in places of business. If you are a business owner and have employees that need this training, please call. I will write about how I use this gear, how much it costs, and how I can help you if you’re interested in purchasing what you need and are qualified to use. What’s in my backpack… Let’s take a look: Please note, know how to use everything in your first aid kit. Only use what you have trained with and understand how to use it. Know where it’s located. Practice, practice, practice! Time is critical • Backpack $55.00 Get a good backpack that can carry all your first aid supplies. • Fire Blanket $10.00 x2 I carry these for car fires or small home or business fires. • Fire Extinguisher $18.00 x2 I carry these for car fires or small home or business fires. • AED $895.00 x1 Time is of the essence. Trying to find an AED in a store could mean life or death for your patient. • Tourniquet $20.00 x6 I use these for leg or arm wounds to stop the bleeding • Chest Seals $25.00 x5 Used for any kind of puncture or gunshot wound to the chest area. • Splints $20.00 x3 Sprangs or broken bones. • Gauze/Bandages $75.00 Stop excessive bleeding and plug a wound. • Gloves $10.00 Protects me from blood borne pathogens. • Thermo Blanket $25.00 Keep patient warm • Airway $30.00 To breathe for a patient and use during CPR • BP Cuff $110.00 Check patient blood pressure after stabilization. • IFR Thermo $35.00 Check patients’ temperature. • Pulse Meter $35.00 Check patient pulse • Blood Clot Gauze $30.00 Stop excessive bleeding. • Snake Bite Kit $20.00 Extract venom from patient’s snake bite. • Car Glass Break/Gloves $25.00 Break car windows if needed. Kevlar gloves to keep glass from cutting me. • Pneumatic wedge $40.00 Open up car windows if time permits. Please remember time is crucial delivering sound first aid. You must accomplish this under extreme pressure in very difficult situations. Keeping cool and a straight head using sound first aid fundamentals can save a patient’s life. Business owners, this is a great class for employees that want to understand basic first aid and render help to a coworker, client, customer or family member. If you’re interested, please contact me to become certified in first aid fundamentals. The class is three days of intensive training that might save a family member, friends or a person’s life. Class is limited to 6 students. Classes are forming now for late September 2025. Please give me a call for more information. Gregg Kielma 941 737-6956 www.tacticalktrainingandfirearms.com ###

Police searching for multiple shooters who killed 3 and wounded 8 after dispute at a Brooklyn lounge overnight Story by Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Police are continuing to investigate a shooting that left three people dead, and eight others injured in Brooklyn. Police are searching for multiple shooters who killed three people and wounded eight others in a shooting stemming from a dispute at a crowded Brooklyn lounge overnight. Note from Gregg Kielma: This is the reason why the good people in New York should be able to carry and own a firearm without all the regulation imposed by the state government. And by the way, firearms owned by bad guys in a lounge/Bar? Bad guys will always have firearms; good people need to be able to defend themself. Multiple 911 calls came in around 3:30 a.m. reporting shots fired at Taste of the City in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a news conference early Sunday morning. Officers arrived on scene minutes later and found 11 gunshot victims inside the lounge. Three victims, a 27-year-old man, a 35-year-old man and a male victim whose age is unknown, were pronounced dead, Tisch said. The victims, eight males and three females, range in age from 27 to 61, she said. The remaining victims were taken to area hospitals, Tisch said. Their conditions were unknown early Sunday morning, police told CNN. Detectives found at least 36 shell casings at the scene, Tisch said, along with a firearm in the vicinity – they are working to determine whether it was connected to the shooting. Police believe multiple shooters were involved in the incident, which stemmed from a dispute inside the club, and no suspects are in custody as of Sunday morning. Taste of the City says it offers food, cocktails, hookah and entertainment for the Crown Heights community. Tisch called the incident “an anomaly,” citing “the lowest number of shooting incidents and shooting victims seven months into the year that we’ve seen on record in the city of New York.” Still, the incident comes on the heels of multiple shootings this summer, including a shooting earlier this month in the city’s famed Times Square that left three people injured and the high-profile shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper that killed four people in July. There have been 272 mass shootings in the United States this year alone, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which like CNN, defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are injured, excluding the shooter. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

Woman found naked and shot to death in storage unit, police say Carlos Garcia August 16, 2025 Witnesses said the victim lived at the storage unit. Georgia police are investigating the shooting death of a woman whose body was found in a storage unit behind a shopping plaza in southwest Atlanta. Police said they responded to a call about a woman found dead on Wednesday morning at the Campbellton Plaza at about 11:30 a.m. They are investigating her death as a homicide. 'He said, "There's a dead body back there, there's a dead body back there."' A police homicide unit canvassed the area searching for security cameras that might have captured evidence about the incident. A man who was at the plaza when the body was discovered spoke to WXIA-TV about what he witnessed. He said he was cleaning up trash when he heard a man screaming. Sign up for the Blaze newsletter By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and agree to receive content that may sometimes include advertisements. You may opt out at any time. "I poke my head around the truck and see him crouched down on the ground, knees to his head, just screaming," said the man, who did not want to be identified. "He said, 'There's a dead body back there, there's a dead body back there.'" Witnesses said the woman had been seen walking around the plaza for many months and had been living inside the storage unit. WXIA said a mattress as well as other personal belongings could be seen inside of the space. Some of the witnesses said the victim had moved to the area recently from Indiana. The Fulton County Medical Examiner is expected to release her identity if they can determine it. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Cincinnati Rioter and Convicted Felon: Montanez Merriweather Cincinnati man allegedly involved in downtown brawl charged with federal gun crime Wednesday, August 13, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man charged locally as part of the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati now also faces a federal firearms charge. A federal grand jury today indicted Montanez Merriweather, 34, with illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. According to the indictment, on July 2, Merriweather illegally possessed a 9mm pistol. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. “There is no place for violence in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Those who commit violent acts can expect to be scrutinized and they will be held accountable for violations of federal criminal law.” Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas A. Greco of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) stated: “Violence, in any form and under any circumstance, has no place in a civilized society. When warranted, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, will employ the full extent of our legal authority and resources to identify, apprehend, and remove violent offenders from our communities.” Merriweather, who has been identified as a participant in the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati, is currently in state custody on local charges that include assault, felonious assault and aggravated riot. Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and Cincinnati Police Chief Theresa A. Theetge announced the new charge. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # # Updated August 13, 2025

Jamaican National Charged with Firearms Crimes in Vermont U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Vermont Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on June 26, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Alex Dwayne Bignall, 30, of Jamaica, with lying about his immigration status while attempting to purchase a firearm, and attempting to receive a firearm knowing that such receipt would be a felony. Bignall entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on August 8, 2025 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Bignall be released on conditions. According to court records, in the summer of 2023, Bignall, who did not have legal status in the United States, attempted to buy a Taurus 9mm firearm from a federal firearms licensee in Vermont. In connection with that attempted purchase, Bignall filled out a form, swearing under oath that he was not an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. At the time of the attempted firearm purchase, Bignall lacked legal status in the United States. Weeks before he attempted to purchase the firearm, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services denied an application Bignall had submitted for immigration benefits, and informed him he was no longer authorized to remain in the United States. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Bignall is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Bignall faces up to 15 years if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecutor is Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Flynn. Bignall is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Contact Media Inquiries/Public Affairs Officer: (802) 651-8250 Updated August 14, 2025

Former Police Officer Sentenced To Three Years In Federal Prison For Gun Trafficking Offense U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Michael Adrian Nieto (31, St. Cloud) to three years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license. Nieto pleaded guilty on February 13, 2025. According to court documents, Nieto, a sworn law enforcement officer, repeatedly purchased and resold firearms. Among others, Nieto supplied firearms to Ernesto Vazquez, a key member of a criminal conspiracy that smuggled hundreds of firearms to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. In addition, to benefit the conspiracy, Nieto used police databases to provide sensitive and confidential information to Vazquez. Between June 6, 2022, and September 4, 2024, Nieto purchased at least 58 firearms. Many of the firearms were identical and were purchased together or close in time to one another. On October 17, 2024, FBI and ATF agents executed a search warrant at Nieto’s residence, during which 12 firearms were still in Nieto’s possession. On October 17, 2024, Nieto was interviewed by FBI and ATF agents. He admitted to repeatedly buying and reselling guns to individuals, including Vazquez, despite knowing that Vazquez was transferring these guns to third parties, in violation of federal law. Nieto also admitted that Vazquez had provided him with illegal items, including a machinegun conversion device. Vazquez previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms and was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Updated August 14, 2025

Seattle Woman Indicted for Murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Vermont Thursday, August 14, 2025 Office of Public Affairs A federal grand jury in the District of Vermont returned a four-count superseding indictment today charging Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, with the murder of a Border Patrol agent, the assault of two additional agents with a deadly weapon, and related firearms offenses. “As alleged, this defendant shot and killed a United States Border Patrol Agent while he was performing his duties,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and our borders.” “The United States Attorney’s Office intends to continue to honor the men and women of law enforcement, and the memory of Border Patrol Agent Maland, by performing its prosecutorial duties so that justice may be done,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont. “The murder of a federal agent is more than a tragic loss,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “It’s an attack on the security of our nation and the safety of our communities. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not rest until those responsible are held accountable. We are all steadfast in our mission to curb violence that endangers both public servants and the citizens we are sworn to protect." According to court documents, on the afternoon of Jan. 20. a U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota Prius on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont. Youngblut and a male German citizen – whose immigration status was in question – were in the car. Days earlier, law enforcement had taken note of Youngblut and her companion when a hotel employee reported that they were wearing tactical gear and appeared to be armed. The same day of the shooting, officers had observed the pair at a parking lot in Newport, Vermont, where the German citizen was seen wrapping unknown objects in aluminum foil. Court documents allege that during the Jan. 20 vehicle stop, both Youngblut and her companion were armed. Youngblut exited the vehicle and, without warning, opened fire, resulting in the death of one of the agents. For the current charges, the maximum penalty is death, and Attorney General Pamela Bondi has authorized and directed the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont to pursue capital punishment in this case. Consistent with that authorization and direction, the Acting U.S. Attorney has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Youngblut. The FBI Albany Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Vermont State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, the Newport Police Department, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Dennis Robinson of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Updated August 14, 2025

Two Fayette County Men Plead Guilty to Federal Gun Crimes U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Lesley Scott Watkins, 50, and Jawuan Akil Watts, 31, both of Oak Hill, each pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2024, Watkins possessed an HS Product model XD-S .45-caliber pistol and a Sig Sauer model P220 45-caliber pistol in Fayette County. On July 6, 2024, Watts possessed a Heritage Manufacturing model Rough Rider .22-caliber revolver and a Colt model Peacemaker .22-caliber revolver in Fayette County. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Watkins knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Fayette County Circuit Court on September 24, 2008. Watts knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for burglary in Raleigh County Circuit Court on July 11, 2014. Watts and Watkins are scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2025. Each faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Oak Hill Police Department. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and D. Keith Randolph are prosecuting the cases. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-92 (Watkins) and 2:25-cr-93 (Watts).

Tulsan Sentenced After Pointing Gun at People Outside a Bar Friday, August 15, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Oklahoma TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Carl Anthony Epps, II, 43, to 84 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. In February 2024, Epps was asked to leave a bar for harassing patrons. Upon leaving, Epps threatened an employee at the bar and claimed he had a firearm in his vehicle. Witnesses called 911 and told law enforcement that Epps pulled his vehicle in front of the bar and pointed a rifle with a green laser at the employee. When officers found Epps, they saw the gun sitting in his vehicle. Epps will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN. Contact Public Affairs 918-382-2721 Updated August 15, 2025