SITREP and Orange is the Color of the Day for Friday, July 18, 2025

The image is not a chart. It displays the seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the left, followed by the words "FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION" in white text on a dark blue background. The right side of the image features a partial view of the American flag, with stars and red and white stripes.

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NEWLY LISTED EVENTS
Nothing to report.

ICE ERO OPERATIONS Daily Teams Channel for ICE Operations: 07.18.2025 ICE ERO Operations I M365•NY•OPERATIONS I Microsoft Teams

COLOR OF THE DAY
Orange

AIR QUALITY INDEX As of 7am (AQI) Value of Index = 50 OZONE=31 Daily AQI Color = Green Reference: AirNow.gov

NATIONAL WEATHFR SERVICE Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.

SIGNIFICANT NEWS EVENTS

Continued Reporting: President Trump Won't Recommend Special Counsel in Epstein Investigation

The Associated Press (07/17, Tucker) reported that the controversy surrounding the handling of records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation has intensifiedafter The Wall Street Journal (07/17, Safdar, Palazzolo) reported on a 2003 letter that allegedly bears frump's name and contains sexually suggestive content, which Trump has denied writing, calling it "false, malicious, and defamatory". The letter, which was reportedly collected by Ghlslaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein, includes text framed by the outline ofa hand-drawn naked woman and ends with the phrase "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." President Trump has promised to sue The Wall Street Journal over the story claiming that the letter is "fake" and that he does not draw pictures or speak in the manner described in the letter, and Vice President JD Vance has also criticized the newspaper, sayingit "should be ashamed" for publishing the story without showing the letter to the Trump administration beforehand. According to the article, the Trump administration has been struggling to contain the fallout from the DOJ's announcement that no more Epstein evidence would be released to the public, despite promises of transparency from AG Bondi. The article highlighted that the Dill's reversal on the Epstein flies sparked controversy and a testy exchange between AG Bondi and Deputy Director Bongino at the White House, which neither official has publicly addressed. The White House has closed the door on calls fora further inquiry into the Epstein investigation, with President 'frump refusing to recommend the appointment of a special counsel, and instead slamming his own supporters for their furor over the Epstein files saga, which he called a 'hoax' and tried to blame on Democrats. ABC News (07/17, Hill, Charalambous) reported that the DOJ and FBI declined to release a large portion of the Jeffrey Epstein files, citing the presence of child pornography and images of victims who appear to be minors. According to the article, the unreleased evidence includes logs of who visited Epstein's private island, records of a wiretap of Ghislalne Maxwell's phone, and documents related to Epstein's properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The files also contain physical evidence such as photographs, travel logs, and employee lists, as well as digital data stored on computers, storage drives, and other devices. Reuters (07/17, Lange) reported that 69% of Americans believe the Trump administration is concealing details about Jeffrey Epstein's clients,according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Only 17% of Americans approve ofPresident Donald Trump's handling of the Epstein case, with 35% ofRepublicans approving and 29% disapproving. Trump has responded to criticism by calling his supporters who are upset about the issue "weaklings" and stating that he no longer wants their support. The New York Times (07/17, Thrush) reported that President Trump authorized AG Bondi to seek the public release of grand Jury testimony from the Jeffrey Epstein case. AG Bondi will make the request in federal court, but It's unclear ifshe will succeed due to the secrecy of grand Jury transcripts.Additional reporting on the story was provided by New York Times (07/17, Broadwater) (2), Fox News (07/17, Wolf), Washington Post (07/17, Goldstein), Washington Times (07/17, Ferrechio) (2), Washington Examiner (07/17, Antle III) (2) (3), CNN (07/17, Judd), Wall Sweet Journal (07/17, Safdar, Palazzolo), ABC News (07/17,Stoddart, Hutzler, lbssa), NPR (07/17, Manuel, Martin), CNBC (07/17, Mangan), NBC News (07/17,Gregorian), The Guardian (07/17, Gedeon), Los Angeles Times (07/17, Wilner), Politico (07/17,Ewing) (2), USA Today (07/17, Bailey), The Hill (07/17, Bolton), CBS News (07/17, Watson) (2), BBC News (07/17, Epstein), Axios (07/17, Falconer), and The Atlantic (07/17, LaFrance).

President Trump's Plan to Reopen Alcatraz Appears to Move Fonvard With Officials' Visit

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CBS News (07/17, Castaneda) reported that AG Bondi toured Alcatraz Island as part of President Trump's plan to reopen the former prison as a federal penitentiary.In an interview on Fox News, AG Bondi spoke about Alcatraz's potential to once again hold prisoners. Alcatraz could hold the worst of the worst.It could hold middle•class violent prisoners, it could hold Illegal aliens,it could hold anything; said Bondi. "This is a terrific facility, needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive." The article explained that in May, President Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he was directing the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and Homeland Security to "reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders." Additional reporting on the story was provided by Reuters (07/17, Goudsward), CNN (07/17, Rabinowitz), Fox News (07/17,Baehr, Spunt), New York Times (07/17, Knight), The Hill (07/17, Crisp), The Guardian (07/17, Anguiano), Los Angeles Times (07/17, Hernandez, Mehta), New York Post (07/17, Nava), Politico (07/17, Holden), NewsNation (07/17, Kaplan), Newsmax (07/17, Mishler), The Independent (07/17, Keller), The Hill (Fortinsky), Washington Examiner (07/17, Chakraborty), and San Francisco Chronicle (07/17, Bauman).

Former New York City Police Officer Sentenced to 40 Years' Imprisonment for Sex Offenses Involving Minors

The New York Post (07/17, Kochman, Propper) reported that former NYPD officer Christopher Terranova has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for using his badge to sexually exploit teen boys. According to the article, Terranova, a 12•year veteran of the police force, used social media and his position to convince underage boys to send him explicit photos and engage in sex acts with them. The 35•year•old was convicted of six counts of sexually exploiting and coercing four boys, and judge Kiyo Matsumoto rejected the federal minimum of15 years, citing the severity ofhis crimes and the erosion ofpublic trust in law enforcement. Hoodline (07/17, Mercer) quoted a statement from FBI Assistant Director in Charge, Christopher G. Rala: "Christopher Terranova, a former NYPD officer, targeted and sexually exploited multiple minors, including some who were also victims in unrelated crimes. Terranova's unthinkable actions violated his sworn duty to protect this community and reflect an egregious abuse ofauthority to satisfy his twisted desires. May today's sentencing reflect the FBI's commitment to disrupting any sexual predator from further victimizing our city's most vulnerable victims." Additional reporting on the story was provided by Patch (07/17, Lutes), Gothamist (07/17, Hurewltz•Ravitch), New York Daily News (07/17, Annese), amNewYork (07/17, Moses), SlLive (07/17, Axelrod), and PIX (CW. 11) (07/17, Gustafson).

Judge Tosses Lawsuit Seeking to Shield Names of FBI Agents on Capitol Riot Probe

Reuters (07/17, Goudsward) reported that a U.S. Judge, Jia Cobb, dismissed lawsuits brought by FBI agents seeking to prevent the disclosure of their names in relation to the January 6, 2021,Capitol riot probe. According to the article, the judge found the risk of the justice Department disclosing the names ofFBI agents to be "too speculative" to allow the agents to sue. The FBI Agents Association expressed disappointment in the ruling and is reviewing its legal options, citing concerns over agent safety and potential retaliation from individuals investigated in the Capitol riot probe. The article explained that two groups of FBI agents anonymously sued in February after DOJ leadership demanded the FBI turn over a list ofmore than 5,000 agents who were involved in the investigation, an order FBI leadership at the time initially resisted. Additional reporting on the story was provided by Bloomberg Law (07/17, Mehrotra) and HuffPost (07/17, Buchman).

Continued Reporting: FBI Places Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan on Most Wanted List Over 2007 Abduction

WEED (07/17, Isaacson) reported that the FBI has added Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, to its Most Wanted list for his alleged role in the 2007 abduction ofretired FBI agent Robert A. Levinson. According to the article, two other Iranian intelligence officials, Taghi Daneshvar and Gholamhossein Mohammadnia, have also been targeted for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and cover•up. The U.S. is offering up to $25 million for information resolving Levinson's case, which has contributed to strained U.S.•Iran relations amid ongoing nuclear deal talks.

Luigi Mangione's Lawyers Claim DA Used Fake Court Date, Bogus Subpoena to Get His Medical Records Fox News (07/17, Baehr) reported that Luigi Mangione's lawyers claim the Manhattan District Attorney's Office illegally obtained his medical records by using a fake court date and a bogus subpoena. The DA's office allegedly pressured Aetna, Mangione's health insurer, into handing over documents without a court order or consent, violating HIPAA. Mangione is charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024, just before the company's annual investor conference. Prosecutors say Mangione used a homemade ghost gun equipped with a silencer and shot Thompson twice at close range before fleeing the scene. Prosecutors cited journal entries and a note to the FBI in which Mangione allegedly expressed grievances against the U.S. healthcare system, writing that "these parasites simply had it coming." Additional reporting on the story was provided by Courthouse News (07/17, Uebelacker), CBC (07/17, Wex), and Dallas Express (07/17, Jones).

Feds Charge Three More Men in Maryland MS43 Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Murder

Fox News (07/17, Pinedo) reported that three alleged MS•13 members, Maxwell Ariel Quijano•Casco,Daniel Isaias Vlllanueva•Bautista, and Josue Mauriclo Lainez, have been charged with racketeering conspiracy, including murder and drug trafficking, In Maryland. According to the article, the charges stem from the retaliatory murder ofa homeless man on July 4, 2024, which was caught on surveillance video and allegedly involved the three men. Commenting on the charges, acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti said the men's actions "furthered MS•13's reign of terror across communities in Maryland." The article noted that the outlet reached out to the DOJ, FBI, and Prince George's County Police Department to request to review the video. Neither agency immediately responded. This comes as Abrego Garcia, 29, another Salvadoran national who was living in Maryland, faces charges of human smuggling and conspiracy. According to the Indictment, Abrego Garcia played a "significant role" in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Attorney General Pam Bondi described him as a full•time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children, and MS•13 gang•afiillated persons throughout the U.S.

TRAFFIC ALERT

Nothing to report.

26 Federal Plaza 23rd Floor fivm Closure Schedule•

Facilities will close the 23rd floor Gym every Tuesday evening from 3:30 pm•12:00 am for cleaning. Men's and Women's locker room will be cleaned out the first Tuesday of the month and all items left in the locker room will be disposed of. Please direct any questions to Facilities at extension x3900.

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Federal Bureau of Investigation
New York Division
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
Phone: (212) 384-1010
Email:
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