Bulletin From The Borderlands

15 April 2023

Note from Lethal Minds:

Bulletin From The Borderlands is a joint project between Lethal Minds and some of the most talented OSINT analysts and independent journalists working today. Our goal is to provide you with a clear, accurate, and informative view of the world, free from censorship or bias. The Bulletin will bring you the facts, our analysis, and our evidence. We hope you find our work helps you better understand the complicated and increasingly volatile world in which we live.

Be informed, be prepared, be lethal.

The Bulletin Team:

Kitbag Conversations : A team of retired Marine and Army Intelligence analysts and the founders of the Croatoan Report and Kitbag Conversations, foreign policy and security affairs podcasts. The Team Leader for Bulletin From The Borderlands.

Analyze Educate : Brodie Kirkpatrick (Analyze & Educate) is a Marine Corps infantry veteran. He attends San Jose State University and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. He runs Analyze & Educate, a podcast and associated social media pages discussing geopolitics, armed conflicts, news, and history. In his capacity with Lethal Minds he is the assistant lead for the Bulletin From the Borderlands, Americas Desk chief, and an editor.

Meridian News : Meridian News is a project dedicated to sharing and aggregating open source intelligence, stories from individuals experiencing history, and amplifying underreported global news.

Sino Talk : Sino Talk is China watcher with extensive experience living and studying in China. In another life, he was a Marine intelligence analyst. 

The Expeditionary Intelligence Group : The Expeditionary Intelligence Group Instagram page is a project delivering flash news utilizing open-source intelligence combined with human asset contributions and geographic intelligence to provide the general public with objective bias-free global news that tells the whole story based on the facts and on-the-ground insights they feel are missing from a lot of mainstream news reporting.

S2 Forward : A serving US Marine and Intelligence analyst, S2 Forward is focused primarily on the Mid East and Central Asia.

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In This Issue:

The Americas :

The Americas: Covered in this issue by Brodie Kirkpatrick (Analyze & Educate).   

As abductions involving Americans in Mexico gain media attention, the FBI releases new details regarding a California woman that was kidnapped in Jalisco five months ago. The United States Marine Corps is continuing to have issues with its Amphibious Combat Vehicle, a platform which recently replaced another aging vehicle. A Silicon Valley police union executive was charged by federal authorities for the trafficking of fentanyl and other opioids.

Europe : Ukrainian and Russian forces are still fighting for the city of Bakhmut, with Russian military and Wagner forces gaining little ground at immense cost. Ukrainian military units made a series of tactical retreats from some outlying areas of the city due to Russia’s renewed assaults to take the city and difficulties in supplying units in these areas. However, Ukrainian forces appear to still hold the city’s western districts even though Russian artillery units subjected the area to ‘severe bombardment for at least two days. Senior Ukrainian military officials also stated that Russian forces resorted to the destruction of entire buildings or city blocks due to constantly losing street battles with Ukrainian forces. British intelligence said the renewed assaults is the result of improved cooperation between the Russian military and the Wagner Group. The Russian defense ministry released a statement that Wagner Group fighters captured two more districts on the northern and southern outskirts of the city. However, Wagner forces appear to be the main effort in a renewed assault on the city center with Russian paratroopers relieving and supporting them on the city’s flanks. Various sources indicate Russian and Wagner forces control between 50 percent to 80 percent of Bakhmut, although the veracity of some of the sources cannot be independently verified. Russian officials stated the capture of Bakhmut will enable its military to conduct future offensives deeper into Ukraine. However, both Ukrainian and several western defense officials said Bakhmut now only holds symbolic importance due to the ongoing battle.

In France, the largest anti government protests in decades have rocked the Macron government during a continued conflict over the retirement age. In Belgium, security forces have conducted a series of raids against individuals suspected of terrorist activities, and in Ukraine, Chinese parts are increasingly being discovered in Russian military equipment.

East Asia and Oceania:

Military actions was the theme for Northeast Asia, with China recently concluded its military exercises in areas around Taiwan in response to the recent meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Robert McCarthy in California. China also announced a no-fly zone will be established north of Taiwan for 27 minutes on April 19^th due to the planned launch of a Long March 4B rocket. North Korea recently launched its first solid-fuel state Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-18 as part of its ongoing response to recent U.S.-South Korean military exercises. Japan recently announced they will provide military equipment to ‘like-minded’ countries to enhance their ability to defend against regional threats. 

In Southeast Asia, the United States agreed to assist the Philippines in modernizing its armed forces during its ‘2+2’ meeting between defense and foreign affairs officials. The announcement came as both countries began the largest Balikatan exercise ever held. Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States are concerned a potential Kra Canal will enable China to gain access to the Indian Ocean. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his three-day visit to Vietnam where he will meet senior state and party officials in a sign of increasingly deep ties between the two countries. 

Diplomatic discussions was the theme in South Asia as Japan, France, and India met to launch a negotiation platform in a bid to help Sri Lanka restructure its debt. Notably absent from the discussion was China, Sri Lanka’s biggest bilateral lender.

Central Asia and the Mid East:

Over the past several weeks, the Levant has been increasingly volatile as Israeli forces stormed the Aqsa Mosque and detained Palestinians during Ramadan. In response, Palestinian organizations began retaliating by launching rockets from the Gaza Strip, Syria, and more notably, Lebanon. These attacks were reportedly backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah and coordinated through Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force. 

Africa :

At the mid-point of this month in Africa we are observing multiple major changes throughout the continent. In West Africa Nigeria continues to be a hotbed for insecurity prompting many to question how the new president-elect will approach the issue differently than his predecessor Buhari. Additionally, African nations have begun questioning if US efforts within the Sahel have left the nations more destabilized than when they began. Furthermore, tensions with European partners within Western Africa continues as Chad gave its German ambassador 48 hours to leave the country. In East Africa, the M23 has begun their withdrawal within the DRC, and regional forces attached to the stabilization mission within the nation have begun moving into the formerly occupied territory to support the communities affected by the group’s occupation. Lastly, in North Africa, it was discovered via a leaked classified US intel document that there is a possibility of Egypt supplying Russia with arms to support its objectives within Ukraine, and possibly jeopardizing its relationships with the US, and Western/NATO powers. 

The Big Points:

The Highlight: Incoming

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) learns from its training exercises to enhance its combat readiness. The PLA collects feedback through various methods such as after action reviews and sharing lessons with sister units. The PLAAF HQ-9B Surface-to-Air Missile battalion's successful completion of a joint Air Defense exercise was due to shared lessons from previous exercises. Similarly, the PLAGF brigade learned from its mistakes during a dressing and evacuation training event, leading to better medical practices. Although the PLA's use of lessons learned is vital in improving its operations, it is unclear how extensively these lessons are used to enhance performance and training focus.

USMC Vehicle Issues Plague Modernization Efforts

The Marine Corps is facing issues with its new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV), which is meant to replace the aging Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). The ACV's readiness is crucial for the Marine Corps' mission, particularly as the service shifts to the Indo-Pacific. The Marine Corps has faced multiple mechanical issues and a training deficiency with the ACV, impacting its reliability and readiness. The service is working with BAE Systems to address these deficiencies. The Marine Corps has also placed temporary holds on ACV operations due to two training incidents, although no personnel were injured.

See Also:

• The Densus 88 special forces unit raided an al-Qaeda linked Jemaah Islamiyah militant cell and discovered a range of weapons from bladed weapons to assault rifles.

• Suspected ELN guerrillas killed nine Colombian soldiers near the Venezuela border using a combination of IEDs and long-range weapons, marking the deadliest attack since the ELN resumed peace negotiations with the government in November.

• The Sudanese military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are at risk of potential clashes as the RSF has deployed forces to Khartoum and other areas without government permission, which has brought into question the possibility of a new internal conflict within Sudan due to disagreements over the RSF's integration into the military and the authority overseeing the process.

• Protesters stormed LVMH's Paris headquarters demanding the wealthy contribute more to state-funded pensions amidst unpopular proposed pension reforms, with LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault becoming a target due to his status as Europe's most valuable company's head.

• North Korea launched a ballistic missile that flew towards Japan, causing Japan to issue a warning to residents to take cover, but the missile fell into the sea east of North Korea.

The Americas

Disappearance

Monica De Leon Barba is a 29-year-old US citizen living in Mexico. She is originally from San Mateo, CA, but was living in Tepatitlán, Jalisco at the time of her abduction. She is 5’7” and roughly 240 pounds with short black and blonde hair.

Surveillance footage shows De Leon Barba walking her dog in broad daylight when five men exited multiple vehicles and confronted her. She was forced into a gray Volkswagen Jetta and then the men drove off. The other vehicles involved were a white Chevrolet Suburban, and a gray Dodge Charger. Her location remains unknown and the FBI is offering a $40,000 reward for information involving the case. Federal authorities believe this was a targeted kidnapping and that De Leon Barba is still alive.

Is This a Trend?

It is not yet clear who is responsible for De Leon Barba’s kidnapping. Mexico has one of the highest kidnapping rates in the world. Many of these are carried out by drug cartels or criminal groups affiliated with them who feel emboldened by the strained relationship between the United States and Mexico. This is especially the case during the overlap in the tenures of US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

This comes amid other highly publicized abductions of Americans in the country. In early March, the Bulletin detailed an attack against four Americans in Matamoros, Tamaulipas across the border from Brownsville, Texas. In that attack, two were killed and another two were abducted in what may have been a case of mistaken identity. Another case that has received media attention involves three Texas women who went missing in either Tamaulipas or Nuevo Leon in late February. No details regarding their disappearance have been released since mid March. The State Department advises against traveling to many Mexican states. Over 550 Americans remain missing in the country.

The Marine Corps Is Struggling to Field Its New Amphibious Assault Vehicle Replacement

In written testimony to Congress, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Beger stated that the service was having issues fielding the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle. The ACV is the Marine Corps’ replacement for the Amphibious Assault Vehicle. The ACV’s readiness to serve is essential to the Marine Corps’ mission as “America’s 911 force”. As the service shifts to the Indo-Pacific and transforms to make that shift, it must be confident in its new amphibious assault platform.

Replacing the AAV

The Amphibious Assault Vehicle, officially the AAV-P-7A1, is an aged platform. First entering service in 1972, the vehicle served the Marine Corps through many operations, including Lebanon, Somalia, the Gulf War, and Iraq. Throughout its service life, the AAV platform received multiple survivability upgrades to meet the demands of our country’s counter-insurgency operations.

A survivability upgrade of nearly 400 AAVs in 2015 was meant to keep the fleet in service until 2035. However,  in 2018, the Marine Corps chose the BAE Systems-produced ACV to replace the AAV. A deadly training accident in 2020 led the service to remove AAVs from seaborne operations, with the exception of emergency situations. That accident happened off the coast of San Clemente Island, CA. Marines from Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/4 were conducting pre-deployment training when their vehicle sank due to multiple design flaws. Eight Marines and one Navy Corpsman died in the accident. Seven other Marines were rescued before the vehicle sank 385 feet.

The ACV is a variant of the Italian Iveco SuperAV. The vehicle is armored to protect against small arms, some direct fire explosives, and roadside bombs. It is crewed by three Marines and can hold 13 infantry dismounts. The ACV also provides fire support to those dismounts as they assault objectives. 

Vehicle Issues 

Restrictions on the seaborne use of ACVs are not unheard of. During the summer of 2022, two separate training incidents led the Marine Corps to place a temporary hold on operations with the platform. Thankfully, no personnel were injured in either of those vehicle rollovers. However, the commander of the Assault Amphibian School, Colonel John Medeiros Jr., was fired over one of the accidents.  

In his testimony to Congress, Gen. Berger said that the service is working through “a few challenges” in regards to fielding the ACV fleet. Main issues include multiple mechanical issues and a training deficiency. Two mechanical issues in specific impact the tire inflation system and the shock absorbers. According to Berger, those have caused part failures, leading to a decrease in reliability. 

As the issues have impacted the Marine Corps’ readiness, rectifying these problems are crucial for the service. Work is being done in partnership with BAE Systems to address these deficiencies.   

San Francisco Bay Police Union Executive Charged with Drug Trafficking

A San Jose, CA police union executive has been charged in connection to the trafficking of fentanyl throughout the United States. A Homeland Security investigation allegedly uncovered an eight year drug operation in the heart of Silicon Valley. The case has drawn comparisons to the series “Breaking Bad”.

Allegations & Charges

Joanne Segovia, 64, was the executive director of the San Jose Police Officers Association, which represents the police department overseeing California’s third largest city. As the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Segovia is accused of ordering 61 shipments of synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl, to her home. These shipments were made from October 2015 to February 2023 and originated from China, Hungary, India, and Singapore. The  shipments were labeled as other things such as “Wedding Party Favors”, “Chocolate and Sweets”, and “Gift Makeup”. Segovia allegedly used her personal and office computers, as well as the WhatsApp service on her cell phone, to coordinate shipments. She also made at least one shipment using the UPS account of the police union, according to authorities. 

Federal authorities were originally investigating an India-based operation that ships opioids to the San Francisco Bay Area and distributes the drugs throughout 48 states. Five shipments destined for Segovia’s home were intercepted in January 2019, which contained thousands of dollars worth opioids.

Segovia agreed to a voluntary interview with Homeland Security agents on February 1st. During that interview she claimed to have only ordered “supplements”. She also said she had no idea why her name and address would be found in the phone of a member of the India-based network. During another interview in March, she blamed the shipments on a woman who was her housekeeper and family frie nd. She claimed this woman had substance abuse issues and made inconsistent statements regarding the women's access to Segovia’s cell phone. After the interview in February, Segovia allegedly ordered another shipment of fentanyl which was intercepted in Kansas.

Responses

During her first court appearance, Segovia was ordered to surrender her passport and enter drug abuse treatment. She did not enter a plea at that time and offered no comment on the case to the media. 

She has since been fired from the Police Officers Association as the result of the first phase of an internal investigation by the POA into the allegations. A second phase of the investigation will commence. The POA will also hire an outside investigator to determine if any improvements to union policies or protocols can be made to prevent similar incidents in the future. Segovia worked in the union as a civilian employee for over two decades.