EAGLE PASS, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Field Operations officers seized six and a half tons of methamphetamine valued at more than $117 million, the largest ever at a port of entry, in a single enforcement action.

“This gargantuan methamphetamine seizure, the largest ever taken down by CBP officers at a port of entry, uniquely illustrates the serious narcotics threat our officers face on a daily basis and their effectiveness at utilizing our technological enforcement tools, expertise and experience to zero-in on these threats,” said Director, Field Operations Donald Kusser, Laredo Field Office. “This seizure exemplifies our officers’ steadfast commitment to advancing CBP’s priority border security mission while facilitating lawful trade and travel.”

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The Federal Trade Commission will require software provider Avast to pay $16.5 million and prohibit the company from selling or licensing any web browsing data for advertising purposes to settle charges that the company and its subsidiaries sold such information to third parties after promising that its products would protect consumers from online tracking.

In its complaint, the FTC says that Avast Limited, based in the United Kingdom, through its Czech subsidiary, unfairly collected consumers’ browsing information through the company’s browser extensions and antivirus software, stored it indefinitely, and sold it without adequate notice and without consumer consent. The FTC also charges that Avast deceived users by claiming that the software would protect consumers’ privacy by blocking third party tracking, but failed to adequately inform consumers that it would sell their detailed, re-identifiable browsing data. The FTC alleged Avast sold that data to more than 100 third parties through its subsidiary, Jumpshot.

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CAMPO, Calif. — San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents seized over a quarter-million dollars worth of methamphetamine during a vehicle stop on Interstate 8 Tuesday night.

Agents conducted a traffic stop on a blue pickup truck on the interstate near the Buckman Springs exit. As the agents made contact with the driver, a male United States citizen, they observed four large duffle bags in the bed of the truck. A Border Patrol K-9 team responded to the stop and conducted an air sniff of the truck, ultimately alerting to the presence of narcotics. Agents inspected the duffle bags and found multiple clear packages containing a crystal-like substance.

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Phoenix - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, starting at 11:20 a.m. MST.

The WEA test message will be sent to all consumer cell phones in either English or Spanish, depending on the phone's language settings. The EAS part of the test will be sent to radios and televisions.

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ALEXICO, Calif., – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Calexico West port of entry discovered methamphetamine concealed in the seats and floor area of a vehicle Wednesday.

At approximately 9:57 a.m., CBP officers at the Calexico West port of entry encountered a 20-year-old male driving a 2013 sedan. The man was applying for admission into the United States. During initial inspection, a CBP officer noticed plastic wrapped packages in the floorboard of the vehicle. The CBP officer referred the traveler and vehicle to secondary inspection for further examination.

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Deadline to file is August 9

Washington, D.C. — Veterans are advised to take advantage of possible benefits under the PACT Act for exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances by filing a claim with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by August 9.

The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 eras.

If eligible veterans and their families file a claim by August 9, 2023, they could get their benefits backdated to August 10, 2022. Past the deadline, veterans are still eligible to file claims for future PACT benefits after August 9, 2023.

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