Page 4 - aruba-today-20220126

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 26 January 2022
Extremists see U.S. power grid as target, gov’t report warns

By BEN FOX an effort to cause havoc
Associated Press if they disagreed with the
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ex- outcome of the November
tremist groups in the United 2020 election. Asked about
States appear to increas- the report, the Edison Elec-
ingly view attacking the tric Institute, an association
power grid as a means of that represents compa-
disrupting the country, ac- nies that provide power to
cording to a government about 70% of the U.S. pop-
report aimed at law en- ulation, said it has been
forcement agencies and working for years with the
utility operators. government to respond to
Domestic extremists “have a range of potential dan-
developed credible, spe- gers. “Our industry is work-
cific plans to attack elec- ing constantly to adapt to
tricity infrastructure since at new and evolving threats
least 2020,” according to to the grid, whether that’s
the report from the Depart- by protecting against ma-
ment of Homeland Secu- licious threats like cyber
rity’s Office of Intelligence and physical attacks or ad-
and Analysis. The docu- dressing the challenges of
ment, dated Monday, was extreme weather caused
obtained Tuesday by The Central Maine Power utility lines are seen on Oct. 6, 2021, in Pownal, Maine. Associated Press by climate change,” Scott
Associated Press. Aaronson, the association’s
The report warns that ex- tistate outages. within American society, a are nearly a decade old. senior vice president for se-
tremists “adhering to a Both the FBI and DHS have federal law enforcement In 2014, the Federal Energy curity and preparedness,
range of ideologies will like- repeatedly warned in re- official said. Regulatory Commission or- said by email.
ly continue to plot and en- cent months that the U.S. “They feel that disrupting dered grid operators to in- The report also mentioned
courage physical attacks faces a heightened threat the electrical supply will crease security following a that four suspected extrem-
against electrical infra- from domestic extremists. disrupt the ability of gov- sniper attack on the Pacific ists were accused in Octo-
structure,” which includes The report notes that an at- ernment to operate,” the Gas & Electric Company’s ber 2020 of a plot to dam-
more than 6,400 power tack on the grid could still official said on condition Metcalf Transmission Sub- age transformers in Idaho
plants and 450,000 miles of result in injuries and dam- of anonymity to discuss a station in an isolated area and nearby states and the
high-voltage transmission age even without causing report that has not been southeast of San Jose, Cali- arrest in May 2020 of three
lines that span the country. a major outage. publicly released. “And, fornia. No arrests have ever alleged militia extremists,
Experts on the U.S. power The grid is viewed as a tar- secondly, by conducting been made in an assault tied to the antigovernment
grid in the past have point- get, based on a series of attacks against the com- that stunned authorities Boogaloo movement, who
ed out that it would be dif- incidents in recent years as munications and electrical and could have disrupted were charged in a conspir-
ficult to knock out power well as online discussions in infrastructure, it will actu- power to Silicon Valley. acy to attack an electrical
to the nation given the size extremist and conspiracy- ally accelerate the coming DHS noted the Metcalf inci- substation in Las Vegas.
and decentralized nature minded forums, because civil war that they antici- dent in the report as more “The electrical companies
of the grid. The DHS report transmission lines and sub- pate because it will disrupt recent incidents, including and state and local law
also notes that extremist at- stations are often in re- the lives of so many people a suspected plot by white enforcement need to be
tackers, without inside help mote, rural areas and caus- that they will lose faith in supremacist extremists to aware of this and need to
at least, would be unlikely ing outages may cause fur- government.” attack power stations in the take steps,” said the federal
to cause widespread, mul- ther frustration and divisions Some of these concerns southeastern U.S. as part of law enforcement official.q

U.S. court upholds conviction of

Mexican drug lord El Chapo

the trial judge for his han- for a massive drug con- Jeffrey Lichtman, said in a
dling of a case that drew spiracy that spread mur- statement Tuesday. “How
international attention. der and mayhem for more can there be justice here
The decision by the 2nd than two decades. when the jury was ex-
U.S. Circuit Court of Ap- On appeal, his lawyers posed to scurrilous claims
peals in Manhattan reject- had argued that the guilty against Mr. Guzman which
ed claims that Judge Brian verdict was tainted be- were not part of the gov-
Cogan made rulings allow- cause some jurors report- ernment’s case?”
ing a jury to hear faulty evi- edly sought out news ac- The appeals court found
dence at Guzman’s 2019 counts about sex abuse al- that Cogan was to cor-
In this courtroom sketch, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, trial. Cogan “conducted legations against him that rect in finding “that the jury
foreground right, reads a statement through an interpreter the three-month trial with were barred from the trial, was not prejudiced by any
during his sentencing in federal court, July 17, 2019, in New diligence and fairness, af- and that Cogan erred by extraneous information
York. ter issuing a series of me- not ordering a hearing on to which they might have
Associated Press ticulously crafted pretrial the reports. “The decision been exposed.” It added:.
By TOM HAYS Mexican drug lord Joaquin rulings,” the ruling by the seems like it was decided “Any possible prejudice
Associated Press “El Chapo” Guzman was panel concluded. and written before the ar- was harmless in view of the
NEW YORK (AP) — The con- upheld Tuesday by a U.S. Guzman, 64, was sen- gument even occurred,” overwhelming evidence

viction of the notorious appeals court that praised tenced to life behind bars one of Guzman’s lawyers, of Guzman’s guilt.q