Racist memes shared by Navy SEALs prompt investigation, disciplinary actions
The two enlisted Team 4 members are being punished for developing racist memes targeting a Black sailor in their platoon and circulating them in a group chat with other team members, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of an ongoing investigation. The memes depicted the sailor as a slave, according to visuals viewed by The Associated Press.
According to the official, the sailor who was targeted reported the incidents this year, but they took place beginning in 2022 and the memes circulated for years. The sailor had been in one of the SEAL Team 4 platoons but had his qualifications and SEAL trident revoked last year. He alleged that his failure to remain a SEAL was due to the racist treatment.
Two officials said that as a result of the investigation, which was conducted by Naval Special Warfare Group 2, the sailor's SEAL qualifications are being reinstated and he will get back pay. The group oversees SEAL Team 4 and the platoons that make up the team, located at Joint Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Hampton Roads, Virginia
The probe found that the platoon and SEAL Team 4 leaders did not adequately address the sailor's concerns about racist behavior and that the decision to revoke his qualifications was flawed.
'This was a very shocking case of explicit and repeated racist memes directed at our client in a platoon-wide text thread,' said Timothy Parlatore, the sailor's lawyer, referring to the memes shared over a Signal chat. 'They modified his face in photos to look like a monkey and portrayed him as a chained slave on a slave ship, among others.'
The two enlisted sailors responsible for the memes face non-judicial punishment and punitive letters in their files. Both actions can be career ending, or can result in demotions or loss of pay. Other actions are still pending.
The platoon and team leaders are also facing administrative actions, including disciplinary letters in their files, that could determine if they continue as SEALs.
In a statement, Naval Special Warfare Command acknowledged the investigation into 'serious allegations of unprofessional conduct within one of our commands' and said 'accountability actions are ongoing.'
It added that 'we are dedicated to fostering a climate of dignity and respect, and after conducting a thorough and fair investigation, we will hold anyone found responsible of misconduct accountable.'
Parlatore praised Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, head of NSW, and his staff for taking swift action to 'investigate, reverse the negative repercussions that our client received, and move to hold people accountable.'
This is just the latest significant investigation into behavior issues and command failures at Naval Special Warfare Command. And it underscores racial concerns that are not new to the special warfare leaders.
Commando forces across the services — particularly the officers — tend to be far less diverse than the military as a whole. And leaders in recent years have tried to attract a wider array of recruits in order to develop a more diverse force.
Those efforts, however, could be threatened now, as the Trump administration and Defense Department leaders have made it a priority to end diversity and inclusion programs across the military and the government as a whole. That could exacerbate racist problems in the smaller, largely-white teams.
As of March 2021, a full 95% of all SEAL and combatant-craft crew officers were white and just 2% were Black, according to Naval Special Warfare statistics provided to the AP. The enlisted ranks were only slightly more diverse.
Those number are starkly different from the overall Navy population, where about 40% of the enlisted force and 24% of its officers are non-white.
According to the defense official, the sailor filed more than a dozen specific complaints about racist behavior and about half were substantiated.
And as Group 2 leaders began to look into the complaints, a second sailor — who is white — also complained about bullying by other platoon members. That amplified the broader concerns about the command climate and the later findings of leadership failures.
Other recent investigations also found training and command problems.
Last October a highly critical review found that two Navy SEALs drowned as they tried to climb aboard a ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen because of glaring training failures and a lack of understanding about what to do after falling into deep, turbulent waters.
And in 2023, an investigation into the death of a SEAL candidate a year earlier concluded that the training program was plagued by widespread failures in medical care, poor oversight and the use of performance-enhancing drugs that have increased the risk of injury and death to those seeking to become elite commandos.
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Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Violent cult that became the world's most feared mafia: The Black Axe gang tortures new recruits in a naked blood-drinking initiation - now British teens are targeted on social media to help launder £3.8 billion a year
It is a sinister organised crime group whose bloodthirsty henchmen routinely engage in drug smuggling, human trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, rape and murder. Bizarrely, the ultra violent Black Axe gang, whose secret rituals have seen it compared with a cult, started out as a university fraternity in Nigeria in the 1970s and where new members are forcibly recruited, while many volunteer. Recruits, often male university undergraduates aged between 16 and 23, undergo a secret initiation ceremony that involves physical and psychological trauma including being stripped naked, tortured and having to take part in a blood drinking ritual, after which they are 'reborn' as an 'Aye Axeman'. Now the mafia-style organisation's sophisticated international cybercrime network has turned it into a global threat - and shattered the lives of thousands of Britons who have been fleeced of their life savings. The enterprise has an estimated 30,000 members operating in cells in dozens of countries around the world. According to Pentagon analysts in the US, victims are conned out of in excess of $5billion (£3.8billion) every year through a range of elaborate online stings including romance and inheritance scams along with ransomware and phishing attacks. Now law-enforcement agencies have warned that young people in Britain and Ireland are among thousands across Europe falling into the clutches of the gang after being recruited through Snapchat. Graduates and young professionals have been targeted along with teenagers after being lured in by the ruthless criminals to often unwittingly take part in money laundering and data stealing operations. Some recruits, including students, who are struggling with debts are seen as easy targets after being offered the chance of making a quick buck by the gang while others are blackmailed into acting as money mules after the criminals obtain compromising images of them. Others include young professionals who work for banking institutions or major organisations with access to sensitive and potentially lucrative data. Snapchat is the preferred social media platform used by the gang as messages disappear quickly meaning they are less likely to be discovered. This week it was reported recruiters have drawn up simple registration forms sent to mules to fill in bank details and other information once they have agreed to allow their accounts to be used to move fraudulent money. Detectives investigating the gang have reportedly found images of completed Snapchat-based forms on mobile phones which have been seized from suspects. Senior detectives probing the gang have told how many recruiters known as 'herders' have successful jobs, often in the IT industry. Describing how the racket works, Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan, of the Garda Economic Crime Bureau in Ireland, said: 'Most of the mules are recruited on social media, messages going round Snapchat about a chance to make easy money.' But he added last month: 'Individuals need to realise that if they act as a money mule, they are interacting with vicious transnational organised criminals. 'You owe them and they control you. If the money is frozen by the bank, they have been known to demand that you pay up yourself like drug dealers. 'The money mules have no idea what their account will be used for, how much or where it was stolen. If stolen in the USA, they may look to extradite you there to charge you and sentencing is very harsh there. 'They also need to realise that they are helping organised crime gangs who traffic humans, who run brothels, as well as funding their lavish lifestyles. 'People who get involved in this are destroying their own futures because they could go to jail, end up with a criminal record and be prevented from getting jobs.' And, almost certainly, few could imagine they were being lured into a criminal world that is helping to enrich the lifestyles of its ruthless leaders back in West Africa. Police in Ireland scored a major success against the gang in 2020 when a series of raids saw the arrest of a handful of Black Axe members. The seizing of just one phone in the operation would go on to expose a far wider network stretching across the globe. Officers had been called in by European law enforcement agency Europol after a company in the Dutch port of Rotterdam had been swindled out of £1 million in a scam known as business email compromise (BEC). In the scam, fraudsters sent emails to businesses pretending to be from a supplier saying their account details have changed, before asking for the money to be sent to a new account. In this case, the company was sent a forged email from a mobile phone that was traced to an apartment in north Dublin. Detectives armed with a warrant swooped on the apartment which was home to a Nigerian graduate in his 20s who had a degree in computer science and was unknown to the police. His phone held details of a vast network of money launderers and international scams that had been carried out globally and led to the identification of hundreds of suspects around the world. Police were also able to put out of action a gang of 12 Italians working for the gang who had travelled to Ireland over a number of weeks to open multiple bank accounts used for money laundering. The trail led to Giuseppe Divicarro, a fashion photographer in his 40s living in north Dublin. His phone contained links to bank accounts opened by some of the 12 Italian nationals along with a fake electricity bill for a bogus address which had been used by the gang members. Divicarro - who was jailed for three-and-a-half years for gangland and money laundering offences in 2021 - had also used the same fake bill to open multiple bank accounts in his own name for money laundering. He claimed he was a gambling addict who had been lured into the criminal enterprise to pay off his debts. Since then Operation Skein - which was set up to target the criminal organisation in Ireland - has identified more than 1,400 people who have connections to the wider criminal organisation in a variety of roles. More than 565 people have been arrested in connection with suspected money laundering and organised crime offences including more than 50 senior gang members. Around 300 people have been prosecuted and 39 juveniles given cautions. At least 1,000 have been identified as money mules - typically students recruited on forums such as Snapchat. Others, including professionals in high-end jobs with financial institutions and corporations, were found to have links to Irish-based members of the crime network. A computer expert employed by one of the country's leading accountancy firms was one of several people employed in the financial or tech sector who came under suspicion during the probe. Another was said to be a healthcare worker suspected of stealing an employee database from a nursing home while another was the girlfriend of a suspected Black Axe facilitator who worked in a call centre for a financial institution. The log-in details for the banking system and other access information were alleged to have been printed out and stuck up on the wall of her bedroom. Last October bank worker Funmi Abimbola, 26, was jailed for three years after he was identified as a facilitator for the gang. He was working in human resources at the Bank of Ireland when he helped to launder hundreds of thousands of euros through Irish accounts over a period spanning nearly three years. Abimbola, of Dublin, was said to be 'academically gifted' with two degrees including a master's, and no prior convictions. He had tried to escape justice after fleeing to the UK before being tried after he was extradited. Irish police operations also uncovered how cryptocurrency - which can be sent rapidly between digital wallets around the world - had become an integral element in Black Axe's money-laundering operations and the methods they were using. The raids also provided vital information for a global law enforcement operation which targeted the criminal network in a series of coordinated covert operations last year. The mission - codenamed Operation Jackal III - led to the arrest of 300 people in 21 countries including Britain and Ireland where police forces, financial intelligence units and asset recovery offices were mobilised along with private sector partners. The raids saw $3million (£2.24million) in assets, including cryptocurrencies and luxury items, being seized while more than 700 bank accounts were frozen. Data from seized computers and phones revealed large transfers to Nigerian bank accounts, cryptocurrency transactions, and sophisticated money laundering operations. Interpol, which coordinated the operation, said the raids had come as a 'major blow' to the criminal network. Isaac Oginni, director of Interpol's Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said after the operation: 'The volume of financial fraud stemming from West Africa is alarming and increasing. 'This operation's results underscore the critical need for international law enforcement collaboration to combat these extensive criminal networks.' A major success in the UK came in 2019 when three members of the same family who were working directly for the alleged leader of the notorious crime network were jailed for a total of more than 16 years after laundering nearly £1 million for the syndicate. Okemiorukaye Nakpodia, 62, was jailed for six and a half years, Esther Nakpodia, 41, for two and a half years and Unuakpotovo Nakpodia, 52, to seven years, seven months. The siblings, from Greenwich, south east London, operated telephone and email scams between 2007 and 2015 on behalf of their Nigeria-based brother-in-law Augustus Bemigho-Eyeoyibo. Despite being named by prosecutors as its leader, Bemigho-Eyeoyibo, who has run for political office in Nigeria, has insisted the organisation he led for four years called the Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM) is a legitimate concern. While leaders claim Black Axe is a rogue breakaway group, international law enforcement agencies describe it as the 'criminal wing' of the NBM and evidence shows its illicit funds are funnelled into the group. Former confederates of the criminal enterprise, based in the Benin City in southern Nigeria, say corruption and collusion with local authorities has allowed it to thrive with members from the police and military often acting as recruiters. According to a BBC probe into the gang, evidence of extreme violence including mutilated dead bodies showing signs of torture regular surface on social media in Nigeria. The violence and brutality of gang members - known as Axemen - is rooted in its domestic drug dealing, prostitution and extortion rackets and territorial competition with rival gangs. International crackdowns have enabled Interpol to create a huge intelligence database on the gang, which is now shared with officers throughout its 196 member countries. But officials warned the gang's expertise along with technological innovations enabled it to switch tactics and develop new scams while international reach meant the organisation remained an ongoing threat. Experts said innovations in money-transfer software and cryptocurrency have played into the hands of the group. One senior Interpol official said: 'These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies. A lot of fintech developments make it really easy to illegally move money around the world.'
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Stephen Lawrence's dad believes 'one man holds key to nailing all my son's killers'
Neville Lawrence has spoken out ahead of a parole hearing. The father of Stephen Lawrence has said he believes one of the thugs behind his son's death "holds the key" to nailing the rest of the killers - after he finally confessed to being involved in the murder. Neville Lawrence is preparing to watch David Norris give evidence at his public parole hearing next week. In March it emerged that 48-year-old Norris has admitted for the first time in 32 years to being in the gang of five or six youths that killed Stephen while shouting: 'What, what n*****?' He had previously always denied having anything to do with the knife attack on the 18-year-old student. The teenager was fatally attacked at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993. Mr Lawrence said: 'I just hope that whatever he says can be used as evidence against the rest. My message to him would be, 'You have served so many years in prison, you've known what you did was wrong'. "'You refused to give the information in the early days about all the other boys that were involved. I need you to say exactly who was there with you that night because we now know that you were there'. I want to hear if he is genuinely sorry about what he did and his part in taking my son's life. I want to hear the reason he gives for doing that.' The Mirror reports the Lawrence family fought for justice after they were repeatedly failed by the Metropolitan Police who bungled the investigation and spied on their campaign. It took until 2012 for Norris and Gary Dobson, 49, to be convicted of murder. The rest remained free and the investigation was closed in 2020. With Norris' minimum sentence coming to an end he is entitled to be considered for release. Mr Lawrence, 83, said: 'If I was part of that parole board he would have to genuinely tell me that he's completely changed his views about seeing people on the street. Would he pass a Black person and call them a n***** or something like that still? Has he changed his attitude towards others? 'That's one of the main things I would like to know from him.' Mr Lawrence and ex-wife Baroness Doreen Lawrence were let down by detectives who failed to arrest suspects despite having their names within hours of the attack. The then Labour government granted the family a public inquiry and the Macpherson report delivered damning findings. Dobson is serving life with a minimum of 15 years and two months. Norris was sentenced to 14 years, three months. Mr Lawrence said: 'I feel it's very unfair that these people who took my son's life 32 years ago are going to be able to come out and walk up and down like an everyday person. 'My son will never be able to do that because he's dead and it's because of these people that robbed me of my son.' A report by Baroness Louise Casey two years ago found the Met guilty of institutional racism, sexism and homophobia – reflecting the conclusions of the 1999 Macpherson report. Met chief Sir Mark Rowley said last week that it was 'shameful' that black boys in London were more likely to die by 18 than white boys. Mr Lawrence, who has been awarded an OBE and honorary doctorate in law, said of his comments: 'Well, he's always talking and saying things. We need action, stop talking and do the action. 'Over the years even in the Black police they don't get the chance to do the jobs they were supposed to do. They are being sidelined all of the time as far as I can remember before even Steve was murdered. They don't get the chance. There are good Black officers I know that have been persecuted over years that eventually have had to leave the force." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The Lawrences expressed their thanks to the former Detective Chief Inspector whose probe led to Dobson and Norris being jailed. And we can reveal that the ex-officer, Clive Driscoll, is working as an adviser on a review of the case headed by the College of Policing. It is examining if any leads have been missed since he left the force. Mr Driscoll had been optimistic charges would be brought against more of the gang but was told to retire by the Met in 2014. The retired police chief, portrayed by Steve Coogan in 2021 ITV drama Stephen, said two years ago: 'I've always felt there were lines of inquiry that could have been pursued.' Mr Lawrence said: 'I am glad that the review has now started and hope they come up with something that secures further justice for my son.' Mr Lawrence spoke to us at the Kingston Race and Equalities Council in South West London. Its CEO John Azah said: 'They should have done the decent thing and let him know that they had agreed the terms of reference for the review. "It's quite disgusting that they continue to treat him with the disdain they have shown to him since the murder of his son 32 years ago.' Mr Lawrence said of Norris: 'He holds all of the key evidence because he was part of the people who were there.' He went on trial at the Old Bailey. During questioning by prosecutor Mark Ellison QC, the thug was repeatedly asked what he had been doing when the teenager was killed, Norris said: 'You are accusing me of murder. I am an innocent man.' At the time of the killing Norris was 16 and living four miles from the scene with his mum and gangster dad Clifford in Chislehurst. He was captured in a police surveillance video describing how he would kill Black people, those of Pakistani origin and police officers. Norris said in a clip shown at his trial: 'I'd go down Catford and places like that, I am telling you now, with two sub-machine guns. He talked about torturing a Black person and setting them alight. He said: 'I'd blow their two arms and legs off and say, 'Go on, you can swim home now'.' His lawyers opposed having this month's parole hearing – listed for July 30 and 31 – in public. But an application from the media was backed by Neville and Doreen. Norris was caught in 2022 taking selfies on a mobile phone in prison and bragging he would be free in two years. In a social media post apparently sent from jail, the killer wrote that he was 'buzzing' after learning he would be up for parole He added: 'Get that party sorted girls 'cos I [will] be there soon.' Inmates are banned from having mobiles in cells and breaches can result in an extra two years inside. Stephen was stabbed to death as he waited for a bus with pal Duwayne Brooks, now 50. Brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt were accused of being in the gang and have served time for drug dealing. Another, Luke Knight, remained free. All deny involvement. The sixth suspect was Matthew White, who died at 50 in 2021. He was named for the first time two years later by the BBC who exposed a series of police failings relating to him. The CPS ruled last year that four officers involved in the botched Met probe would not face charges. A Met spokesman said: 'Our objective remains to achieve the arrest, prosecution and conviction of all of those responsible for Stephen's murder. We believe all viable lines of enquiry had been exhausted by the time the last investigation was closed in 2020. "We are approaching the independent review with a completely open mind and will give it our full backing to identify any missed opportunities from the past 10 years. The review, which is being led by the College of Policing, is now progressing following the agreement of its terms with Baroness Lawrence.'
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Stephen Lawrence's dad says one of son's killers 'holds key' after confession
Neville Lawrence is preparing to watch David Norris give evidence at his parole hearing later this month as he makes a bid for freedom after finally confessing to his role in Stephen's murder Stephen Lawrence's father believes one of his son's killers 'holds the key' to nailing the rest after he finally confessed to being involved in the murder. Neville Lawrence, 83, is preparing to watch David Norris, 48, give evidence at his public parole hearing later this month. We revealed in March that Norris has admitted for the first time in 32 years to being in the gang of six youths that killed Stephen while shouting: 'What, what n*****?' He had previously always denied having anything to do with the knife attack on the 18-year-old student at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993. Mr Lawrence said: 'I just hope that whatever he says can be used as evidence against the rest. 'My message to him would be, 'You have served so many years in prison, you've known what you did was wrong and you refused to give the information in the early days about all the other boys that were involved. ''I need you to say exactly who was there with you that night because we now know that you were there'. 'I want to hear if he is genuinely sorry about what he did and his part in taking my son's life. I want to hear the reason he gives for doing that.' The Lawrence family fought for justice after they were repeatedly failed by the Metropolitan Police who bungled the investigation and spied on their campaign. It took until 2012 for Norris and Gary Dobson, 49, to be convicted of murder. The rest remained free and the investigation was closed in 2020. With Norris' minimum sentence coming to an end he is entitled to be considered for release. Mr Lawrence said: 'If I was part of that parole board he would have to genuinely tell me that he's completely changed his views about seeing people on the street. 'Would he pass a Black person and call them a n***** or something like that still? Has he changed his attitude towards others? 'That's one of the main things I would like to know from him.' Mr Lawrence and ex-wife Baroness Doreen Lawrence were let down by detectives who failed to arrest suspects despite having their names within hours of the attack. The then Labour government granted the family a public inquiry and the Macpherson report delivered damning findings. Dobson is serving life with a minimum of 15 years and two months. Norris was sentenced to 14 years, three months. Mr Lawrence said: 'I feel it's very unfair that these people who took my son's life 32 years ago are going to be able to come out and walk up and down like an everyday person. 'My son will never be able to do that because he's dead and it's because of these people that robbed me of my son.' A report by Baroness Louise Casey two years ago found the Met guilty of institutional racism, sexism and homophobia – reflecting the conclusions of the 1999 Macpherson report. Met chief Sir Mark Rowley said last week that it was 'shameful' that black boys in London were more likely to die by 18 than white boys. Mr Lawrence, who has been awarded an OBE and honorary doctorate in law, said of his comments: 'Well, he's always talking and saying things. We need action, stop talking and dothe action. 'Over the years even in the Black police they don't get the chance to do the jobs they were supposed to do. 'They are being sidelined all of the time as far as I can remember before even Steve was murdered. They don't get the chance.' He is supporting Black former Met Superintendent Robyn Williams who claims the force subjected her to a racist witch-hunt that 'destroyed' her. Ms Williams, 60, who was awarded the Queen's Police Medal during a 39-year career, is suing for racial and sexual discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Mr Lawrence said: 'That girl went into the police force when she was 18 and she went in to try and help the Black society feel a bit more comfortable when they see a Black officer. 'There are other good Black officers that I know that have been persecuted over years that eventually they have had to leave the force.' The Lawrences expressed their thanks to former Det Chief Insp Clive Driscoll, whose probe led to Dobson and Norris being jailed. Mr Lawrence was angered when the Met last year refused their request for him to be involved in a review of the case. He said: 'I would have been glad if they had said they don't feel able to do my son's case and gave it to another police force. 'It would have been a better option instead of being a review. 'It's just a waste of time.' The Met said last year that they were in negotiations with the Lawrences about the terms of reference of a review after London Mayor Siddique Khan ordered them to carry one out. It appears no agreement has been reached. Mr Lawrence spoke to us at the Kingston Race and Equalities Council in south-west London. Its boss John Azah said: 'This hearing creates an opportunity for one of Stephen's murderers to look inside himself and to tell everyone what really did happen on that day.' Mr Lawrence added: 'He holds all of the key evidence because he was part of the people who were there.' During questioning at his Old Bailey trial by prosecutor Mark Ellison QC, Norris was repeatedly asked what he had been doing when the teenager was killed, Norris said: 'You are accusing me of murder. I am an innocent man.' At the time of the killing Norris was 16 and living four miles from the scene with his mum and gangster dad Clifford in Chislehurst. He was captured in a police surveillance video describing how he would kill Black people, those of Pakistani origin and police officers. Norris said in a clip shown at his trial: 'I'd go down Catford and places like that, I am telling you now, with two sub-machine guns.' He talked about torturing a Black person and setting them alight, saying: 'I'd blow their two arms and legs off and say, 'Go on, you can swim home now'.' His lawyers opposed having this month's parole hearing – listed for July 30 and 31 – in public. But an application from the media was backed by Neville and Doreen. Norris was caught in 2022 taking selfies on a mobile phone in prison and bragging he would be free in two years. In a social media post apparently sent from jail, Norris – whose nickname is 'Nozza' – wrote that he was 'buzzing' after learning he would be up for parole He added: 'Get that party sorted girls 'cos I [will] be there soon. Eye Eye the man's bk [back] in town.' Inmates are banned from having mobiles in cells and breaches can result in an extra two years inside. Stephen was stabbed to death as he waited for a bus with pal Duwayne Brooks, now 50. Brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt were accused of being in the gang and have served time for drug dealing. Another, Luke Knight, remained free. All deny involvement. The sixth suspect was Matthew White, who died aged 50 in 2021. The thug was sensationally named for the first time two years later by the BBC who exposed a series of police failings relating to him. The CPS ruled last year that four police officers involved in the botched Met probe would not face charges.
