International

US ports shut down as dockworkers embark on strike

Published

2 years ago

October 1, 2024

US ports shut down as dockworkers embark on strike

Tens of thousands of dockworkers have gone on strike indefinitely at ports across much of the US, threatening significant trade and economic disruption ahead of the presidential election and the busy holiday shopping season.

Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) walked out on Tuesday at 14 major ports along the east and gulf coasts, halting container traffic from Maine to Texas.

The action marks the first such shutdown in almost 50 years.

President Joe Biden has the power to suspend the strike for 80 days for further negotiations, but the White House has said he is not planning to act.

What is the strike about?

Talks have been stalled for months and the current contract between parties expired on Monday.

The two sides are fighting over a six-year master contract that covers about 25,000 port workers employed in container and roll-on/roll-off operations, according to the US Maritime Alliance, known as USMX, which represents shipping firms, port associations and marine terminal operators.

On Monday, USMX said it had increased its offer, which would raise wages by almost 50%, triple employers’ contributions to pension plans and strengthen health care options.

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Union boss Harold Daggett has called for significant pay increases for his members, while voicing concerns about threats from automation.

USMX has accused the union of refusing to bargain, filing a complaint with labour regulators that asked them to order the union back to the table.

Under the previous contract, starting wages ranged from $20 to $39 per hour, depending on a worker’s experience. Workers also receive other benefits, such as bonuses connected to container trade.

Mr Daggett has indicated the union wants to see per-hour pay increase by five dollars per year over the life of the six-year deal, which he estimated amounted to about 10% per year.

The ILA said workers are owed after shipping firm profits soared during the Covid pandemic, while inflation hit salaries. It has warned to expect a wider strike of its members, including those not directly involved in this dispute, though the exact numbers are unclear.

The union has said it represents more than 85,000 people; it claimed about 47,000 active members in its annual report to the Labor Department.

What items will be affected by the strike?

Time-sensitive imports, such as food, are likely to be among the goods first impacted.

The ports involved handle about 14% of agricultural exports shipped by sea and more than half of imports, including a significant share of trade in bananas and chocolate, according to the Farm Bureau.

Other sectors exposed to disruption include tin, tobacco and nicotine, Oxford Economics said. Clothing and footwear firms, and European carmakers, which route many of their shipments through the Port of Baltimore, will also take a hit.

Imports in the US surged over the summer, as many businesses took steps to rush shipments ahead of the strike.

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“I don’t think we will see immediate, significant economic impacts…but over the course of weeks, if the strike lasts that long, we can begin to see prices rise and for there to be some shortages in goods,” said Seth Harris, a professor at Northeastern University and a former White House adviser on labour issues.

What will the economic impact be?

More than a third of exports and imports could be affected by the strike, hitting US economic growth to the tune of at least $4.5bn each week of the strike, according to Grace Zemmer, an associate US economist at Oxford Economics, though others have estimated the economic hit could be higher.

She said more than 100,000 people could find themselves temporarily out of work as the impact of the stoppage spreads.

“This is really a trigger event, one that will see dominoes fall over the coming months,” said Peter Sand, chief analyst at ocean freight analytics firm Xeneta, warning that the stand-off also has the potential push up wider shipping costs.

That would hit consumers and businesses which tend to rely on so-called “just-in-time” supply chains for goods, he added.

How could this affect the US election?

The stand-off injects uncertainty into the US economy at a delicate time.

The economy has been slower and the unemployment rate is ticking higher as the US election approaches in six weeks.

The strike risks putting President Biden in a tricky spot.

US presidents can intervene in labour disputes that threaten national security or safety by imposing an 80-day cooling-off period, forcing workers back on the job while negotiations continue.

In 2002, Republican President George W Bush intervened to open ports after 11 days of a strike action by dockworkers on the west coast.

The US Chamber of Commerce business group has called on President Biden to take action.

“Americans experienced the pain of delays and shortages of goods during the pandemic-era supply chain backlogs in 2021. It would be unconscionable to allow a contract dispute to inflict such a shock to our economy,” said Suzanne P. Clark, president and chief executive of the business group.

The ILA’s Mr Daggett endorsed Democrat Biden in 2020, but has been critical of the president more recently, citing pressure on west coast dockworkers to reach a deal a year ago. He met with Donald Trump in July.

Although any strike chaos is likely to hurt Democrats, the cost of alienating allies in the labour movement just weeks before the election would be greater, said William Brucher, a professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University.

But public support of strikes could be tested by the dispute, which has been championed by Mr Daggett, who was acquitted of having links to organised crime in a 2004 case by federal prosecutors. A related civil suit remains unresolved.

Films such as the 1954 classic On the Waterfront once defined the dockworkers union’s image, but Prof Brucher said he thought that historical memory had largely faded and many people shared the dockworkers’ concerns about cost-of living and automation.

“As much as it could sway public opinion against the ILA, a strike by ILA members is their decision and I don’t think they will be swayed by public opinion in any meaningful way,” he said.

“What is more likely to happen is the pressure of a strike will likely force the employers back to the table with a much more substantial offer.”

US ports shut down as dockworkers embark on strike

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International

30 Nigerians on US Deportation Portal Linked to N87bn Fraud

Published

8 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Trends Admin

30 Nigerians on US Deportation Portal Linked to N87bn Fraud

At least 30 Nigerian nationals listed on the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “Worst of the Worst” deportation portal have been linked to more than N86.8 billion ($62 million) in confirmed fraud losses, restitution orders, and intended losses, according to U.S. Department of Justice publications analyzed by THE WHISTLER.

The 30 individuals are part of a larger group of 124 Nigerians currently featured on the DHS portal at wow.dhs.gov – a public database of foreign nationals flagged for deportation. Financial crimes account for 77 of the 124 entries, representing 62% of all charges against Nigerians on the list. New court records and enforcement actions from the first half of 2026 have since added more cases, pushing the total fraud exposure linked to this group well beyond the original $62 million estimate.

Top Fraud Cases on the DHS Portal

Richard Ugbah was sentenced to 12 years in November 2017 for a romance fraud and business email compromise (BEC) scheme, with intended losses of $12.9 million. The presiding judge noted the figure was likely understated. Ugbah was arrested at Joint Base MDL in New Jersey.

Obinwanne Okeke received a 10-year sentence for an $11 million BEC scheme and is held at Oakdale FCI in Louisiana. His case remains one of the largest single cyber fraud convictions involving a Nigerian national.

Alex Ogunshakin was extradited from Nigeria and sentenced in October 2024 after spending more than three years on the FBI Cyber Most Wanted list. Federal prosecutors documented $6 million in confirmed losses and over $30 million in attempted fraud. These three cases alone account for nearly **$30 million** of the confirmed $62 million fraud total.

Other Significant Convictions

Uche Diuno was convicted in May 2024 for a $5.7 million advance-fee fraud scheme and described himself as the “chairman” of a fraud ring that operated across more than 20 countries over four years. He was sentenced to 60 months.

Oludayo Adeagbo was jailed for seven years for a business email compromise scheme causing more than $5 million in losses.

Olaniyi Ojikutu opened approximately 25 bank accounts through which $3.4 million in romance scam proceeds were laundered. He fled to Canada after indictment, was apprehended seven months later, extradited, and is now serving 88 months.

Chibundu Anuebunwa was sentenced to 66 months for a $2.5 million **BEC scheme**, while **Benjamin Ifebajo** received 10 years for $2.1 million in email fraud. Sakiru Ambali received 42 months after $2.4 million passed through his accounts.

Yusuf Bakare and Quazeem Adeyinka were convicted in a COVID-19 unemployment insurance fraud conspiracy after obtaining $2.27 million. Bakare was sentenced to four years and nine months, while Adeyinka received 26 months.

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Oluwole Odunowo was sentenced to 54 months as part of an IRS fraud scheme that caused $11.6 million in total losses, with his individual restitution order set at $402,846.

Toluwani Adebakin was a collegiate track and field athlete at William Carey University in Mississippi when he and a teammate were convicted of laundering proceeds from romance, military, and money scams. More than 100 victims sent over $820,000 to the athletes, who transferred the funds to fraudsters in Nigeria. He was sentenced to 36 months in April 2024.

Bameyi Omale is serving 135 months for his role in a romance and investment fraud laundering ring in the Western District of Texas, the longest confirmed sentence among the money laundering entries on the list.

Okechukwu Amadi, serving 11 years and three months, was convicted in connection with the Black Axe criminal organization and ordered to forfeit $833,625 in laundered proceeds and pay $1.35 million in restitution. Oriyomi Aloba was sentenced to 145 months after hacking into the Los Angeles Superior Court computer system and using it to send approximately two million malicious phishing emails, with a restitution order of $47,479.

New Developments: March – June 2026

In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice convicted 25 defendants in an international email hacking and fraud scheme that caused over $215 million in losses to more than 1,000 victims. Several Nigerians were among those who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges in this separate but significant case.

Under the DHS West Africa Operations Watch initiative launched in June 2026, an additional 110 Nigerians were added to the removal queue as part of a 355-person regional enforcement action. Nigeria topped the West Africa breakdown, ahead of Liberia with 94, Ghana with 30, and Senegal with 19.

Fresh extraditions and indictments emerged in May 2026. Samuel Ugberaese was extradited from Nigeria to face charges in North Carolina for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy related to cross-border romance scams. Meanwhile, Oluwadamilare Kolaogunbule, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was indicted alongside Ugberaese for allegedly using his network of bank accounts to launder illicit proceeds from romance fraud schemes.

Recent sentences from March to April 2026 include Saheed Sunday Owolabi, who was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for defrauding victims and laundering over $1.5 million to Nigeria, with the DOJ noting that Owolabi used a female identity to build online relationships with male victims. **Ayobami Omoniyi** was sentenced to 32 months for a $202,000 money laundering scheme linked to business email compromise scams and is scheduled for deportation upon completion of his sentence.

Common Charges and Criminal Methods

Analysis of court records shows that wire fraud was the most common single offense, appearing in 27 charge entries. Money laundering appeared 18 times, identity theft 13 times, forgery or counterfeiting eight times, and mail fraud seven times. Wire fraud and money laundering frequently appeared together, consistent with organized financial crime where proceeds from fraudulent transfers are moved through layered transactions to obscure their origin.

The primary fraud schemes identified include Business Email Compromise (BEC) , where hackers compromise legitimate business email accounts to send fraudulent payment requests; romance scams, where fake online identities are used to manipulate victims into sending money; advance-fee fraud, where victims pay upfront fees for promised goods, services, or inheritances that never materialize; and COVID-19 relief fraud, involving fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance and pandemic relief funds.

Beyond Financial Crimes: Other Charges on the Portal

While financial crimes dominate the list, 28 Nigerians face violent offense charges, including aggravated assault, robbery, and kidnapping. Donald Ehie, Adeyinka Ademokunla, and Ifeanyi Okoro each faced kidnapping charges, with Okoro also facing sexual assault and robbery charges. Olayinka A. Jones, arrested in Fairfax, South Carolina, was the only individual with a manslaughter-level charge.

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Fifteen individuals face sexual offense charges, with five involving alleged crimes against minors. Abayomi Daramola, arrested in Portland, Oregon, is listed for enticement of a minor via telecommunications – a charge carrying a mandatory minimum of 10 years upon conviction. Cletus Onyali, arrested in Jessup, Maryland, has five separate charge entries, including assault, rape, sex offense against a child, cruelty toward a child, and a general sex offense.

Nine individuals were arrested for drug-related crimes. Suraj Tairu in Washington, D.C., faced both heroin sale and heroin smuggling charges. Adewale Aladekoba in Baltimore faced heroin distribution charges, while Aderemi Akefe, arrested in Detroit, faced cocaine smuggling and customs evasion charges.

Geographic Breakdown Within the U.S.

The 124 Nigerians were arrested across at least 26 states and Washington, D.C. Texas recorded the most arrests at 29, followed by Maryland with 14, Pennsylvania and California with eight each, Georgia with eight, Louisiana with seven, Illinois with six, and Florida with five. Texas’s high number is likely driven by the large Nigerian and West African diaspora in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, and by the ICE Dallas Field Office, one of the agency’s largest operational centers.

Several individuals were arrested at federal Bureau of Prisons facilities, meaning they were already serving federal sentences when ICE processed them for removal. Oakdale FCI in Louisiana appeared eight times as an arrest location despite the state’s relatively small Nigerian diaspora, while Yazoo City FCI accounted for the majority of Mississippi’s entries.

Nigeria’s Official Response

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said in a BBC interview that the Nigerian government welcomes the return of nationals who have violated U.S. law but insisted such returns must be conducted with dignity. In a separate Channels TV interview, Tuggar stated that Nigeria, with a population exceeding 230 million, already faces huge domestic challenges and would not accept nationals of other countries under a proposed regional deportation arrangement.

In May 2026, the U.S. finalized a third-country deportation agreement with Sierra Leone, paying the country $1.5 million to accept up to 300 West Africans annually whose home countries are slow to process returns. Some Nigerians on the DHS list have already been removed under this arrangement.

Portal Glitch Acknowledged by DHS

In February 2026, CNN reported that the DHS acknowledged a glitch affecting approximately 5% of entries across the portal, with some individuals listed as violent criminals despite having only minor offenses on record. Two Nigerians illustrate this discrepancy: Adetunji Olofinlade, arrested in Belcamp, Maryland, was listed solely for driving under the influence, while Olamide Jolayemi, arrested in Oklahoma City, was listed for computer crimes and a DUI.

Broader Context: Nigerians Under Final Deportation Orders

The 124 Nigerians on the “Worst of the Worst” portal represent a specific category of prioritized deportees with criminal convictions. For broader context, as of November 2024, ICE records indicated that 3,690 Nigerians were on the agency’s non-detained docket with final orders of removal.

30 Nigerians on US Deportation Portal Linked to N87bn Fraud

International

Iran Halts Military Operation Against Israel, Warns of Stronger Response if Attacks Continue

Published

24 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Iran Halts Military Operation Against Israel, Warns of Stronger Response if Attacks Continue

Iran’s military command on Monday announced the suspension of its operation against Israel after the two countries exchanged missile and air strikes for the first time since an April ceasefire.

In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said Iran had delivered what it described as a “painful response” to Israeli actions and was therefore ending its current military operations against Israel.

“Accordingly, the cessation of armed forces operations is hereby announced,” the statement said.

However, the command warned that the halt was conditional and could be reversed if Israel continued what Tehran described as acts of aggression, particularly in southern Lebanon.

“It is emphasised that should acts of aggression and hostility continue, including in southern Lebanon, much more severe and crushing measures than before will follow,” the statement added.

The announcement came after a sharp escalation in regional tensions over the weekend. Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israeli targets after Israel carried out strikes linked to Hezbollah positions and other targets in Lebanon. Israel responded with air strikes on sites inside Iran, marking the most serious direct exchange between the two sides since the truce that took effect in April.

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The latest flare-up raised fears that the ceasefire brokered earlier this year could collapse entirely and trigger a broader regional conflict involving Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and other Iran-backed groups.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump urged both sides to stop military action and preserve ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a broader peace arrangement in the region. Following the exchange of strikes, both Tehran and Jerusalem indicated that they were pausing further attacks for the time being, although neither side ruled out renewed military action if provoked.

The confrontation also rattled global energy markets, with oil prices surging amid concerns that a prolonged conflict could threaten shipping routes and energy supplies in the Middle East before retreating after Iran announced the end of its current operation.

Despite the announcement, analysts cautioned that the situation remains highly fragile, with tensions over Lebanon, regional security, and Iran’s broader dispute with Israel and its allies continuing to pose a risk of renewed hostilities.

Iran Halts Military Operation Against Israel, Warns of Stronger Response if Attacks Continue

International

Israel Strikes Iranian Military Targets in Retaliation for Missile Attack

Published

1 day ago

June 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Smoke rising over Tehran, Iran, following airstrikes on military targets.

Israel Strikes Iranian Military Targets in Retaliation for Missile Attack

Jerusalem/Tehran – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes on military targets in western and central Iran early Monday, hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at northern Israel in the first direct attack between the two nations since a fragile ceasefire took effect in early April.

The IDF said its aircraft struck military sites belonging to the “Iranian terror regime,” including areas near Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan. Iranian state media reported multiple explosions in those cities. The strikes also hit the Karun Mahshahr Petrochemical Company in Khuzestan Province, marking the first reported attack on an Iranian energy-related site since the April 8 ceasefire.

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, defended the strikes, stating that “no self-respecting country” would accept missile attacks on its territory. He added that Israel was targeting Iranian surface-to-surface missile launch sites and infrastructure not related to the energy sector.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that Israel used air-launched ballistic missiles in the strikes and warned that if Israel expands its attacks on southern Lebanon or responds further, it will face more “crushing and regretful blows.”

The Iranian missile barrage on Sunday targeted Israel’s Ramat David Air Base in northern Israel, according to the IRGC. The attack was in response to recent Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The IDF said it intercepted the incoming projectiles, with no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage in Israel.

The IRGC claimed its forces struck two Israeli air bases—Nevatim and Tel Nof—during the operation it codenamed “Victory” (Nasr). Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that the Mahshahr special petrochemical economic zone was being evacuated following the Israeli strikes. The Tehran fire department confirmed that no urban areas in the capital had been targeted, with explosions limited to military sites. Iran temporarily closed the airspace around Tehran’s main international airport following the attacks.

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President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise restraint and avoid retaliatory action to preserve de-escalation efforts, telling Axios, “Hopefully Israel is not going to retaliate… Each of them had their fun. We don’t need another one.” However, Israel proceeded with the strikes despite the president’s appeal. Trump told the Financial Times that Netanyahu “doesn’t call the shots” and would have “no choice” but to accept a deal with Iran, signaling a widening rift between the two allies as the administration seeks to wind down the conflict.

The exchanges mark the latest breach of the fragile ceasefire arrangements that followed the wider U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which began in late February 2026. A senior U.S. official described Israel’s strikes as “relatively limited” in scope. The escalation threatens to derail sensitive talks to end the wider conflict and cast the region back into chaos. Iran has demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon before an accord can be reached with the U.S., while Hezbollah last week rejected a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

No immediate casualty figures were available from the Iranian side. Both countries have issued warnings of further escalation as the situation continues to develop, with the IDF calling up reserve battalions and reinforcing fronts, including forces continuing operations in southern Lebanon.