Media Invitation Announced for United States v. Khalid Shaikh Mohammad et al. Pre-Trial Hearing

Feb. 20, 2026 |

The Department of War invites media to cover pre-trial proceedings in the case of United States v. Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin 'Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, scheduled for May 4 - 29, 2026. The defendants are charged in connection with their alleged roles in the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States.

The proceedings will be conducted at the Expeditionary Legal Complex located in Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB) Cuba and will be transmitted to a closed-circuit television site at Fort Meade, Md.

Media choosing to travel to NSGB will pay round-trip airfare ($800); coverage window is determined by flight schedule. Specific ground rules for coverage at NSGB will follow registration.

The primary purpose of this invitation is to cover the military commissions. Tours of the detention facilities are not available. Requests for reporting on Guantanamo Bay topics unrelated to the military commissions - such as the naval base facilities or personnel - must be coordinated in advance.

Coverage windows, including travel days:

• May 2 – 9
• May 9 – 16
• May 16 – 23
• May 23 – 30

*Media may elect to attend more than one week.

Registration: Click here for registration. Please select the “Khalid Shaikh Mohammad et al” case from the drop-down selection on the registration form. Enter the specific requested dates as outlined above.

Deadline: All requests must be received no later than noon EST, Friday, Feb. 27. Additional details of travel logistics will be provided separately. By submitting the online request form, interested media will begin the travel process, and the Office of Military Commissions (OMC) will contact the media to assist in travel preparation.

CCTV Site: Media desiring to view this hearing from the media-designated viewing site at Fort Meade, Md., must send requests via email to osd.mc-alex.OMC.mbx.omc-pa@mail.mil with e-mail subject line matching the court case and the following information: name, position, news organization and contact information.

Contact Mr. Ron Flesvig, OMC Public Affairs, for additional questions at ronald.flesvig2.civ@mail.mil or (571) 372-3713.

Case information can be viewed at the Office of Military Commissions website: https://www.mc.mil

Department of War Announces Groundbreaking of New Munitions Campus in Indiana

Feb. 20, 2026 |

The Department of War (DoW) announces the February 19 groundbreaking on the Munitions Campus in Bloomfield, Indiana. This public-private partnership is designed to expand domestic munitions and energetics production and strengthen the resilience of the U.S. defense industrial base.

The groundbreaking is an important milestone for the Munitions Campus, for which the DoW announced in September 2023 the award of $75 million in Defense Production Act Title III funds to ACMI Federal (ACMI) - with the goal of strengthening the munitions supply chain and accelerating munitions production by stimulating private capital for specialty facilities. Established as a pilot initiative to scale production for defense manufacturers, the project introduces a shared-infrastructure model that helps U.S. companies reduce operating costs. As part of the groundbreaking ceremony, Prometheus Energetics LLC (Prometheus) also broke ground on its new headquarters and solid rocket motor (SRM) manufacturing facilities as the anchor tenant for the Munitions Campus.

The campus will centralize key elements of the munitions supply chain by collocating manufacturers of major components and subcomponents, while providing access to state-of-the-art equipment and manufacturing resources.

By clustering industrial production capacity in one location, the campus will enable faster, more cost-effective, and efficient scaling of munitions and energetics output including Tomahawk, Javelin, and Stinger missiles, along with the Guided Multi-Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and other weapons systems.

Located on a portion of ACMI’s National Security Industrial Hub (NSIH), a 1,100-acre advanced manufacturing development in Bloomfield, Indiana, and in close proximity to both the Crane Army Ammunition Activity and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, the Munitions Campus will enhance collaboration between the DoW and private industry. The DoW’s investment in the Munitions Campus serves as the catalyst for the broader NSIH, which is projected to generate more than $600 million in private investment, driving long-term regional growth and advancing national security priorities through industrial collaboration. Prometheus’ headquarters and primary production operations will occupy 600 acres of the NSIH site, leveraging the campus’s shared infrastructure and advanced manufacturing ecosystem to accelerate domestic production of critical systems.

"The Munitions Campus Program represents a critical step toward modernizing America’s defense industrial base," said Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy Michael Cadenazzi. "By investing in shared infrastructure and increased manufacturing capacity, the Department of War is ensuring the United States remains ready, resilient, and capable of meeting future national security challenges."

Aissa Tovar, Director, Defense Production Act Purchases within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, added, "Our federal investment is the key that unlocks the $600 million in private capital making all of this possible."

Major construction efforts are progressing and will continue to increase as the project moves toward phased opening and operations beginning in 2027. The Department will continue working with ACMI, as well as state and local partners, to ensure the project aligns with regional workforce development and infrastructure goals.

About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP))

The OASW(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the war fighter, now and in the future. OASW(IBP) also uses the Defense Industrial Base Consortium Other Transaction Agreement (DIBC OTA) to solicit new ideas for research or prototype project solutions for critical supply chain resiliency focus areas. This OTA underscores the Department’s ongoing dedication to safeguarding the integrity of our crucial supply chain and promptly giving our warfighters the materials and technologies they need to accomplish their missions. To learn more about the DIBC OTA, please visit: https://www.dibconsortium.org.

Portable Decontamination System Reduces Logistical Burden for CBRN Operations

Feb. 20, 2026 | By Kelly Burkhalter, Capability Program Executive Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense |

Addressing a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear event is a highly complex situation. In some cases, even a small exposure to CBRN agents can quickly spread and contaminate the environment, equipment and warfighters.

 
In CBRN environments, warfighters contend with additional stress and burden because they must wear personal protective equipment. Capabilities that reduce their risk of CBRN agent exposure and allow them to quickly and safely remove their PPE are key to achieving mission success. 
 
The Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense's Joint Project Manager for CBRN Special Operations Forces is delivering a "system of systems" decontamination capability to warfighters whose missions place them in austere, hostile, operational environments.

The Forward Area Mobility Spray System enables service members to decontaminate equipment as close to the spot of exposure, or far forward, into mission space and return it to service quickly, ensuring it is clean enough to reuse and eliminating the need for warfighters to wear PPE during the decontamination process. 
 
The system has three variants: man portable, small variant and large variant. The man portable is a battery-powered backpack that holds 5 gallons of decontamination solution. The small variant is designed to be mounted onto the rear bed of a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and contains one 50-gallon tank. It is powered by either integrating the host vehicle's battery source, a generator or shore power. The large variant is also designed to be mounted onto the rear bed of a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and powered the same way, but it contains two 50-gallon tanks.

All three variants provide special operations forces with an air-droppable or mobile capability that allows them to go far forward into mission territory to perform a host of decontamination operations. The man portable system achieved full operational capability in May 2025, nearly three years ahead of schedule; the small variant and large variant are also expected to reach it early as well.  

The Forward Area Mobility Spray System team attributes the delivery speed to direct and frequent interactions with the user community. 
 
Matthew McGinley, an assistant program manager assigned to the JPM CBRN SOF, said that open communication allows his team to understand the user's needs, listen to their feedback and rapidly apply changes. McGinley said engaging with the user community enabled incremental delivery, which contributed to the accelerated timeline, and his team worked with users to prioritize and deliver an enhanced, agile decontamination capability quickly and incrementally. 
 
"The user community is more risk-tolerant," McGinley said. "Getting a capability into their hands today is very important toward giving them the competitive advantage and eliminates the need to spend years in additional development and testing seeking a perfect solution." 
 
Army Sgt. 1st Class Marchello Walters, a senior chemical noncommissioned officer assigned to the JPM CBRN SOF, said users appreciate the modularity of the system and its ease of use.

 
The  Forward Area Mobility Spray System is designed to have a much smaller logistical footprint than currently fielded spray systems by integrating seamlessly into the bed of their host vehicle, operating off battery power, containing their own storage tanks, incorporating siphon features to replenish water from any source and built-in recirculation features that keep the decontamination solution thoroughly mixed. 
 
"I have a totally complete and mobile system that does it all — no need to transport fuel, generators, or water, or haul equipment on trailers, which is amazing," Walters said. 
 
All variants of the system are "decon agnostic," meaning they can use any decontaminant solution chosen by the warfighter. They each come with two spray nozzles: a stream nozzle to blast off contamination and a fan nozzle to apply the solution. 
 
"Although the [systems] are currently being fielded only to special operations forces, the word is quickly spreading throughout the CBRN community about this new capability, and I've received a lot of feedback from some of my military counterparts and in the Chemical Corps expressing great interest in the system," Walters said.

 
The system's reduced physical and logistical burden supports the War Department's priority of promoting warfighter lethality by decreasing disruptive factors. Carrying less equipment allows warfighters to focus on remediating threats that could negatively impact their mission in real time. The accelerated delivery also aligns with DOW's priority to reform acquisition by using incremental delivery to accelerate fielding and ensure that warfighters have the latest equipment when they need it. The Forward Area Mobility Spray System allows warfighters to decontaminate faster and closer to the site of exposure, containing and eliminating the threat of agent contamination. 
 
The team will begin developing a new aircraft variant in the upcoming fiscal year to decontaminate the sensitive instruments on board. 

Training for the Unthinkable: Task Force 2 Validates Domestic Response Readiness

Feb. 17, 2026 | By Army Pvt. James Hernandez, 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment |

Soldiers from units across the force converged at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Feb. 10-12, to validate their readiness as part of Task Force 2 under the Defense Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Response Force.

The training ensures the soldiers remain prepared to deploy on no-notice orders in response to a potential weapon of mass destruction attack within the United States. The culminating exercise brought together chemical, medical, engineering and military police units to simulate a large-scale domestic response following a catastrophic chemical or biological incident.  

The training evaluated the task force's ability to secure a contaminated site, conduct technical rescues and decontaminate mass casualties under realistic conditions.  

"The purpose of this exercise is to ensure we are ready for no-notice deployments in case any city in the United States is attacked with a weapon of mass destruction," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Alvaro Madrigal, the senior enlisted leader for Task Force 2. "We are essentially 911 in case something big happens."

The task force operates under the U.S. Northern Command as part of the DCRF mission, which provides rapid-response capabilities to support civil authorities during domestic CBRNE incidents. It is composed of three primary operational components: hazardous materials reconnaissance, urban search and rescue and mass decontamination.  

The hazmat element, led by the 21st Chemical Company, 48th Chemical Brigade, conducts reconnaissance of the affected site to determine contamination levels and establish safe operating zones.  

The unit continuously monitors conditions to ensure the safety of responding forces and civilians. Following a site assessment, the urban search and rescue component, composed primarily of soldiers assigned to the 50th Multi-Role Bridge Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, conducts technical rescues in structurally compromised environments, in the event of a detonation, collapsed building or contaminated structures that cause trapped civilians to require a specialized extraction operation.

"If there is a detonation, there will be structural damage and people sheltering in place who can no longer leave," said Army 2nd Lt. Galina Gordon, a team leader for the 50th Multi-Role Bridge Company. "We conduct those technical rescues for however long it takes." 

Once victims are extracted, the mass decontamination team processes affected personnel to remove hazardous contaminants and prevent further exposure. The soldiers are trained to rapidly decontaminate large numbers of individuals, enabling medical personnel to provide follow-on treatment and move civilians to safety. Supporting the operation is the 602nd Medical Company, 44th Medical Brigade, responsible for treating service members and civilian casualties.  

During the exercise, local community role players replicated injuries consistent with a weapon of mass destruction scenario, adding realism to the training environment.

The 41st Military Police Company, 89th Military Police Brigade, serves as a general-purpose force, providing additional manpower where needed, from assisting with casualty movement and litter carries to augmenting decontamination and rescue operations. Observer-controllers evaluated the training event, assessing performance across all warfighting functions. Following the exercise, leaders conducted an after-action review to identify strengths and areas for improvement ahead of a larger-scale validation exercise.  

Task Force 2 will next participate in Guardian Response at Camp Atterbury, Indiana — an annual large-scale exercise that brings together multiple regional response forces in a highly immersive disaster scenario. The training environment features collapsed structures, overturned vehicles and complex rescue lanes designed to replicate real-world devastation.  

"Guardian Response is much more immersive," Madrigal said. "You'll see buildings torn down, vehicles upside down and victims requiring rescue from difficult environments. It's a larger-scale event where multiple task forces come together to validate readiness."

Each DCRF-aligned task force is assigned responsibility for a specific region of the country, ensuring rapid response coverage nationwide. The integration of chemical, medical, engineering and military police capabilities enables the force to operate as a synchronized, lifesaving element during domestic emergencies.  

"These reps are important," said Army 2nd Lt. Galina Gordon. "When it's game time, there is no room for failure. We have to know how to work together and understand what each unit brings to the fight."  

Through realistic training and interagency coordination, Task Force 2 continues to strengthen its ability to protect and support the American people in the event of a catastrophic CBRNE incident.

JIATF-401 Expands Counter-Drone Training, Bolsters Homeland Defense

Feb. 17, 2026 | By Army Lt. Col. Adam Scher, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 |

As small unmanned aircraft systems become cheaper, more accessible and increasingly weaponized, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 is expanding its efforts to strengthen the military's ability to counter the growing threat at installations in the United States and abroad.

"Unmanned systems are a defining threat of our time," said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, task force director. "Drones are prolific, inexpensive, evolving quickly and increasingly accessible to nonstate actors and individuals."

At the center of the effort to train the joint force for this growing threat is the Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System University at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, a critical component of JIATF-401. The university develops and validates counter-UAS curriculum for the War Department and serves as the task force's hub for instruction, mobile training teams and technical integration.

Rather than focusing solely on individual operators, the university is shifting to a train-the-trainer model designed to multiply expertise across the force. JCU students will now receive advanced training and return to their units to build local capability, reducing reliance on centralized courses and accelerating the spread of counter-UAS knowledge. The university will continue to offer its counter-UAS planner's course to support the protection of installations and other defense critical infrastructure.

Ross said the approach is intended to create a sustainable training ecosystem as drone threats continue to evolve.

That philosophy was recently put into practice in Guam, a U.S. territory in the Indo-Pacific region that serves as a key hub for American military operations. JCU instructors deployed to the island to provide hands-on, counter-UAS training to Task Force Talon and Guam National Guard Security Forces, working alongside base defense forces to integrate detection and mitigation procedures into routine security operations.

"Our mission is to ensure every warfighter has the skills to defend their post, wherever that may be," Ross said. "We must recognize that the homeland extends beyond the continental United States; defending Guam is defending the homeland."

While new sensors and mitigation systems remain important, Ross emphasized that "Hardware alone is not sufficient. We need to train service members and work in concert with interagency partners and local law enforcement to ensure that we're all pulling together to accomplish the same mission."

Building full capability also requires clearly defined authorities, rules of engagement, sustainment plans, maintenance support and integration into daily operations.

Army Lt. Col. John Peterson, JCU director, said instructors are adapting curriculum to reflect emerging threats and operational lessons learned.

"Whether it's in a classroom at Fort Sill or on an airfield in Guam, our job is to support JIATF-401's priorities," Peterson said. "We are improving joint force training to ensure our service members have the skills they need to defend every inch of the homeland."

Through forward deployments and its evolving training model, JIATF-401 aims to deliver more than equipment. Ross noted that the goal is to build enduring counter-drone capability across the joint force — from installations in the continental United States to strategic outposts in the Indo-Pacific region — ensuring service members are prepared to detect, disrupt and defeat one of the fastest-growing threats in modern warfare. 

Joint Interagency Task Force, FBI Deepen Drone Partnership to Bolster National Defense

Feb. 13, 2026 | By Army Lt. Col. Adam Scher, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 |

Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 director, visited the FBI's National Training Center for counter-small unmanned aircraft systems in Huntsville, Alabama, yesterday to solidify a strategic alliance to protect the nation from unmanned aerial threats.

The visit centered on increasing collaboration between the War Department and the FBI to enhance homeland defense through joint training and the accelerated development of counter-UAS capabilities with federal interagency partners. 

A primary focus of the discussion was enhancing efforts to coordinate security preparations for this summer's FIFA World Cup. Ross and Mike Torphy, FBI acting assistant section chief for UAS and counter-UAS, spoke with expert instructors who are teaching a specialized course for local law enforcement in each of the tournament's eleven host cities across the nation. 

"The security of our homeland depends on a seamless, unified defense, and that is only possible through robust interagency collaboration," Ross said. "The threats we face are shared, so our solutions must be as well. Our work with the FBI, to secure major events like the World Cup against the threat of drones, is a prime example of this strategy in action, but our goal is much broader: to build permanent, integrated [counter]-UAS capabilities across the federal government." 

This synergy is foundational to building a more resilient national counter-UAS capability and ensuring state and local partners are effectively trained and equipped for any threat.  

Ross thanked Torphy for hosting the productive visit, which underscored the importance of combining JIATF 401's lessons learned from the battlefield and expertise in joint training with the FBI's critical law enforcement mission. 

"This is one example of how JIATF 401 is working with partners to enhance our counter-drone efforts," Ross said. "No single person or agency can take on this task alone. It requires a whole-of-government coordination, and I am grateful that Mr. Torphy and the training center staff are supporting our mission to build a layered defense against the full spectrum of small UAS threats to the homeland." 

The engagement in Huntsville signifies a deliberate move to formalize and expand the working relationship between the department and federal law enforcement. Future efforts will include the JIATF 401's Joint Counter-Small UAS University in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, working closely with the FBI's National Training Center to execute this shared mission.  

This partnership model, focused on joint capability development and shared training, will enhance security for specific events and serve as a blueprint for a more integrated national approach to all counter-UAS threats, Ross added. 

Mississippi Man Indicted for Arson of Beth Israel Synagogue and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, of Madison, Mississippi, was charged by superseding indictment Tuesday, February 10, 2026, with civil rights and arson offenses related to the burning of the Beth Israel Congregation and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life building. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon, United States Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement.

According to court documents from his arrest, Pittman is alleged to have used gasoline to set fire to the religious building in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 10, 2026. The fire resulted in extensive damage to a significant portion of the building and rendered it inoperable for an indefinite period time.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate attacks on houses of worship,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This superseding indictment shows that we will investigate and we will prosecute such vicious attacks that strike at the core of our country’s long tradition of religious liberty.”

“I applaud our law enforcement partners for their swift response to this heinous act of hate-fueled violence,” said United States Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger. We Americans should not fear for our safety because of our faith.  The superseding indictment demonstrates our commitment to that cause.”

According to its website, the Beth Israel Congregation was founded in 1860, and it has operated in its present location since 1967. On September 18, 1967, the then-new temple on Old Canton Road was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan. The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life provides services to Jewish communities in 13 states and comprehensive religious school programs to 70 Jewish congregations and offers traveling rabbinical services.

Pittman was charged in the three-count indictment with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i), which prohibits arson of property used in interstate commerce or used in an activity affecting interstate commerce, Title 18, United States Code, Section 247, which prohibits damaging or destroying religious real property because of the character of that property, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(h), which prohibits the use of fire during the commission of a federal felony.

The FBI, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Jackson Police Department, and Jackson Fire Department are investigating the case.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Allen, Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Buckner and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Taylor Payne. 

A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

War Department, USDA Team Up on National Security

Feb. 12, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, cementing the relationship between the two agencies under the National Farm Security Action Plan, and explaining how they will collaborate when agriculture and national defense intersect.

"We're going to promote agricultural and economic prosperity, defend the foundations of agriculture and food ... and strengthen domestic and agricultural productivity," Hegseth said. "Together, we are elevating the protection of U.S. agriculture into America's national security framework by ensuring systems remain protected against potential terror attacks, major disasters and other emergencies, with the full support of the Department of War and the national security enterprise."

In July 2025, the Agriculture Department announced the National Farm Security Action Plan, a governmentwide, multiprong effort focused on ensuring America's ability to secure its own food supply, in part by eliminating interference from adversarial nations. Part of that plan involves using presidential authorities to reclaim farmland in the U.S. currently owned by foreign adversaries — such as China — including land owned by adversarial nations that encroaches on U.S. military installations.

"When our farmland is threatened, the welfare of the entire nation is put on the line," Rollins said. "It is undeniable that America's enemies are playing the long game, infiltrating our research institutions, stealing our technology, launching cyberattacks on our food system and buying up our farmland. China alone owns 265,000 acres of American agricultural land ... these actions expose strategic vulnerabilities in America's food and agriculture supply chain."

The National Farm Security Action Plan is designed to protect America's farmland, and DOW is part of that effort. The MOU solidifies the department's commitment to the plan.

"The National Farm Security Action Plan is a necessary step toward safeguarding our homeland against malign foreign influence," Hegseth said. "America is the best of ideas, but America is actually also a place; it is a land ... that we must defend at every single echelon, from space to the farm field."

One novel and immediate result of the MOU is that the USDA will have access to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's capabilities.

"[DARPA] can do things, they can design things, they can bring things to life that no other agency across the federal government is remotely capable of," Hegseth said. "Working with [USDA], we will ensure agriculture projects directly enhance our military's strength and readiness."

While Hegseth and Rollins signed a cabinet-level MOU, another memorandum was signed yesterday between DARPA and USDA's chief scientist. According to a DARPA spokesperson, the memorandum between DARPA and USDA creates a direct path for collaboration on efforts with overlap in national, economic and agricultural security.

One example is the DARPA Guardian program, which is developing methods to mitigate the risks posed by non-native pests, including the New World Screwworm, a serious threat to the ranching community, the U.S. food supply and national security. The agreement signed yesterday further demonstrates a whole-of-government approach to tackling this critical problem. 

Upton man sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment for planting a destructive device

On Jan. 27, U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced an Upton man to 30 months’ imprisonment with two years of supervised release for possessing a destructive device. The court also imposed a $300 fine.

David Riggle, 40, of Upton, Wyoming, was arrested on April 28, 2025, for allegedly planting a destructive device inside a storage trailer on a drilling company’s property in Weston County. The device was discovered on Nov. 30, 2024, after a worker noticed the smell of propane emanating from the trailer. Inside, authorities found a battery-powered device with wires, a timer, and a fuse placed next to an open 100-pound propane tank, releasing gas. Investigators believe the timer was intended to delay ignition so the suspect could escape.

The device ultimately failed to ignite but law enforcement said it was otherwise capable of causing serious harm. Footprints at the scene led investigator in the direction of Riggle’s home approximately two-thirds of a mile away. A federal search warrant executed at Riggle’s home on Dec. 11, 2024, uncovered footprints matching those at the scene, along with a 6-volt battery matching the battery connected to the device, safety fuse, wires, and soldering tools consistent with components used in the device.

“This was not a harmless or symbolic act. The defendant placed a functioning propane-based explosive inside a work trailer, putting employees, nearby residents, and an entire community at risk of serious injury or death. While the device failed to ignite, the fear and disruption it caused were real—employees were afraid to return to work, business operations were delayed, and a sense of safety in Upton was shaken. The law does not measure harm only by what detonates, but by the danger created and the lives put in jeopardy,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith.

Riggle waived indictment and pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2025. Weston County Sheriff’s Office, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigate the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case.

Case No. 25-CR-00149