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FBI agents have boarded vessel managed by company whose other cargo ship collapsed Baltimore bridge

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FBI agents have boarded vessel managed by company whose other cargo ship collapsed Baltimore bridge

Federal agents on Saturday boarded a vessel managed by the same company as a cargo ship that caused the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse, the FBI confirmed.

In statements, spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland confirmed that authorities boarded the Maersk Saltoro. The ship is managed by Synergy Marine Group.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FILES $100M LAWSUIT AGAINST OPERATOR OF VESSEL IN BALTIMORE KEY BRIDGE WRECK

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and Coast Guard Investigative Services are present aboard the Maersk Saltoro conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” statements from both the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office said Saturday morning.

Authorities did not offer further specifics. The Washington Post first reported on federal authorities boarding the ship.

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The raid came several months after investigators conducted a similar search of the Dali, the cargo ship that crashed into the bridge.

The cargo ship Dali is stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as seen from Pasadena, Md.   (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department alleged that Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine, both of Singapore, recklessly cut corners and ignored known electrical problems on the vessel, which lost power multiple times minutes before it crashed into a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.

The Justice Department said mechanical and electrical systems on the massive ship had been “jury-rigged” and improperly maintained, culminating in the power outages and a cascade of other failures that left its pilots and crew helpless in the face of looming disaster. The ship was leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka when its steering failed because of the power loss.

Six members of a road work crew were killed when the bridge crumbled into the water. The collapse also snarled commercial shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore for months before the channel was fully reopened in June.

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The Justice Department is seeking to recover more than $100 million the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city’s port.

The companies filed a court petition days after the collapse seeking to limit their legal liability in what could become the most expensive marine casualty case in history. Justice Department officials said there is no legal support for that bid to limit liability and pledged to vigorously contest it.

In its lawsuit, which also seeks punitive damages, the Justice Department argued that vessel owners and operators need to be “deterred from engaging in such reckless and exceedingly harmful behavior.”

That includes Grace Ocean and Synergy themselves because the Dali has a “sister ship,” authorities wrote in the claim.

The two companies “need to be deterred because they continue to operate their vessels, including a sister ship to the Dali, in U.S. waters and benefit economically from those activities,” the lawsuit says.

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Darrell Wilson, a Grace Ocean spokesperson, confirmed that the FBI and Coast Guard boarded the Maersk Saltoro in the Port of Baltimore on Saturday morning. Wilson has previously said the owner and manager “look forward to our day in court to set the record straight.”

Like the Dali, the Singapore-flagged Saltoro was built by Hyundai in 2015.

According to the Justice Department lawsuit, major issues with the Dali’s electrical system may have resulted from excessive vibrations on the ship that can loosen wires and damage connections. A prior captain of the vessel had reported “heavy vibration” in his handover notes in May 2023, saying he had made similar reports to Synergy in the past, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit noted cracked equipment in the engine room and pieces of cargo shaken loose. The ship’s electrical equipment was in such bad condition that an independent agency stopped further electrical testing because of safety concerns, according to the lawsuit.

The ship had also experienced power outages while it was still docked in Baltimore. Those blackouts are considered “reportable marine casualties” that must be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard, which authorities say never happened.

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The Dali, which was stuck amid the wreckage of the collapse for months before it could be extricated and refloated, departed Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday afternoon en route to China on its first international voyage since the March 26 disaster.

Justice Department officials refused to answer questions Wednesday about whether a criminal investigation into the bridge collapse remains ongoing. FBI agents boarded the Dali in April.

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Vermont

Here are five places to ice skate in Vermont this winter

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Here are five places to ice skate in Vermont this winter


How to see a reindeer in Vermont

Vermont Reindeer Farm in West Charleston is home to the only three reindeer, or caribou, living in the state. Here’s what it’s like to visit them.

Looking for ways to enjoy the rest of the cold New England winter?

While staying indoors often seems better than facing the cold, the region has lots of outdoor activities that brighten the winter season, including skiing, snow tubing and, of course, ice skating. From Burlington to Stratton, Vermont has plenty of indoor and outdoor ice rinks, many of which offer lessons, concessions and special events in addition to ice skating.

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Here are five places in Vermont where you can go ice skating this winter.

Spruce Peak Village Ice Rink

This outdoor ice rink is located in the heart of the village at Spruce Peak, a ski resort in Stowe formerly known as Stowe Mountain Lodge.

Guests can skate daily surrounded by the majestic ski slopes of the Green Mountains. On Friday nights, the Spruce Peak Village ice rink hosts glow skate parties with a light show, glow sticks and a live DJ. Skate rentals and lessons are also available for purchase.

When: Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday or noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

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Where: Spruce Peak, 7412 Mountain Road, Stowe

Ice Haus Arena

Located up at Jay Peak Resort near the Canadian border, Ice Haus Arena is the newest ice-skating arena in the state. The indoor rink is complete with bleacher seating, a rental and repair shop, four locker rooms, a pro shop, a snack bar and of course, an NHL-sized rink where guests can participate in public skating or skating with sticks and pucks.

General admission to the rink is $6, with skate rentals available for $6, skate sharpening available for $7 and helmets available for $3.

When: Online schedule updated daily

Where: Jay Peak Resort, 830 Jay Peak Road, Jay

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C. Douglas Cairns Recreation Arena

This indoor arena has not one, but two NHL-size ice rinks for hockey, public skating and stick and puck practices. Off the ice, Cairns Arena also offers a pro shop and a cafe with hot food, snacks and drinks.

Skating at Cairns costs $5 for adults or $3 for children and seniors, and skates are available to rent for an additional $5.

When: 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday, with exceptions. Check the online schedule at cairnsarena.finnlyconnect.com..

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Where: 600 Swift St., South Burlington

Mill House at Stratton Mountain Resort

Surrounded by the scenic Stratton Mountain Resort, Mill House Pond is the perfect outdoor spot for public ice skating or skating lessons.

Public skating costs $20, and bookings can be made online.

When: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday or noon to 6 p.m. Thursday-Friday and Sunday-Monday

Where: Stratton Mountain Resort, 5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton Mountain

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Riley Rink at Hunter Park

A large indoor sports facility, Northshore Civic Center has an Olympic-sized ice rink, along with a concession stand and retail shop. The rink offers public skating, stick and puck practice, hockey and skating lessons.

When: Check the online schedule for weekly updates

Where: 410 Hunter Park Road, Manchester Center



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Northeast

Alleged Tren de Aragua criminal gang members charged in ATM robberies across New England

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Alleged Tren de Aragua criminal gang members charged in ATM robberies across New England

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Two alleged members of the Venezuelan-linked gang Tren De Aragua (TdA) were charged in an ATM jackpotting conspiracy that included robberies and attempted robberies across New England, according to federal prosecutors.

Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz and Lestter Guerrero, both 29, have been charged with conspiracy to commit bank theft, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a news release.

Officials said both men are in the U.S. illegally.

The duo is accused of robberies and attempted robberies at ATMs in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. They allegedly installed malware directly into the ATM’s software programming to force the machine to dispense all its cash.

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Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz has been charged with conspiracy to commit bank theft. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts)

Prosecutors said there has been an ongoing federal investigation into a nationwide conspiracy allegedly coordinated and committed by TdA members to steal money from ATMs using malware, a scheme referred to as ATM jackpotting.

Martinez Gutierrez and Guerrero were arrested on Feb. 5 in Augusta, Maine, after an attempted ATM jackpotting robbery, according to charging documents.  

Martinez Gutierrez is allegedly connected to at least five other ATM jackpotting robberies across New England, including robberies on Dec. 31 in Norwich, Connecticut; Jan. 20 in Braintree, Massachusetts; Jan. 30 in Rochester, New Hampshire; and attempted robberies Jan. 14 in Coventry, Rhode Island, and Jan. 19 in Stoneham, Massachusetts.

Lestter Guerrero is seen pointing his cellphone at an ATM with Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz in the passenger seat. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts)

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Guerrero is allegedly connected to at least one additional jackpotting robbery, with Martinez Gutierrez, on Jan. 30 in Rochester, New Hampshire.

If convicted on the conspiring to commit bank theft charge, the pair could be sentenced to up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

TdA has allegedly developed revenue sources through a range of criminal activities, including ATM jackpotting to steal millions of dollars from financial institutions, prosecutors said in court documents.

ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA LEADER CHARGED IN RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY AND COCAINE TRAFFICKING IN TRUMP CRACKDOWN

The two men were arrested on Feb. 5 in Augusta, Me., after an attempted ATM jackpotting robbery. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

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Jackpotting proceeds are typically distributed amongst the gang’s members and associates to conceal its derivation, according to the court documents. 

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The members are often told to split the proceeds from a jackpot operation with 50% earmarked and sent to gang leadership in Venezuela and 50% divided among the individuals conducting ground operations.

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Justice Department unseals multi-state indictments against Tren de Aragua leaders for violent crimes

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Boston, MA

Red Sox insider hints Boston may have Pablo Sandoval problem with Masataka Yoshida

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Red Sox insider hints Boston may have Pablo Sandoval problem with Masataka Yoshida


The Boston Red Sox were expected to have a busy offseason to build on their short 2025 playoff appearance, their first in four seasons. Boston delivered, albeit not in the way many reporters and fans expected — Alex Bregman left and no one was traded from the outfield surplus.

Roster construction questions have loomed over the Red Sox since last season. They were emphasized by Masataka Yoshida’s return from surgery rehab and Roman Anthony’s arrival to the big leagues. Boston has four-six outfielders, depending where it envisions Yoshida and Kristian Campbell playing, and a designated hitter spot it likes to keep flexible — moving an outfielder makes the most sense to solve this quandary.

The best case-scenario for addressing the packed outfield would be to find a trade suitor for Yoshida, which has proven difficult-to-impossible over his first three seasons with the Red Sox. Red Sox insiders Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive think Boston may have to make an extremely difficult decision to free up Yoshida’s roster spot.

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“You wonder, at what point does this become a — not Patrick Sandoval situation — but a Pablo Sandoval, where you rip the Band-Aid off and just release,” McAdam theorized on the “Fenway Rundown” podcast (subscription required).

Red Sox insiders wonder if/when Boston will release Masataka Yoshida, as it did with Pablo Sandoval in 2017

Pablo Sandoval is infamous among Red Sox fans. He signed a five-year, $90 million deal before the 2015 season and he only lasted two and a half years before the Red Sox cut him loose. His tenure was marked by career lows at the plate, injuries and a perceived lack of effort that soured things quickly with Boston. Yoshida hasn’t lived up to the expectations the Red Sox had when they signed him, but he’s no Sandoval.

McAdam postulated that the Red Sox may be waiting until there is less money remaining on Yoshida’s contract before they potentially release him. Like Sandoval, Yoshida signed a five-year, $90 million deal before the 2023 season, which has only just reached its halfway point. The Red Sox still owe him over $36 million, and by releasing him, they’d be forced to eat that money.

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The amount of money remaining on Yoshida’s contract is just one obstacle that may be preventing the Red Sox from finding a trade partner to move him elsewhere. Yoshida has never played more than 140 games in a MLB season with 303 total over his three-year tenure, mostly because he’s dealt with so many injuries since moving stateside.

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Maybe the Red Sox could attach a top prospect to him and eat some of his contract money to entice another team into a trade, like they already did with Jordan Hicks this winter. But that would require sacrificing a quality prospect and it would cost more money, just to move a good hitter who tries hard at his job.

There’s no easy way to fit Yoshida onto Boston’s roster, but the decision to salary dump or release him will be just as hard. Yoshida hasn’t been a bad player for the Red Sox and he doesn’t deserve the Sandoval treatment, but his trade value may only decrease if he spends another year with minimal playing time. Alex Cora and Craig Breslow have a real dilemma on their hands with this roster.



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