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We are diving deeper into our investigation of CIA actions that contradict U.S. national interests.
Today, we uncover another CIA-affiliated company using taxpayer money to supply Ukraine with weapons and military equipment—outside the scope of official aid packages.
Typically, money-laundering scandals involve substantial sums, ranging from tens of millions to billions of dollars. In such cases, unscrupulous individuals are driven by greed and fear that this rare chance for enrichment might slip away, making it crucial to act quickly before the opportunity vanishes. The record suggests that most schemes unravel precisely in these moments of haste.
And it seems the CIA has also recognized this risk, shifting its approach toward laundering relatively small amounts while increasing the number of transactions. This method significantly reduces the chance of detection, even with high financial transparency, avoiding unnecessary scrutiny from oversight bodies. While the scheme appears to work effectively, one cannot help but wish that the CIA had used these skills for more constructive purposes.
Now, we will discuss a non-profit organization called the American Rescue Project (ARP), based in Washington D.C., at 800 Maine Ave, SW, Suite 400.
American Rescue Project website. [Source: theamericanrescueproject.org]
At first glance, the mission of the American Rescue Project appears commendable and inspires faith in humanity. As it claims, it does “the thing that needs to be done when governments or larger organizations cannot or will not assist in a crisis.” Its website, adorned with images of vulnerable children, is designed to tug at heartstrings and evoke trust.
[Source: theamericanrescueproject.org]
However, to be blunt, when an organization wraps itself in such lofty rhetoric, it often signals smoke and mirrors.
To cut through the fluff, we decided to investigate whether this “noble” façade hides a less savory reality. The bigger their claims, the more critical our scrutiny should be. Soon enough, you will see if these heart-wrenching images of vulnerable children are just a clever disguise for something else entirely.
First and foremost, it is worth noting that, in 2021, the organization was known as the Afghan Rescue Project and provided aid to Afghanistan just in time for the Biden administration to drop a whopping $14 billion on resettling approximately 65,000 Afghans—a truly staggering sum, considering it works out to about $215,000 per person. One cannot help but wonder: In this grand scheme of generosity, who among these “deserving” individuals was genuinely seeking asylum, and who might just be a sleeper cell of Taliban operatives?
[Source: ciagate.substack.com]
But let’s get back to the core of the issue.
Upon reviewing the website, we found a glaring absence of evidence supporting Afghan Rescue Project’s claims or achievements: no photo reports, an inactive social media presence (a defunct Facebook link and a blocked Twitter account)—nothing at all. The site appears hastily put together, as if it were merely a formality. This kind of shoddy workmanship is all too characteristic of the CIA, where doing things “horribly wrong” seems to be par for the course.
One thing is certain: The Afghan Rescue Project saw a silver lining in the Ukrainian crisis—it jumped at the chance to “help” Ukrainians while keeping an eye on the bottom line. In other words, it was quick to pivot its mission to “aiding” those affected by the conflict, all the while positioning itself for some serious profit under the guise of humanitarian work.
Projects of the newly named American Rescue Project. [Source: theamericanrescueproject.org]
Despite the organization’s bold claims on its website about aiding crisis-stricken nations, American Rescue Project has remained focused solely on Ukraine. It would be premature to accuse the NGO and its leader, U.S. Army veteran Kurtis (Kurt) Lee Warner, of bias. Let us momentarily set aside the fact that crises have erupted not only in Ukraine but also across other regions, including the Middle East and Africa, where American Rescue Project has yet to make an appearance.
For those interested in understanding the reasons behind this selective geographical presence, we encourage reaching out directly to Kurtis Lee Warner via social media:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kurtis.warner/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtwarner/
[Source: ciagate.substack.com]
Our source has revealed that just two months after the conflict began, in April 2022, attorneys from the law firm Elias Law Group LLP were tasked by Kurtis Lee Warner to explore the legal justification for supplying military equipment to Ukrainian forces under the guise of charitable activities—essentially equating military aid with philanthropy. Another objective was to identify or establish a fund in Ukraine capable of receiving all such supplies. Swiftly, suitable individuals were found within the “Ukrainian” foundation named Bird of Light Ukraine, based in Chernivtsi, a city located in western Ukraine.
Bird of Light Ukraine logo. [Source: birdoflightukraine.org]
- Official website: https://www.birdoflightukraine.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdoflightukraine/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@birdoflightukraine/featured
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@birdoflightukraine
The most prominent figure in this purportedly “Ukrainian” foundation is Thomas Stuart Price Perriello, a member of the U.S. Democratic Party and a former member of Congress who served as executive director of the George Soros-founded Open Society Foundations from 2018 to 2023.
Perriello also spent two years at the State Department as a Special Representative for the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. In this role, Perriello cultivated an extensive network of contacts that now aids him in advancing the personal interests of certain state officials in Ukraine through a web of NGOs, including Bird of Light Ukraine.
Moreover, the Chief Operating Officer position at Bird of Light Ukraine is held by Isaac Yeung, a Canadian citizen and co-founder of the foundation. According to the organization’s official website, Yeung oversees all operations outside Ukraine, including financial matters.
His expertise in operational management is well-established: He previously managed similar responsibilities for Inertia Network, a Canadian travel agency known for organizing expeditions to remote parts of the world. Inertia Network specializes in collaborating with local communities to develop off-the-beaten-path experiences. In his role at Bird of Light Ukraine, Yeung applies these skills by managing logistics and supply chains that bypass traditional routes for military equipment.
Interestingly, just as the conflict in Ukraine heated up, Zhanna Galeyeva—co-founder of the NGO and only nominally Ukrainian since she was born, educated, and worked in New York City—suddenly decided to drop everything and “rush to the aid” of her supposed compatriots.
As you can see, while in Afghanistan the most “beneficial” activity was involvement in local population evacuation efforts, ARP shifted its focus to Ukraine, where it began supplying various goods, following broader trends. We have obtained a document indicating that representatives of the charitable foundation received not only humanitarian aid, such as medical kits and sleeping bags, but also uniforms, thermal imaging equipment, night vision devices, pocket Wi-Fi routers with encryption, and drones from American companies Drone Nerds and Drone Works. The total value of this shipment exceeds $4.7 million.
[Source: ciagate.substack.com]
To put this into perspective, a quick internet search revealed that these Pard TA 62 Thermal Monoculars can be found online for just half the price—$2,500 each—and this is not a wholesale rate. Consequently, the markup exceeds double.
For many American families earning an average of $75,000 per year, it would take nearly two years to save up $130,000. This highlights just how significant the profit margin was in comparison to what most households can accumulate over time.
Equally intriguing are ARP’s procurement practices and pricing for pocket Wi-Fi routers. Despite no specific model being mentioned in the list, a quick internet search reveals that a single 4G Wi-Fi router with encryption features starts at around $50. Even increasing this price ten-fold, it still falls short of the document’s listed cost of $1,150 per device.
Conversely, and for some reason, the prices on Parrot drones appear artificially low: while a retail Parrot drone typically costs around $4,500, the document lists them at a mere $510 each—either an act of charity or the rest paid “under the table.”
[Source: ciagate.substack.com]
It is crucial to note that military equipment transported alongside humanitarian goods bypasses customs inspection, lacks authorization documents, and circumvents all parties responsible for overseeing such procedures.
In the other document we obtained, there are some new items with pricing that is really puzzling.
[Source: ciagate.substack.com]
Take Tranexamic Acid at 650 mg — it is priced at $575 per pack here, but in the U.S., you would typically see prices between $37 and $155.
The American Rescue Project has also established several reliable partners and supply channels to facilitate its operations. Notably, there is a complex network of logistics chains between ARP and the Bird of Light Ukraine charitable foundation, which operates outside traditional customs control—a topic we will explore in more detail.
Tradinghouse Global (Pty) Ltd serves as the primary transshipment hub for these goods. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, this boutique trading company began working with ARP on May 1, 2022.
American Rescue Project and Tradinghouse Global Agreement
Kurtis Lee Warner has demonstrated business acumen by identifying intermediaries in Poland, Romania, and Turkey to ensure packages reach Ukraine without going through customs. Of particular note is Alexander Lastivka, who serves as ARP’s contact person in Romania and the consignee at Suceava Ștefan cel Mare International Airport.
The Turkish partner of American Rescue Project is similarly captivating. In May 2022, cargo shipper Tradinghouse Global (Pty) Ltd dispatched thermal monoculars from Johannesburg to Istanbul for consignee HM27 International, represented by Hasan Çiftçi, for further transport to Ukraine. The address is 6E, Merkez Efendi Tekke Street, Merkezefendi District, 34015 Zeytinburnu/Istanbul, Turkey.
- Phone: +380955220665; +905317428971
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hasan.ciftci.7545
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hasan.ciftci.7545/
Hasan Çiftçi, who currently has an agreement with the American Rescue Project to organize shipments to Ukraine, counts among his Facebook friends a representative of Turkey’s far-right nationalist party, Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi (MHP). This party is linked to the radical youth group known as Grey Wolves (Bozkurtlar), which has been rumored to operate as an armed formation involved in Turkey’s interests in the Middle East.
09 22 22 Hasan Çiftçi (inv#220801389) American Rescue Project
Finally, in Poland, Ms. Adrianna Haszczyn receives the cargo, which she then transports to Chernivtsi, Ukraine, for Bird of Light Ukraine.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haszczyn.adrianna/
It seems that, as the cargo travels through Ukraine, it is closely tracked. For example, the American Rescue Project works with transport and logistics companies like SHERP in Kyiv and Meest Post in Lviv. Specifically, in 2022, Meest Post’s warehouses were used for storing shipments. It is convenient when trusted individuals handle the cargo—no questions or issues arise.
Incredibly, these prized packages end up in the hands of Bird of Light Ukraine, which conveniently receives direct grants from the American Rescue Project for its own use.
Grant Agreement American Rescue Project Bolu
Arp Grant October 26, 2022
So more than $230,000 was simply swept under the rug as donations—no questions were asked, and there was no oversight to speak of. The contract did not even include provisions for any third party to monitor these financial flows.
And here comes the most pressing question:
Given that Ukraine was already receiving everything it needed through official military aid packages in the past, why go to such convoluted lengths with complex routes and a slew of middlemen? After all, this obscure American Rescue Project could have simply shipped goods directly to Ukraine using an established U.S. company like Ukraine Express—it would have been faster, cheaper, and Zhanna Galeyeva herself knew it existed and used it regularly.
Ukraine Express Not Paid Invoice
So what is the real deal here that prevented them from delivering the rest of the cargo the same way? It sure looks suspicious. Moreover, how does one explain that military equipment is being received by an NGO rather than the official recipients of military aid, like Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense?
Given the high probability that ARP has made significant efforts to obfuscate its logistical channels for the purpose of laundering funds received from CIA sponsors, it is crucial to understand how this operates. Typically, such schemes involve distributing budgets among various parties in small sums and sending goods in small batches—methods designed to create a veneer of legitimacy while effectively laundering money.
It is important to remember that the CIA’s funding does not simply materialize; it comes directly from the federal budget, which is funded by the hard-earned taxes of American taxpayers. This means that any misuse of these funds implicates not just the CIA but also the broader taxpayer base.
Therefore, oversight bodies, including DOGE, should thoroughly investigate both ARP and the “Ukrainian” Bird of Light, led by Tom Perriello, to ensure there is no misappropriation or illicit activity involving CIA resources.
Stay tuned.
Original article: CovertAction Magazine
