Government
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators recently introduced a bill to improve election security and protect against foreign interference in U.S. elections.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), James Lankford (R-OK), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Lindsey Graham... Read More »
The House of Representatives approved legislation last week that would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to place a greater emphasis on pre-disaster planning and mitigation.
The bill, the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), was approved as part of a larger emergency... Read More »
As part of their required by executive order, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have released a quarterly Alien Incarceration Report, in which they found 94 percent of confirmed aliens in custody are unlawfully present.
Additionally, they determined that... Read More »
Authorities of the Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB), which coordinates the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) various intelligence, operational and policy-making functions, would be extended for four years under bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate last week.
Established... Read More »
Acting Chief of the United States Border Patrol Carla Provost recently announced that Robert L. Boatright was named the new Chief Patrol Agent of the Big Bend Sector.
“I am looking forward to working with the Border Patrol Agents and professional support staff of the Big Bend Sector as well... Read More »
Waning U.S. federal and state funding for public health over the last 15 years has left many states ill-prepared to respond to acts of bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters, according to a recent report by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).
The annual report,... Read More »
The Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Office of Field Operations at the Laredo Port of Entry announced measures being taken to accommodate an expected influx of travelers during the holiday season on Wednesday.
Travelers are encouraged to apply for I-94 tourist permits online ahead of time. The... Read More »
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) program recently developed a reusable Aircraft Explosive Testing Simulator to support the testing of explosive vulnerabilities in new generation commercial aircraft.
S&T’s Commercial Aircraft Vulnerability and... Read More »
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently granted Engility Holdings Inc. a position on the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD) Joint Enterprise Research Development Acquisition and Procurement Omnibus contract.
JPEO-CBD manages the military’s... Read More »
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO) marine unit along with its Regional Coordinating Mechanism (RECOM) partners recently intercepted a vessel carrying 1500 pounds of marijuana off the Texas coast near Corpus Christi.
The AMO crew was patrolling the maritime... Read More »
Custom and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Arizona’s Port of Nogales seized heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine valued at more than $2 million in three separate incidents on Saturday.
The incidents led to the arrests of three U.S. citizens and one Mexican national. Their cases were... Read More »
Sandia National Laboratories announced on Tuesday that it has developed computer models that can provide both qualitative and quantitative data on how the hundreds of solder joints in a nuclear weapon will perform over time.
Sandia Labs has been using computational modeling to predict the... Read More »
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) welcomed Monday seven inspectors to its staff during a graduation ceremony held at OPCW headquarters in the Hague, Netherlands.
The recruits, who previously worked as chemical production technologists and analytical chemist... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently announced that a pilot project it launched remediated potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities in mobile applications used by public-safety professionals.
The pilot testing project, titled “Securing... Read More »
A former police officer from Fairfax, Virginia, accused of providing ISIS members with gift card codes that could be used to communicate with potential recruits was convicted on Monday of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
Nicholas Young, 38, was working as a... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized approximately 62 pounds of alleged methamphetamine estimated to be worth more than $1 million at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry.
“Our CBP officers maintain constant vigilance in protecting the United States,” Port Director for the... Read More »
A group of Republican lawmakers raised questions on Monday about allegations that members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) improperly communicated information about the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
In a letter to leaders of the... Read More »
In an effort to ensure the reliability and resilience of timing systems used by civilians and the military, a bill recently introduced in the Senate would direct the secretary of transportation to establish a land-based alternative timing system to GPS satellites.
Under the National Timing... Read More »
The San Diego Sector Border Patrol recently held a Change of Command ceremony in Coronado, California, to formally establish Rodney S. Scott as the chief patrol agent (CPA) for the San Diego Sector.
U.S. Border Patrol Acting Chief Carla Provost presided over the ceremony.
“I am honored... Read More »
The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) recently joined the Congressional Task Force on Election Security in calling on Congress to direct $396 million in existing funds to modernize aging election systems across the country.
Congress authorized nearly $3.9 billion to help... Read More »
Members of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) gathered in Romania last week as part of a rapid response and assistance training exercise based around chemical attacks.
The Rapid Response and Assistance Mission, of which this was a part, was created in 2016 as an aid... Read More »
Countries taking part in the visa waiver program (VWP) will now be required to better screen travelers, to implement aviation safeguards and to administer public education campaigns to reduce visa overstays, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday.
DHS also called on... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Del Rio International Bridge recently discovered approximately 11.5 pounds of suspected heroin worth an estimated $260,000 hidden in a vehicle coming from Mexico.
Upon inspection of the 2007 Nissan Murano, CBP officers found three wall... Read More »
Election industry representatives recently met with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and representatives from the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in Arlington, Virginia, to launch the formation an industry-led Sector Coordinating Council (SCC).
The council will support critical... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a series of recommendations on Thursday that aim to improve Transportation Security Administration (TSA) surface transportation security inspections for freight rail, passenger rail, and maritime activities.
GAO conducted the review in light of... Read More »
First responders from the United States and Canada recently took part in a training exercise that demonstrated communications interoperability between the two countries if disaster strikes on or near the border.
The fifth Canada-U.S. Enhanced Resiliency Experiment (CAUSE V) was held in November... Read More »
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents from the Indio Station arrested a woman suspected of smuggling 0.75 pounds of cocaine and 4.07 pounds of heroin inside her vehicle’s battery this week at the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint.
After a Border Patrol detection canine team alerted officers... Read More »
Just a week after an international coalition carried out airstrikes on an ISIS chemical weapons facilities, marines and sailors took part in a three-day course on combating, adapting to and overcoming chemical and biological contaminations from Dec. 5-8.
The course was administered by Corps... Read More »
A bipartisan congressional caucus launched on Tuesday will work to bolster the Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), which fortifies national security through 24/7 operations around that world that supply military leaders with real-time information.
U.S. Reps. Don Bacon... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate would be tasked with developing new tools and safeguards to protect against vehicular terrorist attacks under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) introduced the... Read More »
A Houston man who allegedly told undercover FBI agents that he planned to fight for ISIS or carry out a domestic terrorist attack on the group’s behalf in online conversations was arrested by federal agents on Dec. 8.
Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, 18, is charged with unlawfully distributing... Read More »
Border Patrol agents recently seized 35.27 pounds of the opioid Fentanyl worth an estimated $1,126,400.00 at a Border Patrol Checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35 in Laredo, Texas.
“Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous narcotic, responsible for numerous deaths in the United States,” Acting... Read More »
A report released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday outlines the Trump administration’s planned cuts to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) counterterrorism programs.
The Administration plans to eliminate Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response... Read More »
The chair and executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey commended four Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) officers Monday for their actions following an explosion in a passageway near the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT).
“Thanks to the quick response of these... Read More »
Topics related to terrorism financing and cybersecurity issues highlighted at the recent Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum, a multinational gathering that drew government, diplomatic, intelligence and industry leaders from 53 countries.
Hosted by U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC), the... Read More »
