International Policy
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan signed last week a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with the Guatemalan Ministry of Government to address factors driving irregular migration from Guatemala and combat human smuggling.
The MOC is an agreement between the Department of Homeland... Read More »
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE) and John Cornyn (R-TX) recently reintroduced The Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act, which is designed to strengthen Taiwan’s world standing in response to increased Chinese... Read More »
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents recently joined Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel and Mexico’s Federal Police Force to thwart an illicit scouting network on the border.
The four-day operation yielded the seizure of more than 250 pounds of narcotics, assault weapons, and... Read More »
Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) recently joined a group of House colleagues in introducing the Afghan Allies Protection Act, which officials said demonstrates support for the thousands Afghan and Iraqi allies.
Since 2002, the government has employed thousands of Afghan and Iraqi allies to serve alongside... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently supported a bill designed to prohibit expending funds which could lead to war with Iran without express approval from Congress.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) has joined Sens. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rand Paul (R-KY) as well as several other colleagues in advocating for the... Read More »
An international law enforcement operation has dismantled a complex transnational organized cybercrime network that attempted to steal an estimated $100 million from victims in the United States and around the world.
The crime syndicate used malware called GozNym to try and infect tens of... Read More »
Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently introduced a measure designed to ban those employed or sponsored by Chinese military institutions from receiving American student or research visas.
The... Read More »
Five Democratic senators recently sponsored a bill that would preserve the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).
The treaty, enacted in February 2011, reduces by 74 percent the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads from the original treaty’s limit of 6,000. It is the final... Read More »
Interpol is sending a team to Sri Lanka to help national authorities investigate the Easter bomb attacks that left nearly 300 dead and approximately 500 injured.
Interpol will deploy its Incident Response Team (IRT), which includes specialists with expertise in crime scene examination,... Read More »
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) officials recently visited the United States, touring Colorado's Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP).
The group included the OPCW Director-General H.E. Fernando Arias, Chairperson of the Executive Council H.E.... Read More »
INTERPOL took center stage in recent discussions between G7 Interior Ministers, who determined that increased cooperation and data sharing with the international police organization is critical to increased law enforcement efforts throughout the world.
“INTERPOL has the experience and the... Read More »
A bipartisan group of senators
introduced a bill that would prohibit the United States from expending funds
which could lead to war with Iran without express approval from Congress.
The Prevention of
Unconstitutional War with Iran Act of 2019 underscores that Article 1, Section
8 of the... Read More »
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) forwarded correspondence Tuesday to Secretary of Energy Rick Perry seeking clarity regarding the nation's nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
In the letter, Rubio and Menendez expressed concern and sought clarification about the... Read More »
Department of Defense (DOD) and Republic of Korea (ROK) officials met recently to discuss efforts supporting denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and ROK Minister of National Defense Jeong Keyong-doo said the session was on the heels... Read More »
A training exercise known as Balikatan is underway in the Philippines this week, assembling forces from the Philippines, United States and Australia to address a multi-faceted range of operations.
Balikatan, which marks the partnership between the Philippines and United States specifically, is... Read More »
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) was appointed to
serve as a commissioner on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in
Europe, or the Helsinki Commission.
The Helsinki Commission, founded in 1976, was
created to advance democracy and human rights through military, economic, and
environmental... Read More »
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen met this
week with senior officials from Mexico and other central American nations to
discuss border security and immigration.
On March 26, Nielsen met with Mexican Secretary of the
Interior Olga Sanchez Cordero and other senior Mexican... Read More »
Following last week’s terrorist attack on two New Zealand
mosques where the shooter live-streamed it on social media, U.S. Rep. Bennie
Thompson (D-MS) is calling on the CEOs of four major social media companies to immediately
remove violent terrorist content.
The request was sent to the CEOs... Read More »
The United States is struggling to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other partners in fighting what has become the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak, federal public health officials on Thursday told members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and... Read More »
Citing ongoing violence, deteriorating security, and humanitarian crisis circumstances, a group of lawmakers recently requested that the Trump Administration designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined Dick Durbin... Read More »
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials recently launched this year's initial Innovation Challenge, which organizers said seeks to find ways for NATO to respond to security challenges and crises.
NATO officials said they are seeking solutions from entrepreneurs, designers,... Read More »
INTERPOL and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) held a three-day workshop last month for law enforcement from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, meant to train them on means of countering internet and social media use by terrorists.
In all, 15 participants... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill to support the U.S. government’s efforts to reduce violent extremism and address global fragility.
The Global Fragility Act requires the Secretary of State, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced a measure designed to combat Russian influence while creating economic opportunities at home and abroad.
Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) said the European... Read More »
Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced Wednesday a measure designed to repeal a pair of Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq and end Gulf and Iraq war authorizations.
Specifically, the legislation will repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs.
“There is no... Read More »
The Israel – U.S. Binational Industrial Research and
Development (BIRD) Foundation is seeking proposals for advanced technologies related
to homeland security.
The BIRD Foundation is seeking proposals in six areas:
Advanced first responder technologies; Border protection, including... Read More »
A bipartisan group of senators recently sent a letter to Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen urging them to ban the use of inverters made by the Chinese-owned company, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, citing cybersecurity concerns.
“Huawei has recently... Read More »
Secretary of
Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen met Feb. 20 with Northern Triangle
security ministers in El Salvador to discuss the ongoing humanitarian and
security crisis caused by the formation of migrant caravans and irregular
migration.
During the
meeting, the officials agreed to a plan... Read More »
Leaders representing the General Royal Marines and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command recently met to discuss future bilateral training opportunities.
Commandant General Royal Marines Maj. Gen. Charlie R. Stickland and Commanding General of MARFORCOM Lt. Gen. Mark A. Brilakis said the meeting... Read More »
Several legislators recently announced their support of a Joint Resolution preventing the U.S. withdrawal from NATO without congressional approval.
Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) said the effort serves effort as companion legislation... Read More »
The United States is backing out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) with Russia citing Russia’s failure to comply with the treaty.
The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 in the waning days of the former Soviet Union by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General... Read More »
Personnel representing several government entities delivered a worldwide threats assessment during recent open and closed Congressional committee sessions.
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Director Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, joined Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, as well as the... Read More »
The U.S. Justice Department launched a campaign to disrupt the Joanap botnet – a global network of infected computers under the control of North Korean hackers that are used to facilitate cyberattacks.
This effort follows charges in which a North Korean citizen, Park Jin Hyok, backed by the... Read More »
Boeing has secured a $2.4 billion Navy contract to produce the next 19 P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
The agreement calls for 10 aircraft to be added to the current inventory of P-8As in the Navy’s fleet, in addition to all five jets currently under contract for Norway and the four aircraft remaining... Read More »
The U.S. Senate advanced a bill this week that includes several measures to bolster the U.S.-Israel strategic alliance.
The Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019 (S. 1) would authorize security assistance to Israel over a 10-year period, reauthorize the United... Read More »
