Policy
FCC proposal focuses on improvements to wireless emergency alerts system
The FCC’s forthcoming proposal to improve wireless emergency alerts will focus on making geographical targeting more precise so alerts can be used more effectively in local emergencies and disasters, the commission announced on Monday. The FCC’s full proposal to revamp the wireless... Read More »
DHS S&T looking for collaborators on new emergency response technologies
A request for innovators (RFI) has been released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), officially beginning the search for partners on emergency response technology development by 2020. There are three projects on which the department is... Read More »
Customs and Border Patrol releases updated border search of electronic device directive
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently released an update to its directive regarding border searches of electronic devices, which was designed to enhance the transparency, accountability, and oversight of the searches. CBP currently searches the electronic devices of fewer than... Read More »
Transportation Security Administration sets screening record during holiday season
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened a record number of passengers during the 2017 holiday travel period, Dec. 15, 2017, through Jan. 2, 2018. TSA officers screened 42 million passengers and more than 30.6 million checked bags screened nationwide. Dec. 22 was the busiest day... Read More »
Terror threat assessment highlights rise in homegrown extremism
Four U.S. citizens were arrested and charged with providing material support to ISIS in December, marking an uptick in the number of cases of homegrown terrorism, according to an assessment released by the House Homeland Security Committee on Friday. The Terror Threat Snapshot indicates that... Read More »
Sen. Hoeven calls for North Dakota to play key role in UAS national security efforts
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) made the case last Thursday that North Dakota should serve a hub for federal efforts to integrate more unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into northern border security. In a meeting with officials from the Department and Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border... Read More »
Treasury Department sanctions five entities linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program
Five businesses tied to Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG), which plays a key role in Iran’s ballistic missile program, were sanctioned last week by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The five businesses — Shahid Kharrazi Industries, Shahid Sanikhani... Read More »
DePaul University law professor concerned about U.S. biothreat response capabilities
North Korea denies claims made in the Trump administration’s recently released National Security Strategy that it “has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons” nor that it has researched “chemical and biological weapons which could be delivered by... Read More »
CBP Air and Marine Operations seize $61.7 million in cocaine from Caribbean Sea over three-day stretch
More than 4,735 pounds of cocaine was intercepted in the Caribbean Sea over a three-day period in December as part of Operation Full Court Press, which is being led by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO). Operation Full Court Press is an interagency effort to... Read More »
Attorney General Sessions supports review of DEA program targeting Hezbollah drug trafficking
In light of allegations that a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) initiative targeting Hezbollah drug trafficking was improperly handled, Attorney General Jeff Sessions renewed his support of a full review. The initiative, known as Project Cassandra, as launched in 2008 in response to evidence that... Read More »
Tucson man charged with alien smuggling, firearm offenses among other charges
A Tuscon, Arizona man was recently charged in U.S. District Court with the transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury, high-speed flight from a Border Patrol checkpoint, assault on a federal officer and use of a firearm Court documents allege that Roberto Ramirez, 21,... Read More »
Consortium for Verification Technology highlights nuclear nonproliferation efforts
The Consortium for Verification Technology highlighted how students from partner universities contribute to nuclear nonproliferation research conducted at national laboratories during a recent annual meeting held at the University of Michigan. Through the Consortium for Verification, the... Read More »
CTIA releases best practices for local governments to promote resilience, restoration of wireless services during disasters
New best practices recently released by the wireless industry group CTIA outline steps for local governments to help maintain and restore wireless services during natural disasters and emergencies. The guidelines call for better coordination and communication between wireless service providers... Read More »
European anti-terrorism package prioritizes CBRN preparedness, expert says
Experiencing an escalating threat level of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) attacks across its region, the European Commission’s related preparedness plan is extremely important, a London-based expert recently told Homeland Preparedness News. “I consider this to be... Read More »
All 50 states, DC opt-in to FirstNet wireless broadband network for first responders
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories accepted a Radio Access Network (RAN) buildout plan for the FirstNet wireless broadband network for first responders by the time a 90-decision period came to a close on Dec. 28. Congress approved a bill establishing FirstNet in... Read More »ICE removes MS-13 gang member accused of 8 counts of murder
An alleged MS-13 gang member who was recently removed from the country by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) will face eight murder charges in El Salvador. Leandro Cruz, 24, was previously convicted of assault and battery in Massachusetts. After... Read More »
Bill reauthorizing grant programs for local fire, rescue departments heads to President’s desk
The Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs will be reauthorized through fiscal year 2023 under a bill that the U.S. Senate recently approved. The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act would ensure that the nation’s fire and... Read More »
Michigan delegation pushes for Fort Custer to be named midcourse missile defense site
Members of Michigan’s congressional delegation recently advocated for the Missile Defense Agency to name the Michigan National Guard Fort Custer Training Center in Augusta as a ground-based midcourse missile defense site. The lawmakers made the plea in a letter to U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen.... Read More »
Major US cities sue Defense Department over gun background check reporting failures
San Francisco, New York, and Philadelphia filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Defense (DoD) for its failure to report dishonorable discharges and criminal conviction information to the national criminal background check system for gun sales. The military is required to... Read More »
ICE deports former drug-trafficking leader to face charges in Colombia
A former leader of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia drug-trafficking ring was deported to Columbia on Tuesday after spending eight years in federal custody for conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine in the United States. Hebert Veloza Garcia, 50, was deported to his native Columbia to... Read More »
Dark web gun sellers make illegal firearms sales to undercover GAO agents
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) made two firearms purchases on the dark web without disclosing required background information during a recent review of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) ability to regulate online firearm sales. The GAO review was... Read More »
Senators encourage bill giving CBP additional resources to stop flow of fentanyl
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would have more access to portable chemical screening devices to stem the flow of fentanyl across the nation’s borders under a bill that recently gained Senate approval. The International Narcotics Trafficking Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming... Read More »
OPCW completes first training course for analytical chemists working in customs services
Ten analytical chemists who work in laboratories that support or have plans to support customs services around the world recently completed an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) training course in the Netherlands. The inaugural training course, which was held from Dec.... Read More »
Senators introduce bill to enhance election security
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 »
FEMA would place greater emphasis on pre-disaster planning under approved House bill
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 »
Joint report finds 94 percent all aliens in custody found to be unlawfully present
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 »
Senate bill would extend authorities of Counterterrorism Advisory Board for four years
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 »
Many state bioterrorism countermeasures are lagging, report finds
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 »
CBP announces measures to streamline processing of holiday travelers at Laredo Port of Entry
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 »
Engility Holdings to provide chemical, biological defense expertise under new DoD contract
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 »
House Homeland Security Committee chair calls on DHS to address terrorists’ abuse of encryption technology
Citing widely available encryption technologies that can be used by terrorists, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) recently renewed his call for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to convene an advisory panel to help better understand the challenges at hand. McCaul, the chairman of the... Read More »
Seven inspectors join OPCW Inspectorate Division after completion of intensive training course
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 »
Federal jury convicts former police officer of attempting to aid ISIS
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 »
House Republicans call for report on alleged leaks of information related to Russian election meddling
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 »