Threats
Human smuggler indicted in United States, arrested in Mexico
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that the alleged leader of an international human smuggling ring responsible for bringing thousands of migrants into the country had been arrested in Mexico. The defendant, Abdul Karim Conteh, 42, a Sierra Leone national, was... Read More »
Legislation introduced to strengthen border security support Shadow Wolves agents
On Monday, U.S. Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) introduced legislation to support Shadow Wolves agents and strengthen border security. The legislation, the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, would provide career mobility opportunities to Shadow Wolves law enforcement officers and... Read More »
NATO Allies to establish Integrated Cyber Defense Center
On Thursday, NATO Allies announced they had reached an agreement to establish a new center that will address increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre (NICC) will augment the protection of NATO and Allied networks as well as the use of cyberspace as an... Read More »
Legislation to harmonize federal cybersecurity regulations introduced
On Thursday, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced legislation that would establish a comprehensive framework for cybersecurity regulations across the federal government. The bill, the Streamlining Federal Cybersecurity Regulations Act, seeks to address sometimes... Read More »
FEMA rule to increase flooding resiliency finalized
The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Wednesday it had published a final rule to implement Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The final rule provides a flexible framework to increase resilience against flooding and help protect... Read More »
CISA holds cyber roundtables for industry, higher education, healthcare stakeholders
On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, M.D. (R-TN) held four cyber roundtables with Jen Easterly, director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for industry, higher education and healthcare stakeholders. The discussion followed hearings by the House Homeland Security... Read More »
More than 650 project selected for climate resiliency grants
More than 650 projects across the country were selected to receive $1 billion in climate resilience funding, officials announced Tuesday. President Joe Biden, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the 656 projects will... Read More »
DHS to make new fire safety technology available for testing
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced it would be making an innovative new fire safety tool available to fire departments across the country for testing. The tool – a helmet-mounted indoor visualization and navigation device... Read More »
DHS to distribute $160M for security at faith-based institutions, nonprofit organizations
As a first round of additional funding from the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week announced that $160 million would go to faith-based institutions and nonprofit organizations to better protect them from targeted attacks. This funding, pulled from the... Read More »
PHMSA sets new requirements for freight railroad hazmat disclosures
In a bid to improve rail safety and support first responders, the Biden administration’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced a final rule this week that would require railroads to proactively provide first responders with real-time details of hazmat... Read More »
U.S. congressman works to ensure nonprofits aren’t supporting terrorism
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) has requested information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) regarding U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits and their potential involvement in terrorist activity. “We are concerned that nonprofit... Read More »
House committee chairs seek declassification of info surrounding Chinese drones’ risks to national security
In a letter to the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Energy (DOE), House Committee on Homeland Security Chair Mark Green, MD (R-TN) and Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) urged the government to declassify information on the national security risks... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee to consider new DHS requirements for U.S.-Canadian border
In introducing the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act (H.R. 8734) last week, U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) sought to increase security and attention on the U.S.-Canadian border through several mandates at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill, which has 16... Read More »
Latest congressional crackdown on China would bar communist agents, businesses from land purchases
Escalating a long-running and long-growing feud with China, dozens of House Republicans recently signed onto legislation that would block members of or businesses owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from purchasing land next to federal property. While the No American Land for the Chinese... Read More »
Bill to establish Northern Border Coordination Center advances through Senate
The Northern Border Coordination Act, authored by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME), advanced through the Senate this week, carrying with it the possible creation of a federal coordination center to be collocated along the border with Canada. “The Northern Border... Read More »
PREPARED for AI Act proposes guardrails for any federal use of artificial intelligence
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently introduced the PREPARED for AI Act, which calls for safeguards on any use of artificial intelligence (AI) by the federal government by the creation of certain standards focused on safe adoption and critical assessment. “Artificial... Read More »
Federal legislation proposes increased Congressional oversight of foreign transactions
U.S. Reps. John Moolenaar (R-MI), Zach Nunn (R-IA), and Bill Huizenga (R-MI) introduced legislation this week to increase congressional involvement in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). That legislation was dubbed the Foreign Investment Transparency and... Read More »
Bipartisan bill seeks new DoD plan to rein in Iranian space activities
Through the newly introduced Space Technology and Regional Security (STARS) Act, United States Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) seek new strategies and data-sharing agreements to curtail Iranian space activities. “The next step to ending Iranian aggression is by deepening the... Read More »
Bill introduced in House to enhance oversight of CFIUS
Legislation that seeks to increase Congressional oversight of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week. Specifically, the Foreign Investment Transparency and Accountability Act, sponsored by U.S. Reps. John... Read More »
Republican lawmakers introduce legislation banning DHS from buying Chinese batteries
This week, U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) introduced legislation that would prohibit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from procuring batteries from companies owned and operated by the People’s Republic of China. The Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act would... Read More »
Senate advances plans for Northern Border Coordination Center
Legislation by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) – Northern Border Coordination Act (S. 2291) – advanced through the chamber this week, putting their ideas for expanding coordination on northern border security into the hands of the House. If passed, the bill would... Read More »
Law enforcement seizes methamphetamine, fentanyl, and more, charges 47 in alleged drug trafficking ring
Raids in California this week culminated in charges against 47 alleged members of a Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug trafficking network and the seizure of more than 4 kilograms of fentanyl, 324 kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroine and dozens of firearms. More than 400 federal, state and... Read More »
House committee leaders introduce bill empowering federal agencies to counter drone threats
In a joint effort, a bipartisan collection of leaders from the House committees on homeland security, transportation and infrastructure, and judiciary, recently introduced the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act to maintain and expand federal anti-drone... Read More »
Othram forensic sequencing lab chosen for $1.25M Small Business Innovation Research contract
The AFWERX arm of the Air Force Research Laboratory recently awarded a $1.25 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract to Othram for advancements to forensic DNA sequencing technology. Othram is a forensic sequencing lab for law enforcement. As of this May, it began... Read More »
April National Cyber Crime Conference drew record numbers looking to refine training
More than 1,000 law enforcement officers from local, state, federal and international organizations attended the National Cyber Crime Conference this April, making use of the opportunity to expand their knowledge and tools for dealing with cyber incidents. While the event has been ongoing since... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Moolenaar, Krishnamoorthi seek intelligence briefing on GenScript Biotech over Chinese ties
In a letter written to both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director and director of National Intelligence (DNI), the leaders of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party pushed for a briefing on the biotechnology firm... Read More »
Bipartisan, bicameral coalition seeks accountability report of DoD’s efforts to protect service members from blast overpressure
Members from across the political aisle, and from both chambers of Congress, last week wrote to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to request a review of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) actions for its service members exposed to blast overpressure. In all, 24 lawmakers sought... Read More »
Coast Guard ports in San Diego with roughly $468M of seized cocaine
Following eight separate suspected drug smuggling interdictions off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America in February and March, the Coast Guard Cutter Munro docked in San Diego this week with a haul of 33,768 pounds of cocaine. The estimated value of those drugs came to $468... Read More »
FCC proposes blocking untrustworthy entities from wireless equipment authorization program
In a push to crackdown on entities of national security concern, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed new rules to bar those deemed untrustworthy from participating in the testing and certification of electronic devices in the United States. The move kicked off with... Read More »
New legislation seeks to streamline cases for Camp Lejeune water victims
As the legal actions over decades of contaminated water at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune continue, last week U.S. Reps. Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC) and Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced a bill to remove barriers to veteran benefits under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. “Our brave veterans put their... Read More »
FEMA, NOAA, and NWS issue annual hurricane outlook ahead of 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
In preparation for the 2024 hurricane season’s kickoff next month, FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks joined National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad, and National Weather Service (NWS) Director Ken Graham issued the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season... Read More »
Reps. Stefanik, Moolenaar urge DOJ to investigate drone group
On Wednesday, U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the Drone Advocacy Alliance (DAA) for potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The DAA is an advocacy group that is funded by Chinese... Read More »
New bill would require U.S. Intelligence agencies to develop cyber safeguards for ports
With the introduction of the Secure Smartports Act, U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) seek to convince their fellow lawmakers of the danger to U.S. ports posed by Chinese cyberattacks and intrusion. “Every day we don’t understand the risks of relying on Chinese technology is... Read More »
U.S. Cyber Command, DARPA advance partnership under Constellation technology pathway
Although they have been working together on the Constellation pilot program since 2022, the U.S. Cyber Command and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently deepened their ties with an agreement on future planning necessities. Constellation is a pilot program meant to get cyber... Read More »