July 2024
Director Christopher Wray visits the August 7 Memorial Park in Nairobi, Kenya, which commemorates the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing. During his visit to Kenya and Nigeria, the Director met with law enforcement and security officials to underscore the Bureau’s dedication to partnership and to showcase our collaboration in countering various threats, including public corruption, terrorism, violent crime, cybercrime, and sextortion. Details
Message from the Assistant Director, Office of Public Affairs
Hello, FBI Family,
We in law enforcement are all too familiar with the
tremendous pain mass casualty incidents have caused communities across our country. I’d like to share what the FBI is doing to combat this threat and how you can help us educate the public on the steps to take if they believe an individual is on the path to violence.
Earlier this month, the FBI launched our Prevent Mass Violence campaign, a website featuring resources and the research of our Behavioral Threat Assessment Center. BTAC, part of our world-renowned Behavioral Analysis Unit, has seen a rapidly developing, technology-amplified threat from individual actors who are motivated by a broad spectrum of ideologies and grievances.
These actors include would-be terrorists, school or workplace attackers, and individuals who target other venues. “Target” is a keyword. Individuals who commit mass attacks don’t “snap” suddenly or act out from a place of immediate fear or anger. Rather, these attacks are planned with forethought and intention.
We also know that before most attacks, individuals on the path to violence demonstrated concerning behaviors or indicators to people they knew, including their friends, family, classmates, and co-workers. Unfortunately, their loved ones and associates weren’t sure how to report their concerns to law enforcement.
We want to bridge that gap. All of us in the FBI want to be a resource to the American people and help prevent future mass casualty events. Please go to fbi.gov/prevent to read about common concerning behaviors and how members of the public may report their concerns to the FBI and take the time to discuss this information with your communities.
Thanks again for staying connected, if you have feedback, send us a note at alumni@fbi.gov.
By the Numbers: InfraGard
InfraGard is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and members of the private sector for the protection of U.S. Critical Infrastructure. Through seamless collaboration, InfraGard connects owners and operators within critical infrastructure to the FBI, to provide education, information sharing, networking, and workshops on emerging technologies and threats.
- Active InfraGard Members: 34,210
- InfraGard Members Alliances: 75
- New Applications received since reopening on 3/1/24: 5,993
- FBI Reports posted since 7/1/23: 134
- Flash Messages & Private Industry Notifications posted since 7/1/23: 6
- Liaison Information Reports posted since 7/1/23: 110
Message from the Office of Private Sector Acting Assistant Director
The Office of Private Sector (OPS) takes a proactive approach on private sector engagement, drawing from guidance of FBI senior
leadership and conversations with our private sector partners to build true relationships of trust. Where existing relationships are successful, OPS seeks to support operational divisions, as well as field offices, so they continue to be effective for both the FBI and our private industry partners.
Over the past three years, OPS has actively sought to identify gaps where the relationships with certain sectors have needed to begin, expand, and deepen—especially in the areas of emerging technologies, including AI-focused companies. To achieve this, we began by speaking with thought leaders in the venture capital (VC) community in early 2022, the place where founders of U.S. innovation and funders of these cutting-edge ideas meet. In November 2022, OPS organized meetings with VC leaders at FBI Headquarters with Director Wray and other senior leaders to start a conversation about the most effective ways to engage the VC community in a continued conversation to help the FBI message its threat priorities, forge a spirit of trust to encourage more engagement at the field office level, and hear the concerns of innovators and their investors.
That event yielded many subsequent engagements at various levels. First, a follow up meeting in 2023 in Palo Alto, California, with more VC partners and founders of emerging technology companies solving problems of national security and creating tools for investigators. In February, the Emerging Tech Lightning Talks, where founders again brought newer technologies to FBI Headquarters—this time, participants also briefed on dual uses of their technologies, and how law enforcement and intelligence professionals can mitigate dangerous uses. Then, in May, in partnership with TechNet, a network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of the innovation economy, OPS hosted a moderated panel discussion on topics identified by Science and Technology Branch (STB): managing synthetic media (deepfakes), hallucinations and misinformation in AI systems, mitigating potential discrimination and bias, and testing and evaluating AI models.
An upcoming event will be an AI-focused initiative on July 29, in which OPS will work with STB to host a curated group of AI industry leaders for a series of briefings and discussions on various AI topics at the nexus of national security.
OPS will continue to evolve and pursue these engagements, as well as seek new ways to engage new partners to leverage private sector relationships, as emerging technologies quickly permeate across economic sectors, in support of the FBI’s mission to protect the American people.
Gretchen Burrier
News
2023 Active Shooter Report
In 2023, the FBI designated 48 shootings as active shooter incidents. Although incidents decreased by 4% from 2022 (50 incidents), the number of active shooter incidents increased 60% since 2019 (30 incidents). The 48 active shooter incidents in 2023 occurred in 26 states and represent five location categories, including open space, commerce, education, health care, and residence.
The figures are part of the 2023 Active Shooter Incidents in the United States report, which provides an overview of active shooter incidents to help law enforcement, other first responders, and the public better understand the levels of threats associated with active shooter incidents.
Resource: FBI Active Shooter Safety Resources
Mexican Cartels Target Americans in Timeshare Fraud Scams
The FBI has seen a rise in scams targeting timeshare owners. In this kind of scam, criminals con these part-time property owners into shelling out hefty sums of cash, all under false pretenses related to their timeshare properties.
Its primary choice of victim—older Americans—technically makes timeshare fraud a form of elder fraud, or crime that aims to make older Americans part with their money or cryptocurrency. The FBI aggressively investigates such crimes to safeguard a particularly vulnerable population from scams, said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Roberts, who leads FBI New York’s Complex Financial Crimes Branch.
“Timeshare fraudsters aim to suck their victims dry, with devastating consequences to victims’ financial futures, relationships, and physical and emotional health,” he said. Details
If you or a loved one suspect that you might be a victim of timeshare fraud, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov.
FBI Helps Return Missing Musket to Museum of the American Revolution
The FBI helped return a Revolutionary War-era musket to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia on July 1, 2024—more than 50 years after it was stolen from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The .78-caliber firearm was stolen during a 1968 heist.
Its recovery—and subsequent repatriation—were the result of teamwork between the FBI and our partners. Details
Resourc : Download the National Stolen Art File App
The Revolutionary War-era musket returned to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
Top 10 News Headlines
- Resident of China Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Send Trade Secrets to Undercover U.S. Agent
- Minnesota Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Providing Material Support to ISIS
- Global Cryptocurrency Exchange BitMEX Pleads Guilty to Bank Secrecy Act Offense
- Anchorage Man Charged in Bomb Hoax at Federal Building
- FBI Miami and DOJ Join European Partners in Online Takedown to Disrupt ISIS Propaganda
- Jury Convicts Kentucky Man of Multiple Terrorism Charges
- Northridge Man Sentenced for Threatening Violence Against Jewish and Asian Americans
- Seattle Man Who Groped Teen on Flight from Paris to Seattle Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison
- Former Police Officer Sentenced to Four Consecutive Life Sentences for 2016 Quadruple Murder
Neighborhood Watch
The most crime-ridden neighborhood in the country just got a little bigger.
Hogan’s Alley, a mock town of houses, storefronts, social halls, and hotel rooms where the FBI trains new agents in real-life scenarios, recently expanded by nearly 15,000 square feet to include a new nightclub and movie theater.
The new spaces were part of a two-year renovation project that vastly expands the capacity and flexibility of the storied town on the grounds of the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
FBI Campaign Provides Resources to Help Prevent Mass Violence
The Behavioral Analysis Unit is urging people to take notice when their friends, family, classmates, and coworkers show disturbing signs they may be on a "pathway to violence."
Drawing on years of research on targeted violence and mass shooters—to include the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022 in which 19 elementary school students and two teachers were killed—the FBI unit best known for its "profilers" is asking people to confide in someone they trust or respect when they see behaviors they think are concerning. Details
Website: Prevent Mass Violence
Security Alliance
DSAC’s 19th Domestic Security Executive Academy class graduates at FBI Academy
DSAC team members pose with the graduating class of the Domestic Security Executive Academy Session XIX held at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA, June 3-6, 2024.
On June 6, 2024, DSAC’s 19th class of the annual Domestic Security Executive Academy (DSEA) graduated at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA.
The DSEA is a four-day event designed exclusively for private industry senior-level security executives from DSAC (Domestic Security Alliance Council) member companies. The DSEA provides high-level training on the most critical issues for senior security officials and enables attendees to network and share methodologies and best practices. This year’s course accepted 35 candidates, comprising of 28 private sector executives, two FBI field office executives, and three FBI Private Sector Coordinators (PSCs) as well as one DHS headquarters representative and one DHS Regional Director from the Department of Homeland Security.
Students at the DSEA course attended unclassified presentations on a wide range of real-world topics including legal challenges to information sharing, international kidnapping considerations, insider risk programs, preventing targeted violence, domestic violent extremism, election security, cross border financial crimes, and a case study discussion of the FBI film, “Made in Beijing,” which was also shown to attendees. Voluntary after-class activities included visits to the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) training center, and attendees had the opportunity to fire several different types of weapons at the indoor firing range.
DSAC's Mission
The mission of DSAC is to promote and strengthen U.S. national and economic security through strong government and private sector partnerships.
DSEA attendees participated in an after-class firearms session taught by certified FBI firearms instructors.
A task force officer from the FBI's Behavioral Threat Assessment Center conducts his presentation on the FBI’s approach to preventing targeted violence.
The History of DSAC
In the fall of 2005, a steering committee composed of chief security officers (CSOs) from a number of the country’s largest corporations began meeting with FBI officials and members of the State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) at FBI Headquarters. The committee’s objective was to create a domestic security organization modeled after OSAC to connect private sector security experts and to serve as a vehicle for exchanging information with the Bureau. The FBI agreed to set up and lead the Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC), which was officially approved by the FBI Director in December 2005.
In 2008, the DHS joined the DSAC program, and in 2011, the program was formally elevated to the level of the FBI Director’s Office. In 2012, the inaugural DSAC charter was signed, which established the joint operation of DSAC by the FBI and DHS. Subsequently, top executives from both agencies have committed resources to carry out the DSAC mission.
The DSAC program has grown to include more than 750 member companies representing every critical sector and over 70 unique business subsectors. DSAC member companies collectively account for nearly two-thirds of the U.S. gross domestic product and employ more than 35 million people.
Visit to Columbia Field Office
During his recent visit to the Columbia field office, Human Resources Branch EAD Tim Dunham (center, right) also met with (from left) former Columbia SACs Les Wiser and Brian Lamkin, current Columbia SAC Steve Jensen, EAD Dunham, Society of Former SAs chapter chair and retired SA Douglas Edmonson, and former Houston SAC and CJIS AD Stephen Morris.
SIOC Keeps the Watch
Deep within FBI Headquarters lies a multipurpose resource that serves as the global command and intelligence center to give Bureau executives and others critical information when crisis strikes.
The Strategic Information and Operations Center (SIOC) is a secure venue for crisis management, special event monitoring and significant operations. Its employees are ready to respond in a moment’s notice to any event.
The SIOC team is comprised of emergency action specialists, supervisory special agents/watch commanders, management and program analysts and a unit chief who staff it 24/7/365 across three daily shifts. There are no snow days or early releases for this team.
The watch floor is a hallmark of SIOC with its wall of screens casting light in an otherwise dark room. Cable channels feature the news, and emergency action specialists (EASs) monitor the SIOC email box, answer phone calls, and keep an eye on the headlines for potential incidents. They communicate most frequently with field office operations centers and legal attaché offices.
A screen on the watch floor serves as an FBI dashboard and shows in real time how many operations, arrests and searches are occurring and if SWAT teams or special agent bomb technicians (SABTs) have been deployed.
Crises can occur at any moment, and SIOC staff have created dozens of documented standard operating procedures to outline the steps to respond to varied situations.
“If we don’t have an SOP for [a situation], we’ll create it,” said SSA Tom Doyle, a watch commander on the morning shift.
"If we don’t have an SOP for [a situation], we’ll create it."
Tom Doyle, supervisory special agent, SIOC watch commander
There are situations that arise that aren’t covered by an existing SOP. In early February, a contractor assigned to FBIHQ stole an agent’s car and tried to enter a restricted facility. This happened on Watch Commander and SSA Seth Melling’s third day in SIOC. He remembers putting a caller on hold and asking the watch floor, “What do we do if a car’s stolen?”
Ultimately, Melling relied on his judgment because something like this hadn’t happened before. If there’s not a SIOC-approved SOP, it’s a judgment call, he said.
“That’s going to have to come down to do you have the temperament, and do you have the skill set and the willingness to take ownership of something? And if you’re wrong, you’re wrong, and you get it fixed,” Melling said.
When faced with a decision, it is based on facts, precedence, SOPs and, ultimately, judgment.
“A lot of times the EASs come to us and say, ‘Hey, we can go either way with this.’ Someone needs to make the decision,” Doyle said. “There’s a decision and that needs to go to another level, and you’re [as the watch commander] it. That’s where we kind of make the judgment call and work collectively and say, ‘OK, what are the facts?’”
NSPM-32
The FBI is mandated by National Security Presidential Memorandum 32 to provide timely information to the White House about national security incidents so that the Executive Office of the President, which includes the president, vice president and cabinet officials, has the information to manage a crisis and support national security decision-making.
SIOC is part of the FBI’s information flow under the NSPM-32 process. That’s why SIOC employees will contact field offices and Legat offices for updates about breaking news events in their AORs because there’s demand in the executive branch for updates about unfolding situations. The White House Situation Room (WHSR) is the designated “entry point and conduit for agencies to provide reportable information to the EOP,” according to NSPM-32.
Accordingly, SIOC watch commanders and WHSR personnel often speak when major incidents receive FBI assistance. During a recent large manhunt in Memphis, Tennessee, SIOC notified the WHSR when the subject was in custody, which allowed the WHSR to brief White House senior staff about developments.
In January, when suspicious packages were found at four Arizona court buildings within minutes, SIOC notified the WHSR and the Justice Command Center, DOJ’s operations center. But SIOC doesn’t just notify partners about emergencies. It provides interagency notifications about training drills to ensure there isn’t an emergency response to events that don’t merit those resources, such as when an exercise featuring a helicopter evacuation occurred at the Main Justice building in Washington, D.C.
Flexible Spaces
Created in 1989, SIOC began with just seven employees and 3,000 square feet of space. Today, there are 30 employees, and its footprint has grown to 40,000 square feet. This increased real estate gives SIOC the room to host FBI leadership and employees and our federal, state and local partners for classified and unclassified meetings.
There’s a dedicated room for the Weapons of Mass Destruction Crisis Response and the Critical Incident Response Group’s Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices response teams for conducting render-safe exercises. There’s also space equipped to use the Zoom videoconferencing platform for communicating with community partners.
The large National Crisis Coordination Center (NC3) is an unclassified room with placards above workstations for FBI personnel and partners from other federal, state and local agencies. It hosts command posts for FBI and law enforcement partners during high-profile events, such as Super Tuesday voting and the State of the Union speech. Partners may bring their agency-issued tech into the NC3 to maintain communications with their organization and its databases. If needed, the room can be split into two to host simultaneous command posts.
Internal Notifications
During a significant incident like an active shooter, terrorist attack, hostage-taking event or agent- or TFO-involved shooting, SIOC gathers information and disseminates notifications to Bureau executives and others for their situational awareness and to help guide the FBI’s next steps. These updates are snapshots of what’s known about the who, what, where and how of an incident at the outset, plus any requests for FBI resources.
The EASs gather information from the news and what’s shared with SIOC from the field office operations centers and Legat offices. SIOC uses proprietary technology to catch threats that may be going viral on social media, long before being reported in the traditional media.
When to send a notification depends upon if the incident occurred within the FBI’s jurisdiction and if our law enforcement partners have requested Bureau assistance and resources. Police in large cities may not need additional help, but departments in smaller cities may have more limited response capabilities.
There are typically two SIOC notifications issued — one at the onset of the event and the second when the situation has resolved. The final update could note any number of FBI actions, to include the deployment of Victim Services Division employees, handing off notifications to the relevant field office or HQ division for ongoing “Sitreps,” or passing a subject’s name, address and photo for follow-up by CJIS personnel.
How SIOC Helps the Mission
One of SIOC’s assets is its ability to gather information from within the Bureau and other agencies. For example, if a SABT is investigating a device that may pose a significant threat, a field operations center can notify SIOC and request an electronic countermeasure, or ECM, be requested from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). An ECM triggers a Temporary Flight Restriction, which limits airspace above a device while it’s being handled and disarmed.
Within SIOC, there’s a mechanism to receive communications between nationwide air traffic control towers and the FAA. Once a commercial airliner’s cabin doors close, the FBI has jurisdiction for incidents that occur aboard the plane. The FAA uses a matrix to characterize incidents on planes that range from disruptive passengers to passengers experiencing a medical emergency to passengers attempting to breach the flight deck’s door.
When there’s an in-flight incident, SIOC alerts the Bureau’s airport liaison agent, who will respond when the plane lands.
SIOC can easily connect with the WHSR and link with DoD counterparts about global missile activity, including launches by the U.S. government and private companies.
When there’s a significant crisis and FBI assets are part of the response, SIOC will host a Critical Incident Conference Call that’s led by the Deputy Director and involves division heads who gather within SIOC to talk with the responding field office’s leadership about the situation and what Bureau resources need to be deployed.
These calls are designed to cover what HQ assets the field offices need quickly to respond.
In addition, SIOC has access to the Unique Federal Agency Numbers that FBI agents, FBI Police officers and TFOs are assigned for carrying their firearms while flying. These numbers change every six months or so.
The International Operations Division’s Global Readiness Unit has staff within SIOC who monitor the location and safety of Legat personnel and other Bureau employees traveling abroad. Legat vehicles are equipped with panic buttons that trigger sirens in SIOC when there are emergencies.
Meet an Emergency Action Specialist
Work-From-Home Scams
The FBI warns of scammers offering victims fake work-from-home jobs, typically involving a relatively simple task, such as rating restaurants or "optimizing" a service by repeatedly clicking a button. The scammers pose as a legitimate business, such as a staffing or recruiting agency, and may contact victims via an unsolicited call or message. Details
Podcast: The 911 S5 Cyber Threat
On this episode of Inside the FBI, learn about the 911 S5 residential proxy service and botnet, how to find out if your Windows device was impacted, and how you can seek the Bureau's help if you've been victimized by 911 S5. Details
Breaking Up With Scammers
Dating apps and websites can lead you to love ... or to online scammers hoping to make a match with your money and personal data.
On this episode of our podcast, Inside the FBI, we’ll teach you how to recognize verification schemes, and what to do if you fall victim to one of these scams.
In Case You Missed It
When laser beams are aimed at any piloted aircraft, what might seem like a tiny beam on the ground can blind aircrew, potentially causing a midair collision or other incident.
In 2023 alone, the Federal Aviation Administration (or FAA) received more than 13,000 reports of laser strikes.
These incidents are both dangerous and illegal. The FBI is reminding the public to keep their laser pointers out of the sky to protect pilots—and to avoid hefty fines and potential prison time
This series features stories, images, and videos produced by the team that manages fbi.gov.
Features
FBI Redstone Hosts Spring 2024 SAC Conference
SAC Conference attendees gathered in the Operations Support Building at FBI Redstone in Huntsville, Alabama, for a group photo.
Director Christopher Wray and Deputy Director Paul Abbate hosted the Spring 2024 SAC Conference in Huntsville, Alabama, a two-day event in April that included working sessions with senior leadership on strategy, operations, human resources, and the mental health of the FBI family.
Hosting the SAC Conference in Huntsville served as a vital reminder that the north and south campuses on Redstone Arsenal are an important part of the FBI’s future, with a focus on technology, innovation and advanced training for the workforce.
One of the overarching themes of the conference focused on mental health and attendees had the privilege of hearing from CTD program manager and former Supervisory Special Agent E. Reid Roe, and retired FDNY firefighter and 9/11 survivor Tim Brown. The two speakers discussed the psychological and emotional response of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, shared pathways to recovery, and offered insights on building individual and cultural resilience within the FBI.
During the conference, executives toured a number of buildings at FBI Redstone, learning about the buildings’ capabilities and how FBI Redstone will put the FBI in a better position to defeat current and future threats. The tour started on the North Campus at FBI Redstone Innovation Center, set to open later this year.
The Innovation Center will serve as the heart of the FBI's technology infrastructure and analytical tool development, centralizing tech talent and tools in a connected campus environment, while providing a dedicated space for training, cyber threat intelligence and digital forensics.
Within the Innovation Center is a 22,000 square foot Kinetic Cyber Range, which will offer cyber training that is both realistic and collaborative, equipping our workforce with a real-world technical environment to train and test new cyber investigative techniques.
Unit Chief Krista Castor of the Redstone Facilities Unit and Director Wray talked about the Technology 2 and Technology 3 buildings under construction and their placement on the North Campus.
Unit Chief Linda Grody and Paul Weathersby of the Digital Evidence Staffing Education & Development Unit discussed capabilities in the Kinetic Cyber Range with Director Wray.
Following the Innovation Center tour, attendees signed the final structural beam of the Technology 3 Building, known as “topping off,” a major construction milestone for that facility. The beam was placed later that day. Technology buildings 2 and 3, scheduled to open in 2027, will house advanced technology and training programs across several FBI divisions.
The final structural beam of the Technology 3 Building was put in place, marking a major construction milestone for the facility at FBI Redstone.
Additional North Campus tour stops included the Ballistics Research Facility (BRF), Technology 1 Building, and the Health Wellness and Resiliency Center.
Executives received an informational briefing about the forthcoming South Campus, discussing the Academic Zone and Practice Problem Venues (PPVs). The discussion painted the vision of what the Bureau’s advanced training will look like when the South Campus opens in 2030. This was followed by a visit to the Hazardous Devices School to receive an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) presentation and range tour.
We caught up with a couple of SACs and members of the Executive Leadership team between presentations, group sessions and tours to better understand what they learned and enjoyed about their visit to FBI Redstone.
Participants included EAD Arlene Gaylord of the Information Technology Branch, AD Bryan Vorndran of the Cyber Division, SAC Mark Michalek of Denver, SAC Jeff Veltri of Miami and SAC Lyonel Myrthil of New Orleans.
Have you been to Huntsville before?
EAD Gaylord: The last time I traveled to Huntsville, I came with the Diversity Executive Council, and we toured the Arsenal and were told where the buildings would all eventually be. It is amazing to see the evolution from back then to today.
SAC Veltri: Yes, I have had the opportunity to visit Redstone on several occasions and am impressed with the facilities every time I visit. FFD is creating a state-of-the-art campus that will continue to build upon the FBI’s legacy for decades to come.
SAC Myrthil: Yes, I have been to Huntsville multiple times in my previous position as the Chief of Staff for the ADD.
Were you aware of the Bureau’s capabilities here or have you learned anything that surprises you about FBI Redstone?
EAD Gaylord: I was aware of some but not all of the Bureau's capabilities here. The biggest surprise? Hands down the Kinetic Cyber Range.
AD Vorndran: The tour of the Ballistics Research Facility was impressive. Not only was their data-based approach interesting to learn about, but the number of problems they've solved, and advancements they've made, for the safety and welfare of law enforcement, is inspiring. They have done so much good for FBI and our domestic and international partners.
SAC Michalek: Really impressed with our work on UAS and counter-UAS.
SAC Veltri: While I was aware of some of the capabilities of the campus from my time in Security Division, I had not yet had the opportunity to tour either the Kinetic Cyber Range or ITID’s Enterprise Operations Center. Both capabilities demonstrated the FBI’s innovative efforts in keeping pace with evolving technology landscape.
SAC Myrthil: Yes, I was aware of the Bureau’s capabilities here. It was good to see the progress made on bringing a lot of the planned capabilities to fruition.
"I see FBI Redstone as an asset to all field offices as a cornerstone for all advanced training and mission/operational support."
Lyonel Myrthil, special agent in charge, FBI New Orleans
How do you see FBI Redstone as an asset to your office?
EAD Gaylord: FBI Redstone provides state of the art space dedicated to training, cyber threat intelligence, digital forensics and analytical tool development. As threats continue to evolve, it gives us space to evolve to continue to effectively target those threats.
AD Vorndran: The FBI's Cyber Division has always had a presence at Redstone and these units [Cyber Education and Training Unit and Threat Analysis and Collaboration Unit] and their work will always be foundational to the FBI's Cyber strategy. Moving forward, I'm extremely excited for the enhanced training opportunities [offered at FBI Redstone]. Our people deserve world-class training facilities and Redstone is positioned to offer these facilities to our deserving people.
SAC Michalek: FBI Redstone is a huge force multiplier to leverage specialized resources and expertise to augment the field, both in terms of operational support for today but also in being forward leaning with advanced training for the workforce to keep us ahead of the threat.
SAC Veltri: I see it as a huge opportunity to train our workforce for the threats we will face in the future.
SAC Myrthil: I see FBI Redstone as an asset to all field offices as a cornerstone for all advanced training and mission/operational support. I see FBI Redstone serving in that same capacity for our state, local, and federal and [Intelligence Community] partners.
FBI Redstone is comprised of two complementary campuses – the North Campus advances analytics, technical capabilities and facilitates advanced training. The South Campus will further facilitate advanced training and research, development, testing and evaluation of new technologies. FBI Redstone is being built to grow and change as technology advances and will ensure that FBI personnel and partners have the training, tools and techniques to overcome challenges for decades to come.
"Our people deserve world-class training facilities and Redstone is positioned to offer these facilities to our deserving people."
Bryan Vorndran, assistant director, Cyber Division
What has been the most exciting experience on your trip thus far?
EAD Gaylord: While technology has clearly been the focus, I'm most excited by the incredible personnel I got to spend time with on this visit. It is wonderful to see the thoughtful design of the facilities and campus and get to know the team of people that brought it to life and will continue to guide it into the future.
SAC Michalek: The scale of the project and work completed to date. Impressive to see how much has been done since 2017. [FBI Redstone has] the type of facilities the public and our workforce expects from the FBI. The KCR in particular was exciting to see. Creating a modular, realistic training environment using advanced technology really demonstrates our leadership role in training public safety and [Intelligence Community] professionals for the future and our commitment to investigative rigor and excellence. Proud to see the progress to date and am excited for the next generation to take advantage of the future opportunities Redstone will provide.
SAC Veltri: As previously mentioned, the KCR was incredibly impressive and I have no doubt that our agents, analysts and computer scientists will benefit greatly from this new resource. As an organization, we continue to see our cyber threat actors evolve and improve their skillset, the Kinetic range will be an environment where our personnel can hone their skills and best position the FBI to counter our adversaries.
SAC Myrthil: The presentation by Reid Roe and Tim Brown on wellness and resiliency was amazing and speaks to the overall challenges we continue to face as FBI employees working in this threat environment.
A Walk to Remember
FBI personnel at Headquarters in Washington, D.C. marked Juneteenth—when our nation observes and celebrates the day in 1865 that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas learned the Civil War had ended and that they were free—with a 2.5 mile walk around the city. The event was led by Associate Deputy Director Brian Turner, who shared remarks at Headquarters. The 2.5 miles represented the two and a half years between the Emancipation Proclamation and the day its message made it to the enslaved people of Texas.
Juneteenth, which is also known as Freedom Day, has been celebrated within African American communities for 159 years. It was designated a federal holiday in 2021.
History
Bureau Turns 116 This Month
By 1908, the time was right for a new kind of agency to protect America.
The United States was, well, united, with its borders stretching from coast to coast and only two landlocked states left to officially join the union. Inventions like the telephone, the telegraph, and the railroad had seemed to shrink its vast distances even as the country had spread west. After years of industrializing, America was wealthier than ever, too, and a new world power on the block, thanks to its naval victory over Spain.
But there were dark clouds on the horizon.
Background: FBI History
Read: A Brief History of the FBI
Founding order of the FBI creating a force of special agents dated July 26, 1908 and signed by Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte.
Download fbi100book.pdf — 12754 KB
Understanding What's Critical
Know how many critical infrastructure categories there are? Can you identify this one? This can help.
Monkees Business
The Monkees were a U.S. pop band created for a television show of the same name in 1966. The band also toured and made record albums even after the show was cancelled. References to the band appear in two places in FBI files: a 1967 Los Angeles Field Office memorandum on anti-Vietnam war activities and a second document redacted entirely.
FBI Vault: Recent Additions
Sharing the FBI with Pride!
FBI Portland's community outreach coordinator and victim specialist join the Pride festivities in Tigard, Oregon, in a show of support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Each June, the FBI marks Pride Month with celebrations and events designed to build and strengthen relationships. The need for this outreach is driven by the FBI’s mission: protecting the American people. In the most recent reporting released by the FBI in October 2023 (covering the 2022 calendar year), sexual orientation and gender identity were the third and fourth most common motivation, respectively, for offenders committing hate crimes. Only race and religion served as more common bias motivators by hate crime offenders.
“The FBI has an absolute commitment to preventing acts of violence and hate crimes, and the LGBTQIA+ community continues to serve as a target across the United States,” said Ken Hoffman who leads the FBI’s community outreach efforts nationally. “It is important that we strengthen current relationships and build new ones so that we can work collectively to protect the members of this community from harm.”
FBI Portland employees join the LGBTQIA+ community in Beaverton, Oregon, to show our commitment to protecting everyone's rights for a safer tomorrow.
FBI Kansas City met many wonderful people at the KC Pride Celebration in June!
As part of this effort, the Community Relations Unit coordinated an LGBTQIA+ Community Partners Roundtable to discuss hate crimes, safety, and community needs at FBI Headquarters in late May. Senior executives from the Department of Justice and the FBI spoke to national-level leaders of LGBTQIA+ organizations during the roundtable to address the community’s concerns. The FBI’s Community Relations Unit provided resources regarding reporting threats, hate crimes, doxing, the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate initiative, and more.
Across the country, local field offices participated in events as well. For example, in Norfolk, Virginia, the civil rights squad hosted a booth for the thousands of people who attended the Hampton Roads PrideFest. They shared information on hate crimes, career opportunities, and elder fraud. As Community Outreach Specialist Faith Spillman said, “Norfolk attends this event every year, and each year attendees are at first surprised, then pleased, to see us there!”
In Kansas City, Missouri, the FBI marked its fourth consecutive year joining the KC Pride celebration, continuing a tradition of liaison and connection with the community. More than a dozen employees worked at the FBI booth during the three-day festival and parade which drew an estimated 50,000 LGBTQIA+ community members and allies.
On the west coast, the Portland Field Office had a great time celebrating with people at the Tigard Pride and Pride Beaverton events! "Celebrating diversity and inclusion by taking part in Pride events is vital in raising awareness, and supports our civil rights mission," said Doug Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. "It’s a great opportunity to positively engage, uplift, and support members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Our diversity and inclusion efforts recognize that every community is important. We want to ensure that all of our employees and the members of the diverse communities we serve feel accepted, valued, and protected."
For more information on the FBI’s work addressing hate crimes, please visit www.fbi.gov/hatecrimes. If you believe you are a victim or a witness of a hate crime, we encourage you to report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or by submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov. You can remain anonymous.
"Celebrating diversity and inclusion by taking part in Pride events is vital in raising awareness, and supports our civil rights mission."
Doug Olson, special agent in charge, FBI Portland
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