Inside the Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center
The Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center (TEDAC) is the government's single repository for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that have been collected or are of interest to the United States government.
Video Transcript
TEDAC is the government’s single repository for IEDs that have been collected or are of interest to the United States government.
For instance, it’s the bomb library of America.
It basically provides you the one source, the one location that all IEDs of interest to the U.S. government can come and have forensic exploitation to help us identify the bomb-makers, looking at associations and linking bombs together from one incident to another based on the forensic evidence.
We have a lot of experience in identifying IED components, blast damage. It’s just like putting a puzzle back together.
So you’re starting looking at some of the telltale blast characteristics on the components, understanding what blast damage is.
So you can start saying, well this was in close proximity to the blast, this was indigenous to the scene, it doesn't need to be collected. It’s basically a screening or a sorting, if you will.
Identifying those key components from an IED is very, very critical early on.
So one of the benefits of TEDAC is utilizing traditional forensic capabilities of the FBI and law enforcement have used for virtually 100 years, whether it be fingerprint techniques or DNA of recent time, toolmark examinations. For instance, when a tool is used for making an IED it leaves unique marks on those items.
By doing the toolmark examinations we’re able to link devices together and show associations. And then obviously if we have a fingerprint we now may be able to identify an individual to multiple devices that we don't have biometrics on. But because of using their trace disciplines such as hairs, fibers, things of that nature, of being able to make the associations from some of those other disciplines that are not identification-based but more pattern-based.
From our perspective, we see the more visibility that we have looking at IEDs from around the world, the better we are to be able to protect the homeland. Because we realize that what’s happening overseas eventually could come here to the United States.
We want to get our hands on those IEDs and exploit them to help identify the networks, looking at the types of materials that the bomb-makers are using so we can put the tripwires in place here to basically identify these threats if we have an individual in the country that may be relying on those same instructions that the terrorists overseas have used.
One of our goals is to stay as far left of boom as possible. We don't just respond to a bomb after it occurs. We’re trying to identify the bomb-makers and the groups way out in front of the threat from actually happening and disrupting that plot before they even have placed the bomb.
Video Download
Video Source
Recent Video
- 02.18.2025 — Surveillance Footage: FBI Boston's Violent Crimes Task Force Seeks Identity of Suspect Wanted in Connection with Armed Pharmacy Robbery
- 02.14.2025 — Inside the FBI Podcast: Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores Added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List
- 02.12.2025 — Operation Level Up Electronic Press Kit (for Press/Media Use)
- 02.12.2025 — Ahead of the Threat Podcast: Episode Seven - Paul Proctor
- 02.07.2025 — Inside the FBI: Intercepting the South American Theft Group Threat
- 02.06.2025 — Inside the FBI Podcast: My Mission Miniseries - Katie Connell
- 02.06.2025 — Inside the FBI Podcast: Endangered Child Alert Program
- 02.04.2025 — Media B-Roll: Acting Director Brian Driscoll
- 02.04.2025 — Acting Director Brian Driscoll Statement on Recent FBI Achievements
- 02.03.2025 — Surveillance Video Related to Triple Homicide in Cypress, Texas
- 01.29.2025 — Oak Ridge Boys Scam Warning
- 01.29.2025 — Oak Ridge Boys Fight Elder Fraud
- 01.16.2025 — Trailer for In the Aftermath
- 01.16.2025 — Trailer for Echoes of Columbine
- 01.15.2025 — Ahead of the Threat Podcast: Episode Six - Charles Carmakal
- 01.14.2025 — Violence Against American Indian or Alaska Native Females, 2021 – 2023
- 01.13.2025 — FBI Director Christopher A. Wray's Farewell
- 01.05.2025 — Video Footage Related to Bourbon Street Attack in New Orleans
- 01.02.2025 — January 5 Pipe Bomb Investigation: Additional Details and Footage of Suspect
- 12.31.2024 — January 5 Pipe Bomb Investigation: New Footage of Suspect Placing Bomb at DNC
FBI Weekly Newsletter
Subscribe to our email newsletter for news on the FBI, sent out every week.