EFTA Document EFTA01655228

From: NY la To: Undisclosed recipients:; Subject: SITREP and White is the Color of the Day for Friday, May 30, 2025 Date: Fri, 30 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000 Importance: Normal Inline-Images: Outlook-mikze2s1 jpg 'EDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Go to New York Field Office News and Information Follow this site to get updates In your newsfeed. NEWLY LISTED EVENTS Nothing to report. MAR OF THE DAY White AIR OilALITY INDEX As of 7ain (AQ1) Value of Index = 16 OZONE = 15 Daily AQI Color = Yellow Reference: AirNow.gov NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Partly cloudy with a high of 72. SIGNIFICANT NEWS EVENTS Federal Authorities Probe Effort to Impersonate White House Chief of Staff The Wall Street Journal (05/29, Dawsey) reported that federal authorities are investigating an effort to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who had her personal cellphone contacts hacked. The Impersonator has been contacting prominent Republicans and business executives by text and phone, using artificial Intelligence to imitate Wiles's voice and making requests that appeared to be official. The article noted that the FBI and White House are looking into the matter, with the FBI stating that they do not believe a foreign nation is involved and are working to determine the goal and Identity of the Impersonator. "The FBI takes all threats against the president, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness," Director Patel said in a statement 'Safeguarding our administration officials' ability to securely communicate to accomplish the president's mission is a top priority." Additional reporting on the story was provided by BBC (05/30, Chater), Breitbart (05/29, Bois), CBS News (05/29, Jacobs), The Daily Beast (05/30, Harvey), The Hill (05/29, Scully), The Independent (05/30, Papenfuss), New York Post (05/30, Nava), Reuters (05/29, Staff Writer). Deputy Director Bongino Tells 'Fox & Friends' Progress Is Being Made on High•Profle DC Cases Fox News (05/29, Colombo) reported that the FBI is closing in on suspects In the case of pipe bombs planted in Washington, D.C. on the eve of the Jan 6 Capitol riots In 2021, according to Deputy Director Bongino. According to the article, the FBI has renewed its focus on the case, releasing new video footage and details about the suspect, including their physical characteristics, and has followed hundreds of leads and conducted over 1,000 interviews. "I want answers on this, and I'm pretty confident that we're closing in on some suspects; Deputy Director Bongino told "FOX & Friends" on Thursday, noting the case Is a top priority. "We were told by partisan actors out there, this was the insurrection, the world was going to fall apart, and no one seemed to show any interest in this case; he argued, adding that he and Director Patel have made the pipe bomb investigation a priority for their department. Then Vice President•elect Kamala Harris was inside the DNC's offices when the pipe bomb was discovered. Then•House Speaker Nancy Potosi (D•CA) also passed by the bomb before it was discovered and safely removed by authorities. The Washington Examiner (05/29, Notheis) reported that Deputy Director Bongino also stated on Fox & Friends that evidence from former FBI Director James Comey's time at the agency was found, which he said was in a room "hidden from us." "I wouldn't call It hidden, but hidden from us at least and not mentioned to us, and then we found stuff in there and a lot of it's from the Comeyera, and we are working our damndest right now to declassify," he said. "And Just so you know, because I get the public, I totally understand people saying, 'Well, do it now.' The process Is that not all information Is ours to declassify; some is from other Intelligence agencies, Its not- we literally can't do It. Once that gets done and that gets out there, and you read some of the stuff, we found that, by the way, was not processed through the normal procedure, digitizing it, putting it In FBI records. We found it in bags hiding under Jim Comey's FBI, and you're going to be stunned!" The New York Post (05/29, Crane, King) reported that Deputy Director Bongino announced that the FBI will release video footage to debunk conspiracy theories surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's death. The video allegedly shows that no one was present in Epstein's Jail cell at the time of his death, supporting the conclusion that he died by suicide. Deputy Director Bongino stated that the footage will be released after it has been cleaned up and enhanced, and will Include the original video to ensure transparency. Additional reporting on the story was provided by Daily Mail (05/29, Chain), Daily Wire (05/29, Jewell), HuffPost (05/29, Moye), LA Times (05/29, prole), NBC News (05/29, Kosnar, Dilanian, Rohde), Newsweek (05/29, Aitken, Versano) (2), NJ.com (05/29, Cohen), New York Daily News (05/29, TimotiJa), People (05/29, Pelisek), Raw Story (05/29, Edwards), The Daily Beast (05/29, EFTA01655228 Tomazin), The Hill (05/29, TimotiJa), The Times (05/29, Ensor), Washington Examiner (05/29, Goldsberry), Washington Times (05/29, Staff Writer) (2). Bernard Herrn, Who Led NYPD on 9/11 Before Prison and Pardon, Has Died at 69 The Associated Press (05/29, Staff Writer) reported that Bernard Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, has died at the age of 69. Kerik led the NYPD on 9/11 and was later nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, but pleaded guilty to tax fraud and served nearly four years in prison. He was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2020, after a dramatic fall from grace that followed his heroic actions on 9/11. The article noted that Director Patel said that Kerik's death on Thursday came after an unspecified ' private battle with illness." Additional reporting on the story was provided by WABC (ABC•?) (05/29, Staff Writer), CBS News (05/29, Staff Writer), CNN (05/29, Cohen, Voytek), Fox News (05/29, Whitten, Margolis), Just the News (05/29, Sever), Newsmax (05/29, Staff Writer), New York Daily News (05/29, Rayman, Jacobson), New York Post (05/29, Devine, Campanile, et al), New York Times (05/29, Roberts), NY1 (05/29, Staff Writer), Reuters (05/29, Ward), Roiling Stone (05/29, Madarang), USA Today (05/29, Connolly), Wall Street Journal (05/29, Otis), Washington Post (05/29, Jeong). White House Pressure for Increased Immigration Arrests Strains law Enforcement Agencies CNN (05/29, Alvarez, Perez, et al.) reported that the Trump administration is pushing to triple daily immigration arrests, with a goal of a million deportations a year, putting pressure on law enforcement agencies. According to the article, the FBI has reassigned hundreds of agents to immigration•related duties, potentially hindering national security investigations, and is offering incentives such as overtime pay and transfers to agents who participate in enforcement and removal operations. The article noted that other law enforcement agencies, including the US Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, are also being diverted to support immigration enforcement efforts, straining their resources and raising concerns about prioritization. The article highlighted that top FBI officials have provided little guidance to field offices on how agents are expected to increase immigration arrest numbers while also working their top priority cases, the sources said. The article stated that FBI agents have been told by supervisors not to document moving resources away from high•priority cases toward immigration•related work, according to one person familiar with the matter. 'While the FBI does not comment on specific personnel decisions, our agents and support staff are dedicated professionals working around the clock to defend the homeland and crush violent crime —a mission which certainly overlaps with the consequences of the previous administration's four•year open border policies," FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson said in a statement to CNN. "We are proud to work with our interagency partners to keep the American people safe." The article added that the all•hands•on•deck•for•immigration approach is raising critical questions inside the FBI and other law enforcement agencies about how they use limited resources to execute their mission. "Should we have highly trained FBI agents going to support DHS priorities?" the former FBI agent said. "Is this Just a surge that's going to be temporary?' Africa Terror Group Ramping up Ability to Strike Inside the US., General Says ABC News (05/29, Flaherty) reported that the Sahel region in Africa has been identified as the "epicenter of terrorism on the globe" by Gen. Michael Langley, the head of U.S. Africa Command, due to the significant increase in terror factions' presence over the past three years. Gen. Langley warned that these terror groups, particularly one faction aligned with al•Qaeda known as "JNIM", are ramping up their ability to launch attacks inside the U.S., with JNIM having expanded fourfold since 2022 and now controlling much of Burkina Faso. The article explained that the U.S. is keeping a close eye on JNIM because of its potential capacity to attack the U.S. homeland, and Gen. Langley emphasized that extremist groups are gaining ground and expanding their ambitions, posing a threat to the homeland as they gain in capability and capacity. The situation in the Sahel region is further complicated by the influence of China and Russia, which are investing heavily in the region and forging alliances with local governments, as evidenced by the U.S. being asked to leave a military base in Niger last year, which was then occupied by Russian troops. The article noted that Gen. Langley's warning comes at a time when the Trump administration is canceling aid programs across the continent and considering consolidating military leadership in Africa with one already overseeing troops in Europe, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and attention to the growing terrorist threat in the region. The article highlighted that a former Army guardsman was arrested before an ISIS•inspired terror attack. The article mentioned that the FBI says the former Army guardsman thought he was conducting the attack with two ISIS radicals, but they were actually undercover FBI agents. Fox News (05/29, Caslano, Friden) also reported on the story. Jewish Community Faces Unprecedentedly High Threat Environment ADL (05/29, Staff Writer) reported that the Jewish community is facing an unprecedentedly high threat environment, with 15 terrorist plots or attacks targeting Jews, Zionists, or Jewish institutions in the US since January 2020. Eight of these incidents occurred in the past 11 months, including the May 21, 2025, murders of Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington D.C. Other notable incidents include the arrest of individuals such as Forrest Pemberton, Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, and Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, who were allegedly plotting to harm Jewish targets, and the attacks by individuals like Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, and Asghar Ali, who targeted Jewish individuals or institutions. The article noted the FBI's involvement in several of the ensuing investigations. Venezuela Weaponized Tren de Aragua Gang to Hurt the U.S., FBI Warned in January Miami Herald (05/29, Delgado) reported that a newly surfaced FBI memo from January stated that the Venezuelan regime, led by Nicolas Maduro, is using the Tren de Aragua gang to destabilize the U.S. and other neighboring countries. The gang, classified as a "megagang; has been deliberately enabled by the Venezuelan government to expand its operations across Latin America and into U.S. cities, including New York and Chicago. The FBI believes that senior Venezuelan officials, including Maduro, are involved in the gang's daily operations, using them as a covert arm of the country's security state to assassinate dissidents, threaten exiled opposition figures, and weaponize migration as a geopolitical tool. In response, the FBI calls for enhanced coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement, increased education on TDA tactics, and robust intelligence•sharing protocols. Legal attaches across the Americas have reportedly built strong partnerships with regional police forces— networks the FBI believes are critical to tracking TDA across borders. Intelligence Agency Employee Accused of Attempting to Leak Classified Documents Out of Frustration With Trump Politico (05/29, Bianco) reported that the Department of Justice has accused Nathan Villas Laatsch, an employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), of attempting to leak classified documents to a foreign government due to his frustration with President Donald Trump. Laatsch, who worked In the DIA's Insider Threat Division, a unit responsible for detecting employees who might disclose sensitive information, allegedly offered to share classified material with a "friendly foreign government" in an email, stating that he disagreed with the values of the current EFTA01655229 administration. The FBI obtained the email and set up an undercover operation, posing as representatives of the foreign country, and received classified material from Laatsch at a pre-arranged location in northern Virginia, leading to his arrest on Thursday. According to court documents, Laatsch expressed his dissatisfaction with the current administration and stated that he intended to act in support of the values that the United States once stood for, and he was also seeking citizenship in a foreign country due to conditions in the U.S. The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, and Laatsch is scheduled to make an initial court appearance in Alexandria, Virginia. "This case underscores the persistent risk of insider threats: Director Patel wrote on X. The FBI remains steadfast in protecting our national security and thanks our law enforcement partners for their critical support" Additional reporting on the story was provided by AlxNow (05/29, Belmore), Associated Press (05/29, Staff Writer), Hindustan Times (05/29, Vaidyanathan), WUSA (CBS•9) (05/29, Cremen). Passenger Accused of Dragging American Airlines Flight Attendant CBS News (05/29, Breen) reported that a Kansas man who allegedly dragged an American Airlines flight attendant up the aisle of a plane is facing charges, the DOJ said on Wednesday. Julius Jordan Priester, 24, was traveling from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, to Chicago on Tuesday night, the DOJ said. American Airlines said in a statement that the plane was bound for O'Hare International Airport. According to the article, the flight took off around 9:30 p.m. Less than an hour into the flight, Priester allegedly stood up, began to take off his shirt, and ran to the back of the plane yelling "Help me," federal prosecutors said. Priester then allegedly grabbed a seated flight attendant and shouted "You're coming with me," the DOJ said. Priester allegedly pulled the flight attendant to the ground, then attempted to drag the attendant up the aisle. Other staff and passengers intervened in the incident, the DOJ and American Airlines said. Priester was returned to his seat, but continued to "act erratically and make incoherent statements: The pilot declared an emergency, and the flight was diverted back to Bradley International Airport. The article noted that once the plane landed, the Connecticut State Police removed Priester. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, the DOJ said. The FBI and the Connecticut State Police are investigating. Armed Bike-Riding Bank Robber Sought by FBI in New Jersey WCAU (NBC•10) (05/29, Lynch) reported that the FBI is asking for the public's help in identifying a man who they said used a gun to rob a bank in New Jersey, before getting away on a bicycle. The FBI Newark's Atlantic City Resident Agency said the incident happened Just after 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the Newfield National Bank located in Bridgeton, Cumberland County. Officials said, according to witnesses, the robber rode a blue bicycle into the parking lot of the bank, then went into the bank. He threatened the teller with a gun and demanded money, and then took off on the same bicycle. WPVI (ABC•6) (05/29, Staff Writer), and WTXF (Fox•29) (05/29, Staff Writer) also reported on the story. TRAFFIC ALERT Nothing to report. 2,6 Federal Plaza 23rd Floor fivm Closure Srhestrile- Facilities will close the 23rd floor Gym every Tuesday evening from 3:30 pm•12:00 am for cleaning. Men's and Women's locker room will be cleaned out the first Tuesday of the month and all items left in the locker room will be disposed of. Please direct any questions to Facilities at extension x3900. Federal Bureau of Investigation New York Division 26 Federal Plaza New York, NY 10278 Phone: KN/SS EFTA01655230