EFTA Document EFTA01657972

From: To: Undisclosed recipients:; Subject: SITREP and Orange is the Color of the Day for Monday, May 19, 2025 Date: Mon, 19 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000 Importance: Normal !aline-Images: Outlook-nqixxeuj.jpg I DERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Go to plow York Field Office News and Information Follow this site to get updates in your newsfeed. NEWLY LISTED The 21st Floor, 26 Federal Plaza JOC will be closed for renovations from January 12, 2025 through May 2025. Please contact Crisis Management, MS•21 for alternate locations or with any questions. COLOR OF THE DAY Orange AIR QUALITY INDEX As of 7am (AS) Value of Index = 17 OZONE = 24 Daily AQI Color = Green Reference: AirNow.gov NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Sunny with a high of 72. SIGNIFICANT NFWS FVENTS Director Patel Says FBI Leaving Longtime Headquarters USA TODAY (05/16, Meyer) reported that Director Patel announced in an interview with Fox News that he's redeploying 1,500 FBI agents, analysts, and other personnel from Washington to posts throughout the country, and shutting down the bureau's storied headquarters. Director Patel said that the FBI currently has about 11,000 of its 38,000 or so staff in the National Capital Region, a 50.mile radius around Washington, D.C. "It's like a third of the workforce. A third of the crime doesn't happen here. So we're taking 1,500 of those folks and moving them out," he said. "Every state's getting a plus up." According to the article, Director Patel didn't say much about the plans to move the FBI headquarters, something prior FBI directors and Congress acknowledged needed to be done because of the decrepit condition of the building. "I didn't know that I was going to do this, but I'm going to announce on your show anyway, this FBI is leaving the Hoover building because this building is unsafe for our workforce," Director Patel said, surprising Deputy Director Bongino, who was at his side for the interview. "But we want the American men and women to know if you're going to come work at the premier law enforcement agency in the world, we're going to give you a building that's commensurate with that, and that's not this place." Fox Mess (05/18, Penley) added that in the Interview Director Patel hinted at a "wave of transparency" to rebuild public trust, citing the agency's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation as an example of political bias. Director Patel claimed that senior officials, including James homey, "hijacked' the Department of Justice's constitutional responsibilities and selectively decided which cases to pursue. Director Patel vows to restore the FBI's reputation, accusing former leaders like Conley, Andrew McCabe, and Peter Strzok of weaponizing the agency for political purposes and withholding key evidence from the court. "They said the FBI was the most storied institution for law enforcement, and it was, and it will be again very soon: Director Patel vowed, tossing in an allegation that the former leadership used taxpayer funds, potentially illegally, to run their operation and withheld key evidence from the court. 'That's what broke the FBI. And then, when they were caught, they lied about it, and few media personalities were brave enough to cover it six, seven, eight years ago, and we're still talking about It today because Congress is working rigorously with us and the Crossfire Hurricane documents are coming fast and hard, and they're being sent there un•redacted so we can have full accountability. That's how you restore the trust that was lost to the American public when it comes to the FBI," Director Patel said. Additional reporting from Fox News (05/18, Spector) reported that in the interview, Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino insisted that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in his Manhattan Jail cell, after reviewing his file. "As someone who has worked as a public defender, as a prosecutor who's been in that prison system, who's been in the Metropolitan Detention Center, who's been in segregated housing, you know a suicide when you see one, and that's what that was," Director Patel said when questioned about Epstein's death. He added that those who disagree with him 'have a right to their opinion' Deputy Director Bongino added, 'He killed himself. I've seen the whole file, he killed himself." HuffPost (05/18, Vera) reported that in the interview, Director Patel downplayed President Trump's role in the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, stating that the riot had been "politicized" by Trump's opponents. The article highlighted President Trump's words at his "Save America" rally, where he urged followers to "walk down to the Capitol" and "demand that Congress do the right thing." "We fight like hell," Trump also said that day. "And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore." The article noted that Director Patel teased an upcoming document dump, which he claimed would debunk a disinformation campaign. "We Just found a trove of information, and it's on its way to Capitol Hill right now," he said. "They've asked, and they're getting it. And you're getting answers on January 6." The Dafralad (05/18, Caralle) reported that Deputy Director Bongino revealed in the interview that there is no evidence to support the claim that the assassination attempts on President Donald Trump were part of a foreign plot. "I know people — I get it. I understand. It's not there. If it were there, we would have told you," he said. Deputy Director Bongino said that he and Director Patel EFTA01657972 have been "personally briefed extensively on every single detail, nugget, tendril of this case" and said there was no proof of any foreign terrorism involvement. The Daily Beast (05/18, Staff Writer) reported that in the interview, Director Patel blamed Canada for the influx of fentanyl to the U.S., claiming it is being made in Canada and shipped to the U.S. "So, where's all the fentanyl and trafficking coming from still? Where are all the rum,- traffickers going to keep bringing this stuff into the country? The Northern Border," Director Patel said on Sunday. "Who has to get to stepping? Canada," he added. "They're making fentanyl up there and shipping it down here." The article noted that less than 1 percent of the fentanyl intercepted by federal agents last year was found at the Canadian border, according to the New York Times. The article explained that Director Patel's comments are part of an increasingly hostile approach by the U.S. towards Canada, which has been exacerbated by President Trump's suggestions that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. WREG (CBS-3) (05/18, Moore, Moon) reported that during his appearance on Fox News, Director Patel called Memphis the "Homidde Capital of America." "I didn't know this until my confirmation process, but Memphis, Tennessee, is the homicide capital of America per capita — didn't know that, we have a problem there," Director Patel told Fox News. "We're now addressing it. We're rolling out one of our task forces to Tennessee!' Additional reporting on the story was provided by the Day_fdail (05/18, Caralle), Fox Ritsinen (05/16, Revell), National ROViPW (05/16, Bernstein), Newsmax (05/16, Fitzgerald), New York Post (05/16, Nelson) (2) (05/18, King), Raw Story (05/18, Boggioni), the Washington Examiner (05/16, Birle) (05/18, Notheis), fireltbart (05/18, Poor), the Qally React (05/18, Venet), Hindustan Times (05/19, Sen), Just the News (05/16, Head), WHFIO,(Eree 13) (05/18, Staff Writer). Ex-FBI Director Comey Meets With Secret Service Over '8647' Post Reuters (05/17, Trotta, Clilacu) reported that former FBI director James Comey met with the U.S. Secret Service on Friday, after he was called in to discuss a social media post that President Trump's supporters claimed was a threat against the president. According to the article, federal law enforcement agencies were investigating an Instagram post by Comey on Thursday with a photo of the number 8647 formed by seashells on sand with the comment, "Cool shell formation on my beach walk." The article explained that in U.S. slang, the number 86 can be used as a verb meaning to throw somebody out of a bar for being drunk or disorderly. President Trump is the 47th president of the United States. Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017, took down the post after a backlash from Trump supporters, saying on Instagram, "It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down." Some Trump supporters interpreted the message as a call to violently remove Trump from office, including through assassination. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says on its website that one recent meaning of the term 86 was "to kill," but that it had not adopted it "due to its relative recency and sparseness of use." "He knew exactly what that meant," President Trump said in an interview with Fox News. The article added that the "8647" and "8646" themes have been used as political slogans and on T-shirts during the administrations of both President Trump and his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, the 46th U.S. president. The article noted that President Trump himself posted on social media a video that featured an image of Biden, who was then president, with his hands and feet tied together in the back of a pickup truck. fox News (05/17, Baehr) added that Deputy Director Bongino publicly condemned Comey for his "86 47" Instagram post, which he believes brought shame to the FBI. Deputy Director Bongino noted that this latest controversy is part of a general legacy of dysfunction inherited from Comey's leadership, which he and Director Patel are working to fix from the inside out. "As I've stated in the past, I cannot post openly about all the things the Director and I are doing to reform the enterprise, but I assure you, they are happening," Deputy Director Bongino wrote. "Sadly, many of those agenda items are the result of former Director Comey's poor decision- making and atrocious leadership. And to those who doubt me, I assure you, when you see what the Director and I see from the inside, it's even worse." Additional reporting on the story was provided by ABC News (05/16, Walsh, Barr, Pereira), Axios (05/16, Rubin), BBC (05/16, Matza), CBS News (05/16, Walsh, Tanyos), CNBC (05/16, Mangan), CNN (05/17, Miller, Lybrand) (2), Fox News (05/16, Spunt, Stimson, et al.), NBC News (05/16, Strickler, Winter, et al.), NewsNation (05/16, Perkins), Newsweek (05/16, Whisnant) (2), New York Post (05/18, King), New York Times (05/16, Sullivan, Schmidt), NPR (05/16, Treisman), Rolling Stone (05/16, Ramirez), The Guardian (05/16, Helmore), The Hill (05/16, Crisp) (1) The Independent (05/16, Keane) (2), the Wall Street Journal (05/16, Gurman), UPI (05/16, Coote), USA Today (05/17, Ramaswamy) Washington Post (05/16, Vazquez, Ulna'', Svitek) (2). The New York Post published an editorial on the story. Mexican Indicted in U.S. In First After Cartel Designated as Terrorist Group Reuters (05/16, Morland) reported that Maria Del Rosario Navarro, a 39-year-old Mexican national, has been indicted in the U.S. for providing material support to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a designated foreign terrorist organization. According to the article, Navarro is accused of conspiring to provide grenades to CJNG and faces additional charges, including gun trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance. The article noted that the indictment is the first of its kind since the U.S. designated CJNG as a terrorist organization in February, with the U.S. Justice Department thanking Mexican law enforcement partners for their cooperation. "The arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro Sanchez should send a clear message to people who wish to align themselves with terrorist groups that they will be sought out and held to the highest extent of the law," Director Patel said in the statement. Additional reporting on the story was provided by Al Jazeere (05/17, Staff Writer), Associated Press (05/16, Staff Writer), CHSNews (05/16, Tabachnick), The Guardian (05/16, Staff Writer), The Independent (05/16, Graziosi), Hondline (05/17, Torres), and Newsweek (05/17, Cole). Court Gives Go-Ahead to Trump's Plan to Halt Union Bargaining for Many Federal Workers Reuters (05/16, Raymond) reported that a federal appeals court has lifted an order blocking the Trump administration from stripping hundreds of thousands of federal employees of their ability to unionize and collectively bargain. According to the article, the court's decision allows President Donald Trump's executive order to move forward, exempting over a dozen federal agencies from obligations to bargain with unions, including the Departments of Justice, State, and Defense. The order affects about 75% of the roughly 1 million federal workers represented by unions, with the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) stating it applies to about 100,000 of its members. The article highlighted that the executive order significantly expanded an exception from collective bargaining for workers with duties affecting national security, such as certain employees of the CIA and FBI. Additional reporting on the story was provided by Bloomberg Law (05/16, Purifoy), Newsweek (05/17, Bickerton), NTD (05/18, Phillips), Politico (05/16, Gerstein), (05/17, Druker), Washington Examiner (05/17, Birle), and Washiegtedhat (05/17, Vinall). FBI El Paso Celebrates 45th Anniversary of Joint Terrorism Task Force KVIA (ABC-7) (05/16, Perez) reported that the FBI El Paso Field Office celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The first JTTF was created in 1980 by the FBI's New York Office, in collaboration with the New York Police Department (NYPD). The anniversary was marked with a roundtable discussion involving local, state, and federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Border Patrol. EFTA01657973 China's Spying Efforts Growing, With U.S. A Top Target CBS News (05/18, O'Donnell, Sharman, et al.) reported that China's spying efforts, led by the Ministry of State Security (MSS), have increased significantly since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, with the U.S. being a top target. According to the article, the MSS has a large network of covert agents worldwide, including in the U.S., to monitor and influence events, and has been known to surveil and intimidate Chinese dissidents living in the U.S. The article noted that over 140 people have been indicted in the U.S. for felonies related to harassment, hacking, and spying for China in the last five years, including Shujun Wang, a retired historian who was convicted of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of China. The article highlighted that in 2021, an undercover FBI agent posing as an operative from the Ministry of State Security showed up at Wang's door, offering to help delete communications from his computer that might incriminate him, should the U.S. try to prosecute him. Video from the encounter showed Wang welcomed the man's help. Additional reporting from CBS News (05/18, O'Donnell) explained that, according to the FBI, Beijing opened an overseas Chinese police station right in the middle of New York City. It was discovered in 2022, hidden among businesses in a commercial building in Manhattan's Chinatown. While Chinese expats could renew government documents there, like driver's licenses, federal prosecutors said the main purpose of the outpost was to target and harass Chinese dissidents. Continued Reporting: Ex-FBI Agent Says Russian Spies Targeted Elan Musk Using Sex and Drugs, Putin Involved NewUR (05/19, Soni) reported that a former FBI counterintelligence agent, Jonathan Buma, claimed that Russian intelligence targeted Elon Musk for potential blackmail, exploiting his alleged interest in sex and drugs. According to the article, Russian spies gathered sensitive information that could be used to influence or coerce Musk, as well as PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, after the onset of the war in Ukraine. Buma alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin was aware of and approved the alleged plot to blackmail Musk. NCIS, FBI Officials See Promise in Artificial Intelligence Use Cases for Business Side FedScoop (05/16, Alder) reported that NCIS and FBI officials are exploring the use of artificial intelligence for administrative tasks, such as HR processing and cybersecurity, to improve efficiency. According to the article, Gregory Scovel, NCIS deputy director of operations, cited successful AI use cases in HR processing and supply chain risk management, allowing the agency to speed up processes and protect its supply chains. The article noted that Kevin Jones, FBI IT Infrastructure Division leader, mentioned the development of an Al tool to reduce false positive cybersecurity alerts and another to sort through Internal emails about potential phishing attempts, highlighting the potential for Al to aid workers with cumbersome tasks. TRAFFIC ALERT Nothing to report. 2filederal2laalinalawGarkmusithedult 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: (212) 384-1000 Email: ne-virrkgbilliall CNL/JL EFTA01657974