IF THERE’S ANYTHING the world has learned from the standoff over the encrypted iPhone of San Bernardino killer Syed Rizwan Farook, it’s that the FBI doesn’t take no for an answer. And now it’s becoming clear that the government’s determination to access encrypted data doesn’t end with a single iPhone, or with Apple, or even…
Category: Law Enforcement
Border Security: The Legacy of Pancho Villa’s Raid on America
Ever since “Black Jack” Pershing rode into Mexico to hunt for Pancho Villa, the United States started a pattern of personalizing Latin American security threats. In the words of one U.S. cavalry officer, Columbus, New Mexico in 1916 was little more than “a cluster of adobe houses, a hotel, a few stores and streets knee…
“Predictive Policing”: The Cyber Version of “Stop and Frisk”
Thanks America! How China’s Newest Software Could Track, Predict, and Crush Dissent Armed with data from spying on its citizens, Beijing could turn ‘predictive policing’ into an AI tool of repression. What if the Communist Party could have predicted Tiananmen Square? The Chinese government is deploying a new tool to keep the population from uprising. Beijing is building…
Cartel Corner #60: Profile of The ‘Texis’ Cartel of El Salvador
Unlike some Central American gangs that have earned fame for their brutality and their liberal use of violence, the Cartel de Texis has developed a reputation for a more business-like approach to the drug trade. But as the report by Salvadoran news site El Faro about the group illustrates, while the gang isn’t known for leaving…
How to Spot a “Swatter”
Not only are these dangerous hoaxes they are also a tool for the anti-gunners out there to try and draw negative attention to an “active shooter” or “mass shooting”. Remember, the Information/Propaganda War is not really about substance, (I think most of us can agree on that) it is just about Headlines. Make enough of…
Another Reason to be Armed: You Can Stop Mass Murder, February Report
Ordinary citizens stopped mass murder. Mass murder is defined as four or more victims killed in the same event. Many people were at risk in the stories this month. Armed citizens like you saved lives until the police could come and make an arrest. You did it, and the media never gave you credit. Let…
Crime Awareness: IRS Scammers
“This is the IRS. Call us back immediately to avoid an arrest warrant being issued.” Last week, one of our officers responded to a fraud complaint involving an unknown con artist who scammed a victim out of $15,000. It all began with a simple voicemail message, “This is the IRS. Call us back immediately to…
Cartel Corner #57: 6 Common Misconceptions about the MS-13 Street Gang
In response to a recent article on the MS13 published by Foreign Policy and reprinted at InSight Crime, gang expert Carlos Garcia challenges six commonly held misconceptions about the street gang based in several parts of Central America, Mexico, and the United States. There is an abundance of journalists, communicators and even academics who accuse…
Fast and Furious Court Victory for Judicial Watch
This is an important story about Judicial Watch’s (JW) complicated and complex investigation into the Obama administration’s deadly Operation Fast and Furious scandal. And this is one story that should be shared far and wide. Earlier last week your JW was pleased to announce that we scored a victory in the United States Court of…
The FBI’s War on Phones Is Bigger Than You Think
What a surprise, the Government Lied and are trying to access other phones not part of the investigation…I seem to remember Apple’s CEO warning about this, no? -SF Apple’s lawyers revealed the feds want access to about a dozen devices after San Bernardino. James Comey, the director of the FBI, has insisted that his agency’s…