Category: Security

Source: US FBI

The FBI team started strong and led at the half. But youth won in the end with a final score of 35-31. David Johnson, a supervisory special agent at Headquarters and a commanding presence on the court, said after the game what nobody wants to hear an FBI agent say: “We were outgunned and outmanned.”

Johnson said the game was a great example of trying to build trust. “We are our community and we want the community to have a relationship with us,” he said. “We want to know what they need from us. Som this starts right here.”

James Johnson, a 15-year-old sophomore who landed a few buckets in the game, said the day offered him perspectives he had never imagined. “There’s 2,000 opportunities in the FBI, and that is something that I never knew,” he said. “But I’m glad I got to find out. It’s different from any type of nine-to-five job. You can do multiple things, and that’s what I like about it.”

David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office, said the day’s lessons cut both ways. “One thing we learned from these kids today, and I think we’ve known this, is our agency can be pretty opaque to them,” he said. “They can’t put a face to it. And so it’s important for us to be in those communities putting a face to that.”

After the first game, the teams mixed it up, with the FBI and high-schoolers playing again amongst themselves. The day ended with a lot of smiles, fist-bumps, and group pictures—a day the young players will likely remember.

“We are breaking down walls,” said Freeman, the city’s DPR director. “We are removing barriers and removing stereotypes, one opportunity at a time.”

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Brian Driscoll as the special agent in charge of the Newark Field Office. Mr. Driscoll most recently served as the commander of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and Critical Incident Response Group’s (CIRG) Tactical Section chief.

Mr. Driscoll joined the FBI as a special agent in 2007. He was first assigned to the New York Field Office, where he worked organized crime matters and later became a member of SWAT.

In March 2011, Mr. Driscoll was selected as an operator for FBI’s HRT. Ultimately, he became an HRT team leader, responsible for the planning and execution of tactical solutions in furtherance of FBI global operations. He also collaborated with foreign law enforcement and military partners to conduct operations and training, strengthening FBI global partnerships.

In 2019, Mr. Driscoll moved to New York to work in the Long Island Resident Agency as a supervisory special agent to establish and lead two joint task forces concerning violent crimes, child exploitation, and human trafficking.

Mr. Driscoll was transferred to the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force in 2020 to lead the North Africa international terrorism investigations squad. Mr. Driscoll was promoted to serve as the assistant special agent in charge of the NY JTTF’s Extraterritorial Terrorism Branch.

In April of 2022, Mr. Driscoll was promoted to head of HRT and tactical section chief of CIRG.

For his actions under fire on numerous tactical operations, Mr. Driscoll has been awarded the FBI Medal of Valor and the FBI Shield of Bravery.

Prior to his career with the FBI, Mr. Driscoll was a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Mr. Driscoll earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Villanova University and a master’s degree in public policy and international relations from Pepperdine University.

Source: US FBI

Court-Authorized Operation Removes PlugX Malware from More Than 4,200 Infected U.S. Computers

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named R. Joseph Rothrock as the special agent in charge of the Dallas Field Office. Mr. Rothrock most recently served as the deputy assistant director in the Counterintelligence Division.

Mr. Rothrock entered on duty as an FBI special agent in 2006, assigned to the San Diego Field Office, Imperial County Resident Agency. During this assignment, he investigated transnational organized crime, violent crime, public corruption, and counterterrorism matters.

In 2012, Mr. Rothrock was promoted to supervisory special agent (SSA) and assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division (CID) at FBI Headquarters. Mr. Rothrock returned to San Diego in 2014 as an SSA working domestic and international violent crime, as well as crimes against children and victim services programs.

Mr. Rothrock was named assistant section chief for CID in 2019. He was later promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch at the Pittsburgh Field Office. In 2022, Mr. Rothrock returned to CID once more, this time as a section chief. Mr. Rothrock has been serving as the deputy assistant director of the Counterintelligence Division since 2023. 

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Rothrock began his law enforcement career in 2001 as a police officer in Florissant, MO. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in information technology and a master’s degree in business administration from Lindenwood University.

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Phillip E. Bates as the special agent in charge of the Mission Services Division at the Washington Field Office. Mr. Bates most recently served as section chief of the Inspection Division’s Internal Affairs Section.

In July 2008, Mr. Bates began his career at the FBI as a special agent. He reported to the Seattle Division’s Everett Resident Agency, where he worked on their Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and covered Indian country matters.

In 2013, he transferred to the Phoenix Field Office, where he was a member of the Violent Street Gang Task Force. He was promoted to supervisory special agent (SSA) in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate at FBI Headquarters in 2014. During his time in WMDD, he oversaw weapons of mass destruction (WMD) investigations in the western United States and Asia before returning to Phoenix in 2016 to serve as the primary WMD coordinator. 

In 2018, he was promoted to supervisor of the Phoenix JTTF, where he led the Threat Assessment and Mitigation squad, moving to lead the Domestic Terrorism and WMD squad in May 2019. In April 2021, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge over the counterterrorism program at the Phoenix Field Office.

Prior to becoming a special agent, Mr. Bates served for six years as a police officer and a member of the special weapons and tactics team for the City of Mesa, Arizona Police Department. Mr. Bates graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in education and graduated in 2012 from Norwich University with a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

Source: US FBI

The FBI is committed to providing assistance and support to the victims of the January 1, 2025, attack on Bourbon Street. FBI victim specialists are engaging with the victims and family members impacted by the brutal attack, which took the lives of 14 innocent people. 

The FBI has established a victim resource page where victims can complete a seeking victim form and be contacted directly for assistance by FBI victim specialists. 

The FBI is working with our local, state, and federal partners to open a centralized location where victims and their loved ones can receive in-person information and assistance. At this Family Assistance Center (FAC), victims and family members will also be able to recover personal items left at the scene of the attack. Media will not be allowed to enter the FAC out of respect for the privacy of victims and their families. The FAC will open at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church at 5621 Elysian Fields Avenue in New Orleans on Sunday, January 5 from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. Regular operations will begin, Monday, January 6, when the FAC will provide services from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) is leading the Bureau’s effort to ensure that victims and their families receive the services and support they need in the aftermath of this attack, in coordination with many local, state, and federal partners.   

VSD’s Victim Services Response Team (VSRT) is one of the many specialized FBI assets deployed to New Orleans. VSRT is a multi-disciplinary team of agents, analysts, and victim specialists who are specially trained to provide support in crisis following mass violence incidents. VSRT provides a number of different services, including coordinating emergency victim assistance funding for emergency expenditures like travel and lodging, repatriation of remains, child and dependent care, medical services, and mental health services.

The seeking victim form can be found at https://forms.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetvictims.

More information about FBI victim services can found at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services.

For updates on the Bourbon Street Attack, visit www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetupdates.

Source: US FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel from across the country continue to work diligently to further this investigation and evaluate evidence, interview victims and witnesses, and analyze tips related to the New Orleans Bourbon Street attack. Two days into the investigation, the FBI has received almost 1,000 tips, and leads have been sent to FBI field offices across the country for investigation.

As of Thursday, January 2, 2025, all evidence recovery along Bourbon Street and at a short-term rental home on Mandeville Street in New Orleans used by subject Shamsud-Din Jabbar has been completed. At the Mandeville Street location, bomb-making materials—which were rendered safe—and other items were found and collected for further processing. FBI special agents located similar materials at the search of Jabbar’s home on Crescent Peak Drive in Houston, Texas. 

On January 1, at 5:18 a.m. CST, the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) responded to a fire at the Mandeville Street location after the attack on Bourbon Street. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has determined that Jabbar was the only person who could have had access to the residence when the fire was set. ATF also determined that Jabbar set a small fire in the hallway and strategically placed accelerants throughout the house in his effort to destroy it and other evidence of his crime. After Jabbar left the residence, the fire burned to a point that it extinguished itself prior to spreading to other rooms. The ATF investigation revealed that when the NOFD arrived at the scene, the fire was smoldering, allowing for the recovery of evidence, including pre-cursors for bomb-making material and a privately made device suspected of being a silencer for a rifle. 

Evidence collected from multiple sites are being evaluated to further the investigation. The FBI assesses that, during his attack on Bourbon Street, Jabbar intended to use a transmitter, which was found in the F150 truck, to detonate the two IEDs he placed on Bourbon Street. The transmitter, along with two firearms connected to Jabbar, is being transported to the FBI Laboratory for additional testing, as well as clothing and shell casings from the truck. FBI personnel are also evaluating terabytes worth of video and other data collected by street cameras monitored by the New Orleans Real Time Crime Center.  

The FBI continues to surge resources from across the country to assist the New Orleans Field Office. In addition to FBI special agents and personnel based in Louisiana, more than 200 additional personnel have been brought in to assist in this investigation in order to process evidence, support victims, and investigate leads and tips. Personnel support includes, but is not limited to, special agents, victim specialists, evidence technicians, specially trained crisis management personnel, and intelligence analysts. 

FBI victim specialists and special agents continue to interview survivors and witnesses. As of January 3, the FBI has identified 35 known injured individuals. The number of injured is expected to rise in the coming days as additional people either take themselves to hospitals with injuries or ask for assistance from the FBI. Fourteen innocent people were killed in the attack. Courageous New Orleans Police Department officers shot and killed Jabbar after he opened fire on them and the crowd on Bourbon Street. 

For updates, visit www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetupdates. 

Source: US FBI

The FBI Washington Field Office (WFO) today released additional information about the suspect who placed pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021.

As part of a renewed call for tips from the public, the FBI posted on its Seeking Information webpage previously unreleased video of the suspect placing one of the bombs near the DNC and announced that it estimates the suspect to be approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall. A reward of up to $500,000 is available for information leading to the individual’s arrest and conviction.

Four years into the investigation, identifying the perpetrator of this attempted attack remains a priority for WFO; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Washington Field Division; the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD); and the U.S. Capitol Police Department (USCP). 

The suspect placed pipe bombs in a Capitol Hill neighborhood near the RNC, located at 310 First St. SE, and the DNC, located at 430 South Capitol St. SE, #3, on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, between approximately 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.—the night before the riots at the U.S. Capitol. 

Although these bombs did not detonate, the suspect walked along residential and commercial areas in Capitol Hill just blocks from the U.S. Capitol with viable pipe bombs that could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders.

“Over the past four years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, data scientists, and law enforcement partners has visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, conducted more than 1,000 interviews, reviewed approximately 39,000 video files, and assessed more than 600 tips about who may have placed pipe bombs on Capitol Hill in January 2021,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.

“The tips the FBI has received so far have helped us advance the investigation, but they have not led us to identify the suspect. Today, we are releasing additional information about the suspect—including that we estimate the person to be approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall—to encourage the public to take a fresh look at the Seeking Information webpage and contact the FBI if they recognize or have information about the suspect,” Sundberg said.

The website includes a new video with updated maps of the route the suspect walked the night the bombs were placed; previously unreleased footage of the suspect placing one of the bombs near the DNC; and closeup images of the distinctive Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes the suspect wore.

“We urge anyone who may have previously hesitated to come forward, or who may not have realized they had important information, to contact the FBI. A reward of up to $500,000 is available for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for this dangerous attempt to harm our community,” Sundberg said.

If you have any information, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous.

The FBI asks those providing tips about potential persons of interest to compile and provide as many details as possible (biographic info, contact info, demographic info, proximity to Washington, D.C., in early January 2021, and access to pipe bomb components) to ensure the FBI can adequately vet the information. 

Follow the FBI’s Washington Field Office on X and Facebook at @FBIWFO and on Instagram at @FBI.WFO for updates.

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Sean T. Ryan as the special agent in charge of the Criminal/Cyber Division at the Washington Field Office. Mr. Ryan most recently served as the section chief of the Counterterrorism Division’s HUMINT (human intelligence) Section.

Mr. Ryan entered on duty as a special agent for the FBI in February 2004 and was first assigned to investigate counterterrorism and counterintelligence matters at the Washington Field Office (WFO). Mr. Ryan then transitioned to a public corruption squad and later became a member of the Evidence Response Team.

Mr. Ryan deployed to Karachi, Pakistan, in March 2006 to support the bombing investigation at the United States consulate. In March 2008, Mr. Ryan deployed to Islamabad, Pakistan, to support another bombing investigation.
 
In 2010, Mr. Ryan was promoted to supervisory special agent (SSA) and served as a program manager in the Counterterrorism Division.

Mr. Ryan moved to the Fort Worth Resident Agency in Texas as the white-collar crime SSA. In 2013, Mr. Ryan was asked to lead the Dallas Field Office’s Cyber Task Force.

In 2016, Mr. Ryan was promoted as a unit chief in the Counterterrorism Division. Mr. Ryan was selected as the chief of staff for the assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division in 2018. Mr. Ryan has also instructed at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary, on multiple occasions.

In January 2019, Mr. Ryan was named assistant special agent in charge of the Jacksonville Field Office’s National Security Branch. In December 2019, Mr. Ryan was the deputy on-scene commander during the response to the Naval Air Station–Pensacola terrorist attack. In 2022, Mr. Ryan assumed the role of ASAC of Jacksonville’s Criminal and Administrative Branch.

Mr. Ryan held various positions in the financial services industry from 1996 to 2004. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of South Florida in 2002.