Category: Security

Source: US FBI

At the request of the New Orleans Police Department, FBI New Orleans has surged resources to assist with apprehending inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail on May 16, 2025. The FBI routinely offers assistance to our law enforcement partners, to provide additional manpower and specialized resources. 

In addition, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for tips leading to the arrest of any of the inmates. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-Call-FBI or send digital tips to fbi.gov/neworleansfugitives

Source: US FBI

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three members of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club pleaded guilty this week before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, for their involvement in a series of armed assaults against members of rival motorcycle clubs.

Christopher W. McGowen, also known as “Mac,” 41, of Platte City, Mo., pleaded guilty on May 13, 2025, to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, one count of attempting to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 26, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.

Arthur L. Reynolds III, also known as “Straight Edge,” 48, of Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of firearms.

On May 30, 2022, McGowen and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, assaulted a lone rival gang member at a business in Grain Valley, Mo.  In addition to fists, one Pagan used an axe handle during the assault, causing physical injury to the victim.

On September 3, 2022, McGowen and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, travelled to Topeka, Ks., to carry out a revenge attack against another rival motorcycle gang.  The plan was to “catch a stray” and “smash on sight” any rival member they saw.  The Pagan’s were aware that the rival motorcycle gang was having an event in Topeka that day, and the plan was to use either an axe handle or a gun on one of the rival gang members.  After arriving in Topeka, a rival member was spotted in a hotel parking lot.  As a member of the Pagan’s prepared to shoot the rival, a disagreement occurred among members, and the group returned to the Kansas City area.

On September 17, 2022, McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo.  Various members of the Pagan’s and their support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle.  McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg.

Following these events, McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and others present at the various assaults were awarded patches for their participation.

On May 11, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Reynolds’ residence in Independence, Mo.  Inside, officers located seven firearms, various calibers of ammunition, body armor, and Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang-related items, including support shirts, patches, and paperwork for the Pagan’s.  On Jan. 24, 2005, Reynolds pleaded guilty to felony aggravated robbery in the District Court of Johnson County, Kansas, for which he later was sentenced to 61 months in custody.

Under federal statutes, McGowen and Reynolds are subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole, and Hodge is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: US FBI

EL PASO, Texas – An indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf.

“Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”

According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.     

On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.

On Jan. 20, President Trump directed the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.

“The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that United States law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”

“Today’s historic indictment of Navarro-Sanchez, a high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) for providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization sets a precedent and sends an unmistakable message,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “The FBI is fully committed to using every resource at our disposal to dismantle this, and any other transnational criminal organization, and bring to justice all who enable, support, or profit from their deadly operations within the United States. The FBI El Paso Field Office is doubling down on our partnerships, both locally and with our Mexican counterparts to relentlessly pursue these cartels, violent gangs, and the organized networks that support them by continuing to aggressively disrupt their supply chains, cut off their funding, and take down their leadership, piece by piece, operation by operation.”

“The carnage left behind in the wake of the cartel is devastating to so many in the US and abroad,” stated Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, aka Fernanda, aka Chayo, is a groundbreaking demonstration of what international law enforcement authorities can do to fight the scourge of firearm trafficking and the menace that is the narcotics cartels. This may be one of the first of these charges, but it won’t be the last. Thanks to the multi-agency, ATF-led El Paso Operation Southbound Firearms Trafficking Task Force, for their nonstop commitment to take out one of the key players in the trafficking of firearms across our borders.”

“DEA is known for investigating and successfully convicting numerous narco-terrorism targets,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Arellano for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Division. “But this case is a prime example of how DEA is expanding and incorporating more terrorism-related investigative authorities. The men and women of the DEA welcome every tool and every measure available to us to defeat CJNG.”

“This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. “These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that “This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. “These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that crosses borders, devastating communities through the distribution of deadly drugs and inciting chaos and violence.”

Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s (JTFA) work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.

The FBI, ATF, DEA, Customs and Border Protection and HSI in El Paso investigated the case, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The DEA, CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.

The case announced today is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from CBP, HSI, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD).

The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: US FBI

Seattle – A 37-year-old Seattle man appeared for arraignment this morning on an indictment charging him with sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion and transporting an adult to engage in prostitution, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Shante Broady pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the indictment. He remains detained at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) at SeaTac pending a trial currently scheduled for July 14, 2025, in front of U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour.

According to records filed in the case, Broady has been on law enforcement’s radar since March 2023, when they received a report that Broady had been sex trafficking a victim in Portland, Oregon. And in November 2024, a former girlfriend reported being assaulted by Broady.

In April 2025, two women in Seattle contacted the FBI regarding Broady’s sex trafficking and threats of violence. One woman said Broady was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt to force her into prostitution. The other reported that in March 2025, Broady had lured her from Canada, paying for her plane ticket. He then forced her into prostitution with threats and violence, and brandishing a firearm when angered. Text messages allegedly document the threats. The victims got a civil restraining order to try to keep him away from them. The woman from Canada was ultimately able to return home.

The criminal complaint also details Broady’s involvement in transporting and harboring a juvenile who had run away from a boarding school in another state. The juvenile was encountered on North Aurora Avenue and taken into custody by law enforcement. She was ultimately safely returned to family members. The trafficking of the juvenile remains under investigation.

Sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to life in prison. Transportation of an adult for purposes of prostitution is punishable by up to ten years in prison.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham. Ms. Crisham leads the Anti-Trafficking prosecutions in the Western District of Washington.  

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Daniel Augustine Solis, age, 33, to 40 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.  Judge Rice also imposed a lifetime of supervised release and restitution of $615.00

Judge Rice presided over a criminal trial for Solis, which began November 4, 2024. On the second day of trial, Solis pleaded guilty after the United States presented evidence of a text conversation between Solis and his co-defendant regarding the sexual abuse of a child.

According to court documents and information presented at the trial and sentencing hearing, in the fall of 2019, Solis lived with his girlfriend in Eastern Washington. Solis was abusive and manipulative, which included monitoring his girlfriend’s actions through logging on to her social media and various phone applications.

Solis eventually moved to Michigan, where he continued his pattern of manipulation. In attempt to appease Solis, his girlfriend agreed to create sexually explicit videos involving a minor child and send them to Solis.

In February 2020, Solis became angry when he learned that his girlfriend told her mother Solis had access to the family cell phone plan. For the next several hours, Solis threatened to report his girlfriend to police based on the previously created videos, unless she created more explicit videos involving the minor child. Solis gave her specific instructions regarding the content and time length for the videos.

After the creation of the videos, the two continued texting. At some point, Solis again became upset with his girlfriend. This time, instead of demanding another video, Solis logged into his girlfriend’s phone account, using the name and password he used to monitor her activity, and sent the explicit videos to his girlfriend’s co-workers and friends.

“Daniel Solis committed acts of unimaginable cruelty and exploitation,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “His manipulation and abuse caused profound harm, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes. The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities—our children—and to holding predators accountable wherever they are found.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kalamazoo Township Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison L. Gregoire and Rebecca R. Perez with assistance from the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office. 

2:20-cr-00179-TOR

Source: US FBI

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

Andrew R.A. Williams, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

On July 31, 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Williams was an associate and co-conspirator of Tiger Dean Draggoo, of Kansas City, Mo., in the distribution of fentanyl pills.  Draggoo sold approximately 11,120 pills to Williams between February 2022 and November 2022. Draggoo pleaded guilty In Oct. 2024 and is set for sentencing on Aug. 7, 2025.

Williams was also a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Alexander Barnett, of Lee’s Summit, Mo.  Williams sold at least 418 pills to Barnett between April 1, 2022, through March 5, 2023, and was paid approximately $5,467.  Barnett pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison without parole on Jan. 30, 2025.

On April 19, 2023, Jackson County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant for Williams’ hotel room.  Inside, law enforcement recovered 7 fentanyl pills, approximately 6.13 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, a Springfield Armory, XD-9, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a Girsan 1911-style, .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, 9mm and .45 caliber ammunition and $1,220 in U.S. currency.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.

Source: US FBI

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Chicago, Il., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today for her role in a wire fraud conspiracy that targeted United States Service men and women who had recently joined the military.

Jetauwn T. Griffin, 31, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr., to a federal information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Griffin conspired with others that sought to defraud United States military service men and women through the use of social media.

According to the plea agreement, Griffin conspired with others that employed a scheme to defraud United States military service men and women. Service members who had recently joined the United States military were contacted through various social media platforms.  Upon communicating with each military member, a person within the conspiracy would use the information obtained from the social media platform and then contact the service member claiming to be a senior military official.  As a senior military member, they would tell each service member that they were receiving the wrong salary, and they were owed more money than they were being paid.  The perpetrators of the scheme who advise the service member that they needed to return their prior pay using a cash application and then they would receive the higher pay once the other money was returned.  If a service member followed these instructions, the members of this scheme would take the monies transferred and would never return any monies to the victim.  Griffin conspired with others in this scheme by taking the cash application transfers and conducted financial transactions that transferred the victim’s money to accounts that were accessed by all members of the scheme.

Under federal statutes, Griffin is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Source: US FBI

A Melvindale man – and former member of the Michigan Army National Guard – was arrested today after he attempted to carry out a plan to conduct a mass-shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Michigan, on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization.

Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, is charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device.

“This defendant is charged with planning a deadly attack on a U.S. military base here at home for ISIS,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, we foiled the attack before lives were lost. We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the Department to find and prosecute those who seek to harm our men and women in the military and to protect all Americans.”

“ISIS is a brutal terrorist organization which seeks to kill Americans. Helping ISIS or any other terrorist organization prepare or carry out acts of violence is not only a reprehensible crime – it is a threat to our entire nation and way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Our office will not tolerate such crimes or threats, and we will use the full weight of the law against anyone who engages in terrorism.”

“The defendant allegedly tried to carry out an attack on a military facility in support of ISIS, which was disrupted thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to detect and stop terrorist plans aimed at the American homeland or at U.S. interests overseas.”

“The arrest of this former soldier is a sobering reminder of the importance of our counterintelligence efforts to identify and disrupt those who would seek to harm our nation,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “I commend the tireless work of our special agents and FBI partners who worked together to investigate and apprehend this individual. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to prevent similar incidents in the future. We urge all soldiers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to their chain of command, as the safety and security of our Army and our nation depends on our collective efforts to prevent insider threats.”

According to the complaint, Said informed two undercover law enforcement officers of a plan he had devised and formulated to conduct a mass-shooting at the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) facility at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan. In April 2025, the two undercover officers indicated they intended to carry out Said’s plan at the direction of ISIS. In response, Said provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter TACOM and which building to target.

On May 13 – the scheduled day of the attack – Said was arrested after he traveled to an area near TACOM and launched his drone in support of the attack plan. He will make his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of Michigan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will be asking the court to hold Said in pretrial detention because of his danger to the community and the risk that he will flee.         

Based on the charges in the complaint, Said faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count if convicted.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Salzenstein for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorneys John Cella and Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

The FBI and our partners disrupted a Chinese botnet and freed thousands of impacted devices from its clutches, Director Christopher Wray announced September 18. 

The botnet, which was operated by a Chinese government-sponsored hacker group known as Flax Typhoon, targeted internet-connected devices such as storage devices, cameras, and video recorders to compromise victims’ systems and steal their confidential data, Director Wray said during a keynote at the 2024 Aspen Cyber Summit in Washington, D.C.

“Ultimately, as part of this operation, we were able to identify thousands of infected devices, and, then, with court authorization, issued commands to remove the malware from them, prying them from China’s grip,” Wray said.  

Approximately half of the devices under the botnet’s control were based in the United States, he noted. The hacker group’s targets included organizations in the public and private sectors, as well as academia and the media, he added. Wray also revealed the hacker group’s true identity to be an information security company known as the Integrity Technology Group. “But their chairman has publicly admitted that for years his company has collected intelligence and performed reconnaissance for Chinese government security agencies,” Wray added. 

Wray called the cyber disruption a success but cautioned that the effort was “just one round in a much longer fight.” 

“The Chinese government is going to continue to target your organizations and our critical infrastructure—either by their own hand or concealed through their proxies,” Wray said. “And we’ll continue to work with our partners to identify their malicious activity, disrupt their hacking campaigns, and bring them to light.” 

Saving victims time and money 

During his remarks, Wray also underscored the Bureau’s dedication to working with victims of cyber intrusions, whether they’re individuals or organizations. According to Wray, reporting ransomware attacks to the FBI can potentially help us: 

• Recover ransomed data 
• Negotiate-down ransoms demanded by cybercriminals—or spare victims from having to pay ransoms at all 
• Help impacted organizations resume their normal operations in a speedy manner 

“I’m extremely proud to report that, in just the past two years, the FBI has handed out nearly 1,000 decryptors, and we’ve saved victims around the world something like $800 million in ransom payments,” Wray said. 

Decryptors—also known as decryption keys—function like passwords to unlock data that ransomware criminals hold captive. But, Wray explained, some of those keys require information about the victim to work.  

So it’s paramount that organizations contact the FBI if they fall victim to ransomware attacks. Otherwise, he cautioned, the Bureau “might not be able to make that match—and we might not be able to save you that ransom payment.” 

Wray also discussed how information sharing between the Bureau and our public and private sector partners can help the FBI combat ongoing cyberattacks and lessen the impact of future cyber incidents.  

As an example, he pointed to a recent interagency effort to alert the private sector that a pro-Russian hacktivist group was targeting “operational technology networks.”  

“They had set their sights across our critical infrastructure—from dams and wastewater systems to the energy, food, and agriculture sectors,” Wray explained.  

But, he said, the FBI’s joint advisory about the cyber threat allowed private sector organizations to fix the vulnerability these bad actors were using to infiltrate networks, thereby protecting the companies and the American public, alike. 

“So, if there’s only one thing you take away from my time here today, I hope it’s this: The FBI needs and wants to work with you,” Wray said. “Let us save you money, save you time, and save you from future attacks so that you can keep your organization’s focus where it should be: on your operations, and—together—we can help keep our nation safe.” 

West Palm Beach investigation updates 

During his remarks, Wray also addressed the Bureau’s investigation into the September 15 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.  

“For the second time in just over two months, we’ve witnessed what appears to be an attempt to attack our democracy and our democratic process,” he said. “I’m relieved that former President Trump is safe, and I want the American people to know the men and women of the FBI are working tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened.” 

Wray acknowledged that the ongoing nature of the investigation limited how much the Bureau could say about the matter. 

“What I can say is that we have dedicated the full force of the FBI to this investigation, and that runs the gamut from criminal to national security resources, from tactical support to Evidence Response Teams, from forensic scientists to operational technology personnel,” he said.“Together, we’re working around the clock to investigate this.”