National Targeting Center
The National Targeting Center (NTC) is a division of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It is based in Sterling, Virginia.[1] The NTC observes air traffic and trade activities,[2] gathers and vets intelligence, and is empowered to send e-mails requesting that U.S. citizens be detained and questioned.[3]
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The National Targeting Center includes several divisions, including: NTC-Cargo, NTC-Passenger, Counter-Network, and National Targeting Center – Investigations (NTC-I). The latter was established in 2013.[4]
The NTC was initially established in 2001; its original name was Office of Border Security.[5]
In 2017, the NTC approached journalists "as part of a broader effort to get reporters to write about forced labor around the world as a national security issue." The journalists included Ali Watkins and Martha Mendoza. The issue came to light from a redacted Inspector General report given to the Associated Press.[6]
In 2021, CBP launched an investigation of the NTC's targeting of journalists, members of Congress, and others.[7] In 2022, CBP agreed to release to the U.S. Senate the Inspector General's report previously leaked to the Associated Press, in exchange for Senate approval of an employee.[8]
References
- ↑ "CBP National Targeting Center | U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preview". https://www.cbp.gov/frontline/cbp-national-targeting-center.
- ↑ "U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations Officer Conduct Global Observations of Air Traffic and Trade Activities | Homeland Security". https://www.dhs.gov/medialibrary/assets/images/6057.
- ↑ Melissa del Bosque (4 September 2021). "SECRETIVE CBP COUNTERTERRORISM TEAMS INTERROGATED 180,000 U.S. CITIZENS OVER TWO-YEAR PERIOD". The Intercept. https://theintercept.com/2021/09/04/cbp-border-tactical-terrorism-response-teams/. "CBP’s National Targeting Center, which gathers and vets intelligence [...] an analyst from the National Targeting Center sent an email to the TTRT at the airport requesting that Gach be detained and questioned"
- ↑ "HSI FY18 Achievements: Opioids". https://www.ice.gov/features/opioids.
- ↑ "Mou 225-14-026". FDA. 3 November 2018. https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/domestic-mous/mou-225-14-026.
- ↑ MARK SHERMAN (11 December 2021). "Watchdog: Federal anti-terror unit investigated journalists" (in en). Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/business-arts-and-entertainment-journalists-congress-992f41e92d9402299eaffe798048cd12. "assigned to the border agency unit, part of the National Targeting Center in Sterling, Virginia, in 2017. He told investigators he initially approached Watkins as part of a broader effort to get reporters to write about forced labor around the world as a national security issue. He also described similar efforts with AP reporter Martha Mendoza"
- ↑ Winter, Jana (31 December 2021). "CBP launches review of secretive division that targeted journalists, lawmakers and other Americans" (in en). Yahoo News. https://news.yahoo.com/cbp-launches-review-secretive-division-that-targeted-journalists-lawmakers-americans-100035634.html. "CBP’s internal probe was prompted by Yahoo News’ reporting earlier this month on Operation Whistle Pig, a leak investigation targeting reporter Ali Watkins"
- ↑ Jana Winter. "DHS to provide Congress with Operation Whistle Pig report detailing spying on journalists, lawmakers". Yahoo! News. https://news.yahoo.com/dhs-to-provide-congress-with-operation-whistle-pig-report-detailing-spying-on-journalists-lawmakers-025102951.html. "“We have a commitment to get the Whistle Pig IG report within 30 days,” Keith Chu, a spokesperson for Wyden told Yahoo News. “This was a condition of supporting Wainstein.”"