Black El Paso Voice

All Things Black in El Paso

FBI EL PASO

Sharing information for the El Paso, Texas community.

FBI El Paso 2023 Review and Focus for 2024

by

Happy New Year and wishes for a fun, healthy, and safe 2024! I look forward to the continued partnership and information sharing we have with you all. I want to be able to push the envelope of sharing to help everyone see how the FBI operates and continue dispelling the mistruths and myths about the FBI.

When looking back at 2023, one of the biggest accomplishments for FBI El Paso and our community was obtaining the guilty plea for the 2019 Walmart shooter and the closure of the federal case with 90 consecutive life sentences. Although it doesn’t bring back the ones we’ve lost or help the individuals still recovering from the traumatic events of that day, and least we were able to provide justice for the atrocities and pain he caused in our loving community.

Two of FBI El Paso’s top concerns for 2024, will be addressing hoax threats affecting our schools and violent gangs. We will be working with the District Attorney’s Office and County Attorney’s Office to develop proactive PSAs directed towards the youth and the continued growth of our joint Threat Assessment teams. Working with EPPD, we’ve seen an increase of gang violence plaguing El Paso neighborhoods. Through our Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, we will continue working with our partners at the Texas Anti-Gang Center to identify and dismantle established gangs as well as the newer gangs forming on our streets. Too many juveniles are ruining their futures with hoax threats and numerous young lives have been lost from pointless gang violence.

And as always, we will need the help from the community to identify those juveniles that need assistance or to report violence affecting your neighborhoods. You all know your streets better than we do and we can’t eradicate crime without your help.

I look forward to settling in here in El Paso and getting out there in the community.  Please say hi if you see me out in the community. I’d love to hear how we are doing.

 

John Morales

Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso

Special Agent in Charge John S. Morales

Dissecting a Scam Letter

by

In 2016, over 22,000 FBI employees were victims of “doxing”. Their contact information to include job titles, employee phone numbers, states of residences, email addresses, and other information was released to the public. Over the years we have seen a more targeted retaliation towards FBI leadership, which includes individuals such as me. Scammers have used our information successfully in government impersonation scams. 

Let’s look at an example of how scammers are targeting unwitting individuals in our communities to steal money from them using their and my information and position. The above letter started going out with my name earlier this month, just two weeks after I was announced as the Special Agent in Charge for the FBI El Paso field office. As of today, my office has received eight reports of victims located in the Midwest and the Northeast. One victim reported losing $35,000 to solve her son’s identity theft case.

For many of you, you have not seen an official FBI document and if you see a classification on a document, you think it’s a legitimate document. Let me point out a few things that will help you spot the scam.

Red Flags:

  1. FBI letters to the public will not have a classification on them. You will not see UNCLASSIFIED.  You will not see “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE”.  Although these are valid classification and handling caveats, the FBI will not include them on a letter going to a member of the community.
  2. The Administrative Note explains how the FBI El Paso Division’s Field Intelligence Group has a part in this letter. This group of primarily Intelligence Analysts would not be sending you a letter about an investigative matter.
  3. The letter is labeled as a “SITUATIONAL INTELLIGENCE REPORT”. Although this is a valid form, it is only used internally for intelligence gathered in investigations, it will not be used to communicate with the public.
  4. The letter mentions “US Customs and Border Patrol”, the correct name is “US Customs and Border Protection.”
  5. The letter mentions “bank of america”, the correct name would be “Bank of America.”
  6. The FBI will not use a blue stamp that says “FBI” right above my name in a letter.
  7. The “signature” is not mine; it is a font type used to look like a signature.
  8. We would not put “Our Office” in the signature line. The office information is correct to lead you to believe I sent this out to you.

This letter is used twofold: add legitimacy to their government impersonation and financial impersonation scam and used in multiple angles to include cryptocurrency to make a person believe they are a victim of identity theft.

If you receive this letter, throw it away.  If emailed to you, delete it.  Don’t believe the initial phone calls where they provide this letter or use my name.  If they demand cryptocurrency to fix the Identity Theft situation, hang up it’s a scam. 

A true victim of identity theft should contact their financial institutions directly on the telephone numbers on the banking statement or back of your debit card, they should contact the three credit bureaus to put a freeze on their accounts so no new lines of credit can be taken out in their name. The Federal Trade Commission has valuable information at IdentityTheft.gov to help report and develop a plan to recover from identity theft.

John Morales

Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso

Indicators of Violent Extremism | Quarterly FBI & BEPV Black Leaders Roundtable:

by

Join us for the quarterly Black Roundtable Community Discussion with the local field office of the FBI, Thursday, November 9th at 6:30 PM. 

Click here to register

=======

Violent Extremism:

As he testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (video clip), FBI Director Christopher Wray discussed threats facing the nation. During his opening statement, he provided an overview of the current threat landscape in the United States. The ongoing conflict between Israel and HAMAS could lead to additional threats of violence in the US from foreign terrorist organizations overseas, individuals in the US inspired by those organizations, or newly emboldened domestic violent extremists motivated by their racial hatred. Americans, especially those in the Jewish, Arab, and Muslim communities, have seen an increase in threats. The FBI has assured that it will not tolerate violence motivated by hate or extremism and will use all its legal authorities to protect the American people and pursue justice for all victims. The FBI is working closely with faith and community organizations to share relevant information and to identify and disrupt any threats that may emerge. The FBI takes all threats seriously and investigates any tips or information received regarding potential threats. It’s crucial to emphasize that the FBI will never launch an investigation solely based on an individual’s race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or their exercise of First Amendment rights. If you become aware of any threat or suspicious activity, please report that information immediately to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or by calling your local FBI field office. If the activity involves imminent violence or threat to life, call 911.

The FBI Approach Towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies

by

Throughout our 115-year history, the FBI has consistently adapted to advances in technology. FBI professionals implement technological advances in our work processes and procedures to improve how we accomplish our mission to protect the American people. The FBI also develops new and creative approaches to combat criminal use of new technologies and foreign adversary efforts to steal American innovations.

The pace of technology innovation is constantly increasing. Artificial intelligence or “AI” is a rapidly evolving advancement, and it seems we see or hear about “AI” everywhere. AI can be defined in different ways. Here, we are discussing artificial systems that perform and/or solve tasks in varying circumstances that require human-like abilities. The systems can learn from experience and improve performance when exposed to data. It also includes machine learning (ML).

AI has significant potential to transform society and our daily lives in positive ways. Unfortunately, it also provides criminals the opportunity to exploit this technology to harm others and threaten U.S. National Security. For instance, AI technologies are used to save us time by automating tasks. AI can also be used to generate fake or altered images or emails, fake or altered audio recordings, or malicious software code.

AI will likely have far-reaching implications on the threats we face, the types of crimes committed, and how we conduct our law enforcement activities. The FBI is approaching AI technology in three principal focus areas.

First, the FBI is working to identify and defend against threats from those who use AI for criminal activity, and against those who attack AI and ML systems which are being used for legitimate and lawful purposes. This includes the criminal use of AI generated digital content for extortion schemes or foreign adversary espionage efforts. Here we also look at the increase in use of AI and ML systems in critical infrastructure sectors as they present more opportunities for cyber-attacks such as network intrusions, ransomware, and data theft.


Secondly, the FBI is working to defend the innovators – private companies, universities, government research facilities – who are building the next generation of technology. The U.S. is the gold standard for AI talent in the world and is home to many leading AI companies. That makes our technology sectors an attractive target. Theft of AI technology advancements can cause significant harm to our economic and national security.

Third, the FBI is evaluating how AI can enable us to better serve the American people – for instance, improving efficiency in prioritizing large amounts of video/data to help solve crimes – responsibly, ethically, under human control, and within law and policy. The FBI currently uses AI only in specific and limited ways. One example of this use was after the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. Multiple investigators used AI to review and tag 21,000 hours of video over 10 days with little duplication of efforts.

As we have through history, the FBI will pursue our mission wherever it leads us. This includes mastering new domains and learning new technologies. We will continue to protect the American people with today’s technology while always looking at emerging technology to remain the premier law enforcement agency in the world.

Doug Goodwater
Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso

 

Virtual Kidnapping: A New Twist on a Frightening Scam

by

Law enforcement agencies have been warning the public of virtual kidnapping schemes for at least two decades. This scam was once limited to Mexico and Southwest border states but has evolved so that U.S. residents anywhere could be potential victims.

Extortionists are preying on panic, fear, embarrassment and on the strength of familial bond. They know these emotions can make individuals more vulnerable to the extortion.

These types of cases are tragic. It’s not the amount of money involved; it’s the fact innocent victims are tricked into believing their loved ones are in danger and the horror and helplessness they feel as they scramble to secure what they think is their release.

Virtual kidnappings happen when a victim is told, over the phone, that his or her family member has been kidnapped. Callers, sometimes representing themselves as members of a drug cartel or corrupt law enforcement, will typically provide the victim with specific instructions to ensure safe “return” of the allegedly kidnapped individual.

These instructions usually involve demands of a ransom payment. Most schemes use various techniques to instill a sense of fear, panic, and urgency to rush the victim into making a very hasty decision. Instructions usually require the ransom payment be made immediately and typically by wire transfer, gift cards, peer 2 peer payment apps, couriers and rideshares, and recently in cryptocurrency. These schemes involve varying amounts of ransom demands, which often decrease at the first indication of resistance.

The amount paid by victims range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.
The perpetrators will often go to great lengths to engage victims in ongoing conversations to prevent them from verifying the status and location of the “kidnapped” individuals. Callers will often make their victims believe they are being watched and were personally targeted.

Until recently these virtual kidnapping calls were coming from Mexico—almost all these schemes originated from within Mexican prisons. We now see that these calls are originating from other countries as well as inside the United States.

To avoid becoming a victim of this extortion scheme, look for the following possible indicators:
 Calls are usually made from an outside area code
 Calls do not come from the kidnapped victim’s phone
 Callers go to great lengths to keep you on the phone
 Callers prevent you from calling or locating the “kidnapped” victim
 Ransom money is only accepted via electronic payment means (peer 2 peer, wire, cryptocurrency, or gift cards)

If you receive a phone call from someone who demands payment of a ransom for a kidnapped victim, the following should be considered:
 In most cases, the best course of action is to hang up the phone.
 Stay Calm.
 Try to slow the situation down. Request to speak to the victim directly. Ask, “How do I know my loved one is okay?”
 Avoid sharing information about you or your family during the call. Don’t call out your loved one’s name.
 Request the kidnapped victim call back from his/her cell phone
 Listen carefully to the voice of the kidnapped victim if they speak and ask questions only they would know.
 If they don’t let you speak to the victim, ask them to describe the victim (keep in mind what your family member has put out on social media)
 Attempt to text or contact the victim via social media.
 Attempt to physically locate the victim.
 To buy time, repeat the caller’s request and tell them you are writing down the demand, or tell the caller you need time to get things moving.
 Don’t directly challenge or argue with the caller. Keep your voice low and steady.

Anyone can become a victim of extortion, from soldiers/law enforcement personnel travelling to the El Paso/Mexico area, businessmen/women, to undocumented immigrants becoming trapped while coming to the U.S. in the hopes of starting a better life.

Doug Goodwater
Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso

Hate Speech versus Hate Crimes

by

Many people view hate speech and hate crime as one in the same. I’d like to explain how by law, hate speech and hate crime are considered two separate categories and how they are handled by the FBI.

 

Hate when used in hate crime law, does not mean rage, anger, or dislike. No matter how offensive to some, the FBI is keenly aware that expressing views is not a crime by itself and that the protections afforded under the Constitution cannot be compromised. Non-threatening hate conduct is protected by the First Amendment and the FBI does not investigate that conduct.

 

True threats, however, are NOT protected under the First Amendment. The Supreme Court has explained that “true threats” are statements meant to communicate a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals. A comment is NOT a true threat if it’s merely political hyperbole, threatens financial or emotional harm (rather than physical harm), or it’s just offensive (not matter how offensive it may be).

 

A hate crime is more than offensive speech or conduct. The FBI defines a hate crime as a “criminal offense (such as vandalism, arson, assault or murder) against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”  The FBI will conduct hate crime investigations when credible allegations exist of a federal statue violation, we must gather facts on two parts: the crime and proving the motivation for committing the crime was based on bias.

 

Of course, racial, antisemitic, or anti-LGBTQ slurs-or other speech that vilifies a targeted group- can be used as evidence in a hate crime when used by someone during the criminal act. The hate speech will show the motivation or bias towards the victim based on the victim’s federally protected status. This motivation is important as proof of the offender’s bias.

 

It’s important to point out that once the FBI gathers all the facts about the alleged hate crime and it’s determined the suspect violated one of the federal hate crime statues, the FBI will then present the findings of the investigation to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington DC. DOJ, consisting of federal prosecutors, will then make the determination about whether the suspect will be prosecuted or charged with a hate crime.

 

Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim, but they also threaten and intimidate an entire community. Because of their wide-ranging impact, investigating hate crimes is a high priority for the FBI. Many hate crimes are not reported to law enforcement. Many people don’t want to report it or feel it won’t be taken seriously. We want to help, but we need to hear from you. If you believe you are a victim of a hate crime or a witness to a hate crime, contact your local FBI Office (FBI El Paso at 915-832-5000) or go to tips.fbi.gov.

 

Jeffrey R. Downey

Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso

FBI El Paso: Be Air Aware: How to Report Sexual Assaults Aboard Aircraft

by

Summer travel season is in full swing. Let’s take a moment to discuss a serious federal crime I hope you never have to encounter, sexual assault on an airplane.

 

Compared to the tens of millions of U.S. citizens who fly each year, the number of in-flight sexual assault victims is relatively small, but even one victim is unacceptable. We are seeing more reports of in-flight sexual assault than ever before. This may be an underreported crime category, which is one reason we are hoping to draw added attention and encourage victims and witnesses to contact the FBI.

 

Unfortunately, people don’t think things like this happen on airplanes. There is a perception on an airplane that you’re in a bubble of safety. But particularly on overnight flights, where people may consume alcohol or take sleeping pills, and a dark cabin and close-quarter seating can give the perception of privacy and intimacy, offenders are tempted by opportunity.

 

Sexual assault aboard aircraft—which usually takes the form of unwanted touching—is a felony that can land offenders in prison. Typically, men are the perpetrators, and women and unaccompanied minors are the victims. The victims are usually in middle or window seats, sleeping, and covered with a blanket or jacket. They report waking up to their seatmate’s hands inside their clothing or underwear.

 

Many people don’t know, but any aircraft in flight from the moment the doors are closed until the time the doors are opened in the United States, falls under federal jurisdiction and the FBI will investigate federal crimes committed on that flight.  The FBI’s airport liaison agents across the U.S. work with local and airport law enforcement when crimes are reported aboard aircraft.

 

Although aggravated sexual assault, sexual abuse of a minor, or abusive sexual contact may be State charges, once the location of the aircraft is introduced, it becomes a federal crime.

 

Flyers need to be aware of their surroundings and take a few simple precautions to stay safe. Among suggested precautions:

  • Trust your gut. Offenders will often test their victims, sometimes pretending to brush against them to see how they react or if they wake up. “Don’t give them the benefit of the doubt,” Gates said. If such behavior occurs, reprimand the person immediately, and consider asking to be moved to another seat.
  • Recognize that mixing alcohol with sleeping pills or other medication on an overnight flight increases your risk. “Don’t knock yourself out with alcohol or drugs,” Gates said.
  • If your seatmate is a stranger, no matter how polite he or she may seem, keep the armrest between you down.
  • If you are arranging for a child to fly unaccompanied, try to reserve an aisle seat so flight attendants can keep a closer watch on them. FBI has seen victims as young as 8 years old.
  • If an incident happens, report it immediately to the flight crew and ask that they record the attacker’s identity and report the incident. Flight attendants and captains represent authority on the plane. They can alert law enforcement, and they can sometimes deal with the problem in the air. The flight crew can also put the offender on notice, which might prevent further problems.

 

If you think you are a victim or you have witnessed an incident, report the incident to your flight crew and contact the FBI. Try to take note of what has happened to better inform the responding agent or officer at the airport upon landing.

 

It doesn’t matter when you report an in-flight sexual assault—we take it seriously, and we will pursue it. But after the fact, these cases are much more difficult to prove. Report it immediately.

 

We want you to have a safe travel experience. There are all sorts of people in the air, just like on the ground.

 

Jeffrey R. Downey

Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso

Diversity and Inclusion at the FBI: Different Backgrounds. One Mission.Diversity and Inclusion at the FBI:

by

Different Backgrounds. One Mission.

To effectively accomplish our mission, the FBI needs people from different backgrounds, with varying experiences and perspectives. We know a more diverse workforce allows us to connect with and maintain the trust of the American people.

 

In 2013, former FBI Director James Comey observed a major problem within the FBI’s special agent workforce, 83 percent of the special agent ranks was white. How could the FBI relate to the diverse communities we serve, when only one demographic was being represented to the public? To overcome this issue, Director Comey directed Human Resources Division to look at diversity within the FBI and change the organization’s course to become more inclusive and multi-cultural. The FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) was created to develop and execute strategies that would support a diverse workforce and foster a culture that would integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. The FBI once again underwent a transformation to recruit underrepresented groups who would be essential to the success of our mission and drive the future of the FBI.

 

In 2014, Diversity was added as one of our eight Core Values to ensure diversity and inclusion would forever be integrated into the foundation of our organization and incorporated into everything we do.

 

In 2015, Diversity and Inclusion was added as a Director’s Priority Initiative to increase ethnic, racial, and gender diversity in our workforce. Under this priority DEIA was formulated: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.

 

To have employees become more involved in DEIA and understand the importance of cultural awareness, the FBI established several ODI programs. A Diversity Executive Council, a cross-cultural advisory group, was established that would support the implementation of the FBI’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan. Nine different Diversity Advisory Committees were formed to champion issues, solutions, and topics that affect underrepresented communities within our workforce, such as Hispanic Advisory Board, Veterans Affairs Advisory Board, and Black Affairs Diversity Committee. ODI also created ten Employee Resource Groups, which are informal, employee-led groups that connected employees with shared interests and facilitated networking and support.

 

Blacks in Government, FBI Jewish Americans, and Federally Employed Women are just a few of our ERGs. Lastly, the FBI had to ensure the DI Plan was implemented in the field offices across the nation, so employees were encouraged to become Diversity and Inclusion Coordinators to promote a more inclusive work environment.  

 

In 2016, the ODI implemented Diversity Agent Recruiting (DAR) events to broaden our recruitment efforts to increase awareness and understanding of FBI employment opportunities. These events brought in applicants from across the country who have a variety of backgrounds and expertise. The ethnic and racial makeup of special agent applicants have been the most diverse over the past four years because of the DARs.

 

In 2021, the FBI named its first Chief Diversity Officer, Scott McMillion. He was appointed by FBI Director Wray to spearhead the FBI’s evolving cultural shift on how diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility would be integrated into our organization’s DNA.  

 

In the same year, ODI launched the Beacon Project to help foster and strengthen relationships between the FBI and leaders of HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, such as the University of Texas at El Paso. The project was developed to promote employment pathways for minority students into the FBI.

 

In 2022, the ODI in conjunction with the Human Resources Division, implemented a new diversity and inclusion performance objective for front line and senior leaders in the FBI. They are evaluated upon how they support and promote a workforce environment that supports diversity and inclusion.

 

This year, the FBI’s Office and Diversity Inclusion celebrates it’s 10-year anniversary. Our commitment to foster diversity and inclusion has been integrated into every facet of employment, including leadership and career development, recruitment, staffing, workforce planning, and sustainability.

 

We are starting to see positive trends because of our diversity initiatives: higher percentage of minorities at every grade level of the organization than four years ago. We will continue to expand our diversity as an organization by joining diversity initiatives such as the 30×30 Initiative, which focuses on recruiting more women agents to advance diversity, strengthen partnerships, and enhance operations success.  

 

The FBI currently employs roughly 13,700 special agents. Approximately 20.4 percent of agents identify as a minority. Of that number, approximately 8.8 percent as Hispanic or Latino, 5.2 percent identify as Black or African American, 3.7 percent as Asian, 2.2 percent as two or more races, 0.3 percent as American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 0.2 percent as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Compared to 2018, minority representation has increased by 2.6 percent. Special Agent female representation has increased by 3.2 percent.

 

These numbers are not proportional to the general population, which is why Director Wray has prioritized the recruitment and retention of diverse, qualified talent.

We understand we still have work to do. We stand committed, as today’s FBI, to fostering a culture of inclusivity and diversity. The success of our efforts impacts our operations, our culture, and our future as an organization.

 

Jeffrey R. Downey

Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso

Protect the programs and systems that support what makes your organization successful and unique | SAC Jeffrey Downey, FBI El Paso

by

Intellectual property theft involves robbing people or companies of their ideas, inventions, and creative expressions—known as intellectual property. This can include everything from trade secrets to Proprietary products to movies, music, and software.

 

The FBI investigates intellectual property theft in two different ways. Traditionally, the FBI looked at IP theft/theft of trade secrets (industrial espionage) as a white-collar violation under our Criminal Investigations Division. Our new approach to IP theft is an enhanced relationship between the FBI’s Criminal and Counterintelligence Divisions when working theft of trade secret cases. A trade secrets case (economic espionage) when worked under the counterintelligence program occurs when the involvement of state-sponsored actors is suspected. Our goal is to contain and/or even prevent the theft as quickly as possible, no matter who’s behind it.

In 2022, intellectual property theft cost U.S. businesses 1.12 billion dollars.

The FBI’s intellectual property investigations focus on the theft of trade secrets and copyright infringement on products that can impact people’s health and safety, like counterfeit parts for cars and electronics. The FBI works with partners in the private sector and other law enforcement agencies at all levels to investigate these cases.

Economic espionage costs the American economy hundreds of billions of dollars per year and puts our national security at risk. Historically, economic espionage has targeted defense-related and high-tech industries. But recent FBI cases have shown that no industry, large or small, is immune to the threat. Any company with a proprietary product, process, or idea can be a target. Any unprotected trade secret can be illegally stolen.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has designated espionage as the FBI’s number two priority-second only to terrorism.

The FBI has dedicated agents and analysts located at the Department of Homeland Security’s National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. The IPR Center strives to share critical information and raise awareness of the dangers of IP theft, fraud, cyber intrusions, and trade violations by coordinating with 25 key federal and international government agencies, as well as private sector partners, to combat IP theft around the world. 

If you believe your company is a victim of these crimes, contact the FBI at 800-CALL-FBI, the FBI El Paso Field Office at (915) 832-5000, or the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at www.ice.gov/iprcenter.

Investigators cannot act if they are not aware of the problem. The FBI will minimize the disruption to your business and safeguard your privacy and your data during its investigation. Where necessary, the FBI will seek protective orders to preserve trade secrets and business confidentiality.

If your company has invested time and resources in developing a product or idea – Protect It!

Jeffrey R. Downey

Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso

 

Protect The Programs and Systems that Support What Makes Your Organization Successful and Unique

by

Intellectual property theft involves robbing people or companies of their ideas, inventions, and creative expressions—known as intellectual property. This can include everything from trade secrets to proprietary products to movies, music, and software.

 

The FBI investigates intellectual property theft in two different ways. Traditionally, the FBI looked at IP theft/theft of trade secrets (industrial espionage) as a white-collar violation under our Criminal Investigations Division. Our new approach to IP theft is an enhanced relationship between the FBI’s Criminal and Counterintelligence Divisions when working theft of trade secret cases. A trade secrets case (economic espionage) when worked under the counterintelligence program-occurs when the involvement of state-sponsored actors is suspected. Our goal is to contain and/or even prevent the theft as quickly as possible, no matter who’s behind it.

 

In 2022, intellectual property theft cost U.S. businesses 1.12 billion dollars.

The FBI’s intellectual property investigations focus on the theft of trade secrets and copyright infringement on products that can impact people’s health and safety, like counterfeit parts for cars and electronics. The FBI works with partners in the private sector and other law enforcement agencies at all levels to investigate these cases.

 

Economic espionage costs the American economy hundreds of billions of dollars per year and puts our national security at risk. Historically, economic espionage has targeted defense-related and high-tech industries. But recent FBI cases have shown that no industry, large or small, is immune to the threat. Any company with a proprietary product, process, or idea can be a target. Any unprotected trade secret can be illegally stolen.

 

FBI Director Christopher Wray has designated espionage as the FBI’s number two priority-second only to terrorism.

 

The FBI has dedicated agents and analysts located at the Department of Homeland Security’s National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. The IPR Center strives to share critical information and raise awareness to the dangers of IP theft, fraud, cyber intrusions, and trade violations by coordinating with 25 key federal and international government agencies, as well as private sector partners to combat IP theft around the world. 

 

If you believe your company is a victim of these crimes, contact the FBI at 800-CALL-FBI, the FBI El Paso Field Office at (915) 832-5000 or the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at www.ice.gov/iprcenter.

 

Investigators cannot act if they are not aware of the problem. The FBI will minimize the disruption to your business and safeguard your privacy and your data during its investigation. Where necessary, the FBI will seek protective orders to preserve trade secrets and business confidentiality.

 

If your company has invested time and resources developing a product or idea –

 

Protect It!

 

Jeffrey R. Downey

Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso