United States Federal Bureau of Investigation 

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Houston (Texas) became aware of a former Houston-area teacher who was involved in promoting violent jihad against the United States and spreading ISIS propaganda through various social media platforms. The individual was also noted proselytizing jihad outside a local mosque where they would provide discs containing lectures by a deceased al Qaeda ideologue.

Through the course of the investigation, the FBI learned that the individual traveled to Turkey and illegally crossed the Syrian border into ISIS-controlled territory where, through social media, they admitted to receiving ISIS-provided religious and military training. Furthermore, the individual renounced their U.S. citizenship and declared themselves a citizen of the Islamic State. 

FBI efforts to mitigate the terroristic threat posed by this subject spanned several years. Despite their conduct in promoting violent jihad against the United States, their actions prior to departing the United States were constitutionally protected. However, tenacious investigative efforts combined with persistent outreach to community partners yielded irrefutable evidence of the subject’s violation of federal law in traveling to join a foreign terrorist organization. Sound investigative processes and thorough planning allowed the FBI to act quickly in repatriating the subject upon learning of their capture by partner forces. All of these efforts culminated in successful prosecution and mitigation of the terrorist threat posed by the subject.

Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, Texas

Kerr County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Antonio Joint Terrorism Task Forces worked jointly to disrupt an attempted mass shooting at a local retail store. Each agency leveraged its best resources and arrested the subject before he could carry out his planned attack. This investigation led to multiple disruptions domestically and internationally. All subjects, both domestic and abroad, shared the main subject’s ideology and desire to harm others. Law enforcement utilized numerous sophisticated techniques to identify these individuals and shared all pertinent information.

United States Federal Bureau of Investigation  

Operation Lights Out was a multi-division domestic terrorism investigation initiated in October of 2019. The investigation centered on a white racially motivated violent extremism plot to destroy power grids throughout the United States. The groups’ goal was to cause economic distress, create chaos, and racial division. During the investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) developed a highly productive and well-placed Confidential Human Source (CHS). The case involved extensive coordination among the FBI, local, state law enforcement, several prosecutors’ offices, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The attack plot was fully disrupted through a coordinated operational takedown in August 2020 involving execution of federal warrants in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee Field Offices. On February 23, 2022, each of the three subjects pleaded guilty to title 18 section 2339A Material support to Terrorism. Only the fourth Domestic Terrorism case has ever successfully charged under the statute. 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Counterterrorism Division, Denver CO

Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Joint Terrorism Task Force

In 2018, the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) conducted an investigation of package bombs addressed to prominent politicians, journalists, and civil servants. The JTTF coordinated with many entities and formed a Joint Operations Center which was comprised of more than 60 federal, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies meant to establish a unified command to effectively coordinate leads and critical activities across their respective jurisdictions. Through an intense investigation that spanned 10 days, the JTTF and FBI New York office’s investigations successfully dismantled 16 explosive devices from being delivered and detonated; preventing serious injuries and ultimately leading to the arrest and prosecution of a suspect. 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Counterterrorism Division

In December 2017, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas determined that a 17-year-old suspect was plotting to conduct a mass shooting at a local shopping mall, which entailed the killing of the off-duty police officer that provided security at the mall. The suspect enlisted the help of an FBI undercover employee & source, then surveilled the target location and provided money for the undercover employee to purchase tactical equipment. The FBI Dallas Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) coordinated closely with the FBI Counterterrorism Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas to investigate. Days before the planned arrest, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the definition of a crime of violence was unconstitutionally vague. The federal government was therefore limited to charging the suspect with juvenile delinquency, which carried a maximum penalty of approximately 3 years. Knowing that a 17-year-old is considered an adult in Texas, the team sought assistance from the Collin County District Attorney’s Office, who ultimately charged the suspect with one count of terroristic threat and one count of criminal solicitation of capital murder, facing up to life imprisonment for his crime. The multi-agency effort targeted, investigated, and prosecuted a would-be mass killer, saved countless lives, and resulted in a plea agreement with a sentencing of twenty years imprisonment.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Police Department

The Minneapolis Police Department collaborated with the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) in developing and implementing a terrorism awareness and training program for Super Bowl LII. In preparation for the event, the Minneapolis Police Department and CELL developed a prevention and preparedness training titled “Community Awareness Program (CAP): Champions for Safety,” which taught individuals how to recognize and report suspicious activity specific to Super Bowl LII. In addition, they produced the training video “Champions for Safety,” narrated by two Boston Marathon bombing survivors. More than 16,000 city employees, private-sector employees, volunteers, vendors, and other personnel were trained and served as a force multiplier for the more than 3,000 public safety officers who worked Super Bowl events. Super Bowl LII and related events took place without any acts of terrorism or significant crimes, thanks to Minneapolis Police Department’s preparation and dedication.