UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 31 May 2020 (U//FOUO) Potential for Illicit Actors Monitoring and Disrupting Law Enforcement Communications During Ongoing Violence (U//FOUO) Scope. This Intelligence Note (IN) provides information regarding targeted violence threatening homeland security at otherwise lawful protests related to recent officer-involved deaths and highlights the concern that illicit actors, including potentially domestic violent extremists (DVEs)a, could take advantage of widely available resources to monitor, exploit and compromise law enforcement communications. The information in this IN is current as of 31 May 2020. (U//FOUO) We assess that illicit actors seeking to incite violence at otherwise lawful protests probably are monitoring local law enforcement communications to identify vulnerabilities in their operational security posture. The emergence of publicly accessible applications allows users to search and listen to law enforcement channels streaming online, potentially providing illicit actors insight into operational planning and response efforts. Some technically advanced actors may seek to undermine law enforcement’s situational awareness and ability to coordinate operations by disrupting or interfering with law enforcement communications. » (U//FOUO) As of 30 May, law enforcement officials in Portland, Oregon reported that they assessed that wellcoordinated groups had potentially compromised law enforcement radio communications, according to DHS operational information.1 Police officers in Minneapolis earlier this week were forced to switch to cell phones for tactical communications after learning their communications were being monitored by individuals using publicly available police scanner apps to disrupt law enforcement operations, according to unverified press reporting.2 » (U) Unidentified individuals reportedly were able to disrupt law enforcement communications in the Chicago area after police frequencies were publicly posted on the internet, allowing unidentified individuals to saturate the channels with music, according to media reporting.3 » (U//FOUO) In June 2018, a self-identified anarchist extremista obtained information related to Federal Protective Service operations and security personnel by monitoring a law enforcement communications, according to DHS reporting. The anarchist extremist later posted the information online using a hashtag associated with protests against DHS immigration enforcement operations.4 Anarchist extremists in December 2017 discussed implications for disrupting law enforcement communications in a social media thread seeking to incite violent acts of sabotage targeting law enforcement, according to DHS reporting.5 a (U) Please see DHS Definition box at end of the document. IA-05312020-T (U) Warning: This document contains UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (U//FOUO) information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). It is to be controlled, stored, handled, transmitted, distributed, and disposed of in accordance with DHS policy relating to FOUO information and is not to be released to the public, the media, or other personnel who do not have a valid need to know without prior approval of an authorized DHS official. State and local homeland security officials may share this document with critical infrastructure and key resource personnel or private sector security officials without further approval from DHS. (U) All US person information has been minimized. Should you require US person information on weekends or after normal weekday hours during exigent and time sensitive circumstances, contact the Current and Emerging Threat Watch Office at 202-447-3688, CETC.OSCO@HQ.DHS.GOV. For all other inquiries, please contact the Homeland Security Single Point of Service, Request for Information Office at DHS-SPS-RFI@hq.dhs.gov, DHS-SPS-RFI@dhs.sgov.gov, DHS-SPS-RFI@dhs.ic.gov UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY UNCLASSIFIED// FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (U//FOUO) Domestic Terrorism Definitions (U//FOUO) DHS defines domestic terrorism as any act of unlawful violence that is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources committed by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or its territories without direction or inspiration from a foreign terrorist group. This act is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any state or other subdivision of the United States and appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. A domestic terrorist differs from a homegrown violent extremist in that the former is not inspired by and does not take direction from a foreign terrorist group or other foreign power. (U//FOUO) DHS defines anarchist extremists as groups or individuals who facilitate or engage in acts of unlawful violence as a means of changing the government and society in support of the belief that all forms of capitalism and corporate globalization should be opposed and that governing institutions are unnecessary and harmful to society. (U) Report Suspicious Activity (U) To report suspicious activity, law enforcement, Fire-EMS, private security personnel, and emergency managers should follow established protocols; all other personnel should call 911 or contact local law enforcement. Suspicious activity reports (SARs) will be forwarded to the appropriate fusion center and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force for further action. For more information on the Nationwide SAR Initiative, visit http://nsi.ncirc.gov/resources.aspx. (U) Tracked by: HSEC-8.1, HSEC-8.5, HSEC-8.6, HSEC-8.8, HSEC-8.10 UNCLASSIFIED// FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 2 of 3 UNCLASSIFIED// FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (U) Source Summary Statement (U//FOUO) This IN is based on DHS open source reporting and DHS field reporting. We have medium confidence in the underlying information obtained from DHS, and press reporting given the evolving nature of these events. We have high confidence in the information obtained from court documents and government press releases as this information results from law enforcement investigations. (U); DHS; Operational Reporting from DHS Field Intelligence Officers; 30 May 2020. (U); Joshua Skovlund; coffeeordie.com; “George Floyd Death Sparks Violent Protests in Minneapolis – Here’s What You Need to Know”; https://coffeeordie.com/violent-protests-minneapolis/; accessed on 31 May 2020; Online News Source. 3 (U); Dorothy Tucker; CBS Chicago; 30 May 2020; “Downtown Protesters Disrupt Police Radio Communications, Source Says”; https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/05/30/downtown-protesters-disrupted-police-radio-communications-source-says/; accessed on 31 May 2020; Online News Source. 4 (U//FOUO); DHS; OSIR-04001-0933-18; 22 JUN 2018; Monitoring of Federal Protective Service Radio Communications in Portland, Oregon; Anarchist extremist social media user. 5 (U//FOUO); DHS; OSIR-04001-0344-18; 11 JANUARY 2018; Social Media User Repeatedly Urges Followers to Conduct Violence Against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement property and personnel, among others; Anarchist extremist social media user. 1 2 UNCLASSIFIED// FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 3 of 3 CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Office of Intelligence and Analysis Customer Feedback Form Product Title: (U//FOUO) Potential for Illicit Actors Monitoring and Disrupting Law Enforcement Communications During Ongoing V All survey responses are completely anonymous. No personally identifiable information is captured unless you voluntarily offer personal or contact information in any of the comment fields. Additionally, your responses are combined with those of many others and summarized in a report to further protect your anonymity. 1. Please select partner type: Select One and function: Select One Select One 2. What is the highest level of intelligence information that you receive? 3. Please complete the following sentence: “I focus most of my time on:” Select One 4. Please rate your satisfaction with each of the following: Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied N/A Product’s overall usefulness Product’s relevance to your mission Product’s timeliness Product’s responsiveness to your intelligence needs 5. How do you plan to use this product in support of your mission? Drive planning and preparedness efforts, training, and/or emergency response operations (Check all that apply.) Initiate a law enforcement investigation Intiate your own regional-specific analysis Intiate your own topic-specific analysis Develop long-term homeland security strategies Do not plan to use Other: Observe, identify, and/or disrupt threats Share with partners Allocate resources (e.g. equipment and personnel) Reprioritize organizational focus Author or adjust policies and guidelines 6. To further understand your response to question #5, please provide specific details about situations in which you might use this product. (Please Use Manuscript in the space provided.) 7. What did this product not address that you anticipated it would? (Please Use Manuscript in the space provided.) 8. To what extent do you agree with the following two statements? Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disgree N/A This product will enable me to make better decisions regarding this topic. This product provided me with intelligence information I did not find elsewhere. 9. How did you obtain this product? Select One 10. Would you be willing to participate in a follow-up conversation about your feedback? To help us understand more about your organization so we can better tailor future products, please provide: Name: Position: Organization: State: Contact Number: Email: Yes Submit Feedback Privacy Act Statement CLASSIFICATION: Product Serial Number: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY IA-05312020-T REV: 01 August 2017