[TexasPublicRadio] When officers from the Texas National Guard showed up to their 7 a.m. meeting with federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, they didn’t arrive empty-handed. Good gouge fellas, but we need names. Oh, ok. Next week it is then.
Six military intelligence officials turned over a list of names at the February 2022 meeting. The Texans were part of an intelligence directorate supporting Operation Lone Star,Gov. Greg Abbott's state-run border mission. The officers, which included the group’s top two leaders, told federal agents they’d secretly infiltrated invite-only WhatsApp group chats filled with migrants and smugglers and wanted their help investigating the targets they’d identified, according to a sworn statement attached to a whistleblower complaint filed later that month.
The Homeland Security officials in the meeting rebuffed the Texans on the spot — with one official saying that they were an investigative body and “not an intelligence agency,” the whistleblower recalled.
An investigation by Military Times and The Texas Tribune has found that Texas National Guard leaders disbanded Operation Lone Star’s intelligence wing after whistleblowers reported the WhatsApp surveillance, which targeted migrant groups to track them through Mexico, because they believed it violated long-standing rules against state-run spy operations. During the same period, another team from the intelligence directorate allegedly sent classified FBI intelligence to their Texas Guard colleagues in an apparent violation of federal secrecy laws, according to an internal incident report.
WhatsApp is an instant messaging and voice-over-IP service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other content.
WhatsApp is owned by Meta, yes the Zuckerberg Meta.
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At least four intelligence officers have faced interim administrative discipline in the debacle’s wake:
Lt. Col. David “Eric” Tyler led the border intelligence section from December 2021 to fall 2022.
Maj. Dezi J. Rios, the intelligence wing’s deputy director, allegedly oversaw the WhatsApp collection operation.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eric E. Hack led the El Paso team that allegedly shared classified FBI intelligence.
Then-1st Lt. Emmanuel L. Pierre, a military intelligence officer from a subordinate unit, allegedly began the WhatsApp intelligence operation about a month before Rios arrived at the border.
The Texas Military Department’s inspector general, with assistance from the National Guard Bureau, investigated “potential questionable intelligence activities,” the agency confirmed in response to questions for this story. The agency said in a statement that the watchdog concluded its investigation in September 2022 but has not yet shared its final report, adding that it will “finalize” discipline once leaders receive it. Leaders initially reorganized and eventually disbanded the intelligence directorate in fall 2022, folding the remaining personnel into the mission’s operations section, a source familiar with the mission’s organization said. We reorganized and did the recommended name changes, but the stuff still went down sideways.
According to an official document that Rios provided to Military Times and the Tribune summarizing part of the investigation, the inspector general’s office found that the WhatsApp scheme was an unauthorized foreign intelligence operation and faulted Rios for overseeing Pierre’s work — a finding Rios disputes. It’s unclear if the inspector general concluded that any other officers broke the rules. Rules? He meant Federal Law.
Two of the implicated officers, Tyler and Rios, told Military Times and the Tribune that senior leaders set them up to take the fall for the operation. Both claimed they shared concerns about the legality of Pierre’s WhatsApp work to the mission’s top brass at the time, Brig. Gen. Monie Ulis and Col. Kevin Boates, but were unable to convince them to end it. We told'em collection conducted on US Persons was a no-go. They wouldn't listen.
According to a sworn statement Rios made June 25, he and state intelligence officials “were unable to convince [Col.] Boates or [Brig. Gen.] Ulis” to stop the WhatsApp operation. In a Dec. 27, 2021 email — obtained through an open records request — Rios claimed to have “expressed my reservations with [Col.] Boates and [Brig. Gen.] Ulis” about the WhatsApp operation to no avail.
In his sworn statement — included in his own June complaint with the inspector general alleging the state failed to set clear guidelines for intelligence activity at the border — Rios said Boates “ordered me to oversee” Pierre’s WhatsApp operation while simultaneously blocking Rios from stopping it. He filed the complaint because the investigation blocked his promotion to lieutenant colonel, he said.
Tyler, who has served in the Texas Guard for 33 years, said through his attorney that he was “disappointed that … I’m being sanctioned based [on] an investigation report that I’m not allowed to see.” The lieutenant colonel added, “I assume the reason that they won’t tell me anything or provide me any evidence is that if I somehow failed to supervise a junior officer that reported directly to [Brig. Gen.] Ulis, then Ulis should be accountable.” Blaming junior officers? Poor form indeed.
Ulis was appointed as the deputy commanding general of U.S. Army South in June, a role held simultaneously with his appointment as the state’s assistant adjutant general. Comes with a dedicated C-12. I love fly!
Hack, Boates and Ulis did not respond to interview requests made via phone and email. Pierre declined to comment. We ain't talk'n to nobody.
For this story, Military Times and the Tribune obtained more than 750 pages of internal Texas Guard records, spoke with intelligence oversight experts, and interviewed three verified Texas National Guard service members who had direct knowledge of the events. They requested anonymity because they feared retaliation from state officials and have not been accused of wrongdoing.
#1
This is not the first instance of the National Guard involved in an intelligence collection effort against US Citizens. It is indeed against the law. Executive Order 12333 is supposed to protect US Citizens from such abuses.
HEY thanks! You're a pretty sharp young intel officer. You ever consider a job with the Bureau or META? Bring copy of your CV to our next fusion session.
#8
I think there was theory that the shutdown was because of the possibility of actual border video leaking out to the public, the R and X rated reality.
#10
"The Homeland Security officials in the meeting rebuffed the Texans on the spot — with one official saying that they were an investigative body and “not an intelligence agency,”
Curious statement given the integration of DHS in every aspect of the IC (Intelligence Community)including key, plank-holder status at the NCTC: "NCTC produces analysis, maintains the authoritative database of known and suspected terrorists, shares information, and conducts strategic operational planning. NCTC is staffed by more than 1,000 personnel from across the IC, the Federal government, and Federal contractors. NCTC’s workforce represents approximately 20 different departments and agencies—a tribute to the recognition by the intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement communities of NCTC’s role in protecting the Nation against terrorist threats."
#13
Knife to cut off the sealed end of the tube, Besoeker, scraper to shovel the stuff back in, iron and a pressing cloth to heat seal the thing. This is one time when duct tape won’t do the trick. ;-)
[IsraelTimes] Freight going through the Suez Canal has dropped by 45 percent in the two months since attacks by Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... ’s Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... s led shipping groups to divert freight, disrupting already strained maritime trading routes, UN agency UNCTAD says.
UNCTAD, the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... Conference on Trade and Development, which supports developing countries in global trade, warns of higher inflation risks, food security uncertainty, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Shipping companies have diverted ships from the Red Sea since the Iran-backed Houthis, who control most of the populated parts of Yemen, began attacking vessels transiting through the Red Sea in what it says is support for Paleostinians in Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... . Many of the vessels targeted, however, have no proven links to Israel.
The United States and Britannia have responded with air strikes against the Houthis.
The agency says 39% fewer ships than at the start of December transited the canal, leading to a 45% decline in freight tonnage.
[Newsweek] Texas Governor Greg Abbott's push to stay proceedings in a case regarding the state's buoys in its river border with Mexico has been denied by a district court.
Amid rising concerns about immigration and border security, the state installed a 1,000-foot barrier in the Rio Grande in July to deter migrants.
In December 2023, the United States District Court of the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, considered Abbott's motion to dismiss complaints issued in July 2023. That was when the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a lawsuit arguing that establishing the barrier in U.S. navigable water requires the approval of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which Abbott did not obtain before the buoys were placed in the water.
Judge David Alan Ezra granted Abbott's motion that the Rivers and Harbors Act authorizes actions only against persons and corporations, "not against sovereign States like the Defendant State of Texas and its officials." Abbott had also stated in the motion that the section of the Rio Grande where the buoys are placed is not navigable and it does not represent an obstruction. Newsweek contacted representatives for Abbott by email on Friday to comment on this story.
[X] In an interview from India, Gov. Greg Abbott says ten other states have sent national guard to the Texas border, and others will follow. Abbott says he is "prepared" for a conflict with federal authorities.
[Red State] The Biden administration had initially warned Texas that it had until mid-day Friday to relinquish control of Shelby Park, the nearby boat dock, and the International Bridge. That deadline has now come and gone, and instead of there being a major clash between the Border Patrol and the state-controlled soldiers on site, it appears those on the ground have already de-escalated the situation.
The Border Patrol Union ends by slamming Biden for creating the current "catastrophe" and reiterating that there will be no conflict between CBP agents and state forces. The statement is a clear signal of support for the Texas National Guard, its mission, and those leading it, including Gov. Greg Abbott.
Rank-and-file BP agents appreciate and respect what TX has been doing to defend their state in the midst of this catastrophe that the Biden Admin has unleashed on America.
We want to be perfectly clear, there is no fight between rank-and-file BP agents and the TX NG, Gov. Abbott, or TX DPS. It may make flashy headlines, but it simply isn't true.
Furthering the division between the Border Patrol and the White House was a senior CBP official who said they have no plans to follow through on removing the razor wire put up by Texas. Biden has completely lost whatever leverage he had.
#3
Biden wants "Emergency Powers" Can we just cut to the chase, call it the Enabling Act? I'm sure it's just temporary. Only lasted 9 years last time around.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
01/27/2024 8:11 Comments ||
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[IsraelTimes] US President Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone conversation last week that he will not support a year-long war in Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , Hebrew media outlet Walla reports.
Citing two anonymous US officials, the report alleges that Biden asked Netanyahu to speed up the transition to low-intensity fighting against Hamas ...a regional Iranian catspaw,... that would reduce harm to civilians.
Biden reportedly told Netanyahu that he does not understand what Israel’s strategy for ending the war is, and pressed him to provide an answer as to what the plan is for the day after the war ends.
In response to the Walla report, Netanyahu’s office says, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appreciates President Biden’s support and made it clear in his conversation with him that Israel is determined to continue the war until all its goals are completed."
#4
It is hard to support a year-long war when you have to pee on the hour. However, short war *is* better than long war. So chop, chop! Let's get it going and done with.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] After the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, the United States will undoubtedly withdraw its military contingent from Syria. This was stated on January 26 by the special representative of the Russian President for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev.
“The withdrawal of troops from Iraq will undoubtedly be followed by the withdrawal of troops from Syria, because it will be impossible to maintain logistics and maintain a military contingent in Syria without being able to use Iraqi territory,” he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
As Regnum reported, on January 25, Lavrentyev said that Russia has information that the United States has announced its readiness to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq. The special representative of the president noted that it is now difficult to say how realistic such statements are, and recalled that the United States very easily enters other countries under the pretext of fighting terrorism and very difficultly leaves from there.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Policy magazine wrote that Washington was considering a complete withdrawal of troops from Syria. It was noted that the White House is no longer interested in the mission in Syria and considers it unnecessary.
Lavrentyev said on January 24 that Russia does not yet see any desire or intention of the United States to withdraw its military contingent from Syrian territory. He noted that the situation in the region has become more complicated and that the US military is suffering quite significant losses.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[TexasPublicRadio] When officers from the Texas National Guard showed up to their 7 a.m. meeting with federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, they didn’t arrive empty-handed.
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
...a regional Iranian catspaw,...
