FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Program Program Overview 2020... · Potential WMD or terrorist threat/incident: • CBRN-E • Suspicious People/Packages/Vehicles • Active

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Overview

Special Agent Santos DeLeonWMD CoordinatorFBI San Juan

FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Program

Overview

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• FBI Organization and WMD Assets • Structure, WMD Coordinators, Lab/HERT

• WMD Statutes and Authorities • PPD-25, 18 USC 175

• FBI Response Process• Threat Credibility Evaluation (TCE)• Overt vs. Covert

• Case Studies

FBI Responsibilities

• Identify, detect, deter and disrupt terrorist operations before they occur

• Lead law enforcement operations in a terrorist incident

• Primary jurisdiction to investigate, apprehend and prosecute those responsible for acts of terrorism

WMD nexus: responsibility of WMD Directorate


PresenterPresentation NotesThe WMDD was created in July 2006 in order to consolidate the FBI numerous WMD capabilities into one division in order to establish a coordinated effort to prevent and respond to WMD event. The WMDD combines several programs into one component: countermeasures programs aimed at creating initiatives including tripwires to prevent, detect, and respond to WMD attacks, response-related programs that manage WMD operations and investigations, training and exercises to improve preparedness and intelligence and analysis programs aimed at supporting preventing, responding, and detecting WMD events.

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What Are WMD?

• Weapons of Mass Destruction defined in US law (18 USC § 2332a):

“Any explosive device as defined in section 921 of this title (i.e. explosive device);

Any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors;

Any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector (as those terms are defined in section 178 of this title);

Any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life.”

• WMD is often referred to by the collection of weapons modalities: chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE).

FBI Response Capabilities• 365, 24-7 Local, Regional, National, International response capability

• WMD Coordinators

• HAZMAT/Operational Response Teams

• Evidence Response Teams

• Laboratory Assets

– Scientists and SMEs

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FBI HQ: Laboratory (Quantico, VA)

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• 500+ scientific experts • Provide forensic exams, technical support, expert

witness testimony, advanced training, etc. • Does not analyze hazardous material (BSL-2 max)

• Must be rendered safe before transported to FBI Lab • Forensic analysis done at National BioForensic Analysis

Center (NBFAC)

PresenterPresentation NotesFBI subject matter experts on WMD. They assist with crime scene processing and evidence collection.

24 HMRTs and 3 satellites (Anchorage, Honolulu and San Juan) in the US

Can deploy anywhere in the world, evidence collection, use of ppe

Local LE > call WMDC > call HQ and coordination with Laboratory Divison > Division deployes HERT if downrange operations/evidence collection are necessary

WMD Coordinators• Present in all 56 Field Offices (at least one per office)

• Responsible for Liaison with Federal regional counterparts, state, county and local agencies

• A conduit to FBIHQ and partner agencies for operational planning, technical information and advice

• Focused on pre-event planning and prevention

• Responsible for the Threat Credibility Evaluation and assisting with WMD investigations

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PresenterPresentation NotesHow does the FBI respond to CBRN threats?

WMD Coordinators Deployed at each of our 56 field offices Subject matter expertise to respond to all chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents FBI’s first line of defense - responsible for WMD incidents, preparedness, outreach, and liaison Establish relationships with local law enforcement as well as private companies to ensure the FBI is notified of any suspicious activity or potential WMD incidents

WMD Statutes and Authorities

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• (Explosives) - Any explosive or incendiary device as defined in Title 18 USC, Section 921: bomb, grenade, rocket, etc.

• (Chemicals) - Any weapon designed or intended to cause death or serious injury through the release or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors.

• (Biologicals) - Any weapon involving a disease organism• (Nuc/Rad) - Any weapon that is designed to release

radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life

Weapons of Mass Destruction Definitions

WMD Statutes

• Statutes– 18 USC §2332a (general WMD statute)

– 18 USC §175 (biological weapons) • Crime to develop, transfer, possess, etc. any bio agent if not

for peaceful purposes • Crime to posses or transfer select agent if not registered

– 18 USC §876 (mailing threatening communications)

– 18 USC §1038 (hoaxes and false statements)

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PresenterPresentation NotesTake-aways:-Crime to possess ANY bio if not for a peaceful purpose (doesn’t matter if it’s a select agent); crime to possess select agent regardless of intent, if not registered-WMD definition is not limited to select agents!-WMD hoaxes have potential for prosecution, too

1038 Conveys – False or misleading information, where that information would be reasonably believed and where that information indicates an activity has taken, is taking or will take place, that is a violation of certain statutes: PENALTY up to 5 years, where serious bodily injury occurs up to 20 years, homicide up to life in prison.

FBI WMD Response Process

State/LocalFirst Responders Notification to FBI JTTF / WMDC

911 Call…

Potential WMD or terrorist threat/incident: • CBRN-E• Suspicious People/Packages/Vehicles• Active Shooter• Threats

PresenterPresentation NotesFor a public health related event, this notification path would probably look different, e.g. the WMD Coordinator would rely on notification from public health contacts.

WMDD

USDADOE

DOD

DIA

DHS

NSC

STIGFBI

NSA

CIA

HHS

NCPC

NCTC

EPA

CTC/OTAWINPACDS&T

DNDOCBPUSCGTSA

DTRAOSD & JSCOCOMs

AFMICJITF-CT

CTD, CIRG,Lab, DI, CD

CDCFDA

CBRN Terrorism, Proliferation and Arms Control (OPS 2B Group)

Office of Crisis Response and Incident Mgmt., WMD, and Resilience

NNSA/IN

Strategy andEvaluation

CBRN TeamDirectorate of Strategic Operational PlanningInfrastructure and Transportation Group

FBI Interagency Partners


PresenterPresentation NotesNCPC – National Counterproliferation CenterHHS – Health and Human ServicesFDA – Food and Drug AdministrationCIA – Central Intelligence AgencyWINPAC – Weapons Intelligence, Nonproliferation and Arms ControlCTC/OTA – Counterterrorism Center/Office of Terrorism AnalysisNSA – National Security AgencySTIG – Science and Technology Intelligence GroupNSC – National Security CouncilDHS – Dept of Homeland SecurityDIA – Defense Intelligence AgencyDoD – Department of DefenseCBIRF – Chem/Bio Integrated Response Force (USMC)DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects AgencyUSDA – United States Department of AgricultureEPA – Environmental Protection AgencyNCTC – National Counterterrorism Center

International Partnerships

• FBI WMD Special Agents in Singapore, Dubai, and Tbilisi

• INTERPOL CBRNe Program

• UN Components such as OPCW, WHO, IAEA, etc

• EU Explosive Experts


PresenterPresentation NotesInternational WMDD PresenceOPCW = Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons located at the Hague in the NetherlandsWHO = World Health OrganizationIAEA = International Atomic Energy AgencyEU = European Union WMDD Detailee to Interpol SSA Anthony Thomas WMD ALAT Tbilisi SSA William Collins WMD ALAT Singapore SSA Matthew F. Foster

QUAD Partnership

Established in 2006 Ongoing coordination with WMD law enforcement from Australia, Canada, United States and the United Kingdom Recent meeting held November 2012 in Washington, DC

Quote - FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III“The globalization of crime - whether terrorism, international trafficking of drugs, contraband, and people, or cyber crime - absolutely requires us to integrate law enforcement efforts around the world.”

“If people of authority engaged in jihad determine that the evil of the infidels can be repelled only by their means, they [WMD] may be used. The weapons of mass destruction will kill any of the infidels on whom they fall, regardless of whether they are fighters, women, or children. They will destroy and burn their land. The arguments for the permissibility of this are many.”

“The arguments of scholars also prove the permissibility of so-called biological weapons. Some of them explicitly permit bombarding the infidels with snakes and scorpions and poisoning their water.”

- WMD Fatwa from a Saudi Cleric in May 2003

International Terrorist Interest


PresenterPresentation NotesEven though the belief that explosives incidents encompass the most pressing threat today, the threat posed by WMD cannot be ignored. There continues to be an international interest in acquiring the necessary materials, agents, and personnel to succeed in a WMD attack.

“. . . experts in the fields of chemistry, physics, administration, electronics and media and all the specifications, especially the atomists and explosives engineering experts, . . . we are in dire need of you. The field of jihad can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases in Iraq are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether biological or dirty . . .”

-Abu Hamza al-Muhajer’s, al-Qa’ida in Iraq

in September 2006

International Terrorist Interest


PresenterPresentation NotesJust as recently as 2006, AQ in Iraq put out a request to acquire those with scientific knowledge that would be necessary to build a successful WMD program. The background of those who have been recruited is an indicator of the group’s present and future ambitions.

Accomplish the Mission

• Educating Federal, State, Local first responders (training)

• Testing Federal, State and Local first responders (exercises)

• Generating intelligence (outreach/tripwires)

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FBI WMD Response• Chemical

– Plants– Interstates– Universities

• Biological– Universities– Research Labs– SynBio/DiyBio

• Nuclear/Rad– Plants– Construction– Hospitals

• Explosive– Homemade– Construction– Commercial

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WMD Incident Threat Spectrum

Chemical Weapons are deemed less of a threat thanToxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs)

NuclearWeapons

Radio-isotopes

BiologicalToxins

Chemicals Weapons

High

Low

Industrial Chemicals

Biological Pathogens

Explosives


PresenterPresentation NotesAfter explosives, intelligence and experience has shown that the likelihood of WMD materials can be ranked as shown in the slide.

Nuclear weapons – difficult to acquire without attracting attention, or without state sponsorshipMilitary chemical weapons – relatively difficult to produce, precursors difficult to acquireRadioisotopes – relatively easy to steal, potential use in conjunction with explosives in Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDD)Biological Pathogens – some relatively easy to steal or find, relatively difficult to disseminate efficientlyIndustrial Chemicals – easy to access or acquire, many easy to disseminateBiological Toxins – easy to produce, somewhat limited to direct dissemination**Point to be made here: While CWAs are a threat, toxic industrial chemicals are even more of a concern because they are more readily available and can do a significant amount of damage (Case Studies to compare: Milk Carton vs. Sarin in a subway).

Source of Information

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Technical Feasibility

Operational Practicality Adversarial

Intent

Credible Threat

Intelligence

Indicators

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PresenterPresentation NotesExcessive Postage, False Return Address, leaking powder, strange writings, thick envelope, etc

• Chemicals found in manufacturing facilities, maintenance areas, and storage areas that have an LCt50 value of less than 100,000 mg-min/m3 in any mammalian species and are produced in quantities greater than 30 tons/year.

• Class 2 – Gases

• Class 3 – Liquids

• Class 4 – Flammable Solids

• Class 5 – Oxidizers/Organic Peroxides

• Class 6 – Poisons

• Class 8 – Corrosives

• Class 9 - Miscellaneous


Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs)

PresenterPresentation NotesMany industries utilize, transport, or store massive quantities of chemicals and sometimes these chemicals are left with little security. For example, farmers use large quantities of anhydrous ammonia for fertilizing their crops. This chemical is generally stored outdoors on the farm, in containers of various sizes, depending on the farm, and is usually without any suitable security.

The photos from top to bottom – Train derailment involving hazmat in Wichita, KS; MC306 gasoline tanker overturned and on fire in Crawford County, IN; and a Sodium Hydroxide DOT111 railcar.

Chlorine Attacks in Iraq

• Numerous attacks utilizing explosives and chlorine containers (2006 –2007)

• 150-pound and one-ton chlorine containers available in Iraq

• No 90-ton chlorine railcars in Iraq


PresenterPresentation NotesHere is an example where terrorists were looking to combine the potential lethality of a chemical release with the destructive properties of explosives. This is not the first time chemicals have been used in conjunction with explosives. In 1993 Ramsi Yousef attacked the world trade center towers using urea nitrate but also added three tanks of compressed gas thinking the explosives combined with the gas would prove to be even more destructive.

Chlorine in the U.S.

• 11 million tons produced in U.S. (2008)

• 2nd most abundantly rail transported TIC

• Nearly 34,000 rail shipments in U.S. (2007)

• More toxic than most abundantly shipped TIC (anhydrous ammonia)

90-Ton Chlorine Railcar


PresenterPresentation NotesChlorine is just one TIC that we as WMDC are concerned terrorists are looking to exploit. In establishing partnerships within all aspects of the chlorine industry (distribution, transportation, manufacturing) we are setting up tripwires which will alert us to any suspicious activity before an incident occurs.

Precursor Chemicals• Wide availability for commercial purchase.

• hydrogen peroxide, acetone, strong acids, cyanides, oxidizers etc.

• Legitimate use of products in various industries make them difficult to regulate

• hydrogen peroxide used widely in numerous industries (hair care, cleaning, health)


PresenterPresentation NotesThe final area of focus within the chemical threat category is that of precursor chemicals. This is probably the category where the mission and the responsibilities of the WMDC and those of the bomb tech overlap the greatest. Many of our and the WMD Countermeasures Unit outreach activities deal with precursor chemicals as they pertain to explosives but there also is a concern for improvised chemical devices.

Pool Chemicals as Precursors

• Hydrogen Peroxide

• Hydrochloric/Muriatic Acid

• Potassium Permanganate

• Calcium Hypochlorite

+ Acetone = TATP


Chemicals as Explosives• Household, industrial, and agricultural chemicals have been used in

conventional explosive attacks

Joel Henry Hinrichs

10/1/05


PresenterPresentation NotesJoel Henry Hinrichs - 2005 University of OK bombing ,October 1, 2005, 7:30 p.m., when a bomb went off less than 200 yards west of OK Memorial Stadium, where 84,501 spectators were attending a football game. Hinrichs was the only one killed in the explosion. After the incident, speculation began immediately about Hinrichs' motivation and the number of accomplices, if any. An off-duty police officer noted a discussion Hinrichs had with a local feed store owner about ammonium nitrate and had begun an investigation,[3] one heightened by innuendo regarding the Pakistani heritage of the bomber's roommate. Terrorism-related speculation further erupted when the explosive agent was found to be TATP, the compound used in the July 2005 London bombings, as well as in an infamous attempt to destroy a transatlantic flight by igniting a shoe and by Hamas in clandestine devices intended for detonation by suicide bombers. Authorities concluded in 2006 that Hinrichs was alone and had no assistance from other groups, but could not prove or disprove allegations that Hinrichs intended to enter the packed stadium and kill football fans along with himself.

Chemicals as Explosives

PresenterPresentation NotesThis case study shows the parallel paths an incident or search can walk down. In this case it was obvious from the offset that explosives were involved. The load noise and headless body provided that much insight into the situation. However, if a first responder where to walk into this apartment before the explosion, the conclusion reached might not be so simple.

Hinrichs shared a two bedroom apartment with a foreign student who advertised for a roommate on a bulletin board. The roommate was Pakistani (which created investigative complications). Pictured above are the chemicals that were found throughout the apartment during the course of the search.

In a closet located between the two bedrooms were two of the containers (seen in the photo on the left). In the back of the closet in a plastic bag was an empty gallon container of acetone. Right in front of this bag was a styrofoam cooler. The cooler contained an empty plastic gallon jug. The jugs label had been removed. Barely visible on the outside of the jug was some of the print that had stuck from the label. Luckily one of the words that was decipherable was “peroxide”. The label for the jug was later recovered from the bottom of a trash bag in the apartment.

Immediately upon finding the two empty bottles of precursor chemicals in the closet the FBI team was confident that TATP was involved. Coming into the situation cold, a responder could very well miss these clues. It was not until about 3 am that the third TATP precursor, the acid (seen in the form of Liquid Fire), was found in the back of Hinrich’s bedroom closet. This would not have been easy to locate for the casual first responder. It was well covered with other materials.

In short, a casual review of the apartment may well have missed the chemical clues.

Chemicals as Explosives• Household, industrial, and agricultural chemicals have been used in

conventional explosive attacks• Oklahoma City bombing• WTC 1993 bombing

• Chemicals• Fertilizers

Ammonium nitrate, urea• Oxidizers

Hydrogen peroxide (in TATP)• Solvents

Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone• Acids

Sulfuric, Nitric• Fuels

Diesel, nitromethane


Times Square Bomb

• Vehicle-Borne Improvised Incendiary Device (VBIIED) May 1, 2010

• The Times Square device consisted of an attempted fertilizer main charge, 3 propane tanks, 2 gas containers, several hundred M-88 pyrotechnic devices, and a dual fuzing system consisting of both electric and non-electric systems


Times Square

Orientation of devices from attempted Times Square bombing.


Times Square


HEADLINES

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab


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The picture can't be displayed.

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Staying A Step Ahead….Countermeasures employed by Najibullah Zazi:

• Placed multiple items on counter to disguise true intention (hair rollers, shower cap)• Only placed one peroxide bottle on counter

•Bottom Line: Outreach, Education, Partnerships, TRIPWIRES


Suspicious Behavior

Common Indicators of Suspicious Behavior

Surveillance of trucks, buildings, work sites

Nervous or evasive customer attitude

Unusual questions about security procedures

Approach from unknown customers or vendors

Questions about security procedures

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TCE Video

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Video (10 mins)FBI Threat Credibility Evaluation (TCE)http://vimeo.com/85657144

http://vimeo.com/85657144

Questions?

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Special Agent Santos DeLeonWMD Coordinator, FBI San [email protected] – 787-994-0346

mailto:[email protected]

Slide Number 1OverviewFBI ResponsibilitiesWhat Are WMD?FBI Response CapabilitiesFBI HQ: Laboratory (Quantico, VA)WMD CoordinatorsWMD Statutes and AuthoritiesSlide Number 9WMD StatutesSlide Number 11Slide Number 12International PartnershipsInternational Terrorist InterestInternational Terrorist InterestAccomplish the MissionFBI WMD ResponseSlide Number 18Source of InformationIndicators Chemicals found in manufacturing facilities, maintenance areas, and storage areas that have an LCt50 value of less than 100,000 mg-min/m3 in any mammalian species and are produced in quantities greater than 30 tons/year.Chlorine Attacks in IraqChlorine in the U.S.Precursor ChemicalsPool Chemicals as PrecursorsChemicals as ExplosivesChemicals as ExplosivesChemicals as ExplosivesTimes Square BombTimes SquareTimes SquareHEADLINESSlide Number 33Staying A Step Ahead….Slide Number 35TCE VideoSlide Number 37

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FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Program Program Overview 2020... · Potential WMD or terrorist threat/incident: • CBRN-E • Suspicious People/Packages/Vehicles • Active