ICE HSI Arrests Get MS-13 Gang Members 27 & 30 Year Sentences

In fiscal year 2019, HSI agents made nearly 4,000 arrests of transnational gang members; of those, more than 300 were tied to MS-13.
In fiscal year 2019, HSI agents made nearly 4,000 arrests of transnational gang members; of those, more than 300 were tied to MS-13.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which was recognized in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program successfully executed arrests in Santa Cruz, California, which have resulted in MS-13 gang members receiving a 30-year prison sentence, and a 27-year sentence respectively.

“Homeland Security Investigations will continue our work to eradicate MS-13 criminal gang members trying to operate in California or anywhere else in America,” said HSI San Francisco (NorCal) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.

Tatum King, HSI Special Agent in Charge , San Francisco
Tatum King, HSI Special Agent in Charge , San Francisco

“We appreciate the critically important work our partners at the Santa Cruz Police Department undertook to stop the victimization of community members by MS-13.”

“HSI will continue to stand united with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in our ongoing efforts to protect our communities.”

The transnational street gang La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, has local chapters, or cliques, throughout the world, including El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States.

MS-13 members and associates engage in crimes such as murder, narcotics trafficking, extortion, and obstruction of justice, and enforce gang rules and protect gang territory with violence, including murder.

The Santa Cruz Salvatrucha Locos (SCSL) is an MS-13 clique that operates in and around Santa Cruz, California.

(Learn More about MS-13 in Santa Cruz, and arrests stemming from a five-year investigation into an El Salvadoran criminal street gang that has been operating in the Santa Cruz area. Courtesy of KSBW Action News 8 and YouTube.)

On June 18, 2020, MS-13 gang member Alexander Martinez-Flores, a.k.a. “Pocar,” 29, and a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced in the Northern District of California to 30 years of incarceration for using a firearm to cause murder, conspiracy to commit murder and extortion, and racketeering conspiracy.

Martinez, who was living in Santa Cruz, was a member of the SCSL clique of the MS-13 gang from at least January 2013 to February 2017, and the first-in-command from about February to August 2014.

Martinez and SCSL members engaged in violence, drug trafficking and extortion.

Martinez coordinated with MS-13 members in El Salvador and other places to carry out the directives of the gang’s leadership in and around Santa Cruz.

Martinez directed how SCSL money was maintained and spent.

Along with other gang members, Martinez patrolled SCSL’s claimed gang territory in Santa Cruz with firearms and knives and assaulted, stabbed, threatened or shot rival gang members to maintain control over this “turf.”

Martinez hunted for rivals to kill on multiple occasions.

Martinez admitted that he was one of the shooters in a murder committed by SCSL gang members and that in April 2016 the gang discussed seeking approval from El Salvador to kill a suspected rival gang member.

The murder was approved, and Martinez was one of the gang members tasked with killing the victim.

On Sept. 22, 2016, the victim was shot and killed, and Martinez was one of the shooters. He then celebrated the murder with other MS-13 members.

Courtesy of ICE

According to a plea agreement, Martinez had a role in supporting SCSL’s extortion and drug trafficking activities.

On one occasion in July 2016, Martinez-Flores collected an extortion payment, the “monthly fee due to SCSL,” from a local drug dealer.

On June 29, Tomas Rivera, a.k.a. “Jonas Portillo Escobar,” a.k.a. “Profugo,” a.k.a. “Caballo,” was sentenced to 27 years in prison for conspiring to engage in racketeering, extortion by force, and murder in aid of racketeering in connection with his role as a leader of the local Santa Cruz-based MS-13 gang clique.

Rivera, 27, of El Salvador, arrived in Santa Cruz in April of 2016, where he quickly stepped in as second in command of the SCSL clique of the MS-13 gang.

Rivera admitted he played a key role in a murder committed by SCSL gang members.

Specifically, Rivera admitted that in April 2016 he discussed seeking approval from El Salvador to kill a suspected rival gang member.

The murder was committed by Martinez-Flores and other SCSL members Sept. 22, 2016, and Rivera collected the murder weapons.

Rivera, Martinez and other SCSL members then celebrated the murder.

(Learn More about how ICE is cracking down on MS-13. Courtesy of CBS This Morning and YouTube. Posted on Nov 16, 2017.) 

At an October 2016 SCSL meeting, Rivera took charge of organizing the day-to-day efforts of SCSL members to kill additional rivals.

Rivera also had a role in burning clothing and a car involved in another murder by MS-13 members.

From April 2016 through January 2017, Rivera and SCSL members engaged in drug trafficking and extortion.

Rivera coordinated with MS-13 members in El Salvador and other places to carry out the directives of the gang’s leadership in and around Santa Cruz.

Rivera acknowledged he pushed for strict adherence to MS-13 rules, including the rule that required all people who wanted to join the gang to commit a murder to qualify for membership.

Additionally, Rivera had a role in patrolling the area over which SCSL gang members asserted their control.

Rivera admitted in the plea agreement that on one occasion he and other SCSL members assaulted a suspected rival gang member they found in their territory.

On another occasion, Rivera and other MS-13 members were in a car, when they spotted people they suspected of being rival gang members.

One of the MS-13 members shot at and attempted to kill a member of the group.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime Strike Force prosecuted the cases.

These sentencings are the results of a joint HSI San Jose and Santa Cruz Police Department investigation into MS-13 criminal street gang members operating in the greater Santa Cruz, California area.

Santa Cruz Chief of Police Andrew Mills
Santa Cruz Chief of Police Andrew Mills

“The Santa Cruz Police are grateful to HSI for assistance in investigating and convicting very violent members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang,” expressed said Santa Cruz Chief of Police Andrew Mills.

“It will make our community safer.”

U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Davila handed down the sentences, and also sentenced the defendants to a 5-year period of supervised release.

Eight of the other charged defendants have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the SCSL and MS-13 criminal enterprise.

In fiscal year 2019, HSI agents made nearly 4,000 arrests of transnational gang members; of those, more than 300 were tied to MS-13.

Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the HSI Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by HSI.

(Learn More. Law enforcement can more effectively collaborate to form a force multiplier of resources and capabilities in the ever-expanding global world of crime. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) bridges the gap. HSI has the ability to follow the “pipeline” and to proactively pursue the larger networks of illicit activities. HSI can serve as a force multiplier from anywhere domestic; from Minot, ND to New York City – to almost anywhere around the world with our international partners, either through the Transnational Criminal Investigative Units (TCIU’s) – which expand HSI’s footprint and enhance cooperation between partner nations and the United States – or through our 63 HSI International Attaché offices. State and Local law enforcement has the ability to leverage HSI’s unique legal authorities and global footprint to help combat crimes in their community; such as the growth and proliferation of transnational crimes and the rampant and far reaching cyber crimes – most notably, the darknet. Courtesy of the IACP and YouTube.)

Contact the toll-free tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form at https://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form. Both are staffed around the clock.

From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

ICE ERO Nominated in the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program

2019 'ASTORS' Awards Program Banquet Luncheon
2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program Banquet Luncheon

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is specifically designed to honor distinguished government and vendor solutions that deliver enhanced value, benefit and intelligence to end users in a variety of government, homeland security and public safety vertical markets.

Deanne Criswell
Deanne Criswell the Commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Department is responsible for oversight of the City’s efforts to plan and prepare for emergencies, educate the public about preparedness, coordinate emergency response and recovery, and disseminate emergency information.

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.

American Security Today is pleased to announce that Deann Criswell, the NYC Emergency Management Commissioner will deliver the keynote address at the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon Banquet in New York City.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.

90% of ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners return to compete in the Annual ‘ASTORS‘ Homeland Security Awards Program, and 100% of ‘ASTORS’ Sponsors have returned year to year to reap the benefits of their participation in the industry’s largest and most comprehensive Annual Awards Program.

Comprehensive List of Categories Include:

Access Control/ Identification Personal/Protective Equipment Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism
Perimeter Barrier/ Deterrent System Interagency Interdiction Operation Cloud Computing/Storage Solution
Facial/IRIS Recognition Body Worn Video Product Cyber Security
Video Surveillance/VMS Mobile Technology Anti-Malware
Audio Analytics Disaster Preparedness ID Management
Thermal/Infrared Camera Mass Notification System Fire & Safety
Metal/Weapon Detection Rescue Operations Critical Infrastructure
License Plate Recognition Detection Products And Many Others!

Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Local transmission of the disease has occurred across all fifty states in the America.

With the unprecedented occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of the safety and security industries has realized the need to increase innovations to address the daily growing challenges.

As such AST aims to make sure these firms and professionals are reflected in the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, so we’d like to encourage you to submit appropriate categories recommendations and include COVID-19 Frontline Professionals in your Nominations to see that these Professionals, Facilities, and Vendors receive the Recognition they Deserve!

Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program surpassed expectations with a record number of nominations received from industry leaders and government agencies, and drew over 200 attendees to the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Banquet – an exclusive gourmet luncheon and networking opportunity which filled to capacity, before having to turn away late registrants.

The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William (Bill) Bratton, former police commissioner of the NYPD twice, the BPD, and former chief of the LAPD, on the history of policing in America and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.

The event featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William J. Bratton, former police commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD) twice, the Boston Police Department (BPD), and former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.

Commissioner Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.

Why the ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?

2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Luncheon at ISC East

American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’

Over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included: 

  • The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
  • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
  • United States Marine Corps
  • The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
  • Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
  • United States Postal Inspection Service
  • DHS S&T 
  • United States Marshals Service (USMS)
  • The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police (PAPD)
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ)
  • The New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
  • United States Border Patrol
  • AlertMedia, Ameristar Perimeter Security, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, Bellevue University, BriefCam, Canon U.S.A., CornellCookson, Drone Aviation, FLIR Systems, Hanwha Techwin, HID Global, IPVideo Corp., Konica Minolta Business Solutions, LenelS2, ManTech, Regroup Mass Notifications, SafeLogic, SolarWinds, Senstar, ShotSpotter, Smiths Detection, TCOM LP, Trackforce, Verint, and More!

From innovative Military Cyber Programs, to LocalState and Federal Public Safety and Emergency Management Initiatives, New Physical and IT Products and Services, and Security Professional, Threat Assessment, Emergency Preparedness, Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Education and Training Opportunities – Join your ‘ASTORS’ Award-Winning Peers and Receive the Recognition You Deserve!

Excellence in Public Safety and Government Security Award Nominations are also encouraged, such as those 2019 Honored Winners which includes the DEAU.S. Marine CorpsDHS S&TFederal Protective ServiceDHS S&T NUSTLU.S. Marshals ServiceU.S. Border PatrolThe Port Authority of NY/NJ, and the NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services.

Individuals are also encouraged to be nominated for Government Excellence in Public Safety and Homeland Security such as last years widely respected recipients.

Why American Security Today?

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers eyes throughout the story with cutting edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.

Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications

AST puts forward the Largest and Most Qualified Circulation in Government with Over 75,000 readers on the Federal, State and Local levels.
AST puts forward the Largest and Most Qualified Circulation in Government with Over 75,000 readers on the Federal, State and Local levels.

The AST Digital Publications is distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals in federal, state and local levels.

‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’

AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.

Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.

American Security Today

These experts are from Government at the federal, state and local level as well as from private firms allied to government.

AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.

AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.

Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

To learn more about the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, please go to the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Championship Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2019 ‘A Year in Review’.

The ‘ASTORS’ Champion Edition is published annually and includes a review of the ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firms products and services, includes video interviews and more.

It is your Go-To source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2019 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.

From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION will have what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitgate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.

It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

2019 ‘ASTORS’ Government Excellence Award Recipients Include:

Mike Madsen, AST Publisher (at left); and Tammy Waitt, Managing Director (at right); presenting Commissioner William J. Bratton with his 2019 'ASTORS' Person of the Year Award at the 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon at ISC East.
Mike Madsen, AST Publisher (at left); and Tammy Waitt, Managing Director (at right); presenting Commissioner William J. Bratton with his 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year Award at the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon at ISC East.

Commissioner William J. Bratton

  • 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year

  • Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security & Public Service

  • Commissioner William (Bill) Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.

  • Commission Bratton, delivered an impassioned and compelling keynote address at the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon,  as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.

Bill Bratton, former police commissioner of the NYPD twice, the BPD, and former chief of the LAPD, delivered the keynote address at the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon.
  • The Commissioner is widely sought by both national and international news outlets, law enforcement agencies, industry leading Fortune 500 companies and public safety agencies for his insight and vast expertise relating to crime, public safety, counterterrorism, risk mitigation, crisis management, and first responders interoperability (i.e., federal, state and local law enforcement, fire, EMS, health, hospitals) in the event of a critical incident or emergency.

  • Over the course of his 46-year career in law enforcement, he instituted progressive change and achieved dramatic decreases in crime while leading six police departments, which includes seven years as Chief of Police for LAPD, and two consecutive terms as Police Commissioner of the City of New York, driving down crime, improving public safety, and working to strengthen community relations while in each post.

  • As Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk, Commission Bratton regularly counsels clients on risk identification, prevention, and response, with an emphasis on six key areas which includes: cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, counterterrorism, health advisory, internal threat mitigation, and crisis management.

John F. Clark, CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

  • Excellence in Public Safety

  • Mr. John F. Clark was with the United States Marshals Service (USMS) for 28 years, serving as head of the USMS from 2006-2011.

 

John Clark, CEO of NCMEC, accepting a 2019 'ASTORS' Award at the 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
John Clark, CEO of NCMEC, accepting a 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Award at the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
  • Prior to the USMS, Mr. Clark served with the United States Capitol Police and United States Border Patrol.

  • He has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) since 2015, where he has led a complete transformation of the organization.

  • NCMEC is unique as an non-profit organization in that it has certain Congressionally established mandates such as the CyberTipLine, which is the nation’s 9-1-1 reporting mechanism for reporting potential child exploitation, child pornography and missing children.

(Hear from John Clark, president and the CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, on Operation Cross Country X, and the importance of working together to fight child exploitation and sex trafficking. Courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and YouTube.)

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

  • Excellence in Homeland Security

  • The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative

  • The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day hosted by the DEA and its national, tribal and community partners aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

DEA Honored for the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative at 2019 'ASTORS' Homeland Security Awards Luncheon at ISC East.
DEA Honored for the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative at 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Luncheon at ISC East.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate

    • Excellence in Public Safety

    • Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Program

  • The Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Program works with first responders across the country to ensure the technology they use while responding to an emergency keeps them better protected, connected and fully aware.

Sridhar Kowdley, DHS S&T Next-Gen First Responders (NGFR) Program Manager, accepting the Program's 2019 'ASTORS' Award at the 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.Program Manager
Sridhar Kowdley, DHS S&T Next-Gen First Responders (NGFR) Program Manager, accepting the Program’s 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Award at the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
  • These cutting-edge technologies will improve emergency response time and accelerate decision-making to save more lives.

  • NGFR is comprised of more than 40 research and development projects geared towards making responders better protected, connected and fully aware.

(The DHS S&T Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Program recently partnered with public safety agencies from the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County, Alabama, for the NGFR Birmingham Shaken Fury Operational Experimentation (OpEx). The OpEx assessed first responder technologies that addressed the region’s public safety capability gaps to help ready agencies for the World Games 2021 and unexpected natural disasters. Courtesy of DHS S&T and YouTube. Posted on Oct 24, 2019.)

Federal Protective Service in Collaboration with the Argonne National Laboratory

  • Best Big Data Analytics Solution

  • Federal Protective Service Threat Assessment Report

  • The Federal Protective Service Threat Assessment Report (TAR) is an automated, human-in-the-loop, machine learning (ML) new threat and vulnerability assessment framework that has significant, long-term impact for FPS and the greater national security community. 

FPS Director and USAF Brigadier General Eric Patterson (Rtd) (at right), and the FPS and ANL team accepting their Awards at 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Luncheon at ISC East.
FPS Director and USAF Brigadier General Eric Patterson (Rtd) (at right), and the FPS and ANL team accepting their Awards at 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Luncheon at ISC East.
  • The new process uses hundreds of data points, including facility-specific information; historical threat-incident data; and external, open-source data (e.g., census and income information) for a data inform set of over 250 factors which guide the determination of a federal facility’s most likely threats.

Dean C. Alexander

Dean C. Alexander
Dean C. Alexander

United States Postal Inspection Service

  • Excellence in Homeland Security

  • Office of Investigations

  • The United States Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service with jurisdiction of “crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S. Mail, the postal system or postal employees.”

  • Their mission is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service, its employees, infrastructure, and customers by enforcing the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use.

  • To protect the mail and to maintain the integrity of postal processes and personnel, the Postal Service relies on the investigative efforts of OIG special agents.

DHS S&T National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL)

Bhargav Patel, Senior Technologist at U.S. DHS S&T' National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL), accepting the Labs's 2019 'ASTORS' Award at the 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
Bhargav Patel, Senior Technologist at U.S. DHS S&T’ National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL), accepting the Labs’s 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Award at the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
  • A radiological dispersal device (RDD), or ‘dirty bomb,’ detonation in a local jurisdiction will have significant consequences for public safety, responder health and critical infrastructure operations.

  • First responders and emergency managers must quickly assess the hazard, issue protective action recommendations, triage and treat the injured, and secure the scene in support of the individuals, families and businesses in the impacted community.

(S&T’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory collaborated with first responders, DOE, and FEMA to publish the “Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) Response Guidance: Planning for the First 100 Minutes.” Courtesy of DHS S&T and YouTube. Posted on Apr 1, 2019.)

DHS S&T Office of Mission and Capability Support

Don Roberts, S&T Program Manager), accepting the Labs's 2019 'ASTORS' Award at the 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
Don Roberts, S&T Program Manager), accepting the Labs’s 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Award at the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
  • Surface transportation such as subway systems can be a unique security challenge due to the large crowds of travelers and the open, unstructured environment.

  • S&T is developing technology to detect potential threat items on persons and in bags without negatively impacting the speed of travel – to solve the complex challenge of protecting subways and rail systems from attacks.

  • The FOVEA tool allows public safety agencies to speed up the process of reviewing and analyzing security footage in the aftermath of an attack or during an event of interest by creating a summarized video that can be hundreds of times shorter than the original video, well beyond what can be observed via fast forward.

  • A path reconstruction tool guides the operator to the next relevant camera view, allowing the operator to quickly follow a person through many cameras and assemble a composite video of the activity, and a prototype of this tool has been deployed to two mass transit facilities and integrated into their video management systems.

The Forensic Video Exploitation and Analysis interface enables security personnel to highlight a person of interest and then reconstruct the path of that individual across multiple camera views. (Courtesy of Lincoln Laboratory and DHS ST&T)

Grant Coffey

(How often do you expose your equipment to hazardous conditions on the job? And can you claim to have never dropped an expensive tool? In FLIR PRIMED episode 36, Grant Coffey explains important rugged features your equipment should have, and how these features are rated according to international standards. Courtesy of FLIR Systems and YouTube.

  • FLIR PRIMED (Prepare, Recognize, Input, Monitor, Experience, Decision) Online CBRNE Training Video Series by FLIR Systems was recognized in the 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

United States Marshals Service

    • Excellence in Public Safety

    • Fugitive Task Forces

    • The U.S. Marshals Service currently leads 60 Regional fugitive task forces which combine the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and assist in high profile investigations. 

(See a brief introduction to the United States Marshals Service narrated by John Walsh from America’s Most Wanted. Courtesy of Shane T. McCoy and YouTube.)

Sheriff Tom Knight, Sarasota County Sheriff (FL)

Sarasota County (FL), Sheriff Tom Knight accepting his 2019 'ASTORS' Award at the 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
Sarasota County (FL), Sheriff Tom Knight accepting his 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Award at the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
  • He has demonstrated a lifetime of devotion to public safety and protecting children from abuse and exploitation, most recently with Operation Intercept VI a 4-day initiative focused on protecting Sarasota County children from online predators and human trafficking which resulted in the arrest of 25 child predators.

Dr. Sean Lawler

  • Excellence in Homeland Security

  • Supervisory Special Agent
    for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

  • Dr. Sean Lawler is a Supervisory Special Agent with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. SSA Lawler was previously assigned to work international narcotics investigations in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area and he currently is assigned as the Aviation Division’s Training Officer/Chief Instructor Pilot.

The Aviation Division supports DEA’s enforcement efforts through surveillance, photographic reconnaissance, movement of personnel and cargo and transportation of fugitives and prisoners. (Courtesy of DEA)
  • Additionally, SSA Lawler serves as a DEA Primary Firearms Instructor, Tactical Instructor, Tactical Emergency Medical Technician, and Active Shooter Instructor.

  • Prior to joining DEA, SSA Lawler was a Major in the US Air Force, where he served as an Instructor Pilot, Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Case Officer, and Combat Interrogator.

  • The Aviation Division’s mission is to provide aviation support to operational and intelligence elements within DEA and the law enforcement community to detect, locate, identify, and assess illicit narcotics-related trafficking activities.

  • Aviation support is critical to DEA’s strategic goal of disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations that have a significant impact on America’s illegal drug availability.

United States Border Patrol

    • Excellence in Homeland Security

    • Border Patrol, Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR)

    • The Border Patrol, Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) Unit is a specialized unit of the United States Border Patrol trained in emergency search and rescue & primarily assists injured or stranded migrants who enter the United States illegally from Mexico at remote desert locations.

(John Welter, a Border Patrol agent in the San Diego sector, explains how a little-known team called the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Unit, or BORSTAR, has largely gone under the radar. Courtesy of The Daily Signal and YouTube.) 

Dr. Konstantinos Papazoglou and Dr. Daniel M. Blumberg

  • Excellence in Scientific Research

  • Co Authors of ‘Power: Police Officer Wellness, Ethics, and Resilience’

  • Power: Police Officer Wellness, Ethics, and Resilience’ collectively presents the numerous psychic wounds experienced by peace officers in the line of duty, including compassion fatigue, moral injury, PTSD, operational stress injury, organizational and operational stress, and loss.

Dr. Konstantinos Papazoglou accepting his 2019 'ASTORS' Award at the 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
Dr. Konstantinos Papazoglou accepting his 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Award at the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
  • Drs. Papazoglou, a Postdoctoral Scholar, Yale School of Medicine Affiliated Researcher, Teachers College – Columbia University of New York, and Blumberg, a licensed clinical psychologist who has spent the past 33 years providing all facets of clinical and consulting psychological services to numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, describe the negative repercussions of these psychic wounds in law enforcement decision-making, job performance, job satisfaction, and families.

  • The book encompasses evidence-based strategies to assist law enforcement agencies in developing policy programs to promote wellness for their personnel.

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police

  • Excellence in Public Safety

  • The Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), protects and to enforces laws at PANYNJ facilities including airports, seaports, and bridges and tunnels, plus three bus terminals, the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, and the PATH train system.

  • The PAPD is the largest transit-related police force in the United States.

(Media Relation’s Rudy King photographs a recent training climb by the ESU up the George Washington Bridge and interviews a member of the elite squad afterward.. Courtesy of New York City Department of Correction and YouTube.)

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

  • Excellence in Public Safety

  • The CyberTipLine

  • The NCMEC congressionally mandated CyberTipline is a reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation including child pornography, online enticement of children for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family, sex tourism of children, child victims of prostitution, and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

(After over 20 years in operation, the NCMEC CyberTipline has received more than 45.2 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation – more than half of those in just the last two years. Recognizing this explosive growth, Congress unanimously passed, and the president signed, a new law to streamline the CyberTipline process and tackle new trends we’re seeing in child sexual exploitation. Courtesy of NCMEC and YouTube. Posted on Jan 23, 2019.)

United States Marine Corps

  • Best Cyber Security Program for Government or Military

  • U.S. Marine Corps 1700 Cyberspace Operations

Colonel Seth Milstein and Master Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Torres accepting the 1700 Cyberspace OccFld Platinum 'ASTORS' Award at the 2019 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon at ISC East.
Colonel Seth Milstein and Master Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Torres accepting the 1700 Cyberspace OccFld Platinum ‘ASTORS’ Award at the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon at ISC East.
  • The U.S. Marine Corps 1700 Cyberspace Operations Occupational Field cyberspace workforce works to compete successfully on future battlefields & adapt to the rising threat of near-peer adversaries like Russia and China.

  • Additionally, these positions support “the maturation of the Marine Corps’ cyberspace workforce through the establishment of specific career paths, standardized training continuum, and mechanisms to retain trained and qualified Marines within the cyberspace community.”

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA)

    • Excellence in Homeland Security

  • Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) is being recognized for his work on aviation security H.R. 91– Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act of 2019 which would require the installation of secondary cockpit barriers on existing aircraft, and for other purposes.

  • Fitzpatrick is a former Special Assistant United States Attorney and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) supervisory special agent in California.

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA)
  • At the FBI, he served as a national supervisor for the Bureau’s Public Corruption Unit, and led the agency’s Campaign Finance and Election Crimes Enforcement program.

  • During his time in the FBI, he spent time in Kiev, Ukraine, Mosul, Iraq and Washington, D.C. He was embedded with U.S. Special Forces as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

  • Excellence in Public Safety

  • Federal Risk Management Process Training Program

  • The Federal Risk Management Process Training Program is  Interagency Security Committee certified for Facility Security Officials, Federal Security Supervisors and those involved with Federal facility acquisition, construction, and renovation projects.

E. Reid Hilliard, Lead and Master Instructor, Assistant Director, Justice Protective Services, Department of Justice (DOJ), and Kevin McCombs, Security Specialist, U.S. Office of Personal Management, accepting one of Four 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards at ISC East.
E. Reid Hilliard, Lead and Master Instructor, Assistant Director, Justice Protective Services, DOJ, and Kevin McCombs, Security Specialist, U.S. Office of Personal Management, accepting one of Four 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards at ISC East.
  • On October 19, 1995, six months after the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12977, creating the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) to address continuing government-wide security for federal facilities.

    Prior to 1995, minimum physical security standards did not exist for nonmilitary federally owned or leased facilities.

New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)

  • Excellence in Public Safety

  • NYS Unmanned Aircraft Systems/Drone Training Program

  • The NYS Unmanned Aircraft Systems/Drone Training Program helps to safely and effectively leverage UAS in support of the agency’s mission & includes UAS training courses created to help agencies develop their own UAS programs and train UAS Operators.

Image by Jean P Mouffe from Pixabay
Image by Jean P Mouffe from Pixabay
  • One component of the DHSES UAS Program is series of UAS training courses created to help agencies develop their own UAS programs and train UAS Operators.

  • The UAS training programs range from basic awareness level training about UAS operations to advanced operator curriculum involving flying UAS in realistic, tactical scenarios. 

Ewart Williams

Ewart Williams is an Adjunct Professor for New Jersey City University tailoring courses and mentoring the next generation of National Security and Intelligence professionals.
Ewart Williams is an Adjunct Professor for New Jersey City University tailoring courses and mentoring the next generation of National Security and Intelligence professionals.
  • The National Security Agency’s program goal is to “reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in Information Assurance (IA) and producing a growing number of professionals with IA expertise in various disciplines. Certification… assure(s) the very finest preparation of professionals entrusted with securing our critical information.”

  • Mr. Williams works in this framework teaching courses in National Security and Intelligence Programs.

Stanley I. White

  • Excellence in Homeland Security

  • International Association for Counterrorism & Security Professionals (IACSP)

  • As Counterintelligence Advisor Mr. Stanley I. White collects intelligence (OSINT, HUMINT and other available sources) and analyzes the subject information using SWOT techniques.

Stanley I. White CPS, ATO, BDO, CI Advisor at IACSP at the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Awards
  • His skillset also includes basic Israeli Security methodologies, counter elicitation, anti-surveillance, personal awareness, Keysource Intelligence collection as well as holding certifications as a Protection Specialist, Behavioral Detection and Anti-Terrorism Officer.

  • He is also internationally published over the last 18 years on the topics of personal protection/security, intelligence, counterintelligence, hand to hand combat and defensive tactics.

For a complete list of award winners, click here.

For additional information about the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

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