Representatives of the Department of Homeland Security announce an additional $725 million dollars from the FY '04 Budget for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), for grants to urban areas within the United States to help enhance their overall security and preparedness level to prevent, respond and recover from acts of terrorism. These funds are being made available in addition to the nearly $800 million that the Department's Office for Domestic Preparedness awarded during FY '03 specifically for urban areas.

$675 million will be allocated in the form of grants through the states to urban areas selected by the Department of Homeland Security to enhance their overall security and preparedness level to prevent, respond and recover from acts of terrorism. The urban areas are chosen based on a formula that takes into account factors including critical infrastructure, population density and credible threat information. Funding allocations among the cities, contiguous counties and mutual aid partners will be based on an urban area assessment and strategic plan. Eighty percent of the funds allocated to the state under this program must be awarded to the designated cities and contiguous counties within the urban area based on the strategic plan. The state may use the remaining twenty percent for further security enhancements within the urban area.

$50 million has been allocated in the form of grants through the states for mass transit security agencies across the country to help the agencies enhance the security of its assets and passengers. These transit systems were determined based upon the number of annual riders and overall track mileage. Allowable uses of funds would include installation of physical barricades, area monitoring systems such as; video surveillance, motion detectors, thermal/IR imagery and chemical/radiological material detection systems, integrated communications systems and prevention planning, training and exercises. If not already completed, each transit system would be required to conduct an assessment and preparedness plan on which to base resource allocations.

(Article information from Reuters)

The Senate approved a measure late on Monday that would let cargo pilots carry guns just days after authorities warned new attacks could be launched against American targets using that type of aircraft.

The Senate plan, first proposed last March by California Democrat Barbara Boxer and Kentucky Republican Jim Bunning, would permit cargo pilots to carry firearms and non-lethal stun guns as last-ditch options to deter any hijacking.

The measure would amend a law passed after the 2001 hijack attacks on New York and Washington that permits commercial airline pilots to carry guns on duty on a voluntary basis.

The House of Representatives included a provision earlier this month to arm cargo pilots in its version of the $60 billion Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. The Senate could consider its version of that legislation later this week.

Until this month, cargo airlines and their allies in Congress had been able to hold off calls to arm cargo pilots. Most cargo security concerns had focused on mail and packages loaded aboard commercial airliners, not lumbering cargo jets that fly often at night and without passengers.

But the Bush administration said on Friday that recent intelligence suggests that cargo planes -- possibly seized overseas -- could be used against American targets, possibly inside the United States. No specific information about a potential threat was received, the Homeland Security Department said.

Cargo pilots had stepped up their warnings of potential security flaws in their industry since a man shipped himself by air cargo from New York to Texas earlier this fall.

Top law enforcement and government officials have joined with the Department of Homeland Security to announce Operation ICE Storm, a multi-agency initiative led by the Department's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to combat human smuggling and the violence it has generated in Arizona and nationwide.

At a news conference in Phoenix this morning, ICE Acting Assistant Secretary Michael J. Garcia laid out details of the effort, which includes the formation of a task force made up of federal, state, and local agencies. Garcia pledged that the task force will use its broad range of authorities and resources to dismantle organized crime outfits that have turned human smuggling into a bloody but profitable venture.

ICE, as the largest investigative arm of Homeland Security, brings to bear a broad array of authorities and resources that make it uniquely qualified to lead the fight against human smuggling. ICE agents will combine immigration, smuggling, and financial investigative powers to attack the criminal rings from a variety of levels. ICE's financial investigations expertise, for example, will allow the task force to follow the money trial in ways not previously possible.

Garcia also noted that members of the community will play an important role in providing information about human smuggling suspects featured on a newly established ICE Storm "Most Wanted" list using a toll-free public tip line.

Court statistics show that, from January through October, Phoenix experienced 216 homicides, compared to 149 for the same period last year, a 45 percent increase. Over the last few years, there has also been a significant number of incidents involving extortion, kidnapping, and home invasions. In 2002-2003, there were 623 such incidents, 75 percent of which were the result of human smuggling or related activity.

During last week's deadly freeway shooting spree, DHS's Border Patrol helped capture four individuals involved in the shooting. However, several other smuggling suspects remain at large, and ICE will work with the Border Patrol and local law enforcement to track down the rest of the killers. Taking those dangerous fugitives off the street is the aim of the ICE Storm "Most Wanted" list, which authorities unveiled to the media today.

The list features five fugitives linked to violent smuggling incidents in the Phoenix area. Among the "Most Wanted" is Javier Avila-Valdez, who is charged in connection with a smuggling-related shoot-out in 1999 that killed three people, including a 15-year old boy. Five others have been arrested and tried in the case. Each received 16 life terms plus 235 years.

Prosecuting smugglers identified as part of ICE Storm is a top priority. New federal sentencing enhancements will ensure that smugglers who engage in hostage taking will be given stiff sentences, up to life in prison. The United States Attorney's Office is pledging to use this and every other tool at its disposal to deter smuggling activity. In those instances where federal charges are not appropriate, the U.S. Attorney and ICE will collaborate with state and county authorities to explore the possibility for local prosecution.

Since mid-September the United States Attorney's Office has initiated prosecutions in more than 80 cases related to smuggling. In addition to human smuggling violations, the federal charges include money laundering, narcotics smuggling, weapons violations, and other violent crime.

Of particular concern to the agencies participating in the ICE Storm task force is the increasing use of assault weapons by smugglers. Since June, ICE agents in Phoenix have seized more than 80 illegal weapons, including AK-47s, SKS military assault rifles, and a 50-caliber Desert Eagle automatic handgun.

A critical facet of ICE Storm involves targeting the monetary assets of smuggling organizations. Authorities say "following the money trail" and crippling the organizations' financial infrastructure is crucial to disabling their operations. A financial analysis by ICE showed that during a six-month period in early 2003 more than $160 million was funneled into Phoenix through money transmitting businesses. Investigators believe much of that money was earmarked to pay smuggling fees.

In support of the operation, ICE is deploying 50 additional Special Agents to the Phoenix area. These resources enhance ICE's investigational capabilities and its ability to respond to local law enforcement. The number of permanent ICE agents available to combat organized smuggling in Phoenix effectively doubled with the establishment of the Phoenix ICE field office.

In addition to ICE, there are 12 federal, state, and local agencies participating in ICE Storm. Those entities include the United States Attorney's Office; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Arizona Attorney General's Office; the Maricopa County Attorney's Office; the Arizona Department of Public Safety; the Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and Scottsdale Police Departments; and the Maricopa and Pinal County Sheriff's Offices.

(Article information from Reuters)

Several Latin American countries plan to follow Mexico's example by issuing consular identification cards to illegal immigrants in the United States, despite FBI warnings that the cards pose a security threat, officials said on Thursday.

Mexico has issued around two million of the cards, known as the "matricula consular" to its nationals, whether they are in the United States legally or illegally, in the past two years. Guatemala began offering a similar card last year.

Ecuador recently started issuing cards to its nationals. Honduras expects to begin a program soon while Nicaragua, El Salvador and Brazil are studying the issue.

Nicaragua has 600,000 to one million nationals in the United States.

The Mexican card has received growing acceptance from commercial institutions and state and local government. It is accepted as identification by more than 100 U.S. banks and at least 800 police departments. A handful of states accept them for issuance of driver's licenses and the Transportation Security Administration accepts them for air travelers.

But in congressional testimony last June, Steven McCraw, assistant director of the FBI's intelligence office, said the cards were not a reliable form of identification and posed a potential security hazard.

"There are major criminal threats posed by the cards and a potential terrorist threat," he said.

Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge in September also voiced concern. "There seem to be some mayors and financial institutions that are accepting it. For the time being, they do so at their peril," he said.

The White House has taken no position on the cards, pending the outcome of an inter-agency review. That leaves individual states, counties and cities free to make their own policies.

There are an estimated 8 to 10 million illegal immigrants in the United States, according to the Census Bureau, the vast majority from Central America, particularly Mexico.

Part of the impetus for accepting the cards comes from banks and other financial institutions which see a vast untapped market. The U.S. Treasury Department recently issued regulations allowing banks to accept the cards from people wishing to open accounts.

Critics point to media accounts of Mexican ID cards being found in the hands of non-Mexicans. They say Mexico has 300 consulates in the United States but no unified data base so that one individual could easily get several cards.

But Mexican officials say there are stringent security precautions in place. Individuals must present an original Mexican birth certificate, a photo ID card such as a passport, and a utility bill or other proof of residence.

Custodio of the Honduran embassy said the card his country intends to issue would include more personal information embedded in a bar code and more security safeguards than the driver's licenses issued by most U.S. states.