News Story
FBI Trailed U.S.-born al-Awlaki Nine Years Before He Was Killed by Drone
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com In the six hours before radical American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki entered the Pentagon for a luncheon in February 2002, he was being tracked by the FBI’s elite surveillance unit, Fox News reports. Records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show the bureau’s Special Surveillance Group trailed al-Awlaki, who was killed by…
Columnist Argues Congress Should Get Rid of Beleaguered DEA
Bill Piper The Seattle Times Note: Piper is the director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance This year is the 40th anniversary of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Already plagued by scandals, the agency has recently been revealed to be collaborating with the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency to spy on…
Book Explores Relationship Between FBI Informant and Mobster ‘Grim Reaper’
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A new book explores the secret world of FBI informants, questioning the extent of bureau protection for killers and other criminals, U.S. News & World Report said. “Deal With the Devil: The FBI’s Secret Thirty-Year Relationship with a Mafia Killer” is written by investigative reporter and former ABC correspondent Peter Lance, who…
Former Fox2 Reporter Simon Shaykhet Leaves Detroit FBI to Return to TV
By Allan Lengel Deadline Detroit DETROIT — After 1 year and 10 months as the FBI spokesman in Detroit, Simon Shaykhet — the guy with the hard to spell last name — is returning to TV as a reporter. “The FBI was a terrific experience and I was proud to be able to represent such…
ADL To Hand Out Awards to Law Enforcement that Battled Hates Crimes and Terrorist Threats
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish organization in Washington, will honor law enforcement heroes who have protected the public from hate crimes and terrorist threats. The fourth annual ADL SHIELD Awards will be held on Monday, Sept. 23rd in Washington and the recipients will include members of the FBI Washington Field…
Column: Homeland Security Exposes Constitutional Loop Hole to Conduct Searches
Dale McFeatters The Eagle-Tribune The Founding Fathers valued privacy enough to specify in the Fourth Amendment that the people had the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures unless a warrant was issued. Among other items, they specified “papers.” In a rare moment of shortsightedness, they failed to specify laptops, cellphones and thumb…
Long-Serving Border Patrol Chief to Retire After 25 Years, Reflects on Advances
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Chief Enrique “Henry” Mendiola Jr., whose 25 year of service makes him one of the longest-serving agents of the Border Patrol RGV Sector, is retiring, ValleyCentral.com reports. Mendiola was only 20 years old when he joined the Border Patrol in 1988. “When I came in we were still doing ink fingerprints, we…
Families of 19 Homicide Victims Want to Speak Out During ‘Whitey’ Bulger Sentencing
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Although notorious mobster James “Whitey” Bulger was convicted of 11 murders, the victims of 19 homicide victims want to be heard during sentencing in November, The Boston Globe reports. Bulger’s attorney, J.W. Carney Jr., initially considered opposing the request but acknowledged there’s not much he can do. “Federal law permits family members…