Senator Hassan Discusses Threats to the Homeland with Top Administration Officials
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan today questioned top administration officials about efforts to counter the flow of fentanyl into our country, threats to the U.S. following Hamas’s terrorist attack against Israel, and border security during the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s annual Threats to the Homeland hearing. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid testified and took questions at the hearing.
To watch Senator Hassan’s questioning, click here.
Targeting Fentanyl Trafficking
Senator Hassan began by discussing how China and Mexico are responsible for the production and smuggling of fentanyl and fentanyl precursors, which in turn continues to fuel overdose deaths and the opioid crisis in the United States.
“Transnational criminal organizations in China and Mexico change tactics frequently, but they continue to be responsible for the vast quantities of fentanyl that is smuggled into the United States - an issue that I and other Senators raised with senior Chinese leaders last month, including President Xi, on our recent bipartisan CODEL,” said Senator Hassan. “Some Chinese exporters even advertise their ability to evade customs inspections and seizures, as they advertise the availability of precursors.”
Senator Hassan then asked Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray what specific steps they are taking to dismantle transnational criminal organizations that are manufacturing and smuggling fentanyl and other drugs into the U.S.
Secretary Mayorkas shared that DHS is taking various steps including through DHS’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Units -- which Senator Hassan has worked to support -- to dismantle cartels and investigate transnational criminal activity. In addition, DHS continues to send a surge of personnel and resources to the Southern border to interdict fentanyl at the border, including through its recent Blue Lotus and Artemis Operations.
Director Wray shared that the FBI has its Safe Streets Task Force, which prosecutes gangs involved in drug trafficking, among other initiatives.
Hamas’s Terrorist Attack on Israel
During the hearing, Senator Hassan voiced her concern that Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel will embolden other terrorist organizations. She then asked the witnesses if other terrorist organizations have used Hamas’s attack in messaging or propaganda.
Director Abizaid shared that “it’s absolutely been a feature of messaging and propaganda,” and that the National Counterterrorism Center has seen propaganda from Al-Qaeda affiliates and ISIS leveraging the conflict to sow violence.
“Homegrown violent extremists inspired by foreign terrorist organizations are, in many ways, the biggest threat we face here in the homeland,” Director Wray said. “And those lone actors will draw inspiration from all sorts of things. And so to have this many foreign terrorist organizations this explicitly calling for attacks, significantly… takes the threat level… to a whole other level.”
Senator Hassan also discussed how escalating military tensions in the Middle East following Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel could lead to an uptick in threats to Americans. Director Wray agreed that there is a heightened risk of potential violence given that Iranian-backed terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah are actively interested in targeting Americans.
In addition, Senator Hassan spoke about how Hamas’s recent terrorist attack against Israel and the resulting war has shaken Jewish, Muslim, and other communities, and comes amid a growing crisis of violence against religious communities in the United States and urged more support to protect their security.
“New Hampshire Jewish leaders tell me that their congregants are scared to go to synagogue,” said Senator Hassan. “They are scared to attend even in the cases where a synagogue is able to hire private security to protect worship services.”
When asked what steps DHS is taking to address this, Secretary Mayorkas responded that DHS, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center issued a Joint Intelligence Bulletin in the immediate aftermath of the October 7th attack, and DHS is continuing to provide resources and information about security practices for faith and community leaders in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict. DHS is also distributing funding from the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which Senator Hassan successfully pushed to increase funding for, to further secure houses of worship.
Director Wray shared that the FBI has elevated hate crimes to a national threat priority and has conducted outreach with Jewish communities and held active shooter response trainings for houses of worship.
Border Security
In addition, Senator Hassan pressed Secretary Mayorkas on Southern border security, citing an increase of apprehensions in August and September of this year.
“We have to strengthen border security in ways that not only protect our national security, but are also humane and constituent with American values,” said Senator Hassan. “That approach needs to include technology, personnel, and physical barriers where it is strategically useful.”
“I’m glad to see that DHS has reversed course from the beginning of the administration and unfrozen funding to fill certain gaps in physical barriers,” said Senator Hassan. “These gaps create obvious problems, such as the 20 foot gap in fencing I saw in Texas last year when I observed people running back and forth across the border.” In response, Secretary Mayorkas stated that he had approved more than 120 barrier completions for border gaps.
Senator Hassan also raised the issue of Northern border security, stating that encounters of undocumented migrants along the Northern border have nearly doubled compared to 2022, and that Customs and Border Protection in New Hampshire has struggled to hire and retain personnel over the past several years. Law enforcement at the Northern border also face challenges with their technology and the lack of broadband access.
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