EFTA00149061.pdf

From: To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Wednesday, September 23, 2020 Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2020 10:28:00 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. 'FBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Nearly 200 Arrested, $6.5 Million Seized In Worldwide Opioid Bust. PROTESTS • House Republicans Urge FBI To Probe Funding Behind Recent Riots. • Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty To Destruction Of Police Vehicle During Protests. • USA Today/Ipsos Poll: 64% Say US Cities "Under Siege" By Protesters. • Cuccinelli: Authorities Should Establish "Peace Through Strength." • EPA Chief Threatens To Relocate New York Office Over Protests Against Police. • Investigation Opened After Salt Lake City Officer Shoots Child With Autism. • Officer In Taylor Case Defends Actions, Slams Officials In Email To Louisville Cops. • Police Searching For Two Suspects Who Defaced Pittsburgh BLM Mural. OPERATION LEGEND • Barr Announces Takedown Of Drug Trafficking Ring Under Operation LeGend. • Kansas City Authorities Identify One-Year-Old Killed In Triple Shooting. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Woman Accused Of Sending Ricin Letter Wanted Trump To Drop Reelection Campaign. • UK Sends Evidence Against Accused ISIS Executioners To US. • Florida Man Arrested On Charges Linked To Terrorism, ISIS. • Explosion Destroys "Hezbollah-linked Site" In Southern Lebanon. • Violent Far-Right Extremism Accounts For 40% Of Australian Counterterrorism Cases. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • China Calls Spying Allegations Against NYPD Officer "Pure Fabrication." • CIA Finds Putin Most Likely Directing Election Influence Efforts To Support Trump. • US Warns "Foreign Actors" May Introduce Disinformation On Delayed Election Results. • Cybersecurity Experts Tell Ohio Court "Requesting Ballots By Email Is Safe." • FinCEN Files Show Treasury Received Over 86 Warnings About Suspected Russian Spy. • ODNI's Worldwide Threat Assessment "More Than 7 Months Overdue." • Expert Says Assange A "Very High" Suicide Risk If Extradited. EFTA00149061 • Declassified CIA Documents Detail Proposed Lightning Weapon. • Turkey Accuses EU Of "Rewarding The Aggressor" In Libya. • Europe's Data Standoff With US "Points To Deeper Division." • Russia Detains Leader Of Siberian Religious Sect Over Health Concerns. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Decade-Old Allegation Holds Up California Sex Trafficking Case. • Ex-Xerox Employee Sentenced To Life For Murder, Robbery. • New Hampshire White Nationalist On Trial For Alleged Rape Threats. • Seventeen Arrested In Bust Of South Carolina Drug Trafficking Ring. • Pennsylvania Hotel Sweep Turns Up 16 Suspected Drug Dealers, Human Traffickers. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Actor Jerry Harris Over Child Pornography. • New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Hire Hitman. • Drug Probe Leads To Indictment Of Two Marines. • Court Postpones Sentencing Of Convicted South Carolina Police Chief. • Colorado Doctor Sentenced For Child Pornography Possession. • Continuing Coverage: North Carolina Man Jailed For Child Sex Crimes. • FBI Investigating Stabbing Of Arizona Border Patrol Agent. • Rhode Island Bank Robber Facing Additional Charges. • FBI Investigating Mall Shooting In Pennsylvania. • North Carolina Man Sentenced For Drug, Firearm Offenses. • California Man Charged With Murder Over 2013 Killing. • FBI, Delaware Police Seize Record Amount Of Fentanyl. • Nevada Man Arrested Following Escape. • Colorado Police Searching For Bank Robbers. • FBI Raids Home In New York. • Montana Resident Pleads Guilty To Meth Distribution. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • US Charges Two Antiquities Dealers With Fraud. • Mossimo Giannulli Sentenced To Five Months Imprisonment Over College Bribery. CYBER DIVISION • Shopify Says Customer Data Was Likely Exposed As Employees Accessed Records. • Trump's WeChat Restrictions "Could Hit Americans Instead." • Kudlow: Administration Wants Security And US Ownership In TikTok Deal. • WPost: US Ban On WeChat Will Make Whole World Less Free. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • FBI Teams With Huntsville, Alabama Police On Newly Opened Training Facility. OTHER FBI NEWS • FBI Warns Of Phone Scammers. • Judge Keeps Alive Effort To Unseal FBI Files On Jeffrey Epstein. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Media Analyses: GOP Has Votes To Replace Ginsburg; "Momentum" Favors Lagoa. • GOP To Ask Supreme Court To Limit Mail Voting In Pennsylvania. • Trump Uses UN Address To Blast China's Handling Of Pandemic Outbreak. • Pence: "Reckless" For Biden To Undermine Vaccine. • Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Trial On Track To Beat Rivals. • Federal Advisory Committee Postpones Vote On Vaccine Rollout. EFTA00149062 • FDA Expected To Announce New Standard For Emergency Authorization Of Vaccine. • Reports Put 200,000 US Pandemic Deaths In Context Of Presidential Campaign. • Administration Sending Rapid Coronavirus Tests To Historically Black Colleges. • Supply Shortages Forcing Health Systems To Ration COVID Tests. • NIH Official Exits After It Is Revealed He Published COVID Misinformation Online. • White House Officials Blast Former Coronavirus Task Force Member. • McEnany Rebukes CNN's Acosta Over Coronavirus Question Taking Trump Out Of Context. • NYTimes Report Scrutinizes Trump's DPA Claims. • Pentagon Reportedly Spent PPE Funds On Unrelated Items. • NFL Head Coaches Fined For Not Wearing Masks. • Notre Dame Game Postponed Due To Player Infections. • CDC Releases Guidelines On Celebrating Halloween Amid Pandemic. • New York AG: Eric Trump Gave "False" Reason For Delaying Deposition. • Wold: Border Wall "Making A Difference." • Hospital Rebuts Claims That Many Hysterectomies Were Performed On Detainees. • DHS Reinstitutes "Public Charge" Rule After Court Victory. • House Approves Stopgap Spending Bill Including Farm Aid Sought By GOP. • Meadows Memo: Administration To Replace White House Liaisons At Many Agencies. • DeVos Reportedly Under Investigation For Possibly Violating Hatch Act. • Trump To Announce Executive Orders On Healthcare. • Tropical Storm Beta Lashes Texas With Heavy Rain. • Trump Trademark Registered In Cuba In 2008 For Hotels, Casinos And Golf Courses. • Trump Signs Executive Order Barring Critical-Race Theory Training By Federal Contractors. • WTimes Analysis: Trump-Pelosi Relationship At "All-Time Low." • In Leaked Tapes, Mine Executives Detail Influence Over Politicians. • Air Force Two Returns To Airport After Hitting Bird. • Lawsuit: DEA's Interim Final Hemp Rule Exceeds Limits Of 2018 Farm Bill. • Bill Clinton Dined With Ghislaine Maxwell In 2014. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • UK Reintroduces Restrictions Meant To Curb Virus Spread. • Experts Warn Restriction Fatigue Fueling Increase In Cases In Europe. • Peace Talks Eyed As Path To End Fighting In Somalia. • Pompeo Predicts "Excellent Cooperation" From Europe On Iran Arms Embargo. • Macron: Trump's Pressure On Iran Has Been Fruitless. • Rouhani: Iran "Not A Bargaining Chip In US Elections." • US Navy Deploys Carrier Strike Group To Strait Of Hormuz. • Khalilzad: Afghan Fighting Remains "Too High" Despite Peace Talks. • Pompeo Seeking UN Support To Redefine Human Rights. • US Reportedly Near Agreement To Sell F-35s To UAE. • AP Analysis: Saudi King, Crown Prince Signal Divide On Ties With Israel. • McMaster Touts Trump's "Good Decisions" On Russia. • India Cites Progress Made In Military Talks With China. • US Ambassador To Netherlands Draws Controversy Over Partisan Event. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. EFTA00149063 LEADING THE NEWS Nearly 200 Arrested, $6.5 Million Seized In Worldwide Oploid Bust. The AP (9/22) reports that according to the Justice Department, 179 people have been arrested and "$6.5M seized in worldwide crackdown on opioid trafficking on darknet." The Cincinnati Enquirer (9/22, Knight, 223K) quotes FBI Director Wray as saying, "With the spike in opioid- related overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize that today's announcement is important and timely. ... The FBI will continue to use all investigative techniques and tools to identify and prosecute Darknet opioid dealers, wherever they may be located." Domestically, adds the Enquirer, "the operation lasted nine months and resulted in prosecutions in California, Georgia, Virginia and Texas." BBC News Online (VS) (9/22, 1.02M) reports that "the operation, known as DisrupTor, was a joint effort between the Department of Justice and Europol," and Voice of America (9/22, 48K) that "most of the arrests took place in the United States, while others were apprehended in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Austria and Sweden." USA Today (9/22, Phillips, 10.31M) reports, "Investigators have seized more than $6.5 million in cash and virtual currencies, as well as 500 kilograms of drugs worldwide, including more than 200 kilograms of heroin, cocaine, and various kinds of opioids - a haul that officials said made a significant dent in online drug trafficking." USA Today adds, "Darknet sites, which exist on encrypted networks and aren't easily accessible, have enabled drug traffickers to create a new kind of `criminal underworld' that allowed them to sell and advertise from anywhere in the world, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said. `For an increasing number of young addicts, opioids are purchased not from local dealers but from pushers online,' Rosen said. `Hiding behind anonymizing software known as Tor, a new sort of drug kingpin now is able to reach more buyers than ever before, through online marketplaces peddling every sort of illicit good and service imaginable." CyberScoop (9/22, Lyngaas) reports, "The alleged drug dealers are accused of advertising on infamous dark-web sites such as AlphaBay and Dream," and "the takedown...involved investigators from Austria, Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S." CNET News (9/22, Ng, 1.99M) reports, "The majority of the arrests took place in the US with 121 cases, followed by 42 cases in Germany, eight cases in the Netherlands, four cases in the United Kingdom, three cases in Austria and one case in Sweden. Police said investigations are still ongoing to identify people behind these dark web accounts." According to CNET News, "The operation announced on Tuesday was the `largest ... to date' for the US against the dark web," Rosen said, and "charges included those against a group called `Pill Cosby' that allegedly distributed more than 1 million fentanyl-laced pills in Ohio and against a man who allegedly bought data that belonged to a murdered couple in Georgia. Prosecutors in Virginia also charged someone who allegedly sought to bomb a competing drug dealer, according to the Justice Department." Wired (9/22, Barrett, 3.49M) quotes Director Wray as saying, "In some ways this is just the perfect storm combination of traditional criminal activity of all shapes and sizes merging with this more sophisticated technology. But the point of today's announcement is it doesn't matter where you go to try to do it or how you try to hide it, we're coming for you." ABC News (9/22, Barr, 2.97M) reports that Director Wray "told ABC News that the dark- net is a 'perfect storm' of traditional crime and cyber crime. Acting Drug Enforcement Administration head Tim Shea, said many of the drugs are coming from Mexico. 'At the same time, we've seen an increase in fentanyl deaths, and that's synthetic opioids, which is a major threat emanating from Mexico, drugs, produced on industrial scale in Mexico are shipped to the United States using the dark-web,' Shea said." EFTA00149064  The Washington Times (9/22, Mordock, 492K) reports that Director Wray "said the operation was critical to countering the spike in opioid-related deaths occurring during the coronavirus crisis. Although national figures are not yet available, individual states have released numbers showing opioid overdoses have risen over the past few months." Forbes (9/22, Fox-Brewster, 9.71M) reports, "The U.S. probe involved a wide range of investigators from the FBI, ICE, the DEA, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Defense Department. The Justice Department claimed it was the 'largest international law enforcement operation targeting opioid traffickers on the dark net." NBC News (9/22, 6.14M) and WDBD-TV Jackson, MS (9/22) post video reports on their websites. The Hill (9/22, Coleman, 2.98M), the New York Post (9/22, Moore, 4.57M) and Fox News (9/22, Pagones, 27.59M), among other news outlets, also cover the story. PROTESTS House Republicans Urge FBI To Probe Funding Behind Recent Riots. Fox News (9/22, Shaw, 27.59M) reports, "A number of House Republicans are urging FBI to investigate who has been funding the recent riots across the country, and bring federal charges against those who they say are 'aiding and abetting' criminal activity. 'The Department of Justice and FBI's leadership is needed to bring to justice those who have funded these criminal organizations and to give justice to the communities who have been devastated by these individuals and organizations,' the letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, signed by Rep. Andy Biggs., R-Ariz., along with nearly two dozen other Republicans, says." Fox News adds, "Riots tore through a number of cities across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd in May. Against the backdrop of peaceful protests, the riots caused significant damage and injury in cities like New York City, Chicago and Portland." Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty To Destruction Of Police Vehicle During Protests. Fox News (9/22, Singman, 27.59M) reports, "A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder after destroying a police vehicle during protests over the death of George Floyd in May, Fox News has learned." US Attorney Scott Brady "told Fox News that Brian Bartels, a 20-year-old Pittsburgh man, 'incited the largest and most destructive riot in Pittsburgh history since 1968." The Justice Department "told Fox News the incident took place on May 30 in downtown Pittsburgh. Bartels, according to officials, was part of a large crowd of protesters and approached an unoccupied Pittsburgh Police SUV. Brian Bartels, 20, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder after destroying a police vehicle during protests over the death of George Floyd in May." USA Today/Ipsos Poll: 64% Say US Cities "Under Siege" By Protesters. USA Today (9/22, Morin, 10.31M) reports, "As protests against systemic racism continue across the US and law and order becomes a major theme in the 2020 presidential race, a new poll shows most Americans say cities are under siege." USA Today adds that "more than two-thirds (64%) of those surveyed say they believe protesters and counter-protesters are overwhelming American cities, according to a USA Today/Ipsos poll. ... Significantly more Republicans than Democrats say cities are under siege, 83% to 48%, respectively," and "those who live in rural areas (71%) are more likely to agree with that sentiment than those in urban areas (59%)." Cuccinelli: Authorities Should Establish "Peace Through Strength." Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said on WILS 1320 (9/22) that "we respect people's differing opinions and participate with our law enforcement partners to clear space so people can hold demonstrations and rallies, all those kinds of First Amendment activities, but EFTA00149065 there are a lot of people who now are using those gatherings to mask violence." Cuccinelli said, "If you don't actually step up and apply enough force...bringing enough officers to handle the situation without ever having to engage in physical contact, that's what I mean - peace through strength, if you will - for the localities that take that approach, it works. They establish peace, we saw it in Kenosha." EPA Chief Threatens To Relocate New York Office Over Protests Against Police. The New York Times (9/22, Rubinstein, Feuer, 18.61M) reports, "President Trump's politicized campaign to label New York City an 'anarchist jurisdiction' broadened on Tuesday, with the head of the Environmental Protection Agency threatening to move its regional headquarters out of Lower Manhattan." EPA Administrator Wheeler "suggested that local agency officials had become so fearful of New York streets that they are now considering moving offices." Wheeler "cited three-month old protests against police brutality, and a small, recent protest against another federal agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at a nearby building." Investigation Opened After Salt Lake City Officer Shoots Child With Autism. ABC World News TonightVi (9/22, story 6, 0:30, Muir, 6.19M) reported that a police shooting is under investigation in Salt Lake City. New body camera footage shows "an officer firing nearly a dozen shots at a 13-year-old with autism after he tried to run from police." The family of the boy is "calling for reforms and that the officer involved to be fire." Officer In Taylor Case Defends Actions, Slams Officials In Email To Louisville Cops. USA Today (9/22, Bullington, 10.31M) reports from Louisville, Kentucky, "One of the officers at the center of the Breonna Taylor shooting sent an email Tuesday to more than 1,000 of his colleagues criticizing Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and others while defending his actions that March night." USA Today adds, "In the six-paragraph email, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly apologized to his fellow officers and their families and blamed the mayor as well as Public Safety Chief Amy Hess and former LMPD Chief Steve Conrad for failing 'all of us in epic proportions for their own gain." Mattingly "also warned that the department and the FBI, which he said 'aren't cops,' would open civil rights investigations against officers for making a mistake during a stressful time. 'Your civil rights mean nothing,' he wrote, 'but the criminal has total autonomy." Louisville Remains Under State Of Emergency Ahead Of Announcement In Taylor Case. ABC World News TonightVi (9/22, story 8, 0:20, Muir, 6.19M) reported that there was "a new message from the mayor of Louisville" indicating that "there's no word now from the AG as of yet in the Breonna Taylor case," and "a state of emergency" remains in place. The CBS Evening NewsVi (9/22, story 6, 1:20, O'Donnell, 4.31M) recounted that Taylor "was shot and killed by police in her home in March," and "Kentucky's attorney general is expected to announce whether criminal charges will be brought against three officers." NBC Nightly NewsVi (9/22, story 5, 1:40, Gutierrez, 5.78M) reported "protesters...have demanded the arrest of three officers involved in" that "botched raid," and that "police confirm there are a total of six officers under internal investigation." The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal (9/22, Tobin, Ghabour, 368K) reports "plywood and concrete barricades permeated downtown Louisville Tuesday morning. And they weren't part of a major new construction project" but "businesses are boarding up their shops and police...redirecting traffic as the city...waits in anticipation." The Fox News (9/22, Wallace, 27.59M) website quotes from a statement by the Louisville Metro Police Department, which said, "Due to increased attention and activity in anticipation of an announcement from Attorney General Daniel Cameron regarding the Breonna Taylor case, a decision was made to accelerate plans to physically restrict access to the downtown area." Reuters (9/22, Woolston), the AP (9/22, Lovan, Reynolds Yonker), and the Wall Street Journal (9/22, Campo-Flores, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), among other news outlets, also reports the story. EFTA00149066 Police Searching For Two Suspects Who Defaced Pittsburgh BLM Mural. The Washington Post (9/22, Sands, 14.2M) reports, "Pittsburgh police say they are searching for two men who were captured on video shooting paint balls at a Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Pittsburgh late Monday evening." One of the suspects was "wearing a Confederate flag sweatshirt and a Trump cap, while the other was wearing a mask, authorities said." According to police, "it's the second known case of vandalism involving the mural." OPERATION LEGEND Barr Announces Takedown Of Drug Trafficking Ring Under Operation LeGend. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (9/22, Vielmetti, 632K) reports, "U.S. Attorney General William Barr returned to Wisconsin Tuesday, three weeks after a visit to Kenosha to see the aftermath of arson, looting and vandalism that followed protests over the police shooting of a Black man in the back. This time, he was announcing the arrests of 26 people in Milwaukee and California, charged in a sprawling drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy, as the latest victory in Operation Legend, launched in July to target violent street crime in a few major cities." According to the Journal Sentinel, US Attorney Matthew Krueger "said the roundup included seizures pursuant to 24 search warrants of at least 33 firearms - including one stolen from the Milwaukee Police Department recovered in California - at least $170,000 in cash and drugs, including 700 grams of heroin at a single location." The AP (9/22) reports, "Krueger said during a news conference that federal, state and local law enforcement officers arrested 21 of 26 suspects connected to the ring Tuesday morning. Officers executed search warrants in both California and Milwaukee. They seized about 33 firearms, $170,000, marijuana, cocaine and more than 700 grams of heroin." Barr "said the investigation into the ring was part of Operation Legend, a project the U.S. Department of Justice launched this summer pairing federal agents and investigators with local and state police in nine U.S. cities, including Milwaukee, to address homicides and other violent crime." WITI-TV Milwaukee (9/22, Peterson, 159K) reports, "Officials say since Operation Legend's launch in July 2020, more than 3,500 arrests - including approximately 200 for homicide - have been made; more than 1,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 19 kilos of heroin, more than 11 kilos of fentanyl (enough to deliver more than five million fatal doses), more than 94 kilos of methamphetamine, nearly 14 kilos of cocaine, and more than $6.5 million in drug proceeds have been seized. Of the more than 3,500 individuals arrested, approximately 815 have been charged with federal offenses. More than 440 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while more than 300 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses." Fox News (9/22, Betz, 27.59M) reports that Krueger "said state and local law enforcement officers arrested 21 of 26 suspects connected to the ring Tuesday morning. Officers in California and Milwaukee and seized about 33 firearms, $170,000 in cash, marijuana, cocaine, and more than 700 grams of heroin during searches." WMC-TV Memphis, TN (9/22, Luther, 33K) reports that Operation LeGend "has made 302 arrests in Memphis, and now 27 defendants have been charged with federal offenses." Barr "announced Tuesday that 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses, 13 charged with firearms-related offenses, and 4 charged with other violent crimes." Kansas City Authorities Identify One-Year-Old Killed In Triple Shooting. The AP (9/22) reports from Kansas City, Missouri, "Authorities have identified a child killed in a triple shooting in Kansas City as a 1-year-old boy, making him the city's youngest homicide victim this year, police said." Tyron Payton "was in the back seat of a car with three adults when someone opened fire on their vehicle Monday afternoon, police said." The AP adds, "The child's death is the 148th homicide this year in Kansas City. At this time last year, 114 homicides had EFTA00149067 been recorded. The Kansas City Star, which keeps data on homicides in the city, reported that 13 people who were 18 or younger have died in homicides this year, with Tyron being the youngest. All 13 died in shootings. Federal agents have been sent to Kansas City and a handful of other cities this summer to help fight gun violence, part of a program called Operation Legend." COUNTER-TERRORISM Woman Accused Of Sending Ricin Letter Wanted Trump To Drop Reelection Campaign. The CBS Evening NewsVi (9/22, story 9, 0:25, O'Donnell, 4.31M) reported on new details "about a Canadian woman accused of trying to mail an extremely toxic poison to President Trump." Pascale Ferrier on Tuesday appeared in federal court in Buffalo after she "allegedly sending Ricin in an envelope that was intercepted at a screening facility." The FBI "says the letter contained threats and demand that Mr. Trump abandon his reelection bid." The New York Times (9/22, 18.61M) reports the woman "wanted President Trump to drop out of the presidential race and pledged to find other ways to assassinate him if her poisoning plot failed, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday." Ferrier had "a knife with her and a loaded gun holstered on her waist when she was arrested on Sunday." She "wrote in a threatening and scornful letter sent with the ricin that she believed Mr. Trump was a dictator who was hurting the United States." USA Today (9/22, 10.31M) reports that Ferrier, 53, "has been charged with threatening President Donald Trump for allegedly mailing a letter laced with the poison ricin along with a message that referred to Trump as an 'Ugly Tyrant Clown,' and called on him to 'remove your application for this election,' according to court documents. 'I made a special gift for you to make a decision,' Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier allegedly wrote, referring to the potentially lethal powdery substance inside. 'If it doesn't work, I'll find a better recipe for another poison or I might use my gun when I'll be able to come. Enjoy!'" The Washington Post (9/22, Hsu, 14.2M) reports that Ferrier "pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York to sending a threatening, ricin-laced letter to President Trump." Ferrier "was charged by complaint with one felony count of making a threat against the U.S. president. The FBI in charging papers also alleged that she was linked to similar letters sent to employees at detention facilities in Texas, where she was incarcerated last year." Ferrier, "a computer programmer from Quebec, was arrested Sunday in Buffalo upon reentering the United States from Canada. She made an initial court appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. of Buffalo, who entered the not guilty plea." The Hill (9/22, Budryk, 2.98M) reports that FBI officials "said they had discovered six letters with similar language sent from Canada in September that appeared to have been received in Texas. Officials said the targets were people associated with places where Ferrier was incarcerated last year and that they had matched her fingerprints to four of the letters." The Hill adds, "Ferrier was jailed last March in Hidalgo County on weapons charges and a charge of tampering with government records. Jail records indicate the charges were eventually dismissed." Reuters (9/22) reports, "The envelope addressed to Trump was intercepted on Friday at the White House mail sorting facility in Washington, D.C., where U.S. Postal Service personnel flagged it as suspicious and contacted the FBI, according to an FBI affidavit filed with the charging documents." The Globe and Mail (CAN) (9/22, Freeze, 1.04M) reports, "In a brief court hearing in Buffalo on Tuesday afternoon, a not-guilty plea was entered for Ms. Ferrier, who will remain detained. She said she would use a court-appointed lawyer because she cannot afford to hire one. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28." UK Sends Evidence Against Accused ISIS Executioners To US. EFTA00149068 Reuters (9/22, Hosenball) reports the British government "has forwarded to U.S. authorities evidence in its possession regarding two accused Islamic State militants known as the 'Beatles' being held by the U.S. military and suspected of involvement in beheadings of Western hostages." On Tuesday, "two British High Court judges rejected a request from the family of one of the accused which sought to block the transfer of evidence to the United States." On Twitter. British Interior Minister Priti Patel "confirmed the transfer of the evidence regarding alleged militants Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh to US authorities." The New York Times (9/22, Savage, 18.61M) reports a DOJ spokesman, Marc Raimondi, responded to the British announcement, "We are pleased with the U.K. High Court's decision and we are grateful that the British government has passed its evidence to us and confirmed its commitment to cooperate with our efforts to investigate and prosecute the two ISIS terrorists currently being held in U.S. military custody." Florida Man Arrested On Charges Linked To Terrorism, ISIS. The Fort Myers (FL) News-Press (9/22, 173K) reports, "A 23-year-old Lehigh Acres man is facing charges linked to terrorism and ISIS, according to documents from the U.S. District Court." Jonathan Guerra Blanco, "also known as Abu Zahraal-Andalusi, attempted to provide material support and resources to the foreign terrorist organization, according to a sworn report from Special Agent Bryan D. Hughes, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force." Guerra, "a Cuban-born naturalized U.S. citizen," "had his first appearance on Sept. 14 before Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra in Miami, where he was held without bond. He was arrested Sept. 11." Hughes' report, "said he created numerous accounts to disguise his identity to participate in terrorist plots, and, once he identified others sympathetic to the cause, taught them how to hide their identities." Explosion Destroys "Hezbollah-linked Site" In Southern Lebanon. The Washington Post (9/22, Loveluck, Sly, 14.2M) reports an explosion Tuesday at a "Hezbollah-linked facility in southern Lebanon sent black smoke billowing from a leveled building, footage from the area showed." Hezbollah members cordoned off "the area around the blast site in the village of Ayn Qana, according to a source linked to the armed group." A Lebanese security source "and Lebanon's al-Jadeed television channel, reported that the blast had resulted in a small number of injuries." Lebanon's state National News Agency "said that the blast had coincided with 'intensive' traffic from Israeli aircraft but that the cause was unknown." The Post says there are "echoes in this incident of a string of initially unexplained explosions at weapons storage facilities across the region, including earlier this year at Iranian power plants and military sites, which intelligence officials have attributed in part to Israeli sabotage." Violent Far-Right Extremism Accounts For 40% Of Australian Counterterrorism Cases. The Guardian (UK) (9/22, Karp, 4.19M) reports far-right violent extremism constitutes "up to 40% of the Australian domestic spy agency's counter-terrorism caseload, up from 10-15% before 2016, a senior official has said." The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's (ASIO) "extraordinary increase in focus on the far right in Australia was revealed by its deputy director general of intelligence service delivery, Heather Cook, at a parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday." Cook called it an "enduring threat" that is "real and growing," and while she would not detail specific numbers of people under investigation, said "rightwing violent extremism... occupies approximately between 30 and 40% of Asio's current caseload in counter-terrorism work...an increase from 10 to 15% prior to 2016." Cook also "warned the Covid-19 pandemic had created both a greater opportunity for far-right extremists to recruit online and a powerful anti-government message for those that resent lockdowns to combat the pandemic." EFTA00149069 COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE China Calls Spying Allegations Against NYPD Officer "Pure Fabrication." The AP (9/22) reports, "China on Tuesday said allegations against a New York City police officer charged with being an `intelligence asset' for the Chinese government are a `pure fabrication' and part of a U.S. plot to smear Chinese diplomats in the United States." Baimadajie Angwang, "a naturalized U.S. citizen from Tibet, allegedly agreed to spy on U.S. supporters of the Tibetan independence movement since 2018 as an agent for China in its effort to suppress the movement, according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court. It says he secretly worked for unnamed handlers from the Chinese Consulate in New York." The AP adds, "Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Tuesday said the indictment against Angwang was full of hedging terms such as `seems' and 'possibly,' giving the appearance that prosecutors were straining to make their case." The New York Post (9/22, Fonrouge, 4.57M) reports that Wang Wenbin told reporters, "The relevant accusations made by the US side are pure fabrication," adding that "the US plot to discredit the Chinese consulate and personnel in the United States will not succeed." NYPD Officer Accused Of Spying For China Raised Suspicions At Party Attended By AOC. The New York Post (9/22, Celona, Fonrouge, Golding, 4.57M) reports the NYPD officer charged this week with spying for China "raised alarms at a Tibetan New Year party that he attended in uniform — and during which he was photographed sitting next to US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez." Sonam Gyephel, a former president of the Tibetan Community of NY & NJ, "said the group became suspicious" of Officer Baimadajie Angwang, and "cut off the relationship" with him following the event last year. Gyephel "declined to say precisely what alerted members" to the officer. The New York Post (9/22, Fonrouge, Golding, 4.57M) reports that Angwang "exaggerated his military service record to his brothers in blue, The Post has learned." Angwang, "a suspended community affairs officer with the NYPD's 111th Precinct in Queens, was honored by the Police Benevolent Association at a November event last year to celebrate veterans, according to a since-deleted Facebook post on the union's page. 'The PBA honored its veterans at today's delegates meeting with PO Baimadajie Angwang presenting the colors. PO Angwang is a Sgt. in the USMC and served 1 tour in Iraq and 2 tours in Afghanistan,' the post reads alongside photos of Angwang posing with the union brass." The USMC "confirmed in a statement that Angwang, 33, was in fact a sergeant with the Devil Dogs but said he only served one tour in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom between July 2013 and February 2014. There were no records of a second Afghanistan tour or a tour in Iraq, according to the USMC." CIA Finds Putin Most Likely Directing Election Influence Efforts To Support Trump. The New York Times (9/22, Barnes, Sanger, 18.61M) reports Russian President Vladimir Putin is "most likely continuing to approve and direct interference operations aimed at raising President Trump's re-election chances, a recent CIA analysis concluded, a signal that intelligence agencies continue to back their assessment of Russian activities despite the president's attacks." The assessment is 'consistent with intelligence officials' warning to lawmakers in January that Russia was interfering on Mr. Trump's behalf." The CIA has "moderate confidence in its analysis," in part because the intelligence community "appears to lack intercepted communications or other direct evidence confirming his direction" of Derkach's efforts. According to people "familiar with the matter, the new analysis was published ahead of the sanctions in the CIA Worldwide Intelligence Review, a classified document that circulates to members of Congress and the Trump administration." The Washington Post (9/22, 14.2M) reports CIA analysts "compiled the assessment with input from the National Security Agency and the FBI, based on several dozen pieces of information gleaned from public, unclassified and classified intelligence sources." The EFTA00149070 assessment includes details "of the CIA's analysis of the activities of Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach to disseminate disparaging information about Biden inside the United States through lobbyists, Congress, the media and contacts with figures close to the president." ODNI and the Treasury Department have "identified Derkach as a Russian agent, but it has not been publicly reported that the CIA, NSA and FBI believed Putin may be personally directing the campaign." The CIA assessment described "Derkach's efforts in detail and said that his activities have included working through lobbyists, members of Congress and U.S. media organizations to disseminate and amplify his anti-Biden information." It also refers to "Derkach's interactions with a `prominent' person connected to the Trump campaign, the analysis does not identify the person." CNN (9/22, Stracqualursi, Cohen, Cohen, 83.16M) reports the assessment reads, "We assess that President Vladimir Putin and the senior most Russian officials are aware of and probably directing Russia's influence operations aimed at denigrating the former U.S. Vice President, supporting the U.S. president and fueling public discord ahead of the U.S. election in November." Former CIA officer Douglas London "told CNN that the agency's use of the word `probably' when concerning an issue of such importance means its `analysts are sufficiently confident based on their deep expertise to put their reputations on the line in making such a call." The New York Times (9/22, Sanger, Kanno-Youngs, 18.61M) reports separately that "four years ago, when Russian intelligence agencies engaged in a systematic attempt to influence the American presidential election, the disinformation they fed American voters required some real imagination at the troll farms producing the ads." This year, however, they are "largely amplifying misleading statements from President Trump, mostly about the dangers of mail-in ballots." In interviews, "a range of officials and private analysts said that Mr. Trump was feeding many of the disinformation campaigns they were struggling to halt." Intelligence officials are also described as "battling an effort by Mr. Trump and his top advisers to cast China and Iran as equal threats to the election, which runs counter to their intelligence." The Hill (9/22, Mastrangelo, 2.98M) reports, and CNN (9/22, 83.16M) also reports in a video. US Warns "Foreign Actors" May Introduce Disinformation On Delayed Election Results. Reuters (9/22, Lange) reports US federal law enforcement and "cybersecurity agencies on Tuesday warned that `foreign actors' will likely try to discredit the November presidential election by taking advantage of the slow counting of mail-in ballots." In a joint public statement, the CISA and FBI said that the additional time needed to count a higher volume of mail-in ballots "could leave officials with incomplete results on election night," the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a joint public service announcement. The agencies said, "Foreign actors and cybercriminals could exploit the time required to certify and announce elections' results by disseminating disinformation that includes reports of voter suppression, cyber attacks targeting election infrastructure, voter or ballot fraud." Through new websites or social media content, they say these actors would seek to "discredit the electoral process and undermine confidence in US democratic institutions." Bloomberg (9/22, Sebenius, 4.73M) reports the agencies "urged the American public to `critically evaluate' their sources of information and to seek out reliable and verified information from trusted sources, such as state and local election officials.' CyberScoop (9/22, Lyngaas) reports they warned, "the public should also be aware that if foreign actors or cyber criminals were able to successfully change an election-related website, the underlying data and internal systems would remain uncompromised." The agencies urged voters to "rely on state and local government election officials" for official election results. EFTA00149071  NBC News (9/22, Collier, 6.14M) reports one potential scenario the agencies "warned of is hackers defacing websites to indicate false election results, causing chaos and confusion without affecting vote tallying systems." The Hill (9/22, 2.98M) reports the agencies did not mention "any specific countries in warning of the election disinformation threat." CNN (9/22, Cohen, Kelly, 83.16M), Forbes (9/22, Reimann, 9.71M) and WXYZ-TV Detroit (9/22, Boggs, 236K) also report. Cybersecurity Experts Tell Ohio Court "Requesting Ballots By Email Is Safe." The AP (9/22, Smyth) reports a group of leading cybersecurity experts "told an Ohio court that absentee ballot applications can be safely transmitted using email, countering the secretary of state's assertions that the practice would open up voting in the presidential battleground to outside interference." In a filing late Monday, "eight experts in computer information and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgetown, Princeton and other universities joined the American Civil Liberties Union and the Brennan Center for Justice in asking a state appellate court to allow the ballot applications to be accepted by electronic means." In the filing, they say, "Election officials can easily facilitate electronic submission of applications at little cost while minimizing associated security risks," and that while "ideally this should be done by a secure online portal, but it is also feasible to do so using email." FinCEN Files Show Treasury Received Over 86 Warnings About Suspected Russian Spy. BuzzFeed News (9/22, Pham) reports that the FinCEN Files, a collaboration "between BuzzFeed News and more than 100 newsrooms associated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, shows that the US Treasury Department received at least 86 warnings from 2007 to 2016 discussing" Russian bank VEB, its clients, and Evgeny Buryakov, who was suspected of working as a Russian agent. In 2014, an undercover FBI agent "posing as an energy analyst leaked binders with fake commercial secrets to two Russian spies operating in New York." In "free-flowing conversations," two SVR officers "discussed an SVR agent working for them under deep cover in New York: Evgeny Buryakov." FBI transcripts "show the two spymasters discussed how Buryakov had traveled the world as a bank employee, spying while he went, and how they wanted him to take on an important task: find out how the US planned to bar Russian firms from its financial system." In 2016, he pleaded "guilty to covertly working as a Russian agent and was sentenced to 30 months in prison." He was granted "early release after a year" and then turned over to Russian authorities. ODNI's Worldwide Threat Assessment "More Than 7 Months Overdue." WRC-TV Washington (9/22, Fleischer, 303K) reports the ODNI's Worldwide Threat Assessment has yet to be delivered, and "was expected in February." The report is one of the few "the public gets directly from our intelligence community" on a regular basis, and Georgetown Law professor and former NSC senior counterterrorism director Joshua Geltzer explains, "I do hope that folks will realize that this is a window, an important window that has been slammed shut." During Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe's May confirmation hearings, he had "promised to provide the report within months." A spokesperson for Ratcliffe "told the I -Team 'he followed through with this commitment in good faith' by sending letters in July to the House and Senate committees offering to present the report in open and closed sessions." But that "has not happened, and the report has not been released publicly." Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) "says DNI wanted only to present a public statement, with the report and the questioning session to be held in private." Expert Says Assange A "Very High" Suicide Risk If Extradited. EFTA00149072 The AP (9/22, Lawless) reports WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is "very likely to attempt to kill himself if he is sent to the United States to face espionage charges, a psychiatric expert said Tuesday at an extradition hearing in London." King's College London emeritus professor of neuropsychiatry Michael Kopelman "said Assange has a history of depression and there is a `very high' risk of suicide if the US extradition attempt succeeds." During testimony at London's Old Bailey court, Kopelman said, "It's the imminence of extradition and/or an actual extradition that will trigger the attempt, in my opinion." He also said Assange had an "intense suicidal preoccupation." CBS News (9/22, 3.68M) reports Kopelman cited as evidence Assange's "severe depression" and "psychotic symptoms," which included "auditory hallucinations while in solitary confinement in his cell at the high-security Belmarsh Prison in southwest London." The Hill (9/22, Coleman, 2.98M) reports Assange's extradition hearing "began in September and is expected to last until October." The judge may take "weeks or months to make a decision, according to the AP."The Times LUK) (9/23, Brown, Subscription Publication, 50K) also reports. Declassified CIA Documents Detail Proposed Lightning Weapon. Popular Mechanics (9/22, Mizokami, 7.77M) reports the CIA considered the concept "using lightning as a weapon system" in the late 1960s, as the weapon would leave behind "little or no evidence," but never developed the idea. The pitch, which Forbes "discovered in declassified CIA files, involved using `artificial leaders' of thin metal wires to `cause discharges to occur where and when we desire them." The wires, a few "thousands of an inch in diameter, would unfurl from aircraft or rockets launched into the atmosphere." Popular Mechanics says the concept is "fascinating proof that the nation's intelligence agency entertained some pretty unusual ideas." Turkey Accuses EU Of "Rewarding The Aggressor" In Libya. The AP (9/22, Asimov) reports Turkey on Tuesday accused the EU of "rewarding the aggressor" after it sanctioned "three transport companies for violating the UN arms embargo on Libya, including the Turkish shipping firm which operates a vessel that was at the center of a naval standoff in the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and France." A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement dismissed the decision as "of no value." Turkey insisted the ship "was providing aid to Libya's UN-recognized government based in the capital, Tripoli, and accused the EU of ignoring countries and companies sending arms to the rival Libyan National Army, led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter, which controls the east." The statement also "said it is `extremely unfortunate' that the decision came as efforts are underway to reduce tensions between Greece and Turkey over energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean." Europe's Data Standoff With US "Points To Deeper Division." Bloomberg (9/22, 4.73M) reports that while "thanks to US national security warnings," the EU "has at times taken a harsher stance toward Chinese technology than it otherwise would have," EU officials are "also treading cautiously around the tech policy" of the US. Facebook is "currently embroiled in a high-stakes dispute with the Irish Data Protection Commission over privacy rules surrounding international data transfers." The commission's decision "could impact transfers of vast amounts of commercial data across the Atlantic," and if those transfers "are halted, Facebook says, companies large and small would be threatened and the EU economy could suffer." Bloomberg traces these tensions "to 2013, when National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed the massive scope of American surveillance programs," described as a "severe breach of trust between Europe and the US." Russia Detains Leader Of Siberian Religious Sect Over Health Concerns. Reu