GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: TSA employee arrested at Buffalo airport

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal

02March2011 9:08amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Transportation Security Administration employee was charged Tuesday with helping an alleged drug kingpin and other suspect travelers evade security at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Minnetta Walker, 43, of Buffalo was suspended from her job as a behavioral detection officer for the TSA and pleaded not guilty to federal charges.

Walker "is accused of permitting a certain traveler to travel under a false name and also helping people get through the scanning features of the Buffalo airport," U.S. Attorney William Hochul said, "including the scanning of luggage and the scanning of people."

Hochul would not comment on whether Walker, a nine-year TSA employee, received any money in return. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: TSA Source: Armed Agent Slips Past DFW Body Scanner

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: DFW

19February2011 9:59amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: An undercover TSA agent was able to get through security at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with a handgun during testing of the enhanced-imaging body scanners, according to a high-ranking, inside source at the Transportation Security Administration.
The source said the undercover agent carried a pistol in her undergarments when she put the body scanners to the test. The officer successfully made it through the airport's body scanners every time she tried, the source said.

"In this case, where they had a test, and it was just a dismal failure as I'm told," said Larry Wansley, former head of security at American Airlines. "As I've heard (it), you got a problem, especially with a fire arm."

Wansley said covert testing by the TSA is commonplace -- although failing should be rare. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: TSA Ends Private Screening Program

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: HS Today

14February2011 8:40amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has decided to prevent any more US airports from opting out of the use of federal screening officers in favor of private companies.

TSA Administrator John Pistole started a review of the initiative that allowed airports to hire private contractors as screeners last year and determined that it does more harm than good.

"As part of that review, I examined the contractor screening program and decided not to expand the program beyond the current 16 airports as I do not see any clear or substantial advantage to do so at this time. The airports that currently use contractor screening will continue to be regulated by TSA and required to meet our high security standards," Pistole said in a statement Friday.

The announcement prompted outrage from Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), who had encouraged US airports to opt out of using federal screeners as a means to respond to public concerns over the implementation of enhanced security measures. Mica, the chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has criticized TSA for acting as both the federal regulator and the party responsible for carrying out the regulations--a situation he calls rare.

"It's unimaginable that TSA would suspend the most successfully performing passenger screening program we've had over the last decade," Mica said in a statement Friday. "The agency should concentrate on cutting some of the more than 3,700 administrative personnel in Washington who concocted this decision, and reduce the army of TSA employees that has ballooned to more than 62,000. (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.