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HSI acting special agent says agency will deploy personnel and run anti-trafficking, IP operations at Philadelphia event
Summary
Nathan Abel, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Philadelphia, said HSI will assign personnel to security and transportation hubs and conduct proactive human-trafficking and intellectual-property investigations to support a large upcoming event.
Nathan Abel, acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Philadelphia, outlined Monday how HSI will support security for an upcoming large event in the city. "My name is Nathan Abel," he said, identifying himself before summarizing HSI's planned roles.
Abel said HSI will work through existing partnerships with the FBI, other federal and local partners, the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to integrate investigative and security resources into event planning. He described the transition as "very seamless," saying established cooperation would guide operations.
HSI plans to assign personnel "to assist at critical security hubs, transportation hubs, and things like that, as are requested by our partners," Abel said. He added the agency will be conducting "proactive human-trafficking operations and intellectual property right violation investigations and operations." Those activities, he said, will be carried out by HSI's specialized investigative teams, which include cyber investigators, sex-trafficking and labor-trafficking units, and trade/global trade groups focused on trade-based crimes.
Abel also listed technical and analytical support HSI will provide at command posts, saying the agency has drone capabilities, significant technical resources and will assign criminal analysts to assist with vetting and credentialing. "We have significant technical capabilities," he said.
The acting special agent emphasized coordinated federal support: HSI will work closely with the FBI and other DHS components and the Federal Coordination Team, which is arranging additional DHS assets. Abel framed the effort as multiagency and ongoing planning rather than a single new initiative.
No formal actions, directives or timelines were announced in the remarks. Abel's statements described planned operational support and investigations; specifics about personnel numbers, schedules or legal authorities cited for operations were not specified.
