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Hi, good morning. Uh, I'm Darren Cox. I'm the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington field office. Thank you all for being here this morning. I want to have a special thanks to DC National Guard Brigadier General Leland Blanchard and his amazing team of Guardsmen for graciously hosting today's events and all that they have done this summer and previously for keeping the nation's capital safe. General Blanchard, thank you for your outstanding leadership through DC Safe and Beautiful, through recruiting events and events like today. Your leadership and partnership has been absolutely amazing and we thank you for that.
I would also like to recognize our partners that we have here with us today. US Capital Police, US Park Police, US Secret Service, and HSI. We also have numerous other important partners that couldn't be here with us today, but we appreciate your partnership. Also, today I'm pleased to highlight the FBI's partnership with our federal and local agencies in preparing for the Freedom 250 celebration being held this summer in DC. Those events include the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the Freedom 250, which is June 12th through June 14th, the Salute to America 250 celebration and firework events, which are on July 4th, and the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, which is August 21st through 23rd. Although DC is no stranger to visitors, this summer's celebrations are
collectively expected to draw massive crowds in the hundreds of thousands. Preparing for these events is a cooperative effort and we work closely with our partners here on the stage and many others throughout the city preparing for these events. These working relationships are not new. We work them daily through the FBI's joint terrorism task force and we coordinate with all of the agencies to plan, prepare, and train every day for situations that we may need to respond to. For national special security events, the FBI has the lead law enforcement responsibility for crisis management, response to terrorist threats and acts and intelligence.
The FBI's responsibilities, uh, I'm sorry, the FBI's response capabilities include specialty equipment and personnel to include our special weapons and tactics teams or SWAT, operation medics, crisis negotiators, evidence response teams or our ERT, hazardous evidence response teams, special agent bomb techs, and our underwater search and dive teams. Also, a counter unmanned aircraft systems or counter UAS. We have personnel and equipment from several of those teams here today. Leading up to the events this summer, FBI intelligence analyst will also be assessing and sharing intelligence with our law enforcement partners.
We will evaluate any and all information and intelligence that we receive and we will work with our partners to quickly and safely work and respond to those issues. At this time, we are not tracking any credible threats to the events of this summer. With that being said, it comes as no surprise to anyone that DC on a normal day is a target-rich environment and we are prepared for any threats and we will work with our partners to address those. I also want to remind the public to remain vigilant. Please report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. I also want to make it clear that DC is a nofly zone for drones.
Drones are both illegal in DC and they are dangerous and the consequences for flying drones in DC are very serious. Unauthorized drone flights can result in the seizure of your drones, your arrest, and civil penalties up to $100,000. So during the events this summer, and always leave your drones at home in DC to the public, if you see a drone breaking the law or breaking rules, please report that. report that through 911 calls. If you see law enforcement around you, please report it to the law enforcement officers in your presence or you can always call the FBI at 1800 call FBI.
We look forward to working with our partners to ensure the America's America's 250th birthday is held safely and securely for both residents and visitors to DC. Now I'm going to turn it over to our host DC National Guard General Blanchard. Good morning. I'm Brigadier General Leland Blanchard, Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard and Joint Task Force District of Columbia. Freedom 250 is more than a commemoration of our nation's founding. It is a historic cultural and civic celebration that reflects 250 years of American resilience, sacrifice, unity, and service.
Supporting an event of this magnitude requires an unprecedented level of coordination between law enforcement, emergency management agencies, and the National Guard. Together, we have invested months planning with our local, federal, and regional partners. We have conducted extensive operational coordination meetings as well as rehearsals to ensure unity of effort across every mission area. As we enter this historic time of celebration and reflection, our efforts build on the success of the DC Safe and Beautiful initiative. And with that, I'd like to share a few numbers. Over the last nine and a half months, our guardsmen have been out on
the street assisting, providing medical assistance for more than 430 folks. We have helped reunite 23 lost minors with their families, intervene to stop more than 180 assaults in progress, and we have continued to support law enforcement more than 300 times at their request. In addition, our citizen soldiers and airmen have been first on scene and administered Narcan to more than 200 people. Now, these numbers represent more than statistics. Each one of them has someone who loves them and relies on them. They have families. Our soldiers know that the impact that they have reaches far beyond statistics.
These numbers reflect lives protected, a community supported, and partnerships strengthened every day. This summer, Joint Task Force DC will continue to serve as a highly visible force multiplier alongside our partners. Soldiers and airmen will provide critical traffic control, crowd management, security patrols, and public safety support to help ensure Washington remains safe, secure, and easy to navigate for residents and visitors alike. During the capabilities portion of today's conference, you will see several of the specialized teams supporting this mission, including our command and control team, which will leverage systems to c to strengthen decentralized
operational awareness and ensure that resources are readily available at the point of need. our 33rd civil support team, which is responsible for hazard identification and response advisement in our military police forces, who also help maintain public safety and support for law enforcement throughout the district. We continue to take tremendous pride in supporting this mission and standing beside our partners with all eyes on Washington. The men and women of the DC National Guard and Joint Task Force DC remain always ready, always there. And now I would like to welcome Chief Michael Sullivan of the US Capital Police to the podium.
Thank you, General. Uh I'm Mike Sullivan. I'm the chief of the US Capital Police. And by what you see on the stage today, it shows you the partnerships that we uh that we work with every single day. uh we all know each other, we know each other well. Uh this is just another part of the mission going forward and it should give the public confidence uh to know the close collaboration that we have uh as partners up here. The second part that I wanted to talk about is the mission of the US Capital Police, which is unique. Uh we're focused on protecting the members of Congress, the congressional complex, and the legislative process, but part of that is keeping DC safe because our mission can't be completed unless DC is safe.
And that's why is it is so important for the US Capital Police as we partner with these partners up here on stage with us to make sure that we provide a safe uh Washington DC for the 250th, but every single day. and the partnerships are strong and they run extremely deep. Uh and I just want to reiterate that the other thing that I want to make sure the public knows is you are going to see a large amount of law enforcement over this 250th celebration. Uh they are there to keep you safe and I would encourage you if you see something suspicious, say something. We want you to step forward and share that information with members of law enforcement who will be readily available throughout all the events that
you will see uh over the next several weeks. Uh so we look forward to this and once again I can't be more thankful for the partnerships that we have with everybody up on the stage. And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Park Police Chief Scott Bre. I'd like to thank our partners here on the stage with us as well as so many others that weren't able to be up here with us today. Um there's no other region uh that's as good as this as we are. We're the best in the business in the country at handling these large scale events. And it's in part because of these partnerships um for these events. Every day, the US Park Police and its local, state, and federal partners work tirelessly to collaborate to provide the highest level of safety
and security to DC residents and visitors. Thanks to the support of President Trump and Dep Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Bergam, US Park Police has recently expanded our force to continue to allow us to do proactive police work as well as protect our nation's capital. Expect to continue to see US Park Police throughout the capital as well as parts of Maryland and Virginia with the summer events in mind and zero tolerance for crime. Everyone has the right to visit this iconic city and expect to recreate safely. These 250 celebrations are for everyone. Like our partners, we brought a few mobile assets with us today that help ensure public safety, including our
special weapons and tactics, Bearcat, which is short for ballistic engineered armored response counterattack truck. Our SWAT team will provide quick response forces and support for Freedom 250 events. A typical quick response force will consist of several SWAT officers as well as partnered agencies as well as health and human services tactical medical. The purpose of these teams is to coordinate quick strategic responses to critical threats. We will also have our park watchmen which are our counter sniper teams in strategic locations.
They will be the eyes of the events not only providing threat mitigation but real-time crowd information. Also, don't miss our horsemounted patrol officers. Not only the two but also the four-legged kind out here. One of the greatest assets at our events, the horsemounted patrol unit provides unparalleled mobility. Traffic congestion, road closures, and dense crowd create limited police vehicles access. This allows our horses to respond to events and other things as needed. Like our park watchmen, mounted officers provide a significant operational advantage through elevated visibility. From horseback, officers can observe crowd movement, identify developing
issues early and quickly locate individuals in distress. We also have our Patriot, which is our mobile command vehicle with us today, which is our trusted incident command post, which is supporting events like the presidential inauguration, National Christmas Tree Lighting, and countless First Amendment activities. I'd like to leave the public with a few tips this summer when visiting these events. First, have a plan when you come to visit. Review the prohibited items list before attending events. Make sure to take pictures of your kids as you're leaving home or just arriving at the event in case you get separated. It allows us real-time pictures of what they look like to help us. If you see
something suspicious, report it to an officer immediately. And lastly, in the unlikely event of an emergency, please follow the instructions of law enforcement officers. Our primary mission is your safety, and they're most familiar with the evacuation route, shelter locations, and other emergency response plan. With that, I'd introduce next speaker, special agent in charge of Secret Service, Washington Field Office, Tara McLe, Chief. Good morning, everyone. Once again, my name is Tara Mccle, and I'm proud to serve as the special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office of the United States Secret Service. I'm also delighted to be joined today by my friend Richard Macaulay, the chief of
the Secret Service Police and our partners for this showcase of our combined capabilities. It's already been a busy summer in Washington DC. Residents and visitors will see many of the teams, vehicles, and personnel gathered here throughout the city in the months ahead. As we celebrate the 250th signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Secret Service has brought our K9 explosive detection unit, emergency response team, and mobile command vehicle to the DC Armory today. Chief Macaulay and others from his team are here to answer your questions about these displays following this press conference.
Secret Service special agents and police officers are particularly focused on the Salute to America celebration and grand fireworks show which will take place on the 4th of July. This celebration has been designated a national special security event or NSSE by the Department of Homeland Security. The Secret Service is responsible for security planning, coordination and implementation of all NSSE. This designation allows us to take a whole of government approach to securing the event. We do this by working with many of the partners you see here. It's a combined effort that relies on our individual strengths to create an
overlapping security plan meant to keep our protectees and the public safe. Today is a good time to remind everyone as well that you play a critical role in public safety. I can't emphasize this enough. If you see something, say something. Also, I need to remind everyone, please don't bring your drones to any of the events on the National Mall. If you have a drone, leave it at home. Drones are strictly forbidden in the National Capital Region. Violators face stiff fines and criminal penalties, particularly those who pilot drones over Secret Service protected sites. As for the Fourth of July fireworks, the main viewing area will be at the base of the Washington Monument. FIFA Fanfest and the Great American State Fair will
also be happening on this busy day. As a result, the Fourth of July celebration will look and feel very different in Washington DC. Many of the areas previously used by those with blankets and lawn chairs will be occupied by large events. To attend the scheduled celebrations, you will be required to pass through magnetometers for security screening. We encourage all visitors to check out 250.dc.gov for the latest advisories on prohibited items, traffic closures, and other critical information they need to know.
We're also asking everyone attending the events through the summer to arrive informed and take full advantage of everything our nation's capital has to offer during this historic celebration. The Secret Service is proud to be part of the fabric of protection here in Washington DC. I want to thank all of our partners here today and everyone our agency works with to provide this blanket of public safety. I'll now open it up to a few questions. Hi there. Good morning. My name is Mauricio Casillas, reporter for NBC Washington. Um, you know, so much of this focus is on providing security, any threats that might be out there, but just thinking about the massive crowds,
thinking about the DC summer heat. How much of a focus is on there to making sure, you know, people are staying hydrated or taking care of those who might find themselves in emergency situations? Yes. So, I can uh speak to the NSSE, which is the Fourth of July fireworks celebration. Um, we have had robust uh coordination planning for over a year now with all of the partners, our local partners, state partners, and the host committee to ensure that those um specific areas of concern are taken care of. So, um we're making final tweaks, but I assure you that all of those considerations are being thought of.
Yes, sir. Couple one big question in terms of can you give us a ballpark figure how many Thank you. of how many personnel will be potentially involved in providing security and has the posture changed any in light of recent incidents that we're all aware of including the a couple with the Secret Service police. So I can't speak to specific numbers. I can tell you that we will be adequately resourced. As far as the recent events, um the Secret Service is maintaining the highest uh security posture in and around these events. Our protective model is meant to adjust to any type of direct or indirect threats that we may come across. Um and again, this is a team effort, right? Any everyone
that you see behind me and all of the DC local government entities, um you have a great team here. Uh DC is no stranger to large events and we work together every day to ensure the highest safety for our protectees and for the public. Hey there. Um excuse me, Luke Bar with ABC News. Um in years past, uh the biggest concern for law enforcement has been loan offenders. Is that still the case given the summer celebrations in the city? I can assure you that we have no lack of imagination as to the potential threats out there. Um, lone wolf as you uh bring up very we're very focused on we're focused on every threat. Um, we're leaving no sto stone unturned when it
comes to preparation and advanced threat interdiction. Hi, Melissa Kim from WSA9 here in DC. Uh, I know that there are several entities up here. Is Homeland Security going to be involved in any of this as well in terms of having a presence during these events since they have had um a presence during World Cup events? Yes, they will. Hi. Yes. Uh Rebecca with 7 News here in DC. There's a lot going on this summer. We have Freedom 250 events. Some of them may coincide with America 250 events like the Block Party. So, how is how are you addressing security needs as it relates to staffing those needs simultaneously of the different events?
And our preparations any different between Freedom 250 and America 250? So, ma'am, just to be clear, the Secret Service is in charge of the National Special Security event, which is the Fourth of July fireworks show. I'm happy to open it up to any of my colleagues here who would like to address the other events going on in DC, but unless a Secret Service protectee visits those events, the event that we're focused on right now is the fireworks show. Perhaps chief briefly, but we work daily with all of our local partners, state and federal, to address each of these individual events um on a case- by case basis. But we communicate daily, ensure that staffing at the community events in and around DC is
just as important to us as the A250 or Freedom 250 events. But we are communicating, I guarantee all day, every day with them. Are there any staffing concerns? No staffing concerns. So, we're whatever staffing needs, we're we're providing law enforcement is providing a robust response for all these concerns. Final question. I'm James Pilot with Fox News. Uh, federal officials have described the cut fuel line on the National Mall reported by the Department of Interior as a possible act of sabotage. Uh is there anything you can tell us about this
incident at this point and what steps are being taken to investigate it and ensure the safety and security of upcoming events on the National Mall? So we are taking some several mitigating factors to increase security. Uh but that is being investigated with assistance from federal and local partners on that case. Thank you so much sir ma'am. Appreciate that. media, please stand by while the principles exit the stage in this area. Again, we have the second portion of the press conference that's going to be on the drill floor. You'll get the capabilities, you'll see it from the DC National Guard, the FBI, the US Capital Police, Park Police, and US Secret
Service. We also anticipate more of your questions. Thank you so much for coming today. Appreciate it.
