Local agent discusses counterterrorism role

‘We put a lot of energy into tracking known weapons’



STRAIGHT TALK—Peaco stands on the front line in the war on terror.

STRAIGHT TALK—Peaco stands on the front line in the war on terror.

In this uncertain world, in these dangerous times, it’s comforting to meet the experts who have your back.

James Peaco, an FBI special agent with the rather formidable title of Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator, discussed his role in the fight against terrorism at an April 20 meeting of the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation.

CLVFF is a think-tank organization tasked with studying current events and how they affect the region. The group meets monthly.

Peaco, a resident of the Conejo Valley for the past 10 years, works out of the FBI’s Los Angeles Division and specializes in chemical, nuclear and biological threats. He gave an overview of the role he and his fellow agents play in the safeguarding of America and the challenges they often face.

His team identifies and assesses threats from large players and small players alike. The so-called “lone wolf” terrorist can be the most dangerous, he said.

What are their targets and what means do they use?

Contaminating a water supply with a biological or chemical component, Peaco said, “is a very old tried-and-true technique.”

The FBI also pays close attention to threats against food supplies.

An attack weapon could be a toxin or even a virus mutation. Peaco said he worries most about the nefarious use of ricin, a poison found naturally in castor plant seeds, which are prevalent in Southern California.

The FBI also monitors any activity that might hint at the production of a radiological weapon. Peaco said the components used to make so-called dirty bombs are well-guarded in Southern California but not in Mexico.

The agency also takes seriously the possibility that an adversary might import an already made nuclear device from abroad.

“It is a concern,” Peaco said. “There was a day when we said no way it could happen, but we’ve abandoned that position and put a lot of energy into tracking known weapons and preventing things from coming into the United States.”

Los Angeles today is considered a main terror target behind New York and Washington, D.C., he said.

“From raids that we do overseas, when we grab computers, when we interview detainees, when we look at books, L.A. always comes up as a consistent No. 3 target.”

Why?

It has a large population base, a major shipping port and Hollywood.

“For much of the world, particularly those parts that don’t particularly care for us, Hollywood is all they see of the United States,” Peaco said. “Movies are where they see most of America, and in those movies sometimes we poke fun at their culture, which they take very seriously. Sometimes there is a decadence that we throw in their face. And when you’ve got people starving to death, all the food in movies and the eating is almost a slap in the face. We don’t tend to realize the impact.”

While L.A. is a target, it has remained mostly safe, due to the diligence of the FBI and other counterterrorism agencies. An FBI threat-tracking system known as Guardian plays a big role, Peaco said.

“We investigate every single tip and lead to its logical conclusion. It all gets fed into the big machine, and we’re looking at trying to connect the dots,” he said.

The FBI relies on a complex system of “trip wires” that alert the agency whenever suspicious activity occurs. Today, for example, agents are alerted whenever a large quantity of ammonium nitrate changes hands in the U.S. and overseas. An ammonium nitrate and nitromethane fertilizer truck bomb was used by domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

In fighting terrorism, the agency relies heavily on the eyes and ears of the public. The average citizen is the first to notice when things don’t seem right, Peaco said.

“Sometimes they are non-nefarious circumstances that just have an innocent excuse and we go about our business. Sometimes they’re sinister and we do what we need to do. But it’s critical to report that,” he said.

“If there’s any message today, it’s recognize the indicators. We are very good at ignoring things, but don’t ignore the warning signs. We’re not going to know to get involved if there’s no indicator.”

The Los Angeles FBI will hold a special agent recruitment fair on Tues., May 9. Candidates must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 23 and 36. For more information, visit www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/losangeles.


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