FBI says it's partnering with NYPD to handle new threats of migrant crime
NEW YORK -- From cyber threats, to a spike in violent hate crimes and a concerning flow of fentanyl across our borders, the FBI is dealing with ever-evolving threats to national security.
CBS New York sat down with an official to discuss the agency's year in review and its priorities for 2024.
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, tensions have escalated in New York City and the surrounding area as well. The FBI says it has seen a trend of individuals inspired to attempt to carry out terrorist attacks of their own. The conflict has led to a spike in racially motivated attacks.
Reporter Natalie Duddridge spoke to FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge James Smith.
"There is a rise since the Oct. 7 attack. Some of it meets the threshold of a hate crime. Some of it does not and ... leave that up to us to determine. We know it's happening across every race, every religion, gender, you name it," Smith said.
With more than 170,000 migrants arriving in New York City in the last year, the city says an increasing number have been connected to robberies and assaults.
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"Is this a new, growing threat? Yes, it is. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It is a new threat. Are we going to address it? Yes, we will. We are partnering with the NYPD and some of the other federal agencies and we are going to address this new threat," Smith said. "What's the best way to address it? Do we use federal laws to go after these criminals or is it best using the state laws to go after these criminals?"
READ MORE: The Fentanyl Crisis
Another concern at our borders is the illegal flow of fentanyl.
"How is the fentanyl coming into our communities? Who is responsible for that?" Smith said. "Whether it be the precursors are coming from China, or if it's going to be the true product coming from Mexico, there's ways that these organizations are trying to, we'll say, mask their chemicals. On the way it's going down to Mexico to be processed into true fentanyl drug and it's coming back into the states, but it's all being transported, smuggled into the country in the same methods as cocaine, heroin, and other drugs."
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The FBI is also monitoring complex threats posed by artificial intelligence.
"AI is going to be really good. It's awesome. But it's really scary," Smith said. "We haven't really wrapped our hands around it to actually put boundaries of rules and laws and how we are going to regulate. So that's going to be a challenge for the folks in Washington."
Over the last year, the FBI New York says it has worked with local and federal partners to seize 147 illegal firearms, arrest 420 violent criminals, and recover 72 child victims.
Agents say it's just a fraction of the work accomplished over the last year.