The Department of Homeland Security has fired a senior official with U.S. Customs and Border Protection after determining the employee was allegedly leaking sensitive information to the press, sources told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
The official, whose name has not been released, was reportedly escorted out of the CBP office in Washington, D.C., after DHS discovered the alleged unauthorized disclosures, according to multiple department sources, Fox News first reported.
“As DHS law enforcement face an 8,000% increase in death threats, leaking law enforcement sensitive information is abhorrently dangerous,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “DHS is agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment, or status as a career civil servant — we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
The leaks are said to have involved sensitive personnel data about CBP employees and details about ongoing negotiations related to the southern border wall, sources said. The disclosure of such information raised concerns within the department, prompting immediate action.
The news comes just days after a Fox News Digital investigation revealed the existence of an underground communications network being used by anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitators across the country. The tactics employed by these groups include doxxing ICE agents, tracking their license plates, and releasing personal information about them.
Fox News Digital also discovered that at least 13 databases are known to store this data, which includes personal information, photographs, uniform details, behavior patterns, phone numbers, and other sensitive items.
Last week, FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the agency is investigating Signal messaging chats, which have enabled agitators to coordinate efforts to obstruct and confront federal agents in Minneapolis and other cities nationwide.
It remains unclear whether the officer who was fired on Thursday had any involvement in the Signal group activities, as sources within DHS could only confirm that leaks were made to the press, Fox noted.
“The same Fox News Digital investigation reveals that sensitive information is at the center of what’s driving vigilante-type agitators to travel to hot spots where demonstrations are taking place,” the outlet reported.
Across the country, a vast network of anti-ICE groups has established a “rapid response” system aimed at training everyday citizens and mobilizing them for action. Federal law enforcement has found itself in heated confrontations with these organized and reportedly well-financed activists on several occasions. Such clashes have resulted in assaults on officers, raising serious concerns about the potential for violent and even deadly consequences for both the activists and the agents involved.
One particular case involved Kyle Wagner, a self-identified Antifa member from Minneapolis. He was arrested for allegedly urging his followers to target ICE agents. In footage obtained by Fox News Digital, he can be heard telling his supporters to “get your guns” and seek out the identities of these agents.
In announcing his arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wagner “allegedly doxxed and called for the murder of law enforcement officers, encouraged bloodshed in the streets, and proudly claimed affiliation with the terrorist organization Antifa before going on the run.”
A DHS spokesperson told Fox that the release of certain information can pose direct risks to law enforcement personnel and stressed that the department treats unauthorized disclosures seriously. Federal officials did not immediately provide additional details on the nature or scope of the leaked material.
The official was removed from their position and is no longer with the agency. DHS has indicated that personnel with access to sensitive or classified information are expected to uphold strict confidentiality standards and that violations will lead to disciplinary or legal consequences.
No criminal charges have been announced publicly in connection with the alleged leaks, and it was unclear whether federal prosecutors had been contacted or would pursue charges. DHS did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.