Latest news with #KevinUebelhardt
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
ICE agents to assist base security at three Marine Corps installations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents will work alongside base security at three Marine installations as part of a pilot program to prevent foreign nationals from unlawfully accessing the bases. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California officials announced the program on May 16. Officials told that the initiative will also take place at Marine Corps bases Quantico and Hawaii. 'Marine and family readiness start at our bases and stations, and the safety and security of our Marines, sailors, family members, civilian employees and all who work and have proper access to Marine Corps installations are of the utmost importance,' Capt. Kevin Uebelhardt, a spokesperson for Headquarters Marine Corps, said in an email statement. Officials at Camp Pendleton did not disclose how many times unauthorized access had occurred at the facility in recent years or provide further details regarding the origin of any individuals who had unlawfully obtained access to the base. In 2023 the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese nationals had accessed military facilities an estimated 100 times over a period of years. The news outlet cited unnamed sources for that report. 'There is no impact on military or civilian personnel, dependents, or those lawfully entering our military installation,' 2nd Lt. Anna Hornick, a Pendleton spokesperson, told 'This cooperation may lead to longer processing times at entry point, but day-to-day life on base will remain unchanged.' ICE agents are supporting base security by assisting with identity verification and gate screening, according to a release. The release also said most unauthorized access attempts are unintentional, often resulting from confusion over GPS directions. However, some 'present deliberate security risks.' 'This interagency cooperative effort is being evaluated for effectiveness and scalability,' according to the release. 'Its success may inform future iterations across other Marine Corps installations, particularly those proximate to border regions, ports of entry, or critical infrastructure corridors.' Uebelhardt told that the collaboration with ICE is not in response to a specific incident. Rather, the effort is 'part of an ongoing effort to constantly improve our security posture to protect our most valued resource: our people,' Uebelhardt said. 'Cooperation between installation law enforcement and ICE continues a history of teamwork that dates back to the establishment of [the Department of Homeland Security].'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will screen visitors at 3 Marine Corps bases
Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, will help screen visitors at three Marine Corps installations to prevent foreign nationals from gaining unauthorized access to the bases, Corps officials said. The ICE agents have already been posted to Camp Pendleton, California, and they will also be sent to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Virginia, as part of a pilot program, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Kevin Uebelhardt told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. 'All such support from ICE, whether at Camp Pendleton or at other pilot locations, will be conducted in accordance with underlying legal authorities,' Uebelhardt said. 'ICE agents will not be conducting patrols or immigration enforcement actions on the installations.' An ICE spokesperson said there have been no recorded arrests at Camp Pendleton since the start of the pilot program. 'Immigration and Customs Enforcement recognizes the importance of its relationships with its law enforcement partners to carry out its mission in a way that best serves national security, public safety, and border security,' the spokesperson said. 'ICE has always coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies as part of its mission including the Department of Defense.' The move comes after a widely publicized May 2024 incident in which two Jordanian men were arrested for attempting to enter Marine Corps Base Quantico. A federal judge later dismissed the cases against both men. But the pilot program is part of a longstanding partnership between military installation law enforcement officials and ICE that dates back to when the Department of Homeland Security was established in 2002, Uebelhardt said. 'The collaboration with ICE is not in response to a specific incident, but rather is part of an ongoing effort to constantly improve our security posture to protect our most valued resource: our people,' Uebelhardt said. first reported on Tuesday that ICE agents would be posted to the gates of the three Marine Corps installations as part of the pilot program. Camp Pendleton issued a May 17 news release announcing that ICE agents were supporting the base's provost marshal's office efforts to screen visitors and verify their identification as part of an interagency security effort that also involves U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS. NCIS and CBP's will include intelligence sharing and operational planning as part of the operation, which is in a 'proof-of-concept phase,' according to the news release. 'While most unauthorized access attempts are inadvertent, often caused by civilian motorists unintentionally navigating to base gates due to GPS misdirection, others may present deliberate security risks, the news release says. The ICE agents have been at Camp Pendleton since May 15, and they are 'postured to respond to requests where needed in accordance with legal authorities,' said Capt. James C. Sartain, a spokesman for Marine Corps Installations West. 'Installation security responsibility remains with military law enforcement personnel,' Sartain said. 'Any attempted unauthorized entry by foreign nationals will be referred to ICE officials for appropriate action.' The pilot program is being conducted in close coordination with partner federal agencies, said Sartain, who added that both NCIS and base security personnel regularly consult with CBP to determine a person's immigration status and, when necessary, help with removing unauthorized foreign nationals. NCIS still maintains primary investigative jurisdiction for felony-level crimes that occur on base, agency spokesperson Meredith March told Task & Purpose. 'As such, we will continue to work with Marine Corps base security, ICE, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities as necessary to investigate any unauthorized base access attempts when criminality is suspected,' March said. 'NCIS remains dedicated to ensuring the protection of Marine Corps installations, personnel, and assets from criminal, intelligence, and terrorist threats. UPDATE: 05/21/2025; This story was updated after publication with a statement from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson. Army to eliminate 2 Security Force Assistance Brigades, reassign experienced soldiers Why the Army's new XM7 rifle reignited a debate over volume of fire Air Force delay on separation and retirement orders isn't 'stop loss,' defense official says F-35's close call over Yemen raises questions about how it's used An Army unit's 'extreme use of profanity' was so bad, they made a rule about it
