LulzSec announced Thursday evening the publication at Pirate Bay of a trove of leaked material from Arizona law enforcement agencies. Arizona's Department of Public Safety confirmed shortly thereafter that it was hacked.
In the press release included with the dump, a LulzSec affiliate outlines a more activist agenda than is usually associated with the group.
We are releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals,
personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords
belonging to Arizona law enforcement. We are targeting AZDPS specifically
because we are against SB1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police
state that is Arizona.The documents classified as "law enforcement sensitive", "not for public
distribution", and "for official use only" are primarily related to border
patrol and counter-terrorism operations and describe the use of informants to
infiltrate various gangs, cartels, motorcycle clubs, Nazi groups, and protest
movements.Every week we plan on releasing more classified documents and embarassing
personal details of military and law enforcement in an effort not just to reveal
their racist and corrupt nature but to purposefully sabotage their efforts to
terrorize communities fighting an unjust "war on drugs".Hackers of the world are uniting and taking direct action against our common
oppressors – the government, corporations, police, and militaries of the world.
See you again real soon! ;D
With more than 700 bulletins, email archives, images and other files, the 440MB package will keep readers busy for days. A few excerpts from the most obviously newsworthy documents follow.
Amid countless AZDPS emails covering subjects ranging from internal training, policies, events and goings-on in the criminal underground, this remarkable circular:
"BELOW ARE PICTURES TAKEN AFTER A RAID ON A DRUG DEALER'S HOUSE IN MEXICO. ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???AREN'T WE GLAD THAT WE HAVE AN OPEN BORDER POLICY BETWEEN US? JUST LOOK AT HOW WELL ITS PAYING OFF…….. I THINK ALLOWING MEXICAN TRUCKERS IN THE U.S. IS A GREAT IDEA!!! JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE MILLIONS OF REASONS WHY……… SEE HOW WELL THESE TRUCKERS ARE DOING? WHAT THE @#@%*@ ARE WE THINKING??? Notice that nearly 100% of this money is U.S. Currency!!! Do you now wonder why the cost of living has catapulted in our country??? I don't…… Some of the illegal aliens we're letting in can afford anything at any cost!!! And for the ones who cannot…….. We'll give it to them anyway!!!AND WE HAVE TWO BORDER PATROL AGENTS IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING AND WOUNDING A WELL DOCUMENTED MEXICAN DRUG DEALER! WHO, BY THE WAY, WAS ARMED AND ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A CONVICTED (BY MEXICO) MURDERER . MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, DOESN'T IT??? AUTOMATICS, SILENCERS…… THEY'RE ALL HAVING A NICE LAUGH ABOUT THIS STUFF AT OUR EXPENSE!!! And we want to give ILLEGAL ALIENS amnesty and not build the border fence because of funding!?!?!? SEND THIS TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING YOUR LOCAL CONGRESS REPRESENTATIVE. Our country is bleeding from the outside in!!! Don't you think it's time we take back what WE have sacrificed for over 140 years for??? I do. Build the fence higher and deeper, tighten border control, and send EVERY illegal alien home!!!"
In another email, there's discussion of the Mexican government using recently-bought radio gear to intercept U.S. communications:
"The FBI asked the Mexican Government to sign an "Intercept Agreement" stating that they would not use these devices to listen to U.S. Government radio traffic, and the Mexican Government declined to sign the agreement. The implication is that obviously the Mexican Government intends to do a lot of listening."
There are countless mundane documents covering hours worked, officers' personal information and other stuff of minimal journalistic interest. But the bulletins often offer fascinating stories of law enforcement encounters, such as this one with off-duty Marines patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border with assault weapons.
"In other incidents reported in October, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered two subjects who claimed to be members of the Border Watch Group the Blue Lights based on the Caballo Loco Ranch. The subjects, armed with pistols and at least one M4 rifle, were dressed in full desert camouflage uniforms, similar to those of the United States military. They stated they were not members of the Minutemen, but paid contract employees who "get the job done" and "were not just volunteers". They possessed valid United States Marine Corps identification cards."
Among the documents exposed by LulzSec is a PowerPoint presentation of the vulnerabilities of ferries to terrorist attack, a report of 'suspicious incident trends' in Arizona; and a review of a homebrew chemical weapon recipe found online:
"DHS and the FBI assess that improvised "chlorine bombs" constructed using plastic soda bottles containing pool treatment tablets mixed with rubbing alcohol based on instructions found on the Internet pose a minimal toxic hazard."
On Twitter, Nigel Parry spots a report on iPhone apps that "cops hate: Cop Recorder, Police Alert Lite, Trapster; Caller ID Faker, digital scale"
There appears to be a problem in Arizona (think of the sun!) with officers doing awful touch-up jobs on their interceptors:
"Crown Vic Paint Issues-If a vehicle doesn't qualify for paint replacement, a district may purchase primer, spray paint and sandpaper to attempt to improve vehicle appearance. This must be closely monitored by district commanders as I assured Lt. Col. … that we would not make the vehicles look worse than they do now. If you have someone in the district with some skills in this area, consider utilizing them for quality assurance."
Particularly interesting are the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center
Situational Awareness Bulletins, which highlight recent media stories on cross-border violence and update officers on the latest and greatest in gizmos of use to criminals:
"high-capacity flash memory devices are becoming increasingly concealable making them difficult for law enforcement officials to detect and identify during searches. Data can then be stored on these devices and then transferred between the concealed USB device and an external device, such as a computer, via a modified USB cable."USB flash drives are being produced and disguised as jewelry, pens, lip balm containers, cigarette lighters, wristbands, poker chips, credit cards, calculators, multi-purpose utility knives, emergency medical pill containers, lanyards, a wide variety of children's toys, and other inconspicuous items."
But not all are so high-tech, with one bulletin describing an apparently failed "Hotel Room Burglary Tool" made with wire and foil.
Drug traffickers are using GPS to do battle; smugglers are using scouts on horseback to evade U.S. authorities.
"Arizona law enforcement officials have learned that multiple groups, including several Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs), are using available GPS technology to target rivals. DTOs are placing GPS tracking devices on load vehicles of their rivals to reveal stash house locations, in order conduct home invasions raids to steal drugs and money on a later date."
Smuggler scouts "may utilize high-rise vantage points, travel the same roads repeatedly, serve as decoys, hide in bushes, and, in one case, used horses in their efforts to locate and identify law enforcement."
Some Arizona Department of Public Safety computers remain on dial-up:
"The dial-up internet connection is extremely slow and inconsistent, .06 megabits per second. There are often two officers sharing this slow connection, which makes for even slower speeds and less consistent service. Some of the videos on the intranet and training sites are five, ten or even fifty megabytes, which means it often takes from four to twenty hours to download some of the videos and files necessary for training or other work related items"
The spice must not flow!
Recent information developed by the Patrol Division has indicated "powder" forms of the chemical components of the substance known as "spice" have been ordered over the internet (primarily from overseas sources) and possibly shipped to local post office boxes. The chemical components of "spice" are diluted in water to form a paste like substance and then applied to regular cigarettes; after drying, the cigarettes could be smoked to gain the effect of the "spice". Upon casual observation, this method of ingestion would make it appear that individuals would be smoking regular cigarettes. … Officers should exercise extreme caution when handling regular cigarettes; the "spice" solution would be water soluble and easily absorbed through bare skin on contact. Officers should pay attention to regular cigarettes for the possibility of "spice" contamination and be aware of any potential criminal activity.
In one document, titled "A NEW BREED OF SUSPECT," the author reports the existence of tactical guides for criminals labeled, "23 rules for winning shootouts with police." Also in the dump is AOL's guide for law enforcement who need to file subpoenas, and an intriguing look at the presence of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and the military:
Through our extensive investigation, it has been discovered that many of these OMG members were not only retired or inactive military, but were also continuing their training and/or careers as Government contractors on military installations and Federal buildings throughout the United States and abroad. Furthermore, ATF OSII will be discussing the relationship between military-associated clubs and OMGs. On several occasions, both groups have been observed riding side by side and attending the same events and motorcycle runs.
In one memo, authorities determined that the "Threat level" posed by "Jews for Jesus" was low! I'm sure they'll be happy to hear it.
There are a great many BOLO-type mugshots and bios for wanted suspects; LulzSec's latest release represents the greatest single concentration of incompetent tattoos in recorded history.
One brief advises law enforcement officers on how to prevent people using the "Find my iPhone" feature to wipe cellphones remotely:
Law enforcement seizing iPhones as potential evidence are recommended to protect the phone from wireless signals as soon as possible through the use of a faraday bags or some other nickel, copper and silver plated storage container. The device must be protected from any wireless connection/radio signal even throughout the forensic imaging process.
A "COUNTER-TERRORISM INFORMATION CENTER" bulletin sees fit to cover domestic civil rights protests, but points out that "There is no credible information to indicate there is concern for public safety. Despite the potential disruptive nature of these events, officers should be cognizant of the protestors' First Amendment Rights."
Here's an excerpt from the report on iPhone apps that can be "used against officers," in which they are advised to "take the time to look at an arrestee's cell phone to see what applications they have."
Cop Recorder: This can be activated while in a pocket and record everything the officer is saying. When activated it gives a warning statement to the user, which is basically the Miranda rights and advises against talking to an officer until they speak to an attorney.
Trapster: This application is downloaded from Trapster.com and it relies on other Trapster users to mark on the phone where radar is set up. This application will alert other Trapster users as they are approaching a radar location.
One document is titled "shootout at a McDonalds," authored by "a California Sergeant."
I was standing in line and oblivious (like all the other patrons) to the fact that an armed suspect had taken the manager hostage and was forcing her to open the safe in the restaurant's office. One of the cashiers had seen this and I overheard her telling another employee that the business was being robbed.
At that time, I had approximately 15 years of experience and was a SWAT team member and use-of-force/firearms instructor. … As I was standing near the front counter trying to get some of the kitchen help to get out, the suspect came from the office area and began running in my direction.
I immediately noted the large semi-automatic pistol in his hand. The distance was about 15 to 20 yards. I drew my weapon, announced myself and took a kneeling position behind the counter. Unfortunately, the suspect raised his weapon at me and the gunfight erupted. The suspect fired a total of 2 rounds in my direction. I fired 11, striking him 10 times. …
I immediately noticed a small child lying behind me. I saw blood pooling under her head and knew at a glance she was dead. One of the bullets fired at me had struck this child.
"You cannot have the typical police mind-set in an off-duty situation," concludes the sergeant who so artfully avoided saying who fired first in a shootout in the presence of children. " … I was really worried that one of my own guys might not recognize me. I was worried too that there might be some other off-duty copper around who would think I was the bad guy."
A guide to social networking sites cautions officers not to boast about beating arrestees on Facebook, because that may be of use to defense attorneys:
One of the notable postings introduced to the jury was that the officer watched the movie "Training Day" (a motion picture that displayed corrupt police behavior and brutality) to brush up on "proper police procedure. One of his postings said, "If he wanted to tune him up some, he should have delayed cuffing him." In another he added, "If you were going to hit a cuffed suspect, at least get your money's worth 'cause now he's going to get disciplined for a relatively light punch."
Another memo describes the appearance and pseudonyms of Purple Drank, "a recreational drug popular in the hip-hop community>"
slang terms for purple drank include: "Sizzurp, Lean, Syrup, Drank, Barre, Purple Tonic, Southern Lean, Texas Tea, Memphis Mud, Mrs. Dranklesworth, Tsikuni, Lean, P-Flav, Slip, Purple Sprite, PG Tips, Purp, and Purple Jelly". The generic prescription name is Phenergan.
A report on racial profiling concludes that "Even after controlling for other explanatory factors, racial/ethnic disparities exist for warnings, repair orders, citations, arrests and seaches. … Further analyses of searches and seizures illustrate that hispanic, black and native american drivers were significantly more likely to be searched compared to whites."
A "Parents' Guide to Internet Lingo" decodes all that leet umadbro jellyspeak the youngsters converse in these days. "A/S/L" comes in at 11 on the top 20.
An unclassified but FOIA-exempt report discloses that a source of "undetermined reliability" claimed Al-Qaeda "planned to carry out an attack using suicide operatives against unspecified business centers and subways throughout the United States. The attack would incorporate automatic weapons."
One remarkably persistent arrestee escaped from custody like so:
First, the suspect moved the cuffs in front of him. He then pulled off the rubber weather stripping on the frame of the car and removed the inside door panel, exposing the door locking mechanism. He stuck his finger in between the door and the frame and released the latch opening the door.It took the defendant all of a few minutes to perform the escape.
Officers apprehended him a few blocks away.
