About those feds in Portland...
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/22/federal-government-assembles-force-portland-unrest-377785
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US Marshal's, whose job includes protecting Federal courthouses and other Federal buildings. Reinforced by elements of ICE, Border Patrol, and Federal Protective Service.
All are parts of DHS.
Not military. Not private mercenaries. No Blackwater, no Eric Prince, No Academii, No Xe, no Triple Canopy. Not an invading army.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marshals_Service#Special_Operations_Group
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marshals_Service#Surveillance_airplanes
Would help to know that it's almost entirely a dog and pony show, as was DC last month?
Just 144 federal agents from four agencies were sent to Portland.
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ICE has a bout 200 tactical officers.
USBP has 220 BORTAC agents.
US Marshals have around 1,000 tactical officers.
Those 3 agencies have far more pressing needs on their manpower/resources.
DEA and ATF have more tactical officers, but they're neither trained nor equipped to handle riots or large crowds.
US Marshals assigned to protect the Federal court building (part of their job description) in Portland did request federal help after Portland PD withdrew from the area.
Those reinforcements cannot stay long.
That courthouse cost US tax payers $93 million.
@Render It does, as does your trusted analysis. Thank you.
May I check my understanding?
This has been viewed by some as a very scary spectacle that confirms fears of federal misuse of resources against its citizens.
When you call this a dog and pony show and cite numbers, that suggests to me that this is not supportable on a wide scale?
Do you know what happened to the people who got picked up/taken away?
@Minholkin There just are not enough of those tactical response units to cover every effected city for any extended period of time.
Almost all of the people that were snatched by the rent-a-van crew were released without charges the next day.
I feel better learning that--thank you.
I dislike the spectacle and the distress it is evoking for so many people, but this helps me scale my reaction a bit.
As ever, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
<3
'Get the hell out of our uniforms': It's getting hard to tell who are the real law enforcement as camouflaged Feds crack down on protests"
https://www.businessinsider.com/military-uniforms-protest-police-border-patrol-2020-7