News and reports from the Department of Homeland Security.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are releasing resources to assist communities across 22 states, where approximately 130 million Americans are under heat alerts, in managing the intensifying impact of extreme heat due to the climate crisis, according to an Aug. 24 press release. Heat-related deaths remain a top weather-related cause in the U.S., and critical infrastructure is also threatened.

CNN reported on Aug. 30 that a smuggler affiliated with ISIS helped several migrants cross the US-Mexico border earlier in the year, prompting Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and others to question the Biden Administration's approach to the ongoing border crisis.

The Borders, Trade, and Immigration (BTI) Institute, a national consortium led by the University of Houston, Tex., announced that its second annual Conference to Combat Human Trafficking will be held Dec. 12-13 at the University of Houston Student Center. The meeting will address new technologies aimed at limiting human and drug trafficking, and focus on areas in need of future study, a University of Houston/BTI press release said.

Organized crime syndicates are employing the channel of remittances, which are money transfers commonly used by migrant workers, to funnel their illegal profits into Mexico, a Reuters News Agency investigation found.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has started operating a unit of weaponized drone operators that convert commercial drones into bomb-like devices that can be used against their enemies, the Daily Beast reported. Research by C/O Futures and reporting by the Daily Beast have shown that the cartel is ramping up violent drone attacks.

The mass migration crisis at the nation's southern border is placing immense pressure on public schools, sparking unnecessary crime waves and straining cities across the United States, a fellow from an anti-immigration think tank told lawmakers in Washington during a July 26 hearing.

U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, raised concerns regarding the flow of information between government agencies.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced the reopening of an international field office in Havana, Cuba.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. General Services Administration announced $288 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding for construction projects at the DHS headquarters in southeast Washington, D.C.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the Cyber Safety Review Board will undertake a review focused on the security of cloud computing environments, particularly addressing identity management and authentication.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released the Cyber Safety Review Board’s (CSRB) report detailing findings from its investigation into the activities of the threat actor group Lapsus$.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently reported that drugs were discovered and confiscated in a vehicle attempting to cross the border, according to a press release. The incident occurred at the Calexico West Port of Entry at the U.S-Mexico border and the haul was hidden in various places within a pickup truck.

Agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol and state and local police seized 121 pounds of cocaine worth $3.8 million near Rio Grande City on Tuesday, Chief Jason Owens announced in a tweet.

Anthony Ruggiero, of the Foundation For Defense of Democracies, said America needs to put more pressure on China to investigate cartel money laundering.

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said in an Aug. 9 tweet that current border policies are allowing the Mexican cartels to continue operating at will. The cartels control who enters the country and are even taking advantage of the CBP One app, Green said.