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Serving as FBI Director for the past seven-plus years has given me an unparalleled perspective on the threats to our nation's public safety and national security. From where I sit, these threats are more dangerous and complex than they have ever been since I began my law enforcement career nearly 30 years ago.
Our enemies, whether violent gangs, child predators, cartels, hackers, hostile nation-states, or terrorists, are bolder, better resourced, and more technologically savvy than ever before. , has become more relentless. Foreign hackers can shut down hospitals or take critical infrastructure offline with the press of a key. Would-be terrorists can communicate with conspirators overseas through encrypted apps and secretly plan attacks on the U.S. mainland. Cartels can use chemicals obtained from the other side of the world to manufacture large quantities of deadly drugs with potencies that no one has ever seen before.
The overall threat of terrorism is increasing. While foreign terrorist organizations are planning coordinated attacks here at home, taking inspiration from the horrific Hamas attack on October 7, violent extremists inspired by a variety of ideologies and grievances are They're coming together faster than ever before, and investigators have fewer and fewer dots to connect. Time to connect them.
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The New Year's Day tragedy in New Orleans is the latest demonstration of the danger posed by individuals (everyday people going about their daily lives) who become radicalized online using readily available weapons to target soft targets. terrorist threats, making it more difficult to detect, investigate, and investigate terrorist threats. And it's confusing.
Foreign adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran aren't just stealing government secrets, they're directly targeting American citizens and the things we rely on most. Hostile nation-states have stolen Americans' personal data on an astonishing scale, committed widespread theft from businesses large and small, exported their own brand of oppression to our country, and launched bold cyber operations targeting our critical infrastructure. engaged in. In particular, the Chinese government has engineered an unprecedented effort to water down American innovation, steal our most valuable personal data, and interfere in our free and open society. History will mark this as the defining threat of our generation.
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Beyond terrorism and state threats, violent crime, which has reached alarming levels in recent years, continues to plague many communities. Cartels flood our country with fentanyl and other deadly drugs every year, killing countless Americans. And child predators lurk in the dark recesses of the internet, preying on innocent and vulnerable people.
From my seat I can see a serious adult threat that requires adult attention. But over the past seven years, I have also seen something else. It's the FBI's inspirational people who confront these threats every day with passion, skill, and a commitment to public service and the rule of law. I have seen up close the efforts they are working in record numbers with our brothers and sisters in state and local law enforcement and across government to keep our communities safe.
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In recent years, the FBI and its partners have worked together to arrest nearly 50 violent criminals each day. They have rescued hundreds of children from torturers and kept hundreds of predators behind bars. They dismantled hundreds of gangs terrorizing neighborhoods across the country and seized enough fentanyl to kill nearly 80 percent of all Americans. They developed innovative techniques to combat new threats by fighting cybercriminals, saving victims around the world approximately $800 million in ransom payments. And they keep an eye on the ever-present threat of terrorism, guarding communities in Las Vegas, Long Beach, Pittsburgh's houses of worship, San Francisco's crowded piers, Cleveland's Fourth of July parade, and countless others. The targeted attack has been thwarted. All over the country. I could not be more proud of the work and sacrifices they have made to keep us all safe.
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However, this is no time for complacency or distraction. Looking to the future, security challenges will become more difficult and the margin for error will continue to shrink. America's adversaries will continue to seek to exploit our nation's divisions to intensify their attacks against us. But we must focus on the threats and our efforts, not what divides us. We must continue to address the dangers facing our country with objectivity, rigor, and professionalism. That's what the American people expect, and rightly so.
I know that the men and women of the FBI work together with our partners to accomplish that mission. But I also know that our future security depends on the FBI doing its best. The FBI needs resources commensurate with what our adversaries are throwing at us and the public's continued support for the FBI's important work. The stakes are no more. You can't afford to lose focus or be unprepared.
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