Vehicles purchased from ice equipped with fake cells for spying on phones

The United States of Immigration and Customs (ICE) paid $ 825,000 earlier this year to a company that manufactures vehicles equipped with various law enforcement technologies, including fake mobile phones known as “cell site simulations”, which can be used to spy on nearby phones.

according to General recordsThe prize dated May 8 “The cell site simulation (CSS) is provided to support the internal security operations program”, which is to modify “additional CSS vehicles”.

The contract was signed with Techops Speciality Operty (TOSV), a company based in Maryland. TOSV also signed a similar contract with ICE in September 2024 for $ 818,000, indicating that the relationship between the agency and the company precedes the Trump administration.

TOSV President John Brinas told Techcrunch in an email that he could not provide details about ICE contracts and vehicles, noting “commercial secrets”. But Brinas confirmed that the company provides simulations for the cell site, although it does not make it.

“We do not manufacture electrical, comments, and technology technology in our general design of the car,” said Braianas, who refused to say in terms of TOSV coding.

This is the latest federal contract It reveals some techniques Running the Trump administration deportation campaign.

In early September, Forbes found a recent inspection note This showed that ICE used a cell site simulation to track a person who claimed it was part of a criminal gang in the United States, and ordered to leave the country in 2023. In the article, I mentioned Forbes It also found a contract for “cell site simulation vehicles”, but the article did not call the company that provides trucks to the agency.

The cell site simulations also pass the name “Stingrays” because some of the previous species of these devices, which were made by the Harris defense contractor (now L3HARRIS), were called this way. Since then, the irrigation has become a name for everyone for this type of technology, also known as the name IMSI fishermen. (IMSI means the identity of international subscribers for mobile phones, a unique number that determines every mobile phone user in the world.)

As the name suggests, it can simulate the cell site simulator tools, and you deceive each phone in its nearby range to connect to the device, thus giving the law application the ability to determine the real world location of these phones and their owners.

Some cell site simulations can also intercept regular calls, text messages and online traffic.

The authorities can obtain data from traditional mobile phones to find the current or previous site for the suspect, but the site is usually very inaccurate.

The STINGRAY -like devices were used by law enforcement for more than a decade and were long ago that the authorities did not always get an order to use them, and Critics say These devices explode the innocent by default. These devices are also surrounded by confidentiality, because the law enforcement agencies they use are subject to strict agreements other than revealing how the devices work.

Ice has a long history of using the cell site simulation devices. In 2020, the documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union showed this Ice has published at least 466 times between 2017 and 2019. The agency has used these tools over 1885 times between 2013 and 2017, According to the documents obtained by Buzzfeed News at that time.

ICE admitted a request to comment, but it did not answer a series of questions, which included: What ICE uses these compounds, whether it has been published recently, and whether the agency has always got a simulation order at the cell site.

From monitoring trucks to Bookmobiles

Its headquarters is located outside Washington, DC, TOSV sells a wide range of customizable vehicles to Law enforcementLike Vans for Swat Armed Response, bombs, and so -called “Mobile Lab” and “Cover Surveillance” compounds.

Among these vehicles for the police forces, TOSV recounts many “projects”, including one described in the name of DHS forensic and forensic laboratoriesIn reference to the Ministry of Internal Security.

According to the website, these forensic trucks are “equipped to analyze and document forensic medicine on the site”, which have “safe cabinets to maintain evidence and investigation”, and enable “smooth status files updates and record evidence.”

Another project is DHS mobile driving truck“What TOSV says is” configured for advanced monitoring and coordinating the task. ”

It is not clear whether these trucks are the same vehicles that include simulation devices for the cell site, as there is no mention of the phone monitor anywhere on the TOSV website.

Ice has other contracts with TOSV for mobile forensic laboratories, which do not specify the technologies in trucks.

According to its website, TOSV also sells the so -called “Bookmobiles“Which appears to be libraries on wheels, as well as medical and Fire Department Vehicles.