ICE Tells Lawmakers It’s Using Spyware in Fight Against Fentanyl
A federal law enforcement agents outside a private residence in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/BloombergUS Immigration and Custom Enforcement has said it purchased spyware designed to hack phones and access encrypted messages as part of an effort to counter the flow of fentanyl into the US.
The immigration agency signed a $2 million deal in 2024 to acquire spyware manufactured by Israeli company Paragon, which is designed to covertly access private messages and other data stored on mobile phones.