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Hacking. Disinformation. Surveillance. CYBER is Motherboard's podcast and reporting on the dark underbelly of the internet.
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“EPIC Portal,” the top of the screenshot reads, referring to the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC). EPIC is a multiagency intelligence center led by the DEA with 21 participating agencies, according to the DEA’s website. The mission of EPIC is not just limited to drugs, but also includes terrorism, human trafficking, money laundering, and more.The portal appears to provide access to a variety of tools, including one labeled as “LPR,” according to the screenshot. LPR typically refers to license plate readers, which are cameras that take photographs of vehicles as they pass certain points and record where a certain vehicle was at a particular time. A 2010 email obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union says that federal, state, and local agencies have the ability to query an “LPR database via EPIC.” A report from the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General says EPIC has access to the “DEA’s License Plate Reader Database,” which stores license plate information captured along the Southwest border.Do you know anything else about this portal, or how criminals are obtaining sensitive data? We'd love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Joseph Cox securely on Signal on +44 20 8133 5190, Wickr on josephcox, or email joseph.cox@vice.com.
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