Secret Service Overlooked Critical Intelligence Before Capitol Riot

Well, folks, it seems our esteemed Secret Service might need a refresher course in the “secret” part of their job description. In a twist that would make even the most incompetent spy novel villain blush, we’re learning that the agency tasked with protecting our nation’s leaders may have dropped the ball harder than a fumbling quarterback on January 6th. Buckle up, patriots, because this rollercoaster of bureaucratic bungling is about to leave the station.

Missed Warnings and Communication Breakdowns

The Secret Service had intelligence indicating potential violence before January 6th but failed to share it with agents protecting key officials. This shocking revelation comes from an inspector general report that highlights a series of security failures leading up to the Capitol riot.

According to the report, the Secret Service’s Protective Intelligence and Assessment Division “received some information indicating a high potential for violence leading up to January 6th, but but USSS/PID did not incorporate such information in the final” security assessments provided to the agents protecting VIPs at and near the Capitol.

The report identified several issues, including poor communication, inadequate security sweeps, and failure to identify threats properly.

“The Secret Service had not employed all its explosive detection tactics and measures for the security sweep, instead providing only canine teams at the DNC building that day. Afterward, the Secret Service did not report the buildings evacuation as an unusual protective event, as required by its policies,” the inspector general concluded.

Advanced Intelligence and Monitoring

Rep. Adam Schiff presented evidence suggesting the Secret Service had advance information about possible violence on January 6th, including specific plans by extremist groups.

“The Secret Service had advanced information more than 10 days beforehand regarding the Proud Boys’ planning for January 6” – Rep. Adam Schiff

The agency was actively monitoring online activity and sharing intelligence with other agencies before January 6th. An email from the Secret Service noted “a lot of violent rhetoric on Parler directed at government people,” yet this information apparently didn’t translate into adequate preparedness.

Systemic Failures Across Agencies

The House Jan. 6 committee’s chief investigator, Tim Heaphy, claims that multiple federal agencies, including the FBI and DHS, did not adequately act on intelligence about expected violence before January 6th.

“Law enforcement had a very direct role in contributing to the security failures that led to the violence.” – Tim Heaphy

Heaphy argues that the intel was specific enough for law enforcement to have done a better job. However, officials were often pressured to be cautious with social media intelligence due to civil liberties concerns, potentially hampering their ability to act decisively.