High-Ranking DHS Official Fired Over Alleged Leaks of Sensitive Materials
The Department of Homeland Security has fired a senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection official after determining the employee allegedly leaked sensitive internal information to the press, according to sources who spoke with Fox News Digital.
The official, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was escorted out of CBP’s Washington, D.C., office after DHS uncovered what sources described as unauthorized disclosures of sensitive material. Multiple department sources confirmed the removal, Fox News first reported.
“As DHS law enforcement face an 8,000% increase in death threats, leaking law enforcement sensitive information is abhorrently dangerous,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “DHS is agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment, or status as a career civil servant — we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to sources, the leaks involved sensitive personnel information about CBP employees as well as details related to ongoing negotiations over the southern border wall—issues considered highly sensitive amid heightened security concerns and ongoing immigration enforcement efforts under President Donald J. Trump’s second-term administration.
The firing comes just days after a Fox News Digital investigation exposed an underground communications network allegedly used by anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agitators nationwide. Those groups have reportedly engaged in doxxing ICE agents, tracking license plates, and publishing personal information of federal law enforcement officers.
Fox News Digital reported that at least 13 databases are known to store this sensitive data, including personal details, photographs, uniform identifiers, behavioral patterns, phone numbers, and other private information tied to ICE personnel.
Last week, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the bureau is investigating Signal messaging chats believed to be used by agitators coordinating efforts to obstruct and confront federal agents in Minneapolis and other cities across the country.
It remains unclear whether the CBP official fired this week had any direct involvement with those Signal chat groups. DHS sources told Fox News only that the employee had leaked information to the media.
“The same Fox News Digital investigation reveals that sensitive information is at the center of what’s driving vigilante-type agitators to travel to hot spots where demonstrations are taking place,” the outlet reported.
Federal officials say a sprawling network of anti-ICE groups has developed a so-called “rapid response” system designed to train and mobilize activists nationwide. Law enforcement agencies have encountered these groups during multiple confrontations, some of which have resulted in assaults on federal officers—raising alarms about escalating violence.
One case cited by authorities involved Kyle Wagner, a self-identified Antifa member from Minneapolis, who was arrested after allegedly encouraging followers to target ICE agents. In footage obtained by Fox News Digital, Wagner can be heard telling supporters to “get your guns” and seek out agents’ identities.
Announcing Wagner’s arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi said he “allegedly doxxed and called for the murder of law enforcement officers, encouraged bloodshed in the streets, and proudly claimed affiliation with the terrorist organization Antifa before going on the run.”
A DHS spokesperson emphasized that unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information pose direct threats to law enforcement personnel and said the department treats such violations with the utmost seriousness.
The official has been permanently removed from their position and is no longer employed by the agency. DHS reiterated that individuals with access to sensitive or classified information are expected to uphold strict confidentiality standards, and that violations can result in severe disciplinary or legal consequences.
No criminal charges have been announced at this time, and it remains unclear whether federal prosecutors will pursue the case. DHS declined to provide additional details.