"In a newly unsealed warrant reviewed by Forbes, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was authorized to use a cell-site simulator-a controversial surveillance tool that tracks phones by mimicking real cell towers-in an effort to locate a Venezuelan national. Initial location data narrowed the man to a 30-block area, prompting ICE to request more precise tracking using the device. It's unclear if he was ever caught."
"The devices work by tricking cell phones into believing they're real cell towers, allowing police to identify a target device and track its movements far more precisely than the broad geolocation data available from phone companies. While a normal trace may only provide a rough radius or general direction, with a stingray-and a few attachments-police can shrink the search to a specific block, home, or apartment."
Correspondence portrays Ghislaine Maxwell as Epstein's fixer who cultivated favor with powerful figures amid speculation about potential pardons and release of sealed files. A newly unsealed warrant authorized ICE to deploy a cell-site simulator to locate a Venezuelan national after initial data narrowed him to a 30-block area; more precise tracking was requested and the man's apprehension remains unclear. ICE procurement records show nearly $1 million spent on cell-site simulator vehicles and a $4.4 million deal with Harris Corporation, maker of the Stingray. The devices impersonate cell towers to locate devices with block-level precision. Certain modes can capture signals from all phones in range, sweeping bystander data and prompting civil liberties concerns.
#cell-site-simulators-stingray #ice-surveillance #privacy-and-civil-liberties #ghislaine-maxwell--epstein
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