QUANTICO, Va. -- As removal flights depart like clockwork, a complex security mission unfolds on the ground, extending far beyond the runway.
As the military’s role on border security expands, so does the involvement of Special Agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), who work globally behind the scenes to safeguard personnel, aircraft and national security interests from potential threats.
From the outset of President Donald Trump declaring a national emergency on the Southern Border, Jan. 20, AFOSI Special Agents have integrated counterintelligence efforts to the fight.
"The speed our Special Agents adapted the President’s declaration is an example of our ability to respond to all national security priorities," said Brig. Gen. Amy Bumgarner, AFOSI commander. "We immediately embedded ourselves into the planning process, so counterintelligence support was in place from day one."
As with other deployments and air mobility missions, Special Agents have provided counterintelligence support to pilots, aircrews and deployed personnel to ensure they have the situational awareness and resources needed to operate securely.
Their work is part of a larger military effort supporting border security.
Coordinating border security
U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is working together with the Department of Homeland Security to augment U.S. Customs and Border Protection along the southern border with additional military forces.
This has included support from the Army and Marine Corps, along with airlift capabilities. U.S. Transportation Command has provided military airlift through Air Mobility Command (AMC), headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
At Scott Air Force Base, Special Agent Joe Straus, a Counterintelligence Action Officer with AFOSI Region 3, and his team ensure Region 3 is prepared to support operations by coordinating counterintelligence efforts across multiple commands.
“From Region 3, we provide intelligence support to AMC,” Straus said. “All of our detachments are at AMC bases and in the National Capital Region, so those are our two primary customers.”
"Protecting the people and assets of the [DAF] during these operations requires constant coordination and a proactive intelligence posture," Bumgarner said.
To maintain this seamless counterintelligence coordination and force protection, Straus participates in daily synchronization meetings across multiple commands. Flights have typically followed a structured pipeline involving coordination between multiple agencies, Straus said.
Revamped CI strategy
AFOSI’s role in removal flights comes as part of a broader shift in the agency’s counterintelligence strategy, led by Bumgarner in early 2024, amid an evolving global threat landscape.
To counter these threats, AFOSI’s top leaders strengthened the agency’s approach to counterintelligence.
According to Bumgarner, this effort has enhanced threat detection and protected national security interests, including at the Southern Border.
“With the realities of Great Power Competition shaping today’s strategic environment, our agency has sharpened its counterintelligence focus to counter emerging threats,” Bumgarner said. “These flights are just one example of how we are applying this approach across multiple domains.”
A key to the revamped CI strategy has reinforced proactive intelligence gathering, adversary threat detection and risk assessment, all efforts that have proved essential to border security operations and beyond, Bumgarner added.
Cross-regional mission
Region 3 has led counterintelligence support for combatant and major commands for the mission but has also depended on AFOSI 2nd Field Investigations Region, Operating Location Bravo (2 FIR OL-B) operating at the ground level, said Col. Stephen Olivares, AFOSI 2 FIR commander.
“Region 2 has been instrumental in providing up-to-date threat briefings and key embassy contacts for flights heading to South America,” Straus said. “Region 8 has supported the strategic level with USNORTHCOM, and Region 4 assists with operations at bases in Texas and New Mexico where aircrews return after missions.”
In addition to South American, 2 FIR OL-B has a presence in Honduras, where Joint Task Force-Bravo provides key insights into regional security.
While other regions ensured intelligence flowed at the command level, 2 FIR OL-B was already on the ground long before the directive, providing aircrews with critical intelligence before landing.
"Because of this foundation, as soon as the presidential directive was issued, OL-B was already postured to respond immediately," Olivares said. "The team didn’t need to ‘flip a switch’ because they were already engaged and delivering real-time intelligence."
Embedded across the region, these Special Agents leveraged long-standing diplomatic and security relationships to deliver intelligence no other agency could replicate.
“In a moment’s notice, we knew who to talk to on the ground to get information in the destination country, and we already knew who to talk to at the base-level detachment to get that information quickly to the aircrew before they took off,” said Special Agent Alex Lee, AFOSI 2 FIR OL-B commander. “When the flag went up, we got information from point A to point B in a matter of hours.”
This speed and efficiency are a result of 2 FIR OL-B's established trust network, built over years of engagement with partners across the region, Olivares said.
For example, their Special Agents are frequently in Curacao, Chile, Colombia, Panama and Brazil, building and fostering relationships.
Whether briefing aircrews before takeoff, debriefing them upon return or coordinating force protection efforts, their ability to rapidly disseminate intelligence is critical to mission success.
“The law enforcement threats in some of these countries are very real,” Olivares said. “That’s why it’s so critical to have counterintelligence experts who can provide timely threat analysis before aircrews even land.”
Beyond counterintelligence, 2 FIR OL-B is as a link between tactical operations and strategic decision-making, as well as aiding force protection operations on the ground. In addition, their analysts work alongside multiple commands to ensure intelligence is processed and distributed efficiently, often at a moment’s notice.
In the end, it comes down to readiness.
For example, when Olivares requested a situation report from Lee, he received a detailed country-by-country breakdown of threat conditions within minutes, he said, a testament to 2 FIR OL-B’s ability to operate at the speed of the mission and their readiness to act.
“The trust 2 FIR OL-B has built with international counterparts over the years is one of their greatest strengths,” Olivares said.
Lee echoed that sentiment, adding that their rapid response is a direct result of years of groundwork and relationship-building in the region.
“The mission is complex, the environment unpredictable, but because of the partnerships we’ve built, we can respond instantly,” Lee said. “That’s what sets 2 FIR OL-B apart.”
By maintaining intelligence flow between host-nation forces, U.S. country teams, and interagency partners, AFOSI has ensured aircrews have real-time situational awareness wherever they operate.
“AFOSI operates as a global network,” Bumgarner said. “This is what we do. We anticipate threats, protect Department of the Air Force personnel and assets, and keep intelligence flowing across commands. No matter the mission, we are ready to respond.”