CHICAGO () — The U.S. Secret Service is confronting what its leadership describes as an unprecedented surge in threats, with the agency saying it has already opened investigations into 10,000 threats this year. Officials say responses to immediate dangers involving federal protectees, including President Donald Trump, have reached historic levels.
Derek Mayer, the Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service Chicago Field Office, told the ABC7 I-Team that agents in Chicago and across the country are actively identifying and locating individuals in person as part of these threat investigations.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran told ABC News the current threat landscape is the most difficult he has encountered, as threats targeting protectees continue to grow both in number and sophistication. Officials are monitoring potential lone wolf attack concerns as well as a sharp rise in online threats. The Secret Service says threat investigations are up 40% compared with the same period last year.
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Mayer said social media has become both a challenge and an advantage for investigators. While some users may believe anonymous accounts shield their identities, he said those online threats can often still be traced.
“Social media, sometimes that could be our biggest tool…so we can go investigate them. It’s the people that are quiet. That makes the job really hard,” Mayer told the I-Team.
Mayer warned that anyone who makes a threat against the president should expect the possibility of a Secret Service agent knocking on their door.
