EXCLUSIVE: Tulsi Gabbard adds counter narcotics to counterterrorism center, announces leads on over 1,000 illegal immigrants tied to ISIS and gangs

In advance of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard is restructuring the ODNI’s National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) to “focus intelligence and vetting resources against these terrorists who traffic deadly narcotics into the country,” the Washington Reporter can exclusively report.

Gabbard’s office has also tracked over 1,000 individuals tied to either ISIS terrorists or to transnational illegal gangs, and has referred them to law enforcement agencies for arrest and deportation.

Gabbard’s leadership is already yielding results and praise from Congress, and they follow Trump’s designation of cartels and transnational gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. An agency source told the Reporter that under Gabbard the “NCTC worked across the interagency to track down the location of more than 400 illegal immigrants who used an ISIS network to enter our country, so they can be deported immediately.”

The source added that NCTC also “identified and provided leads [to state, local, and federal law enforcement] on approximately 750 individuals in the United States with ties to MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa Cartel as a part of NCTC’s integrated screening and vetting process.”

In addition to Gabbard’s latest moves, the DNI has also prioritized recognized cartels and transnational gangs as a top national security threat, and streamlined her own operations to ensure proper vetting at the border — putting her squarely in line with the Trump White House’s pro-border security policies.

During her annual threat assessment (ATA), Gabbard cautioned that cartels and gangs utilizing America’s southern border are the most immediate and direct threat to America’s security.

These moves from ODNI showcase a continued prioritization of Trump’s efforts to secure America’s border and to keep Americans safe and were immediately hailed by lawmakers in remarks to the Reporter.

Rep. Gabe Evans (R., Colo.) said that the work by Gabbard is the latest example of “promises made, promises kept” by members of the administration.

“Americans deserve safe streets and safe communities,” Evans, a former cop who serves on the House Homeland Security Committee, said. “Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa cartel are not welcome in Colorado or anywhere in this country.”

Throughout her time as DNI, Gabbard has prioritized securing America’s borders and cracking down on illegal immigrants. She recently visited America’s border with Mexico alongside Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance.

The Trump administration has seen a record decline in illegal border crossings during its first 100 days already.

Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, recently announced that the administration has released only nine illegal immigrants between Inauguration Day and the start of April.