U.S. Customs and Border Protection
org
Also written as: CBP · the agency
Involved in
- CBP seized Blumenthal’s phone devices to extract information on his sources, communications with sources, and journalist methods for conducting fieldwork and reporting, and disclosure could endanger sources, compromise ongoing investigations, and impair his ability to assure current and prospective sources that their identities and communications will remain confidential.
- Terry Liu worked as a CBP supervisor at the Calais Port of Entry, with duties stretching to the Ferry Point and Milltown crossings.
- Blumenthal believes DHS and CBP targeted him due to his journalism, specifically his critical coverage of U.S. foreign policy and long record of exposing Israeli atrocities.
- CBP detained Blumenthal for approximately two and a half hours after he returned on July 10 from a reporting trip to Iran for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral.
- CBP’s warrantless seizure and continued retention of Blumenthal’s phones violate the First and Fourth Amendments and the Privacy Protection Act.
- CBP officers are required to be U.S. citizens.
- When Blumenthal declined to provide the passcodes to his two phones because doing so could compromise his constitutional rights and confidential sources, an officer said the devices would be “hook[ed] up to machines” to extract their data.
- During Blumenthal’s detention, CBP officers asked questions that closely mirrored Loomer’s post.
- Liu admitted to the FBI on September 9 that he used CBP parts in Newegg’s trade‑in program for store credit.
- Tunick provided a US Customs and Border Protection officer with a duress password, and when used to forcibly unlock a phone the duress password wipes all data instantly, cannot be stopped, and is irreversible.
- Customs and Border Patrol officials fired off a laser volley from a US Army base adjacent the El Paso Airport.
- CBP officers questioned Blumenthal about his journalism, who funded his travel, whether he had been paid for interviews, and whether he planned to return to Iran.
- CBP describes searches of electronic devices as “rare” and says the practice is reserved to combat serious crimes and national security threats.
- Loomer celebrated the seizure and described Blumenthal as a national security threat after CBP seized his phones on July 14.
- CBP estimates it would cost more than $20,000 to reinstall the correct parts and more than $105,000 to replace the 46 computers.
- Laura Loomer called for Max Blumenthal’s arrest, and five days later Customs and Border Patrol seized his electronic devices at Dulles International Airport.
- CBP seized the phones but left Blumenthal’s laptop and camera untouched, despite claiming to be searching for evidence of criminal activity or child sexual material.
- Once data has been wiped from a GrapheneOS-powered phone, there is no way to recover any of it.
Statements attributed to it
Voices are counted, never weighed. This is a record of what this entity has been recorded as saying — not a measure of whether it is right.
Origin: first recognised while reading ADC sues DHS Secretary Mullin over illegal CBP seizure of Max Blumenthal’s devices · 2026-07-23 07:04