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DHS Border Patrol's Predictive Intelligence Targeting Team, or PITT, has used financial and other data to identify activity it considers linked to potential criminal conduct, according to reporting cited in the column. The program helped trigger a traffic stop involving Kyle William Olson in Montana, while Alek Schott is suing Texas officials after a stop and vehicle search based in part on surveillance-derived suspicion.
Why it matters
The cases raise questions about whether Americans are being treated as suspects before law enforcement identifies a specific crime. A DHS memo in Olson's case cited financial activity patterns associated with illicit narcotics activity but did not explain which records were examined or how they were obtained. In Schott's case, federal agents reportedly monitored travel through license-plate scans and other technologies, while officers searched his truck and found no drugs.
Financial data can reveal associations, beliefs, and political activity. The column argues that FinCEN may be a source of some records through Bank Secrecy Act reporting, which requires financial institutions to retain information and report certain large or suspicious transactions. Banks often over-report to limit compliance risk, creating a large pool of sensitive data that can be shared across agencies.
Market impact
The issue puts privacy, financial surveillance, and digital payments under closer regulatory scrutiny. The column points to the 2024 congressional report on post-January 6 investigations and a 2025 executive order targeting Antifa as examples of how financial monitoring can be applied across political lines.
Its proposed safeguards include a Government Accountability Office audit of DHS data sources, targeting criteria, retention, false-positive rates, and information sharing. It also calls for judicial authorization before sensitive financial records are used in investigations and disclosure when federal analysis triggers a traffic stop.
Frequently asked questions
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What is DHS’s Predictive Intelligence Targeting Team?
PITT is a DHS Border Patrol team described as using financial, travel, and other data to identify activity considered linked to potential criminal conduct and provide tips to local law enforcement.
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What happened in the Kyle William Olson case?
A DHS memo connected Olson’s Montana traffic stop to financial activity patterns associated with illicit narcotics activity. The memo did not explain which records were examined or how they were obtained.
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Why is Alek Schott suing Texas officials?
Schott was stopped and his truck was searched after surveillance of his travel patterns. Police found no drugs, and he alleges the stop and search violated his Fourth Amendment rights.
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How could FinCEN relate to DHS financial surveillance?
FinCEN oversees Bank Secrecy Act compliance and receives reports on certain large or suspicious transactions. The column argues that this information could be shared with other federal agencies.
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What safeguards does the column propose?
It calls for a Government Accountability Office audit of DHS data practices, judicial authorization before using sensitive financial records, and disclosure when federal analysis triggers a traffic stop.
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