National Targeting Center

The National Targeting Center (NTC) is a division of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It is based in Sterling, Virginia.^[1] The NTC observes air traffic and trade activities,^[2] gathers and vets intelligence, and is empowered to send e-mails requesting that U.S. citizens be detained and questioned.^[3]

US Customs and Border Protection Field Operations perform daily operational duties at the National Targeting Center (NTC)

The National Targeting Center includes several divisions, including: NTC-Cargo, NTC-Passenger, Counter-Network, and National Targeting Center – Investigations (NTC-I). The latter was established in 2013.^[4]

The NTC was initially established in 2001; its original name was Office of Border Security.^[5]

In 2017, the NTC approached journalists "as part of a broader effort to get reporters to write about forced labor around the world as a national security issue." The journalists included Ali Watkins and Martha Mendoza. The issue came to light from a redacted Inspector General report given to the Associated Press.^[6]

In 2021, CBP launched an investigation of the NTC's targeting of journalists, members of Congress, and others.^[7] In 2022, CBP agreed to release to the U.S. Senate the Inspector General's report previously leaked to the Associated Press, in exchange for Senate approval of an employee.^[8]