May 13, 2010: FBI raids in Watertown & Brookline

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON
GREATER BOSTON, THE FBI
RAIDS THE BAY STATE IN
CONNECTION WITH THE FAILED
TIMES SQUARE BOMBING PLOT.
PLUS GOING NEGATIVE AND
SCORING PONTS IN THE
GOVERNOR'S RACE.
AND CENTER STAGE WITH JARED
BOWEN HAS GILBERT AND
SULLIVAN LIKE YOU'VE NEVER
SEEN BEFORE

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>> GOOD EVENING.
THE FBI AND ICE HAVE
APPARENTLY BEEN FOLLOWING
THE MONEY.
AND THE TRAIL TOOK THEM FROM
NEW YORK CITY TO A RENTAL
APARTMENT IN WATERTOWN.
THREE MORE PEOPLE ARE NOW IN
CUSTODY IN CONNECTION WITH
THAT MAY 1st FAILED CAR
BOMBING IN NEW YORK CITY.
TWO OF THEM PICKED UP HERE
IN MASSACHUSETTS.
JARED BOWEN HAS MORE.

>> TODAY WE LEARNED THAT THE
ATTEMPTED MAY 1st TIMES
SQUARE BOMBING HAS ROOTS OR
WORSE IN MASSACHUSETTS.

>> THE SEARCH WARRANTS WERE
EXECUTED EARLY THIS MORNING
IN WATERTOWN AND IN
BROOKLINE.
TWO PEOPLE IN MASSACHUSETTS
ARE IN FEDERAL CUSTODY.

>> Reporter: THIS MORNING
FEDERAL AGENTS SEARCHED A
GAS STATION ON ROUTE 9 IN
BROOKLINE.
AROUND 6:00 ANOTHER GROUP OF
AGENTS SURROUNDED THIS HOME
NEAR WATERTOWN'S MAIN STREET
DRAWING THE ATTENTION OF
NEIGHBOR VIN SENT LASARRA.

>> I WAS IN MY LIVING ROOM
WATCHING TV AND I HEARD AN
FBI AGENT SCREAM, FBI, PUT
YOUR HANDS UP.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN I
LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND
THAT'S WHEN I SAW ALL THE
FBI AGENTS WITH GUNS DRAWN,
POINTING TOWARDS THE HOUSE.

>> Reporter: AUTHORITIES
REPORTEDLY RAIDED A HALF
DOZEN LOCATIONS IN THE
NORTHEAST TODAY AND TOOK
THREE PEOPLE INTO CUSTODY.
ARRESTING TWO HERE IN
MASSACHUSETTS.
IN WASHINGTON, ATTORNEY
GENERAL ERIC HOLDER
DOWNPLAYED THE THREAT.

>> THESE SEARCHES ARE THE
PRODUCT OF EVIDENCE THAT HAS
BEEN GATHERED IN THE
INVESTIGATION SINCE THE
ATTEMPTED TIMES SQUARE
BOMBING AND DO NOT RELATE TO
ANY KNOWN IMMEDIATE THREAT
TO THE PUBLIC OR ACTIVE PLOT
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.

>> THAT SAID IN HIS OWN
AFTERNOON STATE HOUSE
BRIEFING, GOVERNOR DEVAL
PATRICK STATED LOCAL
SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN
RAMPED UP.

>> POLICE HAVE STEPPED UP
THEIR SURVEILLANCE AND THEIR
VIGILANCE IN PUBLIC
FACILITIES AND IN LARGE
CROWDS.
I'M SATISFIED THAT ALL
APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS THAT
SHOULD BE TAKEN HAVE BEEN
TAKEN.

>> AUTHORITIES ARE MUM ON
THE SEARCH RESULTS BUT IN
WATERTOWN, NEIGHBORS WATCHED
AS INVESTIGATORS HALLED AWAY
A HOST OF ITEMS.

>> THEY CAME OUT WITH A FEW
BOXES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND ENVELOPES AND STUFF AND
THEY JUST PUT IT IN THAT
TRUCK RIGHT THERE.

>> AND WITH RUMORS SWIRL
BEING THOSE ARRESTED AND HOW
DIRECTLY THEY'RE LINKED TO
ALLEGE NEW YORK BOMBER
FAISAL SHAHZAD GOVERNOR'S
COUNCIL MEMBER MARILYN
DEVEINI WHO LIVES NEAR THE
WATERTOWN HOUSE CALLS
TODAY'S EVENTS FRIGHTENING.

>> WE'RE JUST FORTUNATE THAT
YOU KNOW WE'RE ABLE TO
APPREHEND THESE PEOPLE
BEFORE THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL
JUST AS THEY WERE IN NEW
YORK.
BUT HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE
GOING TO THAT BE LUCKY.

>> Rooney: JOINING ME ARE
LORENZO INDIVIDUALINO,-- VIDINOR
AND TANYA DEGENOVA WHO SPENT
25 YEARS WITH THE FBI AND
NATIONAL SECURITY, WELCOME
20th BO OF YOU.
LORENZO, YOU GOT TO WONDER
WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE.
BECAUSE FAISAL SHAHZAD IS
TALKING.
HE WAS TALKING BEFORE HE WAS
ARRESTED SO CLEARLY HE'S
BEEN SINGING.
YOU GOT TO WONDER WHY THESE
GUYS, IF THEY WERE, INDEED,
AS WE'RE HEARING NOW THE
PROVIDERS OF CELL PHONES AND
CASH, THEY DIDN'T LEAVE.
THEY DIDN'T GET GOING.

>> WELL, THAT'S A VERY GOOD
QUESTION.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE.
WE DON'T KNOW IF NECESSARILY
THE INFORMATION IS COMING
FROM SHAHZAD OR MAYBE OTHER
INFORMATION BUT AUTHORITIES
HAVE GAINED FROM THE
INVESTIGATION, SHAHZAD'S
COMPUTER SO OTHER RECORDS
THAT HE MIGHT HAVE HAD IN
HIS PLACE.
MAYBE THIS INDIVIDUAL, WE
DON'T KNOW IF THIS POINT,
THE FBI HAS BEEN CLEAR IN
SAYING THAT THEY MIGHT BE
CONNECTED FROM A FINANCIAL
POINT OF VIEW.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN
NECESSARILY THAT THEY WERE
INVOLVED IN ANY PLOT.

>> Rooney: AND THEY MAY NOT
HAVE-- IS IT POSSIBLE THEY
DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO THEY
WERE GIVING THE MONEY TOO.

>> THAT COULD BE A
POSSIBILITY.
THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW BUT WHAT
SHAHZAD'S INTENT WAS.
IT MIGHT HAVE HAD SOME
FINANCIAL LINKS OF ANY KIND,
BUT NOT NECESSARILY KNOWING
WHAT SHAHZAD WAS GOING TO BE
USING THE MONEY FOR.
PLUS WE KNOW WHERE A COUPLE
OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AT
LEAST HAVE PROBLEMS WITH
THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.
SO THEY WEREN'T EXACTLY FREE
TO LEAVE THE UNITED STATES.

>> Rooney: TRUE.

>> SO ALL THESE THINGS COME
INTO PLAY.

>> Rooney: TANYA, YOU WERE
WITH THE FBI FOR 25 YEARS,
YOU PROBABLY KNOW HOW AN
INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS
WOULD HAVE COME DOWN.
JUST, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU
DON'T KNOW THE INTIMATE
DETAILS.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TWO
POINTS, FRANKLY.
AFTER THE LOCKERBIE BOMBING
IN THE '80s THE FBISH
STARTED THINKING ABOUT
GETTING A JOINT TERRORIST
TASK FORCE MODE TO INCREASE
ITS ABILITY TO TAKE THE
PEOPLE OFF THE STREET WHO
MAY BE INVOLVED IN A
TERRORIST PLOT, AND CHARGE
THEM WITH ANYTHING, ANYTHING
IN THE TOOLBOX, BASICALLY.

>> Rooney: WHAT THEY DID
TODAY WAS IN --

>> EXACTLY, NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, IN THE 1995 THEY
PASSED THE OMNIBUS
COUNTERTERRORIST ACT IN 1995
TO BE ABLE TO ARREST AND
DEPORT ANYONE IN THE IL LEE
LOO-- ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
STATUS OUT OF THE UNITED
STATES AND-- IN FACT, WHEN I
FIRST CAME TO THE BOSTON
OFFICE HERE OF THE FBI FROM
WASHINGTON IN 1996, WE
IMPLEMENTED THIS OMNIBUS ACT
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE
HISTORY OF THE UNITED
STATES.
AGAINST A SUSPECT IN THE
HEZBOLLAH INVESTIGATION HERE
IN BOSTON.

>> Rooney: WHAT DID YOU
ARREST HIM FOR?

>> WE ARRESTED HIM ON MONEY
LAUNDERING CHARGES AN
IMMIGRATION STATUS AS WELL.
HE WAS ILLEGAL STATUS.

>> Rooney: I MEAN, AS I SAID
YOU GOT TO WONDER, YOU KNOW
WA, WHAT THEY WERE THINKING.
BUT IS THERE GOING TO BE, DO
YOU THINK, NOT THAT WE KNOW
ANYTHING BUT THEY'RE HOLDING
THEM FOR BUT WILL THERE
EVENTUALLY IN YOUR MIND BE
SOME KIND OF A LINK.

>> WE DON'T KNOW.
I THINK WHAT THE AUTHORITIES
ARE DOING IS VERY WISE BY
TRYING TO CAST A NET AS WIDE
AS POSSIBLE AND GET
EVERYBODY THAT IS SOMEHOW
CONNECTED TO SHAHZAD.
GIVEN WHAT THE INFORMATION
THAT WE HAVE THAT SHAHZAD
MIGHT NOT BE THE ONLY PERSON
LINKED TO THE PAKISTANI
TALIBAN WHO MIGHT BE
PLANNING ATTACKS.
GETTING EVERYBODY THAT IS
EVEN REMOTELY CONNECTED TO
SHAHZAD F YOU CAN DETAIN
THEM FOR IMMIGRATION CHARGES
OR OTHER REASONS, NOT
DIRECTLY LINKED TO TERRORISM
T IS PROBABLY THE WISE THING
TO DO.
ONCE THEN ALL THE
INFORMATION IS SORTED OUT,
THEN IF THEY ARE TO BE
DEPORTED THEY WILL BE
DEPORTED.
IF THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING
WRONG F THEIR IMMIGRATION
STATUS OKAY, THEY ARE SIMPLY
NOT GOING TO BE CHARGED WITH
ANYTHING.
BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT
GIVEN THE EMERGENCY, I THINK
IS THE WISE THING TO DO.

>> I THINK WHAT IS MOST
IMPORTANTLY IS THE FACT THAT
INCIDENTAL UPON ARREST NOW
THEY CAN SEARCH THEIR
COMPUTERS, THEIR CELL PHONES
AND MAYBE COME UP WITH
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE,
BASICALLY I THINK THE FBI
HAS BECOME MUCH, MUCH BETTER
THAN THEY HAVE BEEN EVEN
SINCE 9/11 IN CONNECTING THE
DOTS AND WIDENING THE
NETWORK.

>> Rooney: YOU GOT TO WONDER
ABOUT THE EMPLOYERS.
ONE OF THESE GUYS WAS, RAN
OR WAS PART OF A CAB COMPANY
OR SOMETHING.
IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW MORE.

>> WELL, FRANKLY, OF COURSE
I CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS
AND ENCOURAGE EMPLOYERS TO
CHECK THE DOCUMENTATION.

>> Rooney: THEY DON'T WANT
TO.
THEY CAN PAY THEM LESS
MONEY.
WHY SHOULD THEY?

>> WELL, AND CONDUCT THE
BACKGROUND CHECK BECAUSE
THESE COULD BE INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISTS YOU HAVE WORK FOR
YOU, CRIMINAL.

>> Rooney: CHEAP LABOR.

>> BUT THEN THEY HAVE TO BE
LIABLE AND IS THE RISK.

>> Rooney: THAT IS THE OTHER
DISTURBING PART OF THIS.
BY THE WAY I'M SURPRISED
THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIG STORY
IN BOSTON BUT I WAS CHECKING
THE CABLE STATIONS AND MAYBE
BECAUSE IT NOT IN THEIR
BACKYARD IT IS BEING
DOWNPLAYED.
BUT THE FACT THAT THEY
APPEAR TO HAVE PAKISTANI
ROOT TESS VERY LEAST THIS
BUN FELLOW LAST NAME WAS KAN,
PINKAHN.
SO THEY-- ONCE AGAIN THEY
APPEAR TO HAVE THOSE
CONNECTIONS AS FAISAL
SHAHZAD.

>> THE FBI HAS SO HAVE
PROBABLE CAUSE TO ARREST
ANYONE.
SO.

>> Rooney: I'M JUST SAYING
THE DISTURBING PART IS THAT
ONCE AGAIN IT IS PEOPLE WITH
PAKISTANI CONNECTIONS.

>> THAT SEEMS TO BE THE
PATTERN THAT THE FBI IS
LOOKING AT.
WE HAVE HAD OTHER CASES, ONE
IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA WHERE
YOU HAD FIVE PERSONS --
AMERICANS, MOST PAKISTANI
DESCENT WENT TO PAKISTAN AND
GOT TRAINING, THIS IS FROM
THE PATTERN WE SEE IN
EUROPE.
STARTING TO SEE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
INDIVIDUALS WITH TIES TO
PAKISTAN, SYMPATHIZERS OF AL
QAEDA IDEOLOGY GO TO
PAKISTAN AND THERE THEY GAIN
THE EXPERTISE THAT MAKE THEM
A BUSINESS MORE OF AN-- AND
GIVE THEM THE BACKGROUND IN
BUILDING BOMBS AND DOING
OTHER THINGS AND MAKING MORE
PROFESSIONAL.
THIS IS THE PATTERN WE'VE
SEEN.

>> THIS IS THE QUESTION I
HAVE FOR YOU.
DON'T YOU HAVE A LIST OF
THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING
FROM, YOU KNOW, 39 WAVERLY
STREET IN WATERTOWN TO
PAKISTAN AND PROBABLY
GETTING SOME KIND OF
TRAINING, SAME WITH THIS
GUY?
DON'T WE KNOW IF THESE
PEOPLE ARE DOING THAT.

>> HOPEFULLY WE DO.
HOWEVER, IF THESE
INDIVIDUALS WERE HERE IN
ILLEGAL STATUS HOW DO WE
KNOW THEY ARE NOT UNDER FAKE
IDENTITY.
NO ONE VERIFIED THE
IDENTITY.
HOW CAN WE BE TRACKING
MOHAMMED AND MOHAMMED IF HIS
REAL NAME IS SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU KNOW, THAT SU A
POSSIBLE.

>> THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF PACK STABI
CITIZENS IN THE UNITED
STATES.
VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ARE
LAW-ABIDING AND HAVE NO
SYMPATHY FOR TERRORISM IT IS
VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE
UNITED STATES TO TRACK THEM
ALL.
IT WOOS LNT BE FAIR FOR FROM
ONE POINT OF VIEW AND ALSO
ONCE IN PAKISTAN HOW CAN THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
CHECK WHERE THESE INDIVIDUAL
GOES VISIT THEIR FAMILY
SOMEWHERE IN PAKISTAN OR GO
GET SOME TRAINING IN SOME AL
QAEDA CAMPS THAT IS VERY
DIFFICULT TO DO.

>> IF I CAN ADD ONE THING T
DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHICH
ETHNIC BACKGROUND THEY COME
FROM THE MERE FACT THAT THEY
GOING TO PAKISTAN AND SOME
OTHER AREAS IN THE WORLD
THAT HAVE TERRORIST CAMPS
THAT IS CORRECT IS THE KEY.
THAT IS WHAT THE FB
CIRCUMSTANCES FOCUSING.

>> Rooney: WHERE DID THESE
GUYS GET THE MONEY.
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN THE MONEY
PROVIDERS.
THEY ARE NOT GETTING FROM
DRIVING CABS IN BOSTON, I
CAN TELL YOU THAT CONTINUES.

>> IT COULD BE SOURCES FROM
OVERSEAS, GENERALLY, WE ARE
NOT TALK-- TERRORISM IS A
CHEAP BUSINESS.
9/11 ATTACKS, THE LARGEST
TERRORISM ATTACK IN HISTORY
COST HALF A MILLION DOLLARS,
SO SMALL SCALE OPERATIONS
ARE GENERALLY A CHEAP, CHEAP
BUSINESS.
THERE COULD BE MONEY-- .

>> Rooney: THAT'S
INTERESTING.

>> IT COULD BE SMALL AMOUNTS
OF MONEY, SHAHZAD'S
OPERATION ITSELF, IT WAS A
FEW THOUSAND BUCKS.

>> Rooney: TIN CAN AND A
STRING.
HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE
GOODS.

>> SO ANYBODY CAN BRING IN
$10,000 WHEN FLYING INTO THE
UNITED STATES LEGALLY.
YOU HAVE TEN PEOPLE DOING
THAT, THAT IS 100,000
DOLLARS AND THIS IS A
TERRORIST OPERATION RIGHT
THERE.
SO IT IS QUITE DIFFICULT FOR
THE U.S. AUTHORITIES TO
TRACK THAT WHEN YOU HAVE
MONEY BEING WIRED THAT'S
EASIER TO DO.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE
PHYSICALLY CARRYING IN THE
MONEY LEGALLY THAT'S
IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACK.

>> Rooney: LORENZO VIDINO
AND TANYA DEGENOVA, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH.

>> WHEN WE CONTINUE, WHEN
BEING NEGATIVE HELPS,
ESPECIALLY IN POLITICS.