The Department of Homeland Security is using 16 military-style, mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles for use during "high-risk warrants," according to an official spokesman.
The MRAP, as it's known in the U.S. military, was fielded in 2007 to counter the threat of devastating roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The MRAPs were transferred to DHS from the Department of Defense, free of charge. But despite recent reports, they have actually been in service since at least 2008.
"The MRAPs we have are not new," Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for DHS, told Business Insider. "We have been using them for years."
The vehicles are modified for use with the DHS Special Response Team — specially trained, fully armored agents dispatched during the most severe and high risk situations, according to WOAI.
"[The vehicle] is used in the execution of high-risk warrants — including drug trafficking, smuggling, and contraband," Feinstein told Business Insider. "We have 16 MRAPs nationwide."
No comments:
Post a Comment