by WorldTribune Staff, June 25, 2025 Real World News
Signal jammers that have the potential to disrupt law enforcement, civil aviation, and even military communications are being smuggled into the United States by Chinese technology companies, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has warned.
“Signal jammers can be used to disrupt a range of radio frequency channels, and pose a threat to emergency response, law enforcement and critical infrastructure,” DHS said in a statement issued on June 18.
Though illegal in most states, essentially anyone can buy a signal blocker online.DHS detailed how illegal aliens from South America have used signal jammers to disrupt calls to local police during home invasions or bank robberies. The jammers have been used in crimes in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.
Smuggling of Chinese-made signal jammers into the U.S. increased by 830% since 2021, DHS said.
In February, Texas law enforcement authorities seized a signal jammer during the arrest of an illegal alien from Chile, and in December, a criminal used a jammer during a police response to a burglary.
“Signal jammers have been used by illegal aliens across the country to jam communications during police operations, bank robberies, burglaries, and other dangerous crimes,” a Homeland Security spokesperson said. “As Chinese manufacturers attempt to smuggle signal jammers, we will continue to seize these tools of terrorism.”
Reporting for The Washington Times, security correspondent Bill Gertz noted on June 19 that “a variety of electronic signal jammers are offered for sale online. They range in price from $50 to $32,000 and are capable of jamming signals ranging from GPS, cell phone, Bluetooth and drone aircraft signals.”
Federal law prohibits the non-government importation, operation, marketing and sale of signal jamming equipment that could interfere with law enforcement communications, Global Positioning System signals, or radar.
Last year, police in Florham Park, New Jersey warned that burglars, before breaking into homes, were using Wi-Fi jamming devices to stop victims from using their cellphones to dial 911.
“High-powered signal jammers could be used in electronic warfare attacks by Chinese saboteurs against U.S. military forces in a crisis or conflict,” Gertz wrote.
China’s military has developed extensive electronic warfare capabilities for use in targeting the U.S. military, according to the 2024 annual report by the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
The People’s Liberation Army also uses electromagnetic or directed energy to disrupt electronic information systems.
China’s electronic warfare capabilities “would present a significant challenge to U.S. forces by disrupting the data links and communications U.S. and allied forces need to operate during conflict,” the report said.
DHS warns smuggled Chinese signal jammers facilitate crime, threaten U.S. strategic sites added by Editor Two on June 25, 2025
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