I Spy . . . with a GPS Tracker

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/9Vbrv)
If you’ve been keeping up with the news, one of the most interesting recent stories was the arrest of 11 alleged spies last week. These eleven individuals are thought to have come to the United States to establish relatively “normal” lives and infiltrate policy networks, as well as gather information on nuclear weapons. This group did not realize the power of a gps tracker and it's common use by our own government agencies. While it sounds almost like a Cold War era spy drama, there were some interesting details. These individuals are termed by the Russians to be “illegals” meaning that they work under false names and identities and do not have diplomatic immunity if they are caught. In most cases, the 11 accused have lived in the United states for over ten years developing relationships with people seen as important in government circles. Some even have children—one tactic of the Russians is to assign a couple to the States and they often have children together.



One man who was detained was Christopher Metsos, accused of being the “money man,” the person responsible for passing money between agents. The interesting thing about Metsos is the story of a cash swap with another Russian official. The two switched bags in a public location, after which Metsos drove to New York state and apparently buried something in a field.  Secretly, FBI agents had attached a GPS device to his vehicle and tracked the location of his car. After finding the spot with the help of the GPS tracker, the agents found a package buried underground. Two years later, FBI cameras recorded two secret (Russian) agents removing the buried package. We’ve all heard of GPS devices being used for fleet management and tracking teenage drivers, but a GPS device being used to crack a spy ring certainly appeals to the imagination in a whole new way. The FBI uses many methods for its work, and had actually been following these Russian agents for at least seven years. The GPS device was utilized method for obtaining information and for tracking, and provided additional links in the case. GPS utilizes satellites in outer space to determine the location of the receiver on earth, and because GPS tracking devices can keep running logs and download real-time information, it is perfect for undercover operations for the FBI. So far, the courts consider it to be legal for law enforcement officials to use GPS devices for tracking suspected individuals (stay posted on this as technology and new3 uses of GPS devices develops). The spy story continues to unfold as we learn more details, but one thing we know for sure: GPS tracking devices are routinely used by Government agencies to keep us safe.