Secret Service field operations assistant director Michael Centrella confirmed that a top Secret Service official was the victim of a "swatting" incident on July 4, Newsmax reported. A caller dialed into the 911 emergency system, sending law enforcement into the official's community.
During a San Francisco cybersecurity event on Thursday, Centrella made the shocking admission. The event was a Deepfake Resilience symposium, and the story is relevant as it seems the caller in the case used the emerging technology to create convincing fakes.
The Independence Day incident occurred after someone called 911 and provided the name and home address of the official and said that someone wielding a gun was in the house. The caller claimed it was the official's daughter who had the gun.
However, that fact tipped off local law enforcement that it may be a fake since the man doesn't have a daughter. Had they not known, it may have become a dangerous situation for the Secret Service official and the special weapons and tactics team responding.
These incidents have become part of a growing trend that wastes resources and puts lives in danger as a misunderstanding could cause a shooting. FBI Director Kash Patel promised to work on the problem in a post to X, formerly Twitter, in March.
"I want to address the alarming rise in ‘Swatting’ incidents targeting media figures. The FBI is aware of this dangerous trend, and my team and I are already taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable," Patel wrote.
"This isn’t about politics—weaponizing law enforcement against ANY American is not only morally reprehensible but also endangers lives, including those of our officers. That will not be tolerated," Patel said.
"We are fully committed to working with local law enforcement to crack down on these crimes. More updates to come," he added. According to Fox News at the time, this came after a swatting at Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s residence resulted in a deadly car accident with police.
I want to address the alarming rise in ‘Swatting’ incidents targeting media figures. The FBI is aware of this dangerous trend, and my team and I are already taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.
This isn’t about politics—weaponizing law enforcement…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 14, 2025
The House of Representatives introduced a bill in January to address the problem through legislation. "Having spent over 40 years in law enforcement, I've seen firsthand how swatting is a reckless and dangerous action that not only puts innocent lives at risk but wastes critical resources," Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS) said while introducing the Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act.
"Local and state law enforcement agencies are forced to divert their time, energy, and taxpayer dollars to respond to these false calls, taking them away from real emergencies. As someone who has been on the front lines, I understand the toll this takes on our officers and communities," Ezell added.
The law has not yet been passed, but it's clear that it's a necessary step, as these are not isolated incidents. According to the Associated Press just last month, Romanian citizen Thomasz Szabo, 26, allegedly initiated over 100 of these incidents with the help of Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia.
Szabo pleaded guilty to "engaging in a plot to use 'swatting' calls and bomb threats to intimidate and threaten dozens of people with bogus police emergencies, including a former U.S. president and several members of Congress," the AP noted. None of the intended victims were named, but these calls can be initiated from virtually anywhere to anywhere.
Unfortunately, some individuals have chosen to involve law enforcement in their dangerous games or schemes. Technology has made it simple to initiate, and that makes the trend all the more dangerous.
