Hemisphere covers every call that passes through an AT&T switch — not just those made by AT&T customers — and includes calls dating back 26 years, according to Hemisphere training slides bearing the logo of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Some four billion call records are added to the database every day.
...Unlike the N.S.A. data, the Hemisphere data includes information on the locations of callers.
Here are the slides. NPR has more here.
Agents are told that when they obtain information through a Hemisphere program subpoena, they should "wall off" the program by filing a duplicative subpoena directly to target's phone company or by simply writing that the information was obtained through an AT&T subpoena.
Today an Obama Administration official confirmed there are AT&T employees embedded in three HIDTA offices:
The federal government pays the salaries of four AT&T employees who work in three federal anti-drug offices around the country to expedite subpoena requests, an Obama administration official told the AP on Monday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he or she was not authorized to discuss the program, and said that two of the AT&T employees are based at the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area office in Atlanta, one at the HIDTA office in Houston, and one at the office in Los Angeles.
According to officials, it makes the process easier:
"The records are maintained at all times by the phone company, not the government. This program simply streamlines the process of serving the subpoena to the phone company so law enforcement can quickly keep up with drug dealers when they switch phone numbers to try to avoid detection."
The DEA is like a rabid dog with its incessant creation of databases, information sharing and electronic surveillance programs. Congress needs to rein in its budget -- as well as funding for the ONDCP and HIDTA grants.
