FBI investigates alleged coordinated Signal groups tracking federal agents
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Federal authorities are investigating coordinated Signal group chats allegedly used by anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activists in Minneapolis to track, identify and thwart federal law enforcement, FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday.
Patel told conservative commentator Benny Johnson in an interview that the bureau launched an investigation after freelance journalist Cam Higby posted a viral thread on X saying people were using the encrypted messaging app to share information about agents’ movements.
“We launched this investigation immediately because these types of Signal chats are coordinated with individuals not only locally in Minnesota, but perhaps even across the country; if this leads to violations of federal statutes or violations of some law, then we will arrest people,” Patel said.
“You cannot create a scenario that illegally entraps and endangers law enforcement,” he added.
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FBI Director Kash Patel watches President Donald Trump speak to the press following U.S. military operations in Venezuela at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Higby said he “infiltrated” multiple Signal groups over several days, documenting what he called structured efforts to identify suspicious federal vehicles, relay license plate information and send members to locations where ICE agents were believed to be operating.
The investigation has raised concerns from free speech advocates, who say coordination around law enforcement activities is not inherently illegal and should be carefully distinguished from criminal conduct.
“There are legitimate reasons for sharing such information, including allowing the public to observe and document law enforcement activities and hold officials accountable for abuses,” said Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. he told NBC News.
A person holds an anti-IC banner as demonstrators rally during a general strike protesting U.S. President Donald Trump’s deployment of immigration enforcement officials in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 23, 2026. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
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“Given this administration’s poor record of distinguishing protected speech from criminal conduct, any investigation like this deserves very close scrutiny,” he said.
Patel told Johnson that peaceful protest and legal firearm ownership are constitutionally protected, but coordinated efforts that endanger law enforcement or violate federal law are not.
A protester, left, and a federal law enforcement officer, on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in St. Paul arguing outside a house in Minn. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
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The FBI director said the bureau is reviewing whether the alleged coordination exceeded legal thresholds, including the disclosure of agents’ personal information or threats to officers and their families.
“As I have said since day one, we will protect law enforcement. We will ensure that they have the safety and security to do their job,” he said. “We will also ensure that civilians have the ultimate protections under the First and Second Amendments.”
