SALT LAKE CITY — Enforcement of Utah’s laws restricting foreign adversary activities is overseen by the Department of Public Safety, the same agency that includes the Utah Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
“We really have taken a proactive approach and are making sure that our foreign adversaries aren’t affecting our homeland, not just as a country but also as a state,” said Capt. Tanner Jensen, head of the Statewide Information Analysis Center, which is part of the Utah DPS.
Jensen says investigators are examining more than land purchases. They are investigating cybercrimes, cybersecurity, intelligence collection, surveillance, intellectual property theft, and efforts to sow discord within the democratic process.
“The Chinese government isn’t just targeting U.S. military intelligence and intellectual properties,” said Michael Lucci, founder and CEO of Texas-based State Armor. “They’re also targeting our food supply, pointing to Smithfield Foods, which is owned by the Chinese government. Additionally, Syngenta, one of the world’s leading fertilizer and pesticide companies, is also owned by China. They already control important choke points in our food supply chain.”
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Lucci said state governments are especially vulnerable.
“They [the Chinese Government] target state governments because they know they’re not as sophisticated on national security threats,” Lucci said. “They’ve never had to address national security threats at the state level.”
“Whether it’s military intelligence, intellectual properties, cybersecurity, land purchases, election interference or our food supply, protecting Utahans keeps DPS investigators very busy,” Jensen said.
He said foreign nations continue to change tactics to gain an advantage over the United States and see Utah as a significant target.
“As the Chinese government and others continue to change their tactics, DPS investigators will keep tracking trends, investigating, and working with state lawmakers to protect Utah’s valuable assets,” Jensen added.
