Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Wednesday that the department will intensify efforts to locate and hold accountable those responsible for the recent surge in swatting attempts targeting conservative figures and journalists.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we will not sit idly by as conservative new media and their families are being targeted by false swatting. DHS has the ability to trace phone numbers and track location information. We will use it to hunt these cowards down. This is an attack on our law enforcement and innocent families and we will prosecute it as such,” Noem wrote.
Swatting is a term used to describe the action of making hoax phone calls to report serious crimes to police. People who carry out a swatting prank call aim to fool emergency services into sending a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to respond to the supposed emergency such as a kidnapping, an active shooter situation, or something else that could wind up leading to a deadly, though mistaken, encounter between police and the person being swatted.
In recent weeks, several public figures have fallen victim to swatting, with one of the most recent incidents involving InfoWars’ Owen Shroyer, who announced early Wednesday morning that he had been swatted. Fellow InfoWars host Chase Geiser has been targeted twice since the spate of swatting began. Other individuals affected include radio talk show host Joe Pags, influencer Mike Engleman, Nick Sortor, Walter Curt, and Gunther Eagleman.
Just got swatted. pic.twitter.com/9OinVXFxso
— Owen Shroyer (@OwenShroyer1776) March 19, 2025
It comes in mens and womens and lets your friends know you're happy to express your views and don't care what anyone thinks! Cheers!
FBI Director Kash Patel has also vowed to crack down on those carrying out swattings, saying, “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 against ANY American is not only morally reprehensible but also endangers lives, including those of our officers. That will not be tolerated.”
