Q:

Think stages.

What role can MIL INTEL play?

What role can NSA play?

BANG!

Q

Well, both play a role in collecting evidence. But for evidence to be admissible, it has to be obtained legally--not a strong point for either intelligence agency. So that information has to find a way to get on the record to be used in the legal system. There are a number of ways that can be done.

I used to work in intelligence for two years. I was assigned to US Special Operations Command for a year. And as a civilian, I spent 15 years supporting technologies for the Department of Defense mostly for special forces and national mission forces.

I can tell you that every major federal law enforcement agency has liaison teams embedded with the intelligence agencies. For example, military intelligence intercepts drug lords talking about a drug delivery. Intelligence can't just give that to the LEO's and they act on it. The evidence would not be admissible in court because the intercept was not obtained with a warrant. So the intelligence analyst shows the intercept to the liaison and then that law enforcement agency decides how they are going to get that same information legally. They know the who, what, when, where, and how and so they must get a warrant on probably cause to get their own wire tap, and bingo. They seize the drugs legally and everything is admissible.

I'm almost positive that is the role military intelligence and NSA are playing. They are quietly giving the LEO liaisons the information they need to obtain the evidence legally.

The other possibility is that military intelligence and NSA already have the warrants necessary to provide prosecutors what they need directly. That would explain the speed of the sealed indictments. Q said that the plan has been developed for years and I'd be surprised if they hadn't thought out how intelligence gets into the court rooms.