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Nicole Parker
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Nicole Parker
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Lisa Booth
Welcome to the Truth with Lisa Booth, where we get to the heart of the issues that matter to you. With the ongoing war against Iran, national security experts are sounding the alarm about retaliation right here at home. Sleeper cells, proxy attacks or inspired alone actors targeting American soil and Americans. So we've got Nicole Parker, former FBI special agent, my colleague at Fox News and also the author of two FBI's to talk about this, to ask her about her experience in counterterrorism. How do we prevent these things? What should you be looking out for? This also hits close to home for her as a Texan because just days ago, a gunman opened fire outside of an Austin, Austin. A gunman opened fire outside of an Austin, Texas bar, killing three. He wore a property of all a sweatshirt as well as an Iranian flag, which is leading investigators to believe that it was most likely a terror attack. So we'll ask her about all of this, what you should know. Stay tuned for Nicole Parker. Well, Nicole, it's great to have you back on, my friend. You know, obviously with everything that is happening in Iran, in the Middle east right now, we're worried about what could simultaneously be happening here at home. We saw a, what very much looks like a terror attack in Austin, Texas recently. He was not on anyone's radar. I mean, what kind of challenge does that present authorities in the FBI moving forward that you could even have someone like, you know, this guy in Texas who, you know, no one saw coming is not even from Iran.
Nicole Parker
Right, Exactly. So, Lisa, you bring up a very important point because in light of what's happening with Iran, the FBI is obviously on high alert. And I think the mood has really tightened up recently since, you know, a few days ago. But remember, starting in October 7th, Israel was attacked. That's really when the FBI started seeing a huge influx. And even Christopher Wray, when he was the FBI director prior to the Trump administration coming back, he testified before Congress and said, you know, all red lights are flashing, warnings, alerts, threats are at an all time high. And so I think we're back in that very elevated threat level right now. And so it's always been a challenge for the FBI to track what I refer to as lone offenders. Some people call them lone wolfs. I do not. I think that's giving them sort of an image that they are some sort of hero and a wolf. No, they're not. They're actually lone offenders. They're lone cowards. And the Individual that was out in Austin, you know, early Sunday morning, and that awful shooting that occurred, that is something that I believe was linked to terrorism. I know the FBI is looking at it very closely, but it has all the earmarks that would indicate such. He obviously had on a sweatshirt that said, you know, property of Allah. Underneath that, he had on a shirt that indicated an Iranian flag. They executed a search warrant at his home in Pflugerville, outside of Austin, where they found an Iranian flag, they found photos of regime leaders at his home. And so it appears to have a strong nexus to terrorism. But even looking at that, like you said, this individual is from Senegal. Individuals do not have to be from Iran to have issue with what's happening with Iran. A lot of these lone offenders, they look at opportunities. They're really opportunists, and they see a moment where they can have notoriety and fame, and they think that they're part of a bigger cause. And that's something that in the FBI, we look very closely at these loan offenders to see what drives them, what is their grievance, what is it that motivates them, what is the motivation behind doing what they do. So, in looking at this specific investigation that, again, is still ongoing, these individuals do tend to be the higher risk because they are typically the most difficult to detect. They are more difficult to track. And this individual, they will look into determining when was he radicalized? How was he radicalized? A lot of these people that are going to be acting up, and I'm saying will be, because I don't think that this is the last time this will be happening. A lot of times, these are people that are sympathizers that, you know, just have sympathy towards the cause and do not agree with what the United States is doing in Iran. So you've got that aspect of. Of potential terrorism acts that can happen. And again, Lisa, this can happen anywhere. It can happen in Austin. It could happen in Iowa. It could happen. Small town, big towns, large cities. You know, anywhere could be a target. And that, again, is why it's very important for Americans to be on high alert. Regardless of where you live, regardless of how safe you think your community is, people always think it's not going to happen here. It just takes one person who decides to go out and do something evil, and then all of a sudden, your community is the victim of a heinous crime.
Lisa Booth
You know, and we know that there were, you know, a record number of people in the terror watch list trying to get into the country under Joe Biden, who knows how many actually got into the United States. We keep hearing about sleeper cells. Like, how do you categorize a sleeper cell at the FBI? And like, how do you find those and disrupt them? And then how many do you think are in the United States right now?
Nicole Parker
That would be impossible to know how many are in the United States right now? Because it's not that we think that terrorists came into our country. We know that terrorists came into our country. When you have an open border where literally people are welcomed in, not only were they just allowed in, but once some of these individuals came in, millions of people came in illegally into our country. And then what did we do? We gave them all of these amazing benefits. You know, more benefits than American citizens get. Staying in fancy hotels in New York and getting cell phones and credit cards. I mean, it was absurd what happened. But that's a very, very huge concern for the FBI and it has been since the Biden administration. Because when you don't know who's coming into your country, you don't know what problem you have on your hands. What we do know is that there were a lot of military age men from adversarial nations that were coming across the border. That is a fact. We do know that people were allowed into this country that were on terror watch lists. That's a fact. We don't know how many. I know that there's people that, you know, were working down near the border in the FBI at the time that that was happening. And they would guess that there were thousands of known or suspected terrorists or intelligence linked associates that somehow just came into our country and disappeared. And it's kind of like playing the game of hide and go seek. Where are they now? They're somewhere within our borders and it's up to law enforcement to track them down. And this is the time when people that are members of these, quote, sleeper cells, you know, they're quiet until all of a sudden they're not. And there's something that triggers them and they're like, you know what? Now is the time that we're going to act. And you just don't ever know when that will be. The FBI has certain investigative techniques which obviously we cannot reveal in public settings, and certain information that's obviously classified that you can't reveal. But there are ways that the FBI can track certain things and indicate where these people are. They keep a close eye on these individuals. But you don't know what you don't know. You can't have people coming into your country completely unvetted. Now think about how ridiculous this is. After 911 the United States spent billions if not even more on national security, on our homeland to avoid having something like that happen ever again, only to just have that completely undone by allowing whoever wanted to to come into our country. So it's very frustrating to myself as a witness of 911 I think you know this. I was working at Merrill Lynch. I witnessed it happen down there at the World Trade Center. And to think of how much progress our country made only to go back in time and lose a lot of that progress because of allowing these individuals in. We've said it, but we are like sitting ducks in many ways. And so when you have the conflict that's going on with Iran right now, you have people within our nation that you know whenever they choose to act they can. And I hope that they don't. One thing that's very different right now is we have the leadership of President Trump. And one thing I know about President Trump is he does not play. And if he says he's going to do something, he will. And if you touch or mess with America, he will unleash the full wrath of our military and every resource that we have against you. So now would not be the time for someone to act up in the United States and do a full force terrorist attack. I personally do not believe it would be something like 9 11. I think what law enforcement intelligence believes is that it would be more likely these one off lone offenders. But again we never know. We do not know what could be planned or what could be happening. But I think what they do know is that we have leadership in place now that they're not messing around. And I couldn't say that under the Biden administration. I couldn't say that under the Obama administration either. In those administrations they wouldn't even call terrorism out for what it actually was. That's not the case anymore.
Lisa Booth
Got to take a quick commercial break. More with Nicole on the other side.
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Lisa Booth
is the radicalization process look like for some of these folks.
Nicole Parker
So it's different for different individuals. But one thing that a lot of times they do look at are individuals that are vulnerable, people that are looking to be a part of a greater cause, that want to be something bigger than themselves, that, you know, are looking for a sense of belonging and self worth. It, it can be very different in different settings, but there are different ways that they tend to find individuals. They tend to be younger and with social media platforms and different apps and things that they can go into in systems where they can literally track people to see who might be vulnerable, who might be open to this, who might be sympathetic towards people that they think are marginalized in society. Those tend to be the individuals that are prime targets for radicalization. But these various techniques, but I do think that technological platforms can be so beneficial to society, but it can also be used against you. I think that's how a lot of this happens. People can be radicalized by people from across the world here in the United States. And again, when we look at who's radicalized, you know, it could be someone who's from some of these adversarial nations who come here, who, that's their belief system because of where they come from, or they could be US Citizens that just all of a sudden are sympathetic towards what's happening in Iran and they don't think it's right. And they think it, you know, so it, it, it runs the gamut as far as who is a target for radicalization. But it does tend to be, you know, a lot of times these individuals that are looking to be part of a greater cause, a greater good, and you know, they think that they're saving the world when in reality they're getting sucked into a vortex of evil. I think also we talk a lot about kinetic attacks. You know, that's something that, you know, the loan offender attacks, the sleeper cell types attacks, the 911 type attacks. But we cannot underestimate what I think is even a bigger risk are cyber attacks, cyber attacks against our technological systems or critical infrastructure. There's one thing that terrorists like to cause, and it's complete confusion and havoc and fear, and they like to take control. And if you can, you know, destabilize societies, taking out power grid systems, water Systems, even the 911 dispatch calling system. I, I'm talking, I talk to my colleagues a lot, and maybe I shouldn't talk about it, but that would, in my opinion, be something that they would target first because that's where you're going to call when you're in chaos is 91 1.
Lisa Booth
How hard is it to do that? How capable is Iran? Do we know?
Nicole Parker
I well, I'm not going to give Iran too much credit. I mean, they're not whatever they're capable of, we're stronger. That's all I'm going to say. And I'm just going to leave it at that. Okay. We've got more capabilities than anybody in the world and to protect our nation, I we have the ability to protect and trust me, we're thwarting these types of plots every day. And Americans, you don't hear about it, but these things are getting stopped all the time. And so I just think, you know, we're always thinking of like, you know, 9, 11 for those of us that were alive during that era. But it could be something much different where you don't have to have boots on the ground to do some sort of cyber, cyber attack and attacking our critical infrastructure. So again, there's different things that they could do. I think one thing that I've also learned is a lot of times it comes when you're least expecting it. A lot of times when you're expecting it and everyone's on alert, they know better than to act out at that time. It can happen at just the most random moments. But again, depending on the type of attack that they're looking at doing, whether it's their loan offender or cyber attack or a technological attack, obviously there's different motives for each. But it all comes back to the same, same thing. When you're in the FBI, you take an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And that is what the FBI is doing right now. You know, and I know that under the Biden administration, the FBI had kind of lost its way. They were focused on, quote, unquote, domestic terrorism from January 6th and all of that nonsense. And now there's no time for that. They've completely cut that out. They're doing the real work. They have all their energy and resources focused towards the real threats. And that should help Americans have greater peace, that we're in a much better situation than we were a year and a half ago under the Biden administration. Because now you have law enforcement agencies that are actually focused, ready to go, the Joint Terrorism Task Forces. I'm sure you're familiar with that, the JTTFs. These are agencies that consist of federal agencies, state, local, and they work together in tandem. Because think about it, Lisa, let's say the community of Miami the local police know more about Miami than the FBI. That's their jurisdiction, let's say, in Miami Beach. So what they do is they work together very, very closely in stopping all of these potential threats. And so the FBI's resources, the DHS. And that's another point I want to make. Right now is the time for DHS to be fully funded because they need the full support, and they need to be getting paid while they're expected to work at the highest levels to protect our nation. And so DHS was formulated after 9, 11, and right now, they're not even getting full funding. That's unacceptable. At a time when we are at the highest level of threat, they need to be making sure that they're getting full funding. So between FBI, DHS, all of our other law enforcement agencies with our JTTFs, they're working around the clock. And I can just say, for example, in South Florida, the local police, they're putting out more officers onto the streets in light of what's happening with Iran as well. So it's not just the FBI, it's also your local law enforcement. All hands on deck. Everyone has to be aware of what's happening, and they're stopping threats as well, starting from your local jurisdictions, all the way up to the federal jurisdictions.
Lisa Booth
Well, I just want you to know that twice now in the podcast, you've read my mind, because I was going to ask you about cyber, and then you preemptively went there without me even having to ask. And then I was also going to ask you about the FBI, you know, because I know that you expressed your frustration and even wrote the book about it, about your frustration with how the FBI was focused on finding a grandmother that spent two seconds in the Capitol instead of, like, terrorists. And, you know, so I was going to ask you about that, too, and then you. You preempted me as well.
Nicole Parker
Oh, great minds think alike. Right? But I mean, it's true, because it's frustrating to think what waste of resources they were putting towards things that didn't matter. And now that we're dealing with the true threats, it's not, you know, it's like, I mean, look at what Cash Patel's been tasked with. He just basically walked into a disaster zone here. By the way, Cash Patel, can you fix the FBI and what happened and what went wrong for basically the last 10 years. Oh, and by the way, you're dealing with the highest threat levels ever, so can you just take care of all of that? He's dealing with a lot. I Can tell you he's working around the clock, and agents are working around the clock. The violent crime numbers and are the lowest that they've been in our nation in a very long time. He's, I mean, they are working tirelessly. And so I refer to them as FBI one the good, solid FBI that I loved. They're, they're stepping up to the line and Americans can trust that they are, they are working hard to keep you safe. That's their job, is to keep the homeland safe. And along with the Department of Homeland Security, hsi, all of those different investigative agencies, they're working hard. But we cannot forget about that open border. No one can be naive to think what happened if we all think that there were just sweet people that, you know, were crossing our border for a better life. Look, there were a lot of people crossing for a better life, but that is not, not everybody that was crossing has well intentioned, you know, they're not all well intentioned here in the United States and we know that. And if you don't believe that, you're grossly naive. So all hands on deck. Everyone's got to be aware, but the thing too also, Lisa. And again, never live in fear, but be aware. You know that, that bar setting in Austin, so, so the bar sitting in Austin, what happens is a lot of times these individuals, they pick soft targets, right? Where people, your alert level is lower, right? You're at a bar, you're having fun. It's a club, it's 2am everyone's kind of drinking and listening to music and you're having fun, which you should have fun. But at the same time, right now, be aware and, and be aware of your surroundings. Be aware, be able to move quickly, act quickly. If you see something, you've got to say something. And I mean, there's just that fine balance, right? Because do not stop living your life. Do not live in fear. But also be smart and responsible and be aware and be vigilant and keep your head on a swivel. The soft targets tend to be, you know, places where there just isn't a lot of security and large groups, large outdoor groups, entertainment things, sporting events. You know, we've, we've seen it happen at these most random places. The Boston Marathon of all places. Well, that's a very soft target. There's no security to get in and out of the Boston Marathon. And you're, these are runners and just run 26 miles. They're exhausted, they're vulnerable. Right? So again, entertainment facilities, concerts, this is one thing That a lot of myself, me and my colleagues from the FBI have been talking or former colleagues that in our opinion that's really where we think these types of things might happen. Probably at places that aren't as secure, don't have as much security, don't have the metal detectors, things like that.
Lisa Booth
If you hear shots like that, I mean like what's, what do you do? How do you react to it?
Nicole Parker
So if you hear shots fired anywhere ever, the theory and the, the platform that we have always taught run, hide, fight. So let's say you're at your at a party or at wherever a bar and you start hearing shots. The first thing you do is you do your best to run away from wherever you hear the gunfire coming from. If you are not in a position where you can run and it's inside the club and you cannot get out, then the next thing you do is you take cover. You hide. You hide behind anything that's protective cover, cement walls, things like that. Get away and barricade whatever furniture you can find, chairs, whatever you can do to protect some level of COVID for yourself. If you're in a position where you cannot run, you cannot hide, then you fight with everything you have and you try to take them down. And that's your last resort. But it's the most important one and you literally fight for your life. So. So again, always remember, run, hide, fight. And that's what we teach. Quick break.
Lisa Booth
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Lisa Booth
you know, and before we go, why do you think they haven't found Nancy Guthrie? I don't even know how long in quite some time now. Yeah, it's been obviously with the war, it's, you know, the focus has shifted. But why, you know, you would think that they would find her by now. I mean, is that an unreasonable expectation or why is it taken so long in your opinion?
Nicole Parker
You know, I, I'm always careful to not criticize, but I'm Also very honest. I think it was a very poorly run investigation from the beginning. I think there were many missteps from the beginning. I think that the sheriff's office, maybe not, maybe not the rank and file. And I'm just going to say I don't think the sheriff did a very good job from the beginning. I think that the crime scene was turned over entirely too soon. I just think that there were a lot of mistakes made. I think that when people are saying, oh, you know, that's a rumor, there really wasn't a lot of strife between the FBI and local law enforcement. I think that there was a lot of, you know, not wanting the FBI to be a part of it so much. And I think that it's just been very difficult from the beginning for many of those reasons. Do I think that she'll be found? I. I hope and pray she will. It's absolutely tragic. It's heartbreaking, it's sad. Unfortunately, Lisa, people go missing every day. Children go missing every day and you never even hear about it. You know, we don't want to forget all of those other people that don't get as much media attention. But it is disappointing because you want, as an investigator, it's extremely disappointing because you don't rest until justice is served. You don't rest until the case is done and the case is closed. And based on my understanding, it's far from that at this point. But at the same time, it only takes one big break to crack the case. I know that the FBI has been working tirelessly behind the scenes. I wish that they had been taken the lead from the beginning. But again, that's a local jurisdiction case. The FBI can't just go in and say, oh, you know what, we're going to take charge. We're asked to help on those types of investigations. And if they can find a federal nexus, they do. But at this point, yeah, it's very, it's tragic, it's sad. My heart goes out to her family. Can you imagine that happening to your mother? I mean, and on the national spotlight, I mean, it's, it's heartbreaking, but at the same time, I don't think the case was run well from the beginning.
Lisa Booth
What's your theory on what? Because my understanding, or at least to our knowledge, I don't think anything was stolen on. It's like she's an 84 year old, you know what I mean? Like, and, and it clearly there's not been. It doesn't seem like the ransom. You know, we don't know how credible that was or not. But like, you know, so it's like if, if that was the goal, you'd think that they would try to obtain the money at this point. So it's like, right, just take an old lady with health problems. Like, it doesn't make sense to me.
Nicole Parker
No, I think there's more to it. I personally have my own theories, but again, without having access to the case file and the actual facts, it's always. I'm very careful to step out of turn, but I am allowed to have my own opinions as well, just like everyone. I've always believed it was someone close to her in her inner circle that knew her. That either a family member or someone close to her that had been in that home many times would be my guess. Again, I could be wrong, but I think that's the highest probability. And based on these types of investigations, that's probably the highest probability. Less likely that it was a stranger. I don't think it was a burglary who'd gone bad. I, that's just not my theory on it. But again, I. I don't have access to all of the facts and information the way that the sheriff said, oh, you know, we are looking at the family. Oh, we're not looking at the family. We are. It was just like this back and forth. I mean, it's. You don't even know what to believe anymore. And that, to me is extremely frustrating because there just doesn't seem to have a lot of clarity on the actual facts and what the. What the truth actually is. But let's hope and pray that behind the scenes, the investigators have a much more clearer picture than. Than we do. And again, that's normal. A lot of times the FBI, we don't give any information on our ongoing investigations. I would never talk to the media about my cases that just never happened. So let's hope that they know more than what they're telling us. That, you know, people keep saying, oh, you know, it was an amateur at the beginning. Oh, this was an amate amateur job. Well, it's not much of an amateur job because no one's in custody. So for as amateur as it is, they're still on the loose and sadly, she has not been returned. And so, you know, we can't give up hope, but.
Lisa Booth
Or someone closer, because wouldn't they be the first to be looked at? You know, so you'd think that they would have been able to find that. I mean, I, I agree with you. That makes the most sense. But you would Just think that that would be the first place they would look and so it would be easier to find that link or.
Nicole Parker
No, you would think. But again, it's very confusing because he could flip flop back and forth on that. The family was cleared and I don't know, I mean, there's just different things. Obviously we don't know a motive because we don't know the individual that did this. But you're going to look at the financial situations of everybody involved, Wills, who was set to inherit the homes, things like that. Again, I'm not saying that is exactly what happened in this instance. I always thought it's probably a family member or someone who is like a home care worker or someone who knew her pattern of life or knew that she had access to money or had a daughter that had money. But again, who knows? I would like to see, personally, I would like to see the phone things of those that had entered her home. I want to know everyone that entered her home in the last six months prior to her going missing. I want to know the list of every single person. I want every single person to be interviewed. And then I want to see all of their communications, where their phones were pinging and all of that type of information leading up to and after the offense. But again, I'm not the investigator, so I can't ask for that information. I'm sure that they've looked into that. But the fact that no one is in custody yet, you know, that's. That's not what you want as an investigator. So I promise you that you may not be hearing about it on the news every day because of Iran, but they're working tirelessly behind the scenes on that as well. So again, imagine the FBI, so they're trying to solve those types of investigations as well as keeping everyone safe. I mean, they've got their hands full. And so we need to remember and thank our law enforcement on every level for what they're doing. And most of all, our military. Our military, our fallen heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They are the true. They're the true heroes in this country and we can never, ever forget them. Ever.
Lisa Booth
Amen. We'll end on that. Nicole Parker, author of the two FBI's Friend and Colleague. Nicole, thanks so much for coming on the show. Appreciate your time.
Nicole Parker
My pleasure. And God bless y'. All. Take care.
Lisa Booth
That was Nicole Parker. Appreciate her taking the time to come on the show. Appreciate you guys at home for listening every Tuesday and Thursday, but you can listen throughout the week. I also want to thank John Cassio, my producer, for putting the show together. Until next time.
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Episode: The Truth with Lisa Boothe: Nicole Parker on Terror Threats, Sleeper Cells & Border Security Risks in the U.S.
Date: March 5, 2026
This episode of “The Truth with Lisa Boothe” features Nicole Parker, a former FBI special agent and author, discussing current terror threats facing the U.S. in light of tensions with Iran, the growing concerns over sleeper cells, lone offender attacks, border security risks, and a high-profile unresolved missing person case. The conversation dives into the challenges of modern counterterrorism efforts, radicalization, cyber threats, and practical advice for public safety.
Recent Events:
Lisa references a suspected terror attack in Austin, TX, by an individual wearing attire signaling Islamic and Iranian affiliations, sparking national security concern.
Quote – Lisa Booth (03:04):
“We saw, what very much looks like a terror attack in Austin, Texas recently… he was not on anyone’s radar.”
FBI’s Escalating Alert Level:
Nicole points to increased FBI vigilance post-October 7th (the Israel attack), quoting former FBI Director Wray’s testimony of an “all red lights are flashing” threat environment.
Quote – Nicole Parker (04:43):
“Since, you know, a few days ago... the mood has really tightened up... threats are at an all time high.”
Lone Offender vs. Lone Wolf:
Nicole prefers the term 'lone offender' over 'lone wolf' to avoid romanticizing attackers.
Quote – Nicole Parker (05:08):
“Some people call them lone wolfs. I do not. I think that’s giving them sort of an image... No, they’re not. They’re actually lone offenders. They’re lone cowards.”
Motivations & Detection Challenges:
Lone offenders act opportunistically, making them very difficult for authorities to track or predict.
Quote – Nicole Parker (07:13):
“These individuals do tend to be ... the most difficult to detect.”
Defining Sleeper Cells:
Lisa asks how the FBI detects sleeper cells and current threat assessment.
Quote – Lisa Booth (08:00):
“How do you categorize a sleeper cell at the FBI? ... how do you find those and disrupt them?”
Border Crisis Risks:
Nicole discusses the consequences of porous borders, noting that “thousands” of individuals on terror watchlists (or associates) may have entered the U.S. undetected.
Quote – Nicole Parker (08:56):
“It’s not that we think terrorists came into our country. We know that terrorists came into our country.”
State of Law Enforcement:
Nicole criticizes previous administrations for their approach to terrorism and expresses confidence in current leadership’s resolve.
Quote – Nicole Parker (11:43):
“One thing I know about President Trump is he does not play. And if he says he’s going to do something, he will.”
Vulnerable Populations Targeted:
Nicole explains radicalization often preys on those lacking a sense of belonging, especially youth, frequently exploited through social media and dark web connections.
Quote – Nicole Parker (15:32):
“People that are looking to be a part of a greater cause... are looking for a sense of belonging and self worth... those tend to be the individuals that are prime targets for radicalization.”
Role of Technology:
She emphasizes both the benefit and peril of tech platforms—while useful for society, they serve as tools for foreign actors to recruit or inspire attacks in the U.S.
Quote – Nicole Parker (15:59):
“Technological platforms can be so beneficial to society, but it can also be used against you. I think that’s how a lot of this happens.”
Beyond Kinetic Attacks:
Nicole highlights cyber attacks on infrastructure (power grids, water, emergency systems) as possibly an even larger concern than traditional terrorism.
Quote – Nicole Parker (16:44):
“We cannot underestimate what I think is even a bigger risk: cyber attacks, cyber attacks against our technological systems or critical infrastructure.”
Quote – Nicole Parker (17:34):
“They like to destabilize societies, taking out power grid systems, water systems, even the 911 dispatch calling system.”
U.S. Defensive Strength:
Though acknowledging adversary capabilities, Nicole believes U.S. intelligence and defenses are robust, and many threats are quietly neutralized.
Quote – Nicole Parker (18:03):
“Whatever they’re capable of, we’re stronger. That’s all I’m going to say... we’re thwarting these types of plots every day.”
Law Enforcement Refocus:
Nicole notes a shift back from domestic political cases to prioritizing true national security threats—with integrated federal, state, and local coordination (JTTFs).
Quote – Nicole Parker (19:15):
“They have all their energy and resources focused towards the real threats. And that should help Americans have greater peace…”
Situational Awareness:
Nicole underscores that attacks can happen anywhere (“small town, big town, large cities”) and most often target “soft” or less secure spots (bars, marathons, concerts, sports events).
Quote – Nicole Parker (23:27):
“Be aware of your surroundings... Soft targets tend to be places where there just isn’t a lot of security and large groups… entertainment things, sporting events… the Boston Marathon of all places.”
Run, Hide, Fight:
Clear, practical advice if confronted by an active shooter:
Investigation Missteps:
Nicole expresses concern about mismanagement and missed opportunities in the search for high-profile missing person Nancy Guthrie, suspecting family or someone in her inner circle might be involved.
Quote – Nicole Parker (29:46):
“I think it was a very poorly run investigation from the beginning. I think there were many missteps... the crime scene was turned over entirely too soon.”
Importance of Diligent Law Enforcement:
She underscores the need for gratitude toward law enforcement and military, given the breadth of threats and cases they face.
Quote – Nicole Parker (35:49):
“We need to remember and thank our law enforcement on every level for what they’re doing. And most of all, our military... They are the true heroes in this country and we can never, ever forget them.”
On the changing terror landscape:
Nicole Parker (04:55):
“After 9/11, the United States spent billions... to avoid having something like that happen ever again, only to just have that completely undone by allowing whoever wanted to come into our country.”
On the reality of sleeper cell infiltration:
Nicole Parker (08:22):
“It’s not that we think that terrorists came into our country. We know that terrorists came into our country.”
On vigilance without fear:
Nicole Parker (24:20):
“Never live in fear, but be aware… do not stop living your life… be smart and responsible and keep your head on a swivel.”
On cyber risks:
Nicole Parker (17:34):
“If you can, you know, destabilize societies, taking out power grid systems, water systems, even the 911 dispatch calling system... that would, in my opinion, be something that they would target first.”
Nicole Parker’s expertise offers listeners a sobering but actionable look at today’s terror threats, emphasizing the dual necessity of vigilance and trust in U.S. law enforcement. The conversation balances concern with practical advice, highlights governmental and investigative shortcomings, and closes with a call for respect and gratitude to those working to keep America safe.