Secret Service opens 10,000 threat cases on Trump as Correspondents' event nears amid Iran threat

WASHINGTON, DC: The US Secret Service has warned that threat levels against its protectees have reached record highs ahead of the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner, with agents opening nearly 10,000 protective intelligence cases since January.

The number marks a nearly 40% increase compared to the same period last year, as officials said rising online threats, lone actors, ideological grievances, foreign threats and mental health-related cases have contributed to the growing security challenges.

Secret Service reports surge in protective intelligence cases

US Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the agency has seen threat levels unlike anything he has experienced during his 24-year career.

"The numbers are numbers that this agency and certainly I have never seen in my 24-year career," Curran told CBS on Wednesday.

Officials said the agency has also carried out nearly 10 times as many mental health-related interventions this year compared to last year. These included voluntary and involuntary commitments, along with efforts by agents to work with relatives and healthcare providers to help stabilize people in crisis.

Curran attributed the increase to a combination of online threats, lone actors, ideological grievances, foreign threats and mental health-related cases. He noted that most threats now originate online rather than through traditional letters.

"The environment has become very volatile, and that's just across the board," Curran said. "The threat picture and environment is as large as I've ever seen it."

Secret Service defends security after checkpoint incident

Curran defended the security setup used at the Washington Hilton during the dinner's original date, where an armed individual was stopped at a screening checkpoint outside the venue.

He said the magnetometers were positioned roughly 120 yards, or more than a football field, from the podium, arguing that the incident showed the security system was working as designed.

"We do expect bad people to show up," Curran said.

"It's just a reality of where we are... that's where it happened, and that's where it ended. So it did work."

Curran said the rescheduled dinner at the Waldorf Astoria was not being treated as a "redo" but as an entirely new presidential visit requiring a fresh security assessment.

Iran threat and drone concerns raise security challenges

Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said the publicly known Iranian threat against President Donald Trump remains one factor affecting protective planning, along with additional intelligence the agency has not disclosed.

He also flagged drones as a growing concern, calling the threat "real" and pointing to lessons from Ukraine.

Officials said the agency has carried out nearly 3,000 protective visits so far this year.

The Secret Service handled security for several major events, including the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium with 100,000 fans, the July 4th celebration on the National Mall, a UFC event at the White House and a presidential appearance at Madison Square Garden during the NBA Finals.

According to Curran, the agency has made progress in improving real-time coordination between agencies, with unified command posts becoming a major priority.

He also said the agency has rolled out a new "advanced threat interdiction" system designed to identify and stop potential attackers before they reach their targets.

The system recently helped uncover a planned attack targeting the UFC event at the White House after a family member reported suspicious behavior.