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Global Intelligence Briefing


Global Threat Intelligence Briefing

Report Date: January 19, 2026 (Events from the last 24 hours)

Activism Terrorism 🚨

Church Disruption in St. Paul, Minnesota

Protesters recently disrupted a Sunday worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The incident involved organized non-violent intrusion stemming from escalating tensions around federal enforcement.

  • The group disrupted worship, shouted accusations, and confronted congregants.
  • Claims circulating allege that one of the church’s pastors has ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); these claims remain unconfirmed by major outlets.
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reviewing the incident to determine whether federal laws protecting religious worship were violated.

Security and Recommendations

This event underscores that churches are no longer viewed as neutral spaces by activist groups. Preparedness for non-violent but aggressive intrusions is critical.

  1. Plan for protest-style disruptions, not solely focusing on active shooter scenarios.
  2. Train greeters and security teams for early intervention to recognize coordinated group entry and verbal escalation.
  3. Establish clear roles for making the decision to ask groups to leave, contacting law enforcement, and communicating with staff and the congregation.

Relevant Prior Reporting: Church Crime and Incident Newsletter [link]([suspicious link removed]) | Church Security Intelligence Briefing [link]([suspicious link removed])

Iran Protests

Protests across Iran are believed to be the deadliest since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

  • At least 5,000 people have been killed, including roughly 500 security personnel, according to an Iranian official.
  • Human rights groups have verified over 3,900 deaths.
  • Iran’s crackdown has reportedly quelled the unrest.

Geopolitical 🌍

International Trade Agreements

The European Union (EU) and the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) signed their free trade agreement on Saturday, concluding 25 years of negotiations.

  • The deal covers roughly one-quarter of global gross domestic product.
  • Over 90% of tariffs will be dropped between the EU’s 27 members and the Mercosur nations, with some cuts phased in over 10 to 15 years.
  • European exports (cars, wine, cheese) and South American imports (beef, soybeans) are expected to benefit from reduced tariffs.
  • The European Parliament is scheduled to take steps toward ratification, despite opposition from Austria, France, Hungary, Ireland, and Poland.

US-Iran Tensions and US Tariffs

  • President Donald Trump backed down from threats to strike Tehran, citing Iran’s alleged decision to refrain from 800 planned executions.
  • Trump reiterated calls for regime change in Iran.
  • President Trump also threatened eight European countries with 10% tariffs, starting in February, for opposing US control of Greenland.

Space Exploration and Competition

NASA’s Artemis II mission is progressing toward launch, setting the stage for renewed lunar access.

  • The massive rocket system was moved to its launch pad on Saturday.
  • The mission, which will carry astronauts around the moon, could launch as soon as February 6.
  • **Competition:** The program takes on a geopolitical element as China and Russia are collaborating on a nuclear-powered lunar base near the moon’s south pole.

Regional Crises and Affairs

  • **Chile Wildfires:** Wildfires have killed at least 18 people and forced at least 20,000 people to evacuate.
  • **Syrian Ceasefire:** The Syrian government signed a ceasefire deal with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led group backed by the US, following the government seizing control of Kurdish territory.
  • **US Military Standby:** The Army has put 1,500 soldiers on standby for possible deployment to Minnesota.
  • **Portugal Elections:** Portugal’s elections will proceed to a rare runoff.

Cyber 💻

Iran Internet Blackout

Iran is currently experiencing a nationwide internet blackout, which has been ongoing for 12 days.

  • Despite the widespread outage, some users have reported access to WhatsApp and texting.

Maritime Events 🚢

US Aircraft Carrier Deployment

The US dispatched a major naval asset toward the Middle East in the context of rising tensions with Iran.

  • The **USS Abraham Lincoln** aircraft carrier was dispatched last week.
  • The strike group is expected to take days to arrive in the region.
  • US officials indicated that a decision regarding further action could be made within weeks.