ICE Procurement Practices Under Scrutiny: Analysis of Weapons Purchases Reveals Misclassification and Long-standing Policies

Recent claims that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began stockpiling guided missile warheads and chemical weapons in 2025 have sparked public concern, but a closer investigation reveals a more nuanced reality.

The allegation, which circulated widely on social media platforms including Facebook, Bluesky, and Reddit, originated from a progressive newsletter called Popular Information and was subsequently reported by several news outlets including The Daily Beast.

At first glance, federal procurement documents do show a $61,218.82 purchase categorized as “guided missile warheads and explosive components” made by ICE in September 2025. However, deeper analysis suggests this classification was likely erroneous.

The contract in question describes the purchased items as “distraction devices” obtained from Quantico Tactical, a company that supplies equipment to military and federal agencies but does not manufacture guided missile warheads. David Hensley, founder and CEO of Quantico Tactical, has stated that the classification “appears to be an error.”

“Quantico Tactical does not sell, and I suspect that [Customs and Border Protection and] ICE does not purchase, ‘Guided Missile Warheads,'” Hensley told investigators, adding that the document’s description of “distraction devices” accurately reflects what ICE purchased.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has categorically denied the missile component allegations. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated via email: “Allegations ICE is buying guided missile components are FALSE.”

“ICE buying its law enforcement officers guns and non-lethal resources is a non-story,” McLaughlin added, noting increased procurement related to the agency’s expanded staffing under President Trump’s recent budget legislation.

The classification error likely stems from the federal procurement coding system. “Guided missile warheads and explosive components” falls under product code 1336, which covers everything from rocket engines to propellant chemicals in consumable containers. This code is numerically similar to others that more accurately describe non-lethal devices like smoke bombs or tear gas (codes 1330 and 1365), making it plausible that someone input the wrong code during the procurement process.

Regarding chemical weapons purchases, ICE has indeed procured items classified under this category in 2025, with five contracts totaling over $417,000 during Trump’s second term. However, these purchases represent a continuation of long-standing procurement patterns rather than a new development.

Federal procurement records show that ICE has been purchasing “chemical weapons” since at least 2005, with 93 such contracts documented to date. In fact, two of the seven total chemical weapons contracts signed in early 2025 were approved under the Biden administration, totaling more than $182,000.

The description of these chemical weapons purchases includes items like “chemical munitions,” “detonation distraction device,” and “OC canisters” – more commonly known as pepper spray. Under federal classification guidelines, code 1040 for “chemical weapons and other equipment” encompasses products such as smoke grenades and flame throwers.

While these weapons can cause real health problems, there is no evidence suggesting ICE has acquired severely lethal chemical warfare weapons like napalm.

The agency’s use of force has drawn increased scrutiny in 2025, with verified incidents including ICE agents spraying a Chicago pastor with “pepper pellets” and a federal agent pepper-spraying a protester in an inflatable frog costume outside an ICE facility in Portland.

ICE tactics have faced criticism for years. As far back as 2007, advocacy groups were denouncing “excessive force and flagrant violation of rights” during ICE raids. A 2021 Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report documented ICE officials using pepper spray and chemical agents against peaceful protesters in a detention center.

The current claims about missile warheads likely reflect genuine concerns about the agency’s expanded budget and enforcement actions under the Trump administration. While ICE does possess chemical weapons and other tactical equipment, as it has for decades, the specific allegation about guided missile warheads appears to stem from a procurement classification error rather than an actual change in the agency’s armament practices.