DHS Chief Unveils Wartime Seal as Islamic Terrorists Join with Mexican Cartels [WATCH]

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced that his department is changing its official seal to reflect what he described as a constant battle against forces targeting the United States.

The symbolic adjustment will turn the eagle toward the arrows held in one talon rather than the palm leaf held in the other.

Mullin revealed the change during an appearance on “The Sunday Briefing,” where he discussed the growing range of dangers confronting the homeland.

Those threats include Islamic terrorism, Mexican drug cartels, hostile cyber operations, weaponized drones, and violence directed at public officials.

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The announcement comes as the nation approaches the twenty fifth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Mullin said DHS is “at war every single day,” a blunt assessment that cuts through the usual Washington habit of dressing serious threats in soothing bureaucratic language.

The existing DHS seal features an eagle with a shield positioned across its breast.

The shield contains symbols representing American air, land, and sea, while 22 stars represent the original government entities brought together to form the department.

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Mullin explained that the eagle traditionally looks toward the palm during a period of peace and toward the arrows during war.

The new design is intended to send a clear message about the dangerous and rapidly shifting environment facing federal security officials.

“If you look at most of our seals throughout all the agencies, the eagle looks to the palm because that’s in a time of peace. We’re actually changing our seal to make it look towards the arrows, because when it looks towards the arrows is when it means we’re at war.”

Asked to identify the leading danger to the homeland, Mullin said terrorism remains at the top of the list, although its shape has changed.

Rather than operating only through familiar extremist networks, terrorists are increasingly finding common cause with criminal organizations that already control smuggling routes and other resources.

“It’s still terrorists, but the terrorists have joined with the cartels,” said Mullin.

He also noted that fentanyl overdoses have killed more Americans than the Vietnam War, an appalling toll that Washington ignored for far too long while border communities carried the burden.

Mullin praised President Donald Trump for placing cartels on the lists of Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

That designation recognizes the obvious reality that these groups are not merely street criminals seeking profit, but powerful organizations capable of destabilizing communities and assisting enemies of the United States.

“We’re seeing the Islamic terrorists joining with the Mexican cartels that are trying to use all the resources to come after us. And then, we’re seeing the drone attacks that are starting to take place,” Mullin said.

The drone threat has forced DHS and other agencies to reconsider how sensitive locations are protected.

Traditional fences, guards, cameras, and checkpoints remain necessary, but inexpensive technology now allows hostile actors to approach critical sites from above with equipment that can be purchased by ordinary consumers.

“We have tried to protect our sensitive areas with fences and armed security guards. Now we’re having to realize that the threat comes from the air, too, with simple drones that people can buy online on Amazon.”

Mullin also addressed the dangers facing political candidates and officials as the campaign season begins.

“I would say you’re never safe when you’re [in the] public eye,” he said, while urging Americans to accept political disagreement without allowing heated rhetoric to become an excuse for intimidation or bloodshed.

WATCH:

Fox News’ Peter Doocy: “What is the top threat to the homeland?”

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin: “It’s still terrorist but the terrorist have joined with the cartels… Plus, we have those sleeper cells within the United States… We arrested over 1,900 terrorists here in the… pic.twitter.com/3lkk9KRpbJ

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) September 6, 2026

He stressed that a constitutional republic depends on citizens tolerating opinions they strongly oppose.

Once activists decide an opposing viewpoint must be silenced through violence, DHS has a duty to step in and prevent the threatened act rather than wait for another tragedy.

Cyberattacks represent another front in the department’s daily fight.

Mullin identified actors linked to Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia as major sources of attacks, which he said occur by the hundreds of thousands each week and require officials to adapt constantly across cyber, sea, air, and land.

“Every single day, I get a briefing. Every single day we have new threats, and every single day the threats are changing,” Mullin said.

The redesigned seal puts that reality in plain view, reminding Americans that DHS is confronting enemies who change tactics whenever authorities shut down an attack, criminal operation, or security vulnerability.

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