US Congressman’s Brother Lands No-Bid Contract to Train DHS Snipers

Save StorySave this storySave StorySave this storyThe US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this month quietly awarded a 30,000 no-bid contract for sniper and combat training to a Virginia firm run by Dan LaLota, the brother of US representative Nick LaLota, a second-term Republican from New York.Finalized on September 2, the award went to Target Down Group of Mechanicsville, Virginia, which will provide a five-day precision fires and observation course for the Homeland Security Investigations Special Response Team (SRT) sniper program. The course, intended to help inform new DHS procedures, is aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively conduct law enforcement sniper operations in high-risk environments, per records reviewed by WIRED.The SRT functions as the agencys version of a SWAT team, composed of special agents with advanced tactical training for situations deemed too dangerous for standard personnel. SRT members wear military-style camouflage and helmets, carry a range of weapons, and train in breaching, sniper tactics, and close-quarters combat.According to federal procurement records, the SRT contract was issued on a sole-source basis, with officials citing Target Down Groups prior work with Homeland Security Investigations as well as its pre-clearance to conduct live-fire exercises at a law enforcement facility in Arizona.Congressman LaLota, who served on the House Homeland Security Committee in the previous session, could not be reached for comment. Calls to his New York and Washington, DC, offices went unanswered Thursday.DHS did not respond to a request for comment.Reached by phone, Dan LaLota said his firms deal with ICE has nothing to do with his brothers position in Congress. Im not a new guy on the block, he tells WIRED, adding theres only a few people qualified to provide the training DHS requested. To say my company would be the only one eligible would not be unsound.LaLota added he could not speak on ICEs behalf and declined to discuss details of his companys work, calling the questions an invasion of privacy while directing reporters to his firms website for information about its staff and expertise.Target Down Groups website lists Dan LaLota, a retired Marine sniper, as the companys president. According to his brothers congressional biography, Dan LaLota served two decades in the Marine Corps, including tours with Force Reconnaissance and Marine Special Operations Command, earning a Bronze Star with Valor for actions in Fallujah, Iraq. LaLota told WIRED he also has seven years as a scout sniper instructor.Federal procurement records list Target Down Group as a Virginia company; however, state records show the firm is not legally authorized to operate as a Virginia corporation at this time, having been terminated in November 2024 automatically after failing to meet its yearly filing and fee requirements with the states corporate registry. *Reporting by Wired.*