No, ICE (Probably) Didn’t Buy Guided Missile Warheads

September 19, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement paid $61,218 for “guided missile warheads and explosive components,” according to the Goods and Services Code (PSC). Payment records In a federal contract database.

“This award provides multiple distraction devices to support law enforcement operations and ICE-Office of Firearms and Tactical programs,” the record’s description section reads.

Substack popular information mentioned This payment in an article on Monday, which focuses on the fact that ICE spending in the product category “small arms, weapons, weapons and weapons production” increases by 700 percent between 2024 and 2025. (Spending increased nearly 636 percent, according to WIRED’s Ward analysis) data measured in the same category and during Tuesday’s payments. A post later blue sky Democratic Wisconsin state senator Chris Larson went viral.

As it turns out, concerns about ICE agents planning to use warheads are likely based on a mistake. Quantico Tactical, the company listed as a warhead supplier in federal payment records, does not sell any explosive devices. (It sells a variety of firearms, switchblades and weapon accessories.) David Hensley, founder and CEO of Quantico Tactical, told WIRED in an email that the PSC “appears to be a flaw.”

“Quantico does not sell tactical, and I suspect that CBP does not purchase ICE ‘guided missile warheads,'” Hensley said, referring to Customs and Border Protection. He also said that the rest of the payment records appear to be correct.

PSC is Allocation By a government agency contracting office, not a private contractor. Hensley declined to speculate on what the exact PSC might be for the payment. He declined to specify which “distraction devices” ICE purchased. But ICE has created two more Payment Quantico Tactical for “destruction devices” in September 2024 and August 2025.

Both payment records detail claims that they are for training programs run by ICE’s Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs (OFTP). Both payment records use PSC for “Chemical Weapons and Equipment”. included Items like “Flame Thrower” and “Smoke Generator”.

An ICE “Firearm and Use of Force” Handbook 2021 does not mention any authorized use of flamethrowers, but it does mention the use of “chemical weapons” such as smoke, pepper spray and tear gas. (It specifies that their use must be approved by the agency’s associate director and the OFTP.) Quantico Tactical does not list smoke bombs, pepper spray or tear gas for sale on its website, although it does list accessories such as smoke repellents. Goggles and for holders mace, Flash grenades, and smoke bombs. It’s not clear what ICE bought.