Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team responds to Irvine investigation
The National Guard's Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team deployed in an Irvine neighborhood to help the FBI and local authorities investigate "suspicious materials" found inside one of the homes.
Police were called to a home near Cartwheel and Iluna on Monday after a landlord called to report suspicious circumstances, an Irvine Police Department spokesperson told CBS LA.
When officers arrived, they found suspicious materials in what was believed to be a homemade science lab that had caught fire. While investigating, they found that there were possible indications of chemical nerve agents, a source familiar with the investigation told CBS LA.
Sgt. Kevin Brown, who runs the HAZMAT detail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said residents should not be alarmed by the presence of the WMD Civil Support Team. He said the unit often functions as a force multiplier for local fire and law enforcement agencies during hazardous material investigations.
"They're there as an extension of our investigation," Brown said.
USC instructor Dr. John Sullivan said the Civil Support Team is designed to respond to cases regarding weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. They have specialized equipment that local agencies may not have.
"We're talking about anything that can detect illicit chemicals, biological weapons," Brown said.
CBS LA talked to multiple experts, including retired Los Angeles Fire Department HAZMAT specialist Cruz Marcias, who said investigators did not issue an evacuation alert because the situation at the specific home was likely stabilized.
"To me, it means it was pretty much isolated to the residence," Brown said.
Brown said he could not comment on what was being done during the FBI's investigation, but said authorities would ask neighbors to stay in place if nothing dangerous was being emitted.
He added that an investigation will span over several days because sophisticated tests are being done on the spot.
"We necessarily don't come in with, say, a semi-type truck, load everything up and move it away because we don't know if some of these things are volatile," Brown said.
Experts said an active investigation also allows multiple agencies to conduct training in real time together.
"We're kind of brainstorming how we want to go about tackling this problem," Brown said. "Then we put our heads together and then we move forward with whatever plan that we come up with."
There are two Civil Support Teams in California, one of which is based at Los Alamitos Joint Force Training Base in Orange County, roughly 30 miles away from the Irvine neighborhood at the center of the investigation.
