Imagine a drone swarm spraying a chemical agent over a packed stadium. It sounds like science fiction, but the technology exists today — and the federal office best equipped to prevent such a nightmare scenario may be at risk of being shut down.

As the assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office from 2023-2025, I’ve seen firsthand how this small but vital team protects the homeland from catastrophic threats. The office leads our nation’s efforts to detect and deter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

And yet, there are reports that this office may be shut down. This would be a grave mistake.

The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office was created during the first Trump administration to unify and strengthen the whole-of-government’s response to detecting and deterring WMD threats. These threats aren’t theoretical — they are real, evolving and becoming more accessible as emerging technologies advance. During my tenure,

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