What weapons and munitions are standard issue for ICE tactical teams according to federal procurement records?

1. What the procurement trail actually shows: categorical purchases, not a field manifest

Contracting databases and news analyses reveal spikes in spending classified under “small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories” and multiple awards to companies providing firearms training, sniper support and tactical equipment, which indicates ICE is buying rifles, ammunition, precision-observation capability and associated ordnance supplies — procurement records underpinning those findings were highlighted in reporting by Popular Information, Mother Jones and The Lever ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

2. Small arms and sniper/precision systems are prominent in records and contracts

Multiple procurement notices and justifications describe an “immediate requirement to procure precision fires and specialized observation capabilities for the national Special Response Team (SRT) sniper program,” and reporting documents no-bid training and equipment contracts for sniper teams and firearms instructors, which suggests precision rifles, optics and sniper-support gear are among what ICE is buying for tactical teams ^{[2] [4]}.

3. Less-lethal and “distraction” munitions appear repeatedly in the payments data

Payment descriptions and contractor statements referenced by Wired and Newsweek indicate entries for “distraction devices” and similar munitions in ICE payment records, and reporting has tied ICE and other federal tactical units to use of flash-bangs, smoke grenades, stinger-style (pepper) grenades, and other crowd-control rounds during operations and protests — procurement records therefore include categories consistent with such devices, though the exact model numbers and quantities are not always clear in public filings ^{[3] [5] [6]}.

4. Training and contractor names point to tactical weapons familiar to military/special-ops worlds

The Lever and Lever spinoff reporting show ICE awarded contracts to private firms advertising “elite firearms instruction” and special-operations experience to train SRT snipers and tactical teams, and these contracts typically accompany procurement of weapon systems and munitions used in military-style urban operations, reinforcing that the agency is sourcing combat-grade small arms and associated ordnance through contractors ^{[4] [2]}.

5. Internal guidance and testing infrastructure indicate standardized firearms, armor and ammunition programs

ICE’s own Firearms and Use of Force Handbook and the agency’s National Firearms and Tactical Training Unit (NFTTU) describe institutional programs for issuing, testing and validating firearms, body armor and ammunition standards for agents, which implies there are internal standard-issue lists even if those lists are not fully disclosed in public procurement summaries ^{[7] [8]}.

6. Limits of the public record and false alarms about exotic munitions

Investigations into specific line items have produced corrections: Wired’s detailed look concluded that an apparent purchase labeled with a missile-warhead code was likely a PSC (product service code) error and that the vendor involved does not sell explosive warheads, illustrating how procurement codes and terse descriptions can be misread — public procurement records therefore require careful interpretation and do not support claims that ICE bought guided-missile warheads ^{[3] [6]}.

7. Bottom line: what can be said with confidence from procurement reporting

Federal procurement records and investigative reporting consistently show increased ICE spending on small arms, ordnance/accessories, precision-sniper systems, training for special response and sniper teams, and various distraction and crowd-control munitions — these categories match known tactical-operator equipment (rifles, pistols, sniper optics, ammunition, flash- and smoke-grenades, less-lethal rounds), but the public files generally list contract categories and vendors rather than a definitive, line-by-line “standard issue” inventory ^{[1] [2] [3] [5] [7]}.