Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
University of Nebraska Omaha logo
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • About Backback to Main menu
    • We Are NCITE
    • Newsletters
    • Our Community
    • Center Directory
  • Research Backback to Main menu
    • NCITE Research
    • Published Reports
    • Annual Request for Proposals
  • News Backback to Main menu
    • News Center
    • NCITE in the News
  • Events Backback to Main menu
    • Upcoming Events
    • ENVISION Conference
  • Get Involved Backback to Main menu
    • Donate to NCITE
    • Job Opportunities
  • Podcast
  1. UNO
  2. National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)
  3. news
  4. 2023
  5. 05
  6. Meet Jorge Comas: NCITE’s new DHS board member

Meet Jorge Comas: NCITE’s new DHS board member

Jorge Comas, a new member of NCITE’s DHS board, answers questions about his job and gives advice for students looking to get into government service.

  • published: 2023/05/02
  • contact: NCITE Communications - NCITE
  • email: ncite@unomaha.edu
This is a photo of government officers looking for contraband.

Source: US DHS CBP/Josh Denmark

Jorge Comas is director of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Counter Network Division and a new member of NCITE's Department of Homeland Security advisory board. Here, he shares a bit about his background and gives advice for students.

Tell us about your current role with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. What does your day-to-day look like?

I am the director of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Counter Network Division, within the National Targeting Center. In my role I oversee a multidisciplined staff of CBP officers, border patrol agents, intelligence research specialists, and other law enforcement support staff and professionals who lead CBPs counter network activities. The division's efforts focus on illuminating, disrupting, and dismantling the illicit networks and illicit actors that would seek to harm U.S. border, homeland, and national security.

What initially drew you to this line of work, or to government service in general?

I was heavily influenced by the events of 9/11, having been raised in northern Virginia, and I wanted an opportunity to serve my country and ensure that events like those of 9/11 never occur again.

How can work from NCITE or other Centers of Excellence advance the mission of agencies like CBP and assist the people within them?

NCITE and the Centers of Excellence are strategic partners for CBP. With CBPs border security mission, we face a diverse threat landscape, and as technology and globalization continue to provide opportunities for law enforcement to enhance its tradecrafts, the insights from the research and analysis performed by NCITE and the Centers of Excellence is critical to CBPs success. Additionally, those same technologies can be leveraged by illicit network and actors against CBPs mission. NCITE and the Centers of Excellence advance CBPs understanding of how these emerging technologies can be used to counter our border, homeland, and national security efforts.

What advice do you have for NCITE students and other young people looking to go into government service?

Intellectual curiosity will carry you a long way in your careers. Understanding underlying mechanisms of systems, mathematical relationships, social norms, history, and the overall pursuit for general knowledge is critical for those seeking to join missions like CBP's. Do not just take information at face value, dig deeper to gain a better understanding of the matter, and how it applies to the work you are performing.

News Sections

  • National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) News Center
  • UNO News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

Featured

  • NCITE Insights No. 32 – Old Threats and New: ISIS and 764
  • NEW NCITE RESEARCH: ISIS Cases in the U.S.
  • NCITE Insights No. 31 – Reflecting on the Oklahoma City Bombing 30 Years Later
  • NCITE Insights No. 30 – Student Spotlight: I-O Psychology Conference

National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)

Connect with NCITE
  • 6001 Dodge St.
  • Omaha, NE
  • ncite@unomaha.edu
Social media
Our DHS Partners
  • Centers of Excellence
  • Science & Technology Directorate (S&T)
  • Office of University Programs (OUP)

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.