An internal Department of Homeland Security memo, obtained by the New York Times and drafted for Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, detailed the lack of training the federal agents from the department had in dealing with the on-the-ground situation into which they were inserted.

The agents, many of whom came from the Custom and Border Protection SWAT-style response unit, BORTAC, are not trained in dealing with civilian unrest; rather they typical operate in episodes involving heavily armed foreign drug cartels.

The agents, who deploy into the city wearing tactical gear but no agency badging or personal identification, have come under criticism for detaining civilians without cause and without informing them that they are being arrested until they are taken to a federal courthouse.

Many who have been detained by these “ghost police” are released within hours without any charges being filed, any citation issued or even an accusation of an illegal act.

Drafted Thursday, the memo informs Wolf–who was on his way to Portland to inspect the city’s federal buildings and the agents sent there–of the government property in Portland as well as the issues the federal agents were facing.

As the Times details, the memo also makes an ominous allusion to similar future operations in other areas, noting that additional training would be needed:  “Moving forward, if this type of response is going to be the norm, specialized training and standardized equipment should be deployed to responding agencies.”