FBI officials have alerted authorities in three states of the possibility of an al Qaeda terror attack ahead of Election Day, putting law enforcement on alert as the credibility of the threat is assessed.
Officials in Virginia, New York and Texas confirmed being briefed on the potential threat, but authorities cautioned that the threat was general in nature and lacked specificity. Counterterrorism investigators are reviewing information that mentioned the three states as potential targets.
“The nature of the threat is general,” said Brian Moran, Virginia’s secretary of public safety and homeland security, acknowledging that he was briefed by Virginia State Police on the information shared by the FBI Friday morning. “The important thing at this point, no one should be changing their plains based on the information they heard this morning.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how investigators came across the threat information.
An FBI spokeswoman declined to provide specifics.
“The counterterrorism and homeland security communities remain vigilant and well-postured to defend against attacks here in the United States,” read a statement issued by the FBI Friday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that law enforcement officials were “continuing to monitor the situation in close coordination with the Texas Department of Public Safety.”
The New York City Police Department issued a statement indicating officials were aware of the information.
“We have been working with the FBI through the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our Counterterrorism and Intelligence Bureaus,” the NYPD said.
Mr. Moran said authorities have been on heightened alert in the lead up to the election, receiving briefings on cybersecurity and taking additional precautions.
“With the election there is a heightened awareness and we are doing what we can to ensure a safe election,” he said.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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