U.S. intelligence is warning about a potential terror threat for Monday—the day before millions of Americans will head to the polls, according to CBS News.
According to the news organization’s sources, intelligence officials have alerted joint terrorism task forces about a possible attack from al Qaeda.
New York, Virginia, and Texas were named as possible targets although specific locations were not mentioned.
U.S. authorities are taking the threat seriously, though the sources stress the intelligence is still being assessed and its credibility hasn’t been confirmed. Counterterrorism officials were alerted to the threat out of abundance of caution.
A senior FBI official told CBS News, “The counterterrorism and homeland security communities remain vigilant and well-postured to defend against attacks here in the United States. The FBI, working with our federal, state and local counterparts, shares and assesses intelligence on a daily basis and will continue to work closely with law enforcement and intelligence community partners to identify and disrupt any potential threat to public safety.”
The terror threat always increases ahead of major events and holidays, so a warning before Election Day is expected and law enforcement agencies are preparing for several worst case scenarios.
Local police were alerted earlier this week about possible lone wolf attacks at polling places.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member