He said the other 10 cases were for potential issues that may involve previous criminal behaviour or activities but were not directly related to the inaugural event. Gen Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, confirmed that Guard members had been removed and sent home but said only two cases were related to inappropriate comments or texts related to the inauguration. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Īlso Read | Joe Biden's forward-looking inaugural speech to be themed around unity
The officials told the AP they had all been removed because of “security liabilities.” The officials, a senior intelligence official and an Army official briefed on the matter, did not say which fringe groups the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in. Two other US officials told The Associated Press that all 12 were found to have ties with right-wing militia groups or to have posted extremist views online. Pentagon officials wouldn't give details on the statements. They have grown increasingly concerned about the possibility such groups could stream into Washington and spark violent confrontations, a law enforcement official said.Įven in the hours before the event, federal agents were monitoring “concerning online chatter,” which included an array of threats against elected officials and discussions about ways to infiltrate the inauguration, the official said.Īnd 12 National Guard members were removed from the security operation after vetting by the FBI, including two who had made extremist statements in posts or texts about Wednesday's event.Īlso Read | 12 US National Guard troops pulled from inauguration over probe on far-right sentiments The US Secret Service, which is in charge of the event, says it is prepared.īut law enforcement officials have been monitoring members of far-right extremist and militia groups. Fencing lines the perimeter of the US Capitol complex. Tanks and concrete barriers block the streets.
Read | Biden-Harris's inauguration: All you need to know More than 25,000 troops and police have been called to duty. The nation's capital is essentially on lockdown. There have been no specific threats made against Biden. military, was temporarily placed on lockdown.The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden will take place in a Washington on edge, after the deadly riot at the US Capitol unleashed a wave of fear and unmatched security concerns.Īnd law enforcement officials are contending not only with the potential for outside threats but also with rising concerns about an insider attack by troops with a duty to protect him. After that violence, the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. A suspect was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene. Just last week, a Pentagon police officer was stabbed to death after a burst of violence at a transit center outside the building. Barricade your door, turn off the lights and your cell phone ringer, and remain silent. “If you do not have a safe route to run, HIDE. “If you encounter the individual and have a safe route, RUN,” base officials posted on Facebook in the first moments of the lockdown.
Over the years there have been a few incidents where that activity filtered onto the base, including one where a suspect being sought by police scaled a fence and was taken into custody by Defense Department authorities. The installation is in an area that occasionally has local police activity nearby. The 905-acre base in southeast Washington houses Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard units, along with the Washington field office of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the headquarters of the Defense Intelligence Agency. and cars slowly started moving on and off the base. “I remain confident in our security posture,” Zuhlsdorf said in a statement. Mike Zuhlsdorf, the base commander, credited the “thorough and coordinated response” among multiple agencies, including MPD and the Secret Service, with helping to swiftly control the situation. The naval support facility at the north end of the base is used by Marine Helicopter Squadron One, the fleet of green helicopters that carry the president and vice president.Ĭol. The individual, who was not named, was transferred to Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department. during “a thorough sweep of the installation.” WASHINGTON (AP) - A military base in the nation’s capital was locked down for about two hours Friday, after an armed man ran onto the grounds during a local police investigation of gunshots on the streets surrounding the base.Ī statement from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling said the man’s firearm was discovered after the intrusion, and the intruder himself was detained around 2:45 p.m.
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