The Nation’s Capital is on high alert…
Government agencies are bulking up security measures ahead of Donald Trump‘s inauguration ceremony on Monday, Jan. 20th.
While no specific credible threats have been identified, agencies like the FBI, Secret Service and Capitol Police authored a threat assessment asserting that extremists may view the inauguration as “their last opportunity to influence the election results through violence,” Politico reports.
The threat assessment identified foreign terrorists, domestic extremists or inidividuals who could pull off violent acts, including vehicle-ramming attacks, bomb hoaxes or swatting calls.
Law enforcement officials also cited concerns about protests breaking into chaos, especially since certain groups who’ve faced arrests in previous protests have applied for demonstration permits.
“Past protests by some of these individuals have involved traffic blockades, trespassing, property destruction, and resisting arrest,” the threat assessment said.
On Monday, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger cautioned that “lone actors” are the most serious threat to inauguration festivities, during a press conference with federal and local law enforcement officials about the inauguration.
“The biggest threat, I think, for all of us remains the lone actor,” Manger said. “Just in the past week, while President Carter was lying in state, we had two lone actors show up at the Capitol: one trying to bring in knives and a machete; another one who was trying – what I believe – to disrupt the proceedings by setting their car on fire down in the peace circle area.”
“Capitol Police were able to interdict these folks before they had a chance to do any harm,” Manger said. “But that threat of the lone actor remains the biggest justification for us being at this heightened state of alert throughout the next week.”
As a result, the inauguration will feature a higher law enforcement presence. Approximately 4,000 local law enforcement officers have volunteered to assist, and 7,800 National Guard soldiers will also be deployed.
Last week, authorities identified Virginia man Adrian J. Hinton as the suspect behind an arson attempt near the U.S. capitol.
Virginia man Adrian J. Hinton, 35, is the suspect, police announced on X Thursday morning.
He faces charges of unlawful activities after allegedly putting a flaming bag on top of a car near the Grant Memorial at around 5:30 p.m.
The bag burned out without igniting anything else, authorities said.
It was packed with accelerants and Hinton’s vehicle had been spray-painted, according to Capitol Police.
In an unrelated incident, law enforcement officials busted Mel J. Horne with a knife near the U.S. capitol. He faces multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon.
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That they seeded years ago