US officials on Wednesday alerted lawmakers to a potential threat against the US Capitol on March 4, for which security has been enhanced as a precaution, less than two months after the Capitol complex was stormed by protesters.
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI sent a joint intelligence bulletin to state and local law enforcement late Tuesday warning some domestic groups have discussed plans to take control of the US Capitol and remove democratic lawmakers. This comes from a senior law enforcement official who described the document to NBC News.
The bulletin, warning that “domestic violent extremists” or “militia violent extremists” were emboldened by the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and, as a result, the overall threat they pose is higher and not just on March 4.
The warning also states that “domestic violent extremists” have a continued, “perception of election fraud and other conspiracy theories associated with the Presidential transition, which may have contributed to,” them, “mobilizing to violence with little or no warning.”
Law enforcement officials say the bulletin makes clear, “the threat did not begin or end on January 6.”
