Federal officials are cautioning that foreign terrorist organizations “continue to encourage attacks in the United States” and have previously circulated propaganda tied to the Sept. 11 anniversary ahead of past commemorations, according to a bulletin reviewed by ABC News.
The FBI is specifically concerned that terrorism-related actors already in the U.S. could be motivated by the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to carry out violence or make hoax threats, the bulletin says. Authorities note that such individuals have demonstrated a willingness to act with little or no warning.
The document warns that propaganda from foreign terrorist groups, when combined with continuing conflicts in the Middle East, could deepen existing hostility toward the United States and help push some individuals toward violence.
Earlier Thursday, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the country is confronting “a heightened and increasingly complex terrorism threat environment,” one that has “changed significantly since the attacks of September 11, 2001.”
“Before 9/11, the primary concern came from centralized international terrorist organizations. Today, those groups remain a threat, but the landscape is broader and more dispersed,” the DHS spokesperson said. “Individuals and small cells now plot attacks independently, often motivated by a range of ideological and political goals.”
Foreign terrorist organizations including ISIS and al-Qaeda are still seeking opportunities to either carry out attacks in the United States or inspire others to do so, the spokesperson said.
The threat is not limited to overseas groups. “At the same time, domestic terrorists continue to plan acts of violence, often driven by anti-government views and a desire to destabilize society,” the spokesperson added.
Over the past year and a half, the FBI has arrested at least 16 people inside the United States for allegedly plotting, or supporting plots, to kill Americans on behalf of al-Qaeda or ISIS, officials said.
A March assessment from the U.S. intelligence community on global threats found that while ISIS and al-Qaeda may rely heavily on social media to reach audiences in America, both groups have expanded overseas. The report estimated ISIS has as many as 18,000 members worldwide, while al-Qaeda’s ranks could total up to 28,000.
The Department of Homeland Security was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks to bring agencies responsible for protecting the homeland under a single umbrella.
Beyond the evolving terrorism landscape, the DHS spokesperson also pointed to another emerging concern: the use of artificial intelligence by extremist actors.
“Terrorists are increasingly experimenting with generative AI, not only to create and circulate violent online propaganda, but to explore ways to use explosives and biological agents to conduct attacks,” the spokesperson said.
AI advancements “could make terrorist activity faster, more scalable, and harder to detect,” according to the spokesperson.
Law enforcement generally is also concerned about the use of drones.
“While the United States has not experienced a large-scale terrorist attack involving drones, the Department takes seriously the possibility that a drone could be used near critical infrastructure or to disrupt emergency response operations,” according to the spokesperson.
In an interview with ABC News’ Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas last week, FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia said drones are at the “forefront” of his priorities. “You would be silly to think that that’s not coming to the United States at some point, and we are trying to stay ahead of that.”
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