U.S. intelligence has alerted joint terrorism task forces that al Qaeda could be planning attacks in New York, Texas, and Virginia on Monday, CBS News reports. U.S. authorities are taking the threat seriously, though 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 said, “The counterterrorism and homeland security communities remain vigilant and well-postured to defend against attacks here in the United States.”
Intelligence about potential threats always increases during holiday seasons and when big events are approaching. As Election Day nears, federal law enforcement is planning for several worst-case scenarios. Earlier this week, an alert warned local police of “polling places” being seen as “attractive targets” for “lone wolf”-type attacks by individuals motivated by violent extremist ideologies, sovereign citizen or other extremist activity.