Federal authorities are warning of an increase in threats to law enforcement following the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.
The threats, which “occur primarily online and across multiple platforms, including social media sites, web forums, video sharing platforms and image boards,” were identified by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the days following the FBI’s announcement authorized the seizure of 11 sets of classified documents from the former president’s home, including four sets that are classified as “Top Secret,” according to the unsealed search warrant.
“The FBI and DHS would like to ensure that law enforcement officials, the courts, and the government are aware of the array of threats and criminal and violent incidents,” the memo said.
The internal intelligence memo was shared with state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement officials across the country late Friday evening.
According to the bulletin, “The FBI and DHS have seen an increase in threats of violence posted on social media against federal officials and facilities, including a threat to plant a so-called dirty bomb outside FBI headquarters and making general calls for ‘civil war’ and ‘armed uprising”.”
This includes threats that are “specific to the identification of proposed targets, tactics or weapons,” the bulletin noted.
“Since August 8, 2022, the FBI and DHS have identified multiple articulated threats and calls for the targeted killing of judicial, law enforcement and government officials related to the Palm Beach search, including the federal judge who approved the Palm Beach search warrant,” the newsletter continued. “The FBI and DHS have also observed the personally identifiable information of potential targets of violence, such as home addresses and identification of family members, being distributed online as additional targets.”
The assessment noted that three days after the search, “Ricky Schiffer, Jr., wearing a technical vest and armed with an AR-style rifle and a nail gun, attempted to force his way into the FBI’s Cincinnati field office,” and described the standoff with the FBI and law enforcement officials that ultimately led to Schiffer’s death.
Hours before the standoff, Schiffer appeared to post on former President Donald Trump’s social media platform Truth Social that he wanted to kill federal agents.
The post, which was later removed by the site’s moderators, appeared shortly after the FBI searched the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence last Monday.
“When they come for you, kill them,” the suspect wrote. “Be an American, not an ox.”
The posts represent just a small fraction of the violent extremist content that has flooded far-right message boards and social media platforms since the FBI raid of the Mar-a-Lago resort. Phrases including “civil war” and “lock and load” appeared on Telegram channels, Gab, Reddit and TheDonald, a popular forum among Trump supporters.
“As a result of recent activities, we estimate that potential targets of DVE violence moving forward could include law enforcement, judicial officials, individuals involved in conspiracy theories, and perceived ideological opponents who challenge their worldview,” the joint newsletter continues.
He warned that events could “escalate the threat” further, including “potential future law enforcement or legal action against individuals associated with the Palm Beach search, statements by government officials that incite violence, high-profile successful DVE attacks that inspire copycats, or the emergence of additional conspiracy theories.”
The bulletin also noted that the threats seen so far since the search point to the possibility that domestic violent extremists may see the November 2022 midterm elections as “an additional flashpoint around which to escalate threats against perceived ideological opponents, including federal law enforcement personnel.” “
ABC News was the first to report on the intelligence bulletin. DHS declined to comment.
In a statement, an FBI spokesman said the agency is “always concerned about violence and threats of violence against law enforcement, including the men and women of the FBI.”
“We work closely with our law enforcement partners to assess and respond to such threats, which are reprehensible and dangerous,” the statement continued. “As always, we would like to remind members of the public that if they notice anything suspicious, to report it to law enforcement immediately.”
Jeff Pegus and Jake Rosen contributed to this report.
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Nicole Sganga
CBS News reporter covering homeland security and justice.
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