Citing a weekly intelligence brief from a division of the Department of Homeland Security, investigators raised concern on white supremacist groups attempting to use the coronavirus against their perceived enemies.
What We Know:
- The brief, covered the week of February 17-24, was written by the Federal Protective Service.
- In the briefiing, it was said violent extremists “continue to make bioterrorism a popular topic among themselves”. It also stated: “White Racially Motivated Violent Extremists have recently commented on the coronavirus stating that it is an ‘OBLIGATION’ to spread it should any of them contract the virus.”
- White supremacists used the secure messaging app Telegram to discuss their plans to spread the virus and suggested targeting law-enforcement agents and “nonwhite” people.
- An FBI alert went out on Thursday telling local police agencies that extremists want their followers to try to use spray bottles to spread bodily fluids to cops on the street in an attempt to infect them.
On Friday, 442 New York city officers and 70 civilian employees of the police department had been tested positive for conoravirus by “community spread”.
