The FBI and Homeland Security warned of a spike in threats against federal agents following the Mar-a-Lago raid

Matthew Loh
Updated ·2 min read
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The FBI and Homeland Security warned of a spike in threats against federal agents following the Mar-a-Lago raid

  • The FBI and DHS have reported a spike in threats against federal agents after the Mar-a-Lago raid.

  • They also warned in a joint bulletin of an increase in calls for "civil war" and "armed rebellion."

  • It also said domestic extremists may use the 2022 midterms as a "flashpoint" for more threats.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned on Friday of a rise in violent threats to federal agents and their families — including calls for "civil war" and "armed rebellion" — following the August 8 raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

In a joint bulletin, first reported by ABC News' Aaron Katersky, both agencies referenced a recent spike in violent threats against federal law enforcement officials and even the federal judge who issued the warrant for the search.

According to CBS, which published excerpts of the bulletin's text, the notice said the threats included one to "place a so-called dirty bomb in front of FBI Headquarters" along with "issuing general calls for 'civil war' and 'armed rebellion.'"

It added that domestic extremists might use the 2022 midterm election as an "additional flashpoint" to escalate threats against law enforcement and their "perceived ideological opponents," per CBS.

The bulletin said that perpetrators have also been posting the home addresses of agents and the identities of their family members and relatives online, according to the outlet.

In similar incidents over the weekend, right-wing media outlet Breitbart News and a former Trump aide were separately accused of doxxing two FBI agents who were involved in the Mar-a-Lago search.

The online threats are mainly coming from social media, video-sharing sites, web forums, and image boards, the bulletin said, per CBS.

The bulletin also mentioned an Ohio gunman who tried to forcibly enter an FBI field office in Cincinnati on Thursday with an AR-15 rifle and a nail gun. He was shot dead by police following a standoff.

The agencies said they issued the notice to "ensure that law enforcement, court, and government personnel are aware of the range of threats and criminal and violent incidents," CBS reported.

The FBI and DHS did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

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