FBI warns of increased risk of coordinated terrorist attack in the US

(Patria) - FBI Director Christopher Wray warned of an increased risk of a coordinated terrorist attack in the US.

Wray said the FBI is "increasingly concerned about the possibility of some kind of coordinated attack here in the homeland."

He added that such an event could be similar to what happened at "a concert hall in Russia a few weeks ago, where the attack was carried out by ISIS-K."

At least 144 people were killed in the attack on a concert hall in Moscow on March 22, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Russia in the last 20 years.

Wray had previously said he was concerned about the increased terrorist threat and warned a House of Representatives panel earlier this month that "the current terrorist threat is the greatest I can recall in my career."

"When I look back on my career in law enforcement, it would be hard for me to remember a time when there were so many threats to our public and national security," Wray stated.

The FBI had 4,000 open international terrorism investigations at the end of last year, according to Wray.

He also said the terrorist threat to the US increased after Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7.

"We thought the terrorist threat was already elevated before October 7. But after October 7, it went to a completely different level," he said.

Speaking about the increasingly hostile international environment and the potential spread of terrorist activities, he emphasized:

"Whether it's a threat from China, Russia, Iran, we have foreign terrorist threats, but also domestic terrorism threats."

Wray, appointed by Trump in 2017, has led a campaign in Congress to secure more funding for his agency.

The FBI's budget for fiscal year 2024 is $500 million less than what is needed to maintain its current functions.

Trump became very angry with Wray and the FBI, claiming they "unfairly targeted him in investigations."

Trump recently called on Congress to cut the agency's funding, calling the FBI and the Department of Justice "vicious monsters."

The increasingly fierce attacks on the bureau have led to a rise in attacks on its employees and buildings, Reuters reports.

"We have seen a significant spike in threats to FBI personnel and facilities from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023. We were forced to create a special unit to try to address these issues," Wray told Congress.