Federal bulletin issued ahead of 9/11 anniversary

The federal government has issued a bulletin ahead of the 9/11 anniversary, alerting the public and authorities to the ongoing threat of terrorism within the United States. The bulletin, reviewed by ABC News, states that terrorist organizations continue to encourage attacks in the U.S. and have been distributing 9/11-related propaganda prior to previous anniversaries.

The FBI is particularly concerned about the potential for domestic actors to engage in violence or hoax threats in response to the 25th anniversary, noting that these individuals show a readiness to act with minimal warning. The bulletin suggests that messaging from foreign terrorist organizations, combined with ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, could exacerbate existing grievances against the U.S. and contribute to a heightened risk of violence.

Earlier this week, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson stated that the nation now faces a more complex and evolving terrorism threat landscape. While centralized international terrorist groups still pose a threat, the DHS spokesperson emphasized that today's landscape is broader and more dispersed, with individuals and small cells often plotting attacks independently, driven by various ideological and political motivations.

Both foreign and domestic terrorist groups continue to seek ways to carry out or inspire attacks in the U.S. The FBI has recently arrested at least 16 individuals in the U.S. for allegedly plotting or supporting attacks on behalf of al-Qaeda or ISIS. The U.S. intelligence community has reported a growing presence of ISIS and al-Qaeda overseas, with ISIS boasting up to 18,000 members and al-Qaeda up to 28,000 members worldwide.

In addition to the threat of traditional terrorist groups, the DHS has also warned about the increasing use of artificial intelligence by terrorists. The spokesperson noted that terrorists are experimenting with generative AI to create and spread violent propaganda, as well as to explore the use of explosives and biological agents in attacks.

The rapid advancements in AI could make terrorist activities faster, more scalable, and harder to detect. Law enforcement agencies are also concerned about the potential misuse of drones, particularly in relation to critical infrastructure and emergency response operations. While a large-scale terrorist attack involving drones has not yet occurred in the U.S., officials take the possibility seriously and are actively monitoring the situation.

FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas that drones are a top priority for the bureau, emphasizing that the threat of drone-based attacks is a real possibility in the future.