DHS: Nationwide Terror Threat Remains High From Violent Extremists Radicalized in US

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The terror threat to the US mainland remains high partly due to violent extremists radicalized in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a report released on Thursday.

"Terrorism, both foreign and domestic, remains a top threat to the Homeland, but other threats are increasingly crowding the threat space," DHS said in its 2024 threat assessment report.

"During the next year, we assess that the threat of violence from individuals radicalized in the United States will remain high, but largely unchanged, marked by lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning."

Regarding foreign terrorist groups, the report said al-Qaeda* and the Islamic State* terrorist groups are seeking to rebuild overseas and they maintain worldwide networks of supporters that could seek to target the United States.

However, the report noted illegal drugs produced in Mexico and sold in the United States are expected to continue to kill more Americans than any other threat to the US mainland, such as fentanyl.

The DHS report also mentioned that domestic and foreign adversaries will likely continue to target US critical infrastructure over the next year. DHS also pointed out that with the 2024 election coming up, it could potentially lead to violence and foreign influence targeting US election infrastructure, processes and personnel.

* terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other states