The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are issuing this Public Service Announcement to highlight a potential public safety threat from violent extremists in response to the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, Louisiana. As with any potential threats to the United States, we will coordinate with our state and local law enforcement partners to ensure they have the resources and information necessary to keep our communities safe.

The FBI and DHS are concerned about possible copycat or retaliatory attacks due to the persistent appeal of vehicle ramming as a tactic for aspiring violent extremist attackers. Previous attackers inspired by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) who have conducted vehicle attacks in the United States and abroad have used rented, stolen, and personally owned vehicles, which are easy to acquire. Some have used additional weapons, such as firearms and knives, to attack individuals after the vehicle has stopped. Additionally, attackers may attempt to conceal and pre-position improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to supplement a vehicle attack. Targets have included pedestrians, law enforcement or military members, and crowded public venues, including festivals and commercial centers, which generally are accessible from roadways. We ask that the public remain vigilant regarding possible copycat or retaliatory attacks and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.

The FBI and DHS encourage the public to promptly report information concerning suspicious activity to tips.fbi.gov or contact their local FBI field office (www.fbi.gov /contact-us/field-offices). Call 911 to report emergencies, including imminent threats to life.

For concerns involving US citizens abroad, to include reporting missing persons or individuals taken as hostages, please call the Department of State's Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) toll-free hotline at (888) 407-4747 or complete Crisis Intake Form at https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake.

To help mitigate potential risks from a variety of threat actors, DHS, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center have compiled resources for law enforcement officers, other first responders, faith leaders, and communities, including a list of funding opportunities, resources for technical assistance, and educational materials.

Due to the highly personal nature of radicalization to violence and mobilization to violence, it can be difficult to assess specific characteristics indicating the intent of US-based violent extremists to conduct violence. The FBI and DHS urge bystanders to promptly report suspicious activities potentially related to violent extremist activity, including indications of possible online radicalization to violence and mobilization for attacks.

DHS, the FBI, and NCTC direct public safety partners to the unclassified booklet "US Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators 2021 Edition," which includes possible indicators of mobilization to violence. These indicators apply to all ideologically motivated, US-based violent extremists. DHS also has developed several unclassified resources for communities to help promote bystander awareness of potentially threatening or concerning behaviors that are observable to others and enhance the capacity to identify and mitigate threats through behavioral threat assessment and management, including publicly available training and prevention guides.