FBI Director Says HVEs, Domestic Extremists, and FTOs Are Most Persistent Terrorist Threat to U.S.

In testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee yesterday, FBI Director Christopher Wray identified the most persistent terrorism threats to the U.S. as homegrown violent extremists (HVEs), domestic extremists, and foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). Drawing a link between two of the groups, he explained how FTOs have made extensive use of the Internet and social media to disseminate propaganda and training materials to attract and influence individuals in the U.S., giving rise to HVEs. Director Wray observed such tactics have enabled FTOs to no longer rely on getting operatives into the U.S. to carry out attacks, but he acknowledged that the FBI remains concerned that groups like the Islamic State and al Qa’ida possess the intent to carry out large-scale attacks in the U.S. Speaking about domestic extremists, he said the top threat in this category stems from those the FBI designates as racially/ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs). According to Director Wray, RMVEs were the primary source of ideologically-motivated lethal incidents and violence in 2018 and 2019, and have been considered the most lethal of all domestic extremism movements since 2001. He also covered cyber threats in his testimony, noting that the FBI is focused on “the most dangerous malicious cyber activity:” high-level intrusions by state-sponsored hackers, global organized crime syndicates, and other technically sophisticated and dangerous actors. Read Director Wray’s testimony at the FBI.