FBI Director Identifies White Supremacists and Anti-Government Extremists as Top DVE Threats

In testimony before a Senate Committee yesterday, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated the greatest terrorism threat to the U.S. is posed by lone actors or small cells who typically radicalize online and look to attack soft targets with easily accessible weapons. He said these threats are manifested from two distinct groups: domestic violent extremists (DVEs) – individuals who commit violent criminal acts in furtherance of social or political goals stemming from domestic influences – and homegrown violent extremists (HVEs), who are inspired primarily by global jihad but are not receiving individualized direction from foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). Speaking of DVEs, he said the top threat continues to be from racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs), largely those who advocate for the superiority of the white race. He explained they were the primary source of lethal attacks perpetrated by DVEs in 2018 and 2019 and that they FBI has also recently seen an increase in fatal DVE attacks perpetrated by anti-government or anti-authority violent extremists, specifically militia violent extremists and anarchist violent extremists. Regarding HVEs, Director Wray observed they represent the greatest, most immediate international terrorism threat to the homeland. He also noted the FBI remains concerned that FTOs, such as the Islamic State and al Qa’ida, intend to carry out or inspire large-scale attacks in the United States. Director Wray also commented on cyber threats, foreign influence operations, and violent crime. Read more at the FBI.