FBI Urges Vigilance Against Terrorist Truckers

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned the nation of possibly more terrorist attacks on the horizon, based on information given the bureau, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. Specifically, Washington DC-area police have been advised to be on immediate and special alert for truck bombs. District of Columbia police also have received training on how to spot terrorists masquerading as truckers, the Washington Post reported.

A target and threat of a potential attack are not specific, but federal agents have cautioned DC, Maryland, and Virginia police that future attacks may be carried out with trucks, rather than planes, by suspected terrorists who enrolled in United States truck driving schools. DC police officers recently stopped about 700 trucks throughout Washington to check cargo and manifests.

The FBI reportedly has given pagers to some top area law enforcement officials, promising to keep them informed. Concern about truck bombs led the federal government to announce that it was banning non-delivery trucks larger than 1.25 tons from a 40-block area around the Capitol. The ban has been described by law enforcement as “coincidental” to the FBI ban. Police claim they did not take that action in response to a specific threat, but it does offer an extra security tool.