At least two members of the U.S. Army National Guard have been removed after the FBI’s vetting of the estimated 25,000 troops deployed in Washington, DC, to secure the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
The members are alleged to have ties to “right-wing militia groups,” unnamed U.S. Army officials told the Associated Press (AP).
The massive law enforcement deployment in the nation’s capital, which includes thousands more personnel with the D.C. Metropolitan Police, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the U.S. Park Police, comes after the January 6 incursion in the U.S. Capitol after Trump spoke to thousands of his supporters at the White House.
The AP also reported no credible threat has been identified:
Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said in a statement Monday that vetting of National Guard troops continues and that the Pentagon has found no intelligence so far that would indicate an insider threat.
Federal law enforcement officials have also been wary of increased surveillance of military and law enforcement checkpoints and other positions after National Guard troops reported people taking pictures and recording them, said the officials, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing security matters.
The Secret Service issued a bulletin over the weekend about what it sees as an “uptick” in National Guard troops posting pictures and details of their operations online. The Associated Press obtained the “all concerned” message sent to all National Guard troops coming to Washington. Without getting into specific postings, the bulletin read: “No service members should be posting locations, pictures or descriptions online regarding current operations or the sensitive sites they are protecting” and urged them to stop immediately.
“Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration,” a National Guard statement to AP said, and referred additional questions to the U.S. Secret Service.
NBC and MSNBC reported that the number of troops rejected could be as many as 12.
NBC NEWS: About a dozen members of National Guard relieved of duty ahead of inauguration due to vetting. @PeteWilliamsNBC reporting now on @MSNBC
— Lauren Peikoff (@laurenpeikoff) January 19, 2021
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