NEW YORK – The FBI and New York Police Department say they are assessing the credibility of information they received of a possible al-Qaida terror attack against the U.S. on the eve of Election Day.
Officials say Friday that counterterrorism investigators are reviewing the information that mentioned New York, Texas and Virginia as potential targets.
It wasn't immediately clear how the intelligence came to investigators' attention. An NYPD spokesman says in a statement the information "lacks specificity."
This browser does not support the Video element.
Counterterrorism officials were alerted to the threats out of an "abundance of caution."
In a statement, the FBI said it was working closely with law enforcement agencies and sharing intelligence reports. CBS News first reported of the potential threat.
From the CBS news report:
Potential threats always increase during holiday seasons and when big events are approaching, intelligence said.
Increased security was already planned for Election Day, as federal law enforcement plan for “several worst-case scenarios.”
Officials say they regularly assess all possible security threats ahead of major events.