:format(png):focal(2262x1704:2272x1694)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gfrmedia/S36KGNH65JFPPNZ2FU6IAJZOII.jpg)
Washington – Twelve members of the US Army National Guard were removed from the contingent that will be in charge of security during Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony as president, due to links with far-right militias, official sources reported. They made it clear that there is no threat against Biden.
The information was provided by an army source and an intelligence officer, who asked not to be identified due to Department of Defense regulations on statements to the press.
The sources did not specify in which unit the individuals serve, or to which far-right militia they belonged.
The decision comes as the FBI is checking the background of all 25,000 National Guard employees who will protect Wednesday’s ceremony. US authorities have raised the possibility of an internal threat following the January 6 attack on the Capitol by fanatical supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump.
Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said in a statement Monday that he is continuing the process of background checks on National Guard personnel and that there is no evidence to date of any threat against Biden.
Nervousness has raged in Washington today since the attack on the Capitol, an event that has sparked intense security measures across the capital. On Monday, a fire broke out in a homeless camp near the legislature, leading to the evacuation of those in attendance and the interruption of a rehearsal for the inauguration.
The Secret Service has tightened security measures several days earlier than usual, and central Washington is indeed under police control, with closed streets, intermittent barriers, and thousands of policemen and soldiers patrolling the area.
At the same time, authorities have expressed nervousness about the increase in reports from members of the National Guard and the police that they are being photographed or filmed. The secret service reports an increase in the number of messages on the internet by National Guard sharing data about their location and preparations.
The Associated Press received a copy of a message broadcast by all National Guard personnel that said, “No service personnel should share on the Internet sites, photos, or descriptions of current operations or important facilities they protect.”
When the National Guard was asked by The Associated Press on Tuesday, the National Guard referred all questions to the Secret Service, stating, “For operational security reasons, we are not discussing the content or outcome of the investigation process with members of the armed forces they are taking. participate in the security of the inauguration ”. The Secret Service is a federal agency overseen by the United States Department of Homeland Security that protects, among other things, the integrity of the president, vice president, former presidents, and their close relatives.
The secret service had told the AP on Monday that it would not say whether members of the National Guard were excluded from security measures surrounding the inauguration.