Law enforcement failed to act on intel ahead of Capitol riot: report

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A sprawling network of federal and local law enforcement across the US that is designed to stave off terrorist threats failed to protect the Capitol on Jan. 6 because officials did not act on intelligence that had been gathered prior to the riot, a report said Monday.

The intelligence included warnings from federal-local law enforcement “fusion centers” across the country that warned of protesters traveling to DC with weapons, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing internal documents viewed by the newspaper.

An FBI field office also warned the federal and local agencies handling security for the protest of demonstrators sharing maps of the Capitol and a “call for war,” the Journal reported.

But despite the warnings, the intelligence arm of the Department of Homeland Security wrote there was “nothing significant to report” in a Jan. 5 memo to law enforcement across the country.

As a result, the security forces in DC were woefully unprepared for the mob of President Donald Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol, leaving five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer.

According to the Journal, the heads of the nationwide “fusion centers” — where local law enforcement share intelligence with federal authorities — hosted a call on Jan. 4 to warn of the number of participants planning to bring weapons to the “Stop the Steal” rally.

The intelligence was shared with the Washington, D.C., fusion center — and, in turn, with the offices tasked with providing security for the Jan. 6 event.

DHS declined to tell the Journal if it took any action based on the call, while the FBI said it held a separate call to brief other law enforcement officials about the possibility of protesters bringing weapons to the rally.

The Journal also highlighted a report from the FBI field office in Norfolk, Va., that pointed to a message board where one user was urging protesters to “go there ready for war” and sharing maps of the Capitol complex.

The intelligence was shared with the joint terrorism task force in Washington, but not acted on by the FBI, according to the report.

The bureau told the newspaper the information was uncorroborated and not linked to specific suspects, which made following up on it difficult.

In the weeks since the riot, more than 100 people have been charged with federal crimes, including members of the Proud Boys and fringe groups such as the Oath Keepers, who allegedly conspired together prior to the riot.

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