Mass. Security Officials On Alert After Warning
FBI Investigates Uncorroborated Tip
POSTED: 3:35 pm EST January 19, 2005
UPDATED: 4:42 pm EST January 19, 2005
BOSTON -- The FBI notified Boston area law enforcement Wednesday to be on the lookout for four people described as possible terror suspects who may be headed to the area.
A federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the matter remains under investigation, told The Associated Press that the FBI's joint terrorism task force has not yet corroborated a tip that the suspects entered the United States through Mexico in recent days, possibly bound for Boston.
The official stressed the tip is one of many from around the country that routinely are forwarded to local task forces for further investigation. No credible, specific terror threat has been identified in connection with the tip about suspects possibly entering the country from Mexico.
The investigation prompted Gov. Mitt Romney, who was in Washington to attend Thursday's presidential inauguration, to decided to return to Boston later Wednesday evening, his spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom said. The governor planned to hold a news conference in Washington Wednesday night to discuss the matter before returning home.
FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz said the terror alert had not been raised for Boston.
"Basically, what you have here is information that we often get," she said. "It's uncorroborated at this time."
"It's been passed on to our law enforcement partners and we're working it aggressively," she said.
Among the law enforcement agencies alerted was the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, where Deputy Chief Paul MacMillan told the AP that an "alert bulletin" was issued to its officers, as well as subway, train, bus and station workers to be on the lookout for the individuals.
"There is no specific threat or target indicated," he said, declining to discuss the details further.
Aha, thanks. So the Gov. is having the press conf.