Homeland Security warns extremists could strike amid coronavirus crisis

A new Department of Homeland Security intelligence bulletin to law enforcement is warning that violent extremists could strike the U.S. amid the coronavirus crisis.

“Violent extremists probably are seeking to exploit public fears associated with the spread of COVID-19 to incite violence, intimidate targets and promote their ideologies, and we assess these efforts will intensify in the coming months,” the bulletin states according to ABC News.

DHS said that it possesses “no information indicating any active plotting is underway” but that there have been groups seeking to disseminate coronavirus misinformation. 

The DHS bulletin mentions white supremacists on the internet who have "advocated for violence against a range of targets, including critical infrastructure and faith-based and minority communities -- including Asian Americans in response to the COVID outbreak." 

"Among the activities by extremist organizations cited in the DHS bulletin is a clipping from a weekly ISIS newsletter, which called for supporters to carry out attacks against overburdened health care systems in various Western countries," ABC News reported.