U.S. DOJ Forms New Domestic Terrorism Unit

DoJ Reveals Formation of New Domestic Terrorism Unit

Sputnik

A top FBI official revealed on Tuesday that the agency has assessed racially- or ethnically-motivated violent extremism and violent anti-government extremism as the most "lethal" terrorist threats facing the US. Senators questioned the official on many fronts, including a purported FBI involvement in the deadly US Capitol riot.

Matthew G. Olsen, the head of the US Department of Justice's National Security Division, revealed in opening remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the department would form a new Domestic Terrorism Unit to assist in combating a growing security threat. 

The DoJ official detailed that the new unit would "augment our existing approach" established by National Security Division attorneys tasked with both international and domestic cases.

"The attacks in recent years underscore the threat that domestic terrorism continues to pose to our citizens, to law enforcement officers and elected officials, and to our democratic institutions," he said.

Olsen highlighted that DoJ-affiliated authorities have arrested and charged over 725 people—with 325 of those facing felony counts—for their roles in the deadly US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

"We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies," Olsen noted.

Additionally, the FBI is seeking to identify and arrest an additional 200 suspects linked to the Jan 6, 2021, Capitol building breach, according to Jill Sanborn, executive director of the FBI's National Security Branch. 

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the senate majority whip and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, opened the hearing with a video compilation that included live footage and news reporting of the deadly insurrection, which took place shortly after then-US President Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally, protesting the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

"They are normalizing the use of violence to achieve political goals," Durbin pointed out.