The Tell FBI Fears/Feared New Orleans Terrorist Cell Possibility
At least temporarily on Wednesday, the FBI was clearly concerned that the ISIS-inspired/-directed attack in New Orleans may have been the work of a broader cell of terrorists. Early on Wednesday morning, a U.S. citizen, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a truck at high speed into New Year’s Eve revelers celebrating on New Orleans’s famous Bourbon Street. At least 15 people were killed. Vehicle ramming attacks are an ISIS hallmark.
Later came media reports that the FBI believed three or four individuals other than Jabbar were caught on security cameras laying explosive devices. These reports may have been mistaken.
Still, one key indication that the FBI had at least some credible intelligence to indicate a sustaining threat was the deployment of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team to New Orleans. As I noted earlier, a Department of Justice Boeing 757-200 aircraft flew from Richmond, Virginia, to New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon. HRT deployments on these aircraft operate under call signs JENA1 and JENA2. It is probable that elements from the FBI’s counter-IED section and crisis negotiation unit joined HRT on the flight. All three of these units belong to the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group based out of the bureau’s presence at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia.
The HRT deployment here is highly notable. There are certain assets that the FBI will deploy following terrorist attacks or other incidents in order to reassure the public that their safety is paramount even where the FBI believes the threat has been addressed. These include public disclosure of the deployment of evidence response teams, additional agents from other FBI field offices, etc. . .
HRT operates three tactical assault/sniper teams, Gold, Silver, and Blue, which rotate through training, support, and crisis contingency deployments. A small number of HRT operators from the team on support duty are regularly deployed nationally and globally as advisers or on temporary missions such as high-threat reconnaissance, close protection, and cross-training operations with other tactical units. (Read more from “The Tell FBI Fears/Feared New Orleans Terrorist Cell Possibility” HERE)
