Army Warns of Terror Threat in Florida

Newsweek

5 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) sent out a letter warning about a "potential terrorist threat" in Florida.
The letter was sent to retired senior officials living in Florida who had worked previously for the Defense Department (DOD) in Syria or Iraq.
Colonel Allie Weiskopf, U.S. Special Operations Command director of public affairs, told Newsweek: "The military receives reports of threats all the time. In this case, Army Special Operations wanted to ensure the right personnel were tracking."
Neither the nature of the threat nor a terrorist group was mentioned in the letter.
Close-up US ARMY badge taken at the U.S. military training area Grafenwoehr, headquarters of the 7th Army Training Command on March 11th, 2022.
Close-up US ARMY badge taken at the U.S. military training area Grafenwoehr, headquarters of the 7th Army Training Command on March 11th, 2022.
Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Why It Matter
Colonel Allie Scott explained to The New York Times that this kind of letter is not uncommon, but that the threat was deemed credible enough to issue the warning.
USASOC was involved in strikes across Syria and Iraq targeting the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. Many of those involved in those strikes have remained unidentified for fear of retaliation.
What To Know
The letter sent on July 15 is a "Duty to Warn" letter. It was posted to social media by Marine and blogger Kagan Dunlap, and initially confirmed by USASOC to The New York Times and Task & Purpose on July 17.
The warning, sent by Colonel Mark A. Katz, USASOC provost marshal, states that the threat does not involve current USASOC personnel, but it should "reinforce the importance of vigilance and situational awareness."
The MacDill Air Force Base in Florida is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Special Operations Command and Central Command. The US Southern Command is also headquartered in Florida, at a location in Miami.
In early 2025, the FBI said that the driver involved in the New Year's Eve car-ramming attack in New Orleans, which killed 14 people, had an Islamic State flag in his vehicle.
What People Are Saying
The letter states: "This message is to inform you of a recent 'Duty to Warn' notification regarding a potential terrorist threat targeting retired senior officials who previously served in the Department of Defense with roles in the Syria/Iraq theater. The current geographic focus of this threat is Florida."
Colonel Allie Weiskopf, U.S. Special Operations Command director of public affairs, told Newsweek: "We can't name specific people or terrorist organizations, and we always encourage our service members and retirees to be vigilant."
Colonel Allie Scott told Task & Purpose: "I would say that there was information that was credible enough to provide this level of reporting to our formation."
Scott further explained: "We issued that warning, as we do with all credible threats, we issued those to our formations because, of course, the security and safety of all our personnel is important."
What Happens Next
Retired military personnel living in Florida should report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement. Other personnel should remain vigilant, the letter states.