The State Department on Monday renewed its call for U.S. citizens to exercise caution while overseas ahead of the July 4th holiday.
“As terrorist attacks, political violence (including demonstrations), criminal activities, and other security incidents often take place without any warning, U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness when traveling abroad,” the State Department advised in the warning.
The department had previously issued a “worldwide caution” on January 11.
The latest travel advisory does not specifically mention the Fourth of July, but follows the FBI arresting a man linked with al Qaeda on Sunday who had talked about detonating a bomb during an Independence Day parade in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to his arrest, he told an undercover FBI agent he wanted to kill members of the military and their families, as well as federal and local law enforcement officials.
Demetrius Nathaniel Pitts, also known as Abdur Raheem Rafeeq, was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman told reporters at a press conference on Monday.
