A dozen Army National Guard members tasked with keeping President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration safe and secure have reportedly been removed from their posts after they were found to have ties to fringe, right-wing militia groups.
The Associated Press, which broke the news on Tuesday, stressed that investigators did not find any plot against Biden. The report also did not specify to which groups the two are believed to be linked.
“Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration,” the Secret Service said. The Secret Service, which is the lead agency in charge of the inauguration’s security, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
Law enforcement officials are on high alert for Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday following the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. President Trump, who urged supporters to march on the building as lawmakers counted electoral votes, has been impeached on a charge of inciting an insurrection. Trump, on his way out of office, now faces a Senate trial. He denies doing anything improper.
Five people died amid the mayhem of the siege of Congress, including a Capitol Police officer. A widespread investigation is being conducted into the riot, and authorities have made a wave of arrests and levied a series of charges against people allegedly linked to the breach.
The FBI warned both Washington, D.C., and state capitals nationwide to be on alert for armed protests.
“We are seeing an extensive amount of concerning online chatter,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said during a briefing with Vice President Mike Pence last week. “Right now, we are tracking for potential armed protest.”
Roughly 25,000 National Guard members from 44 states have been deployed to the district ahead of the inauguration, each reportedly subject to vetting by the FBI.
Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller called the vetting process for large events “normal.”
“While we have no intelligence indicating an insider threat, we are leaving no stone unturned in securing the capital,” Miller said in a statement on Monday. “This type of vetting often takes place by law enforcement for significant security events. However, in this case the scope of military participation is unique.”
