US security agencies have arrested more than 100 individuals for their criminal activities in last week's siege of the Capitol and are monitoring “an extensive amount of concerning online chatter” ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
The violence on January 6 by outgoing President Donald Trump's supporters temporarily halted the counting of Electoral College votes and resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including a police officer.
“We and our partners have already arrested more than 100 individuals for their criminal activities in last week's siege of the Capitol and continue to pursue countless other related investigations,” Wray said during a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence.
“And those help not only prevent those individuals from any effort to repeat that kind of activity but also should serve as a very stern warning to anybody else who might be inclined to try to engage in that activity,” he said.
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Wray also said that law enforcement was aware of and monitoring “an extensive amount of concerning online chatter” ahead of President-elect Biden’s inauguration next week, but added that authorities were having to sift through “what’s aspirational versus what’s intentional.” The FBI, he said, is looking at individuals who may have an eye toward repeating that same kind of violence that was seen at the Capitol Hill last week.
“I mean, from January 6 alone, we've already identified over 200 suspects. So we know who you are, if you're out there, and FBI agents are coming to find you,” he said. It was Wray's first public appearance since rioters stormed the Capitol.
The Justice Department also announced on Thursday evening that the FBI had received more than 140,000 tips identifying rioters and had opened about 200 subject case files.
Pence thanked the FBI's aggressive posture on bringing to justice those who desecrated the seat of the democracy last week.
“As the president made clear yesterday, we are committed to an orderly transition and to a safe inauguration, and the American people deserve nothing less," Pence said.
