“It’s not a matter of if they will attack; it’s only a question of when.”
Ohio’s Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones delivered this ominous message after attending the National Sheriffs’ Association Conference in Washington, D.C., held from Feb. 3-6, as reported by the Journal-News. During the conference, FBI officials alerted sheriffs from across the country about imminent terrorist threats to the U.S.
“There are individuals already within our borders who harbor hatred towards us and wish to do us harm,” cautioned Jones. He is steadfast in his mission to ensure his department is well-prepared.
The emerging generation of terrorists demonstrates sophistication. The FBI briefed sheriffs on potential cyberattacks capable of disrupting power grids and causing train derailments. Terrorist cells may coordinate attacks on multiple areas of the country.
Sheriff Jones disclosed that his office faces an average of “five cyberhack attempts a day by the Chinese, three times a day by the Iranians, and we got hacked two years ago by the Russians.” He emphasized that this is not an isolated incident and likely occurs nationwide.
Highlighting the alarming situation, Jones noted that the Chinese outnumber the U.S. 50 to 1 in people working on cyberattacks and prevention. Their objective is to induce chaos and disruption immediately, exploiting vulnerabilities identified through red flags and intelligence chatter gathered by the FBI.
The FBI cautioned sheriffs that individuals have crossed the border with malicious intent, reaching unprecedented levels of threat, according to Jones. This isn’t a minor incursion; thousands of terrorists are poised to unleash chaos across the nation, potentially targeting national and local elections to undermine faith in the government.
Jones urged state lawmakers to pass legislation in Ohio that enables felony charges against illegal immigrants, similar to measures in Texas. He also advocated for the appointment of a state cybersecurity czar to safeguard government organizations against terrorist hacks and emphasized the need for a task force to secure Ohio’s northern border due to increased illegal activities flowing through the Canadian border.
Jones asserted that terrorists won’t limit their attacks to major cities but will target smaller cities and rural areas. “The terrorists are here, we have already been told that, from 160 countries that want to do us harm,” Jones emphasized. “We have been told by the FBI that they are here, and it is just a matter of time before they attack.”
Recognizing the limitations of the national government, Jones stressed the importance of local police preparedness. His department is gearing up by equipping all cruisers with AR-15s and expanding hazmat training.
Acknowledging the collaborative effort required, Jones announced a public training class scheduled for May, titled “When Disaster Strikes: Prepare, Act, Survive.” This course aims to educate citizens on disaster preparedness, survival strategies, and participation in search and rescue operations post-disaster or terrorist attacks.
The plea is clear: communities must be proactive in their preparedness for terrorist attacks and other natural disasters. The certainty is that disasters will occur, and readiness can make the difference between life and death.
It’s time for action. Now.