TSA ramps up security, warns against lone actors after Brussels

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is ramping up security at major U.S. airports and transit stations following deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday, with officials labeling the move as a precautionary step while warning against potential lone actors.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson emphasized in a statement there is “no specific, credible intelligence of any plot to conduct similar attacks” in the United States but said the threat of a lone terrorist attack is real. 

{mosads}“We remain very focused on the threat posed by lone terrorist actors who may lack direct connection to a foreign terrorist organization,” Johnson said. “We are concerned that such radicalized individuals or small groups could carry out an attack in the homeland with little warning.”

TSA is coordinating with local authorities and law enforcement to deploy additional security to major airports, as well as some rail and transit stations.

Johnson asked the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the FBI. He also encouraged any U.S. citizens in Belgium to contact loved ones through social media, since cellphone use may be limited. 

“As I have said many times, ‘If You See Something, Say Something^’ is more than a slogan,” Johnson said.

More than two dozen people were killed, and at least 100 were wounded following a series of coordinated terrorist attacks targeting the Zaventem airport and a subway station in Brussels. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the explosions.

A number of U.S. transit authorities, including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, announced tightened security in the hours after the deadly attacks on Tuesday.

Johnson said that TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection already have existing procedures to identify and bar travel from Belgium by individuals of suspicion. He also indicated that there are other security measures in place that are “not suitable for public disclosure.”