FBI says it foiled ISIS-inspired 4th of July attacks

An NYPD officer in Times Square.
(Image credit: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)

The FBI arrested more than 10 people in the weeks leading up to the 4th of July, thwarting several plots inspired by ISIS online recruiters, FBI Director James Comey told reporters Thursday.

"I do believe our work disrupted efforts to kill people likely in connection with July 4th," he said. Comey did not say how many plots there were, or the targets. Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. were warned to be on high alert for potential attacks over the holiday weekend, but there were no incidents. A security source told Reuters some of the people arrested were communicating with ISIS using encrypted data, and Comey estimates that dozens of people influenced by ISIS have disappeared from the FBI's watch due to encrypted data.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.