The National Counterterrorism Center issued a sobering memo Friday claiming that U.S.-designated terrorist group al-Qaida and its Yemen-based affiliate, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, remain intent on striking America, as a top Trump administration insider issued a separate warning.
In a nationwide advisory to law enforcement, the agency said the groups are seeking to exploit ongoing global conflicts and U.S. involvement overseas, Newsmax reported.
Al-Qaida and its affiliates “are likely seeking to leverage their media publications and global conflicts, particularly where there is U.S. support or military involvement, to inspire potential attackers,” the memo stated.
The center, created in 2004 after the Sept. 11 attacks, urged government personnel to heighten vigilance in the weeks ahead.
Officials were specifically advised not to share travel plans online, to avoid carrying work badges or IDs outside of official duties, and to remain alert for possible surveillance while traveling to and from federal facilities.
The memo also highlighted the risk posed to soft targets, including sporting events, concerts, and other large gatherings.
Local authorities were encouraged to deploy visible law enforcement presences, increase the number of security patrols, and conduct pre-event security briefings to help disrupt possible plots.
The agency emphasized that the intelligence was being shared not to stoke fear but to provide local law enforcement with tools to detect, deter, and prevent potential attacks before they occur.
Although the advisory described the general threat environment, conservative activist and journalist Laura Loomer issued far more dire warnings Friday night on X.
“Sources tell me tonight that the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) has officially determined that Islamic terrorists affiliated with Al Qaeda have infiltrated U.S. soil and are actively planning a series of coordinated Islamic terror attacks,” Loomer wrote.
“This marks the first time federal counterterrorism officials have openly acknowledged the immediacy of such threats,” she added.
According to Loomer, terrorists are preparing to impersonate first responders by acquiring police and EMT uniforms from surplus stores and online vendors.
She said the aim is to blend in during mass-casualty incidents, redirect panicked crowds, and then launch devastating secondary strikes.
Loomer further claimed that terrorists have already scouted hospitals and medical facilities in several major U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Miami.
The alleged plan, she said, is to cripple trauma centers and emergency rooms in order to delay or block treatment of the wounded, thereby compounding casualties.
One Department of Homeland Security source, according to Loomer, described the potential scenario as “horrific beyond comprehension.”
The warnings serve as a stark reminder that the threat of Islamist terror has not disappeared, even as America’s national security focus has shifted in recent years.
In June, Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki, the leader of al-Qaida in Yemen, released a 34-minute video explicitly calling for jihad against the United States.
The video included a call for the assassination of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance and was released shortly after U.S. officials reaffirmed their support for Israel.
“There are no boundaries left after what has occurred — and continues to occur — to our people in Gaza,” al-Awlaki said.
“As an initial and decisive action, I call upon every Muslim living in the sinful, arrogant, and criminal United States — whether Arab, American, or of any other descent. The only thing that matters is that they are Muslims, followers of the Prophet Muhammad,” he said.
On Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida operatives killed nearly 3,000 Americans in the deadliest attack on U.S. soil.
While U.S. military and intelligence operations severely weakened the organization, al-Qaida has demonstrated resilience by shifting tactics, inspiring lone-wolf actors, and exploiting unstable conflict zones from Afghanistan to North Africa.
A Department of Homeland Security report issued late last year noted that al-Qaida had “reinvigorated its outreach” to Western audiences and remained committed to targeting the U.S. homeland.
Officials have repeatedly stressed that the threat environment is complex, blending both international and domestic elements, and requires constant vigilance at every level of government.