The Agriculture Department closed offices in six locations in five states, including its mammoth research center in Beltsville, MD, on Tuesday because of anonymous but serious threats. Four of the locations, including Beltsville, were to re-open today with stronger security measures in place, said The Associated Press, which quoted the White House as saying the Department of Homeland Security was working with USDA “to ensure the safety of the offices and the personnel that work there.”
The Coloradoan newspaper in Fort Collins quoted USDA spokesman Matt Herrick as saying “USDA received several anonymous messages that are concerning for the safety of USDA personnel and its facilities.” Besides offices at a USDA campus in Fort Collins and the Beltsville facility, USDA closed offices in Hamden, CT, Raleigh, NC, and Kearneysville and Leetown, WV.
All but the offices in Hamden and Leetown were to re-open today, said a USDA spokesman.
Offices for eight USDA agencies were affected by the closings. In an email to employees, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the offices were being closed “due to the serious nature of these threats,” said AP. USDA said a threatening email was received by employees at the six locations.
“Without getting into detail of the email message, USDA continues to work closely with federal and local law enforcement, including the FBI, to determine whether the threat is credible,” USDA told the AP.