Domestic Terror Poses Greatest Threat To NJ, Homeland Security Says

NEW JERSEY - Homegrown violent extremists and white supremacists are the largest threat to the state in 2024, surpassing foreign terror organizations, anarchists and more, according to a new report from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

The agency's latest threat assessment, published last month, noted white racially motivated extremists will focus on attacking vulnerable targets due to "high casualty potential" and writing or posting hateful material to threaten others and share their motivations.

White supremacist attacks have resulted in 51 deaths and 53 injuries in the last five years, the office said, with a third of all attacks and threats from domestic extremists in the U.S. taking place in the Garden State and surrounding states.

"While the threat from HAMAS and other foreign terrorist organizations is low, HVEs [homegrown violent extremists], inspired by these groups, may be motivated by global conflicts to plan or execute attacks in the U.S. Domestic extremists, including WRMEs [white racially motivated extremists], may exploit the upcoming presidential election to amplify their ideologies and commit acts of violence, focusing on soft targets like mass gatherings and critical infrastructure," Laurie R. Doran, director of the NJOHSP, said in a statement.

The report also suggests some extremists may be motivated by ongoing political conflict abroad, such as the Israel-Hamas war. Karrem Nasr, of Lawrenceville, was arrested in December in Kenya after he attempted to join al-Shabaab in Somalia, the report said. Nasr's decision to travel was fueled by the war, officials said.

Domestic Terrorism

Last year, over two dozen domestic extremists were arrested in the U.S.; two died by suicide after an attack and three engaged in a fatal confrontation with law enforcement, according to the report. Nearly half of those arrested were affiliated with racially motivated extremism.

2023's recorded incidents are down year-over-year from a record high in 2019 of 44 domestic extremist incidents, per the report.

"Domestic extremists with varying ideologies will participate in counterprotest demonstrations, engage in doxxing campaigns, and vandalize public and private property," the report reads. "Rather than conduct lethal attacks, supporters have relied on these tactics to motivate others to engage in similar criminal activities."

The New Jersey incidents referenced in the report includes a March 2023 attack at an anti-racism concert at an Asbury Park church in which a Toms River man yelled “white lives matter” while throwing smoke bombs and pepper-spraying people. Read more: Toms River Man Shouted 'White Lives Matter' In NJ Church Attack: AG

Last March, New Jersey resident Richard Golden was arrested for writing a death threat, claiming he would kill a Florida sheriff after the sheriff denounced a WRME group for spreading fear and antisemitic hate literature in a Jewish community. Read more: NJ Man Wanted For Threatening Florida Sheriff Nabbed

The report details predicted behaviors for domestic extremists – who are primarily anarchist, anti-government, and racially motivated – in 2024, which will "exploit the presidential election to amplify their hostility towards social and economic policies, immigration, and ethnic and religious minorities."

The extremists are predicted to include anti-government and militia extremists who will engage in violent demonstrations, advocate for a second civil war and spread violent propaganda online, as well as white supremacists who will disparage democracy as an external threat to the white race and partake in public marches, riots and violence that present an "opportunity for a mass casualty event."

"Domestic extremists’ aversion to elections and democracy while embracing accelerationism, anarchy, and racial segregation will incite supporters to plot violent counter protest demonstrations, threaten government officials, and target critical infrastructure," the report adds.

Cybersecurity Threat

The Garden State will continue to face high cybersecurity threats on the heels of last year's threats and attacks, with over 4,100 ransomware attacks reported in 2023. Of those, 60 New Jersey organizations were affected, including CentraState Medical Center, Capital Health Hospital System, and Ardent Health Services/Hackensack Meridian Hospitals, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, the Camden County Police Department, B&G Foods, Montclair Township, and Shore Regional School District. Read more: NJ Schools, Law Enforcement Targeted In $200M Ransomware Attack: Feds

Another 227 incidents of social engineering through phishing emails, voice calls and more were reported to the NJCCIC, as well as 180 incidents of unauthorized hacking.

The report assessed, "with high confidence that, in 2024, New Jersey’s public and private institutions, critical infrastructure assets, and residents will continue to face an array of cyberattacks that are costly and operationally debilitating."

"These attacks will have the potential to adversely impact public health, the welfare and safety of our residents, the economy and public interests of the state and national security," the report added.

The report advocates for robust security measures and proactive mitigation as the state faces threats that can be launched "from anywhere in the world at any time of day or night" from nation-state actors, hacktivists and others fueled by geopolitical unrest.

"Systemic cyber risk threatens widespread disruptions and cascading failures across sectors, requiring collaborative efforts to build resilience and enhance preparedness," the report concluded.

You can read the 68-page threat assessment here.

If someone witnesses suspicious behavior in New Jersey, experts say it’s imperative that it be reported.

"Recognizing the public as one of our first and best lines of defense in the fight against terrorism, I urge you all to stay vigilant," Doran said. "If you 'See Something, Say Something' by reporting terrorism-related suspicious activity to NJOHSP’s Counterterrorism Watch Desk at 866-4-SAFE-NJ and tips@njohsp.gov."