DHS warns terror risk in the U.S. will remain high this year

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned Wednesday that the risk of both foreign and domestic terror threats against the U.S. would remain high through 2025.

"This is due to a confluence of factors, including potential violent extremist responses to domestic sociopolitical developments — particularly the 2024 election cycle — and international events like the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict," the agency said. "Lone offenders and small groups continue to pose the greatest threat."

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DHS' annual Homeland Threat Assessment also tracks border security, the risks from illegal drug trade, and the security of the U.S. economy and critical infrastructure, among other threats.

The agency says it is pushing resources toward detecting and stopping the trafficking of drugs like fentanyl, and has seen success in reducing the number of annual overdose deaths.

DHS says it is working to identify and stop people "who may present a threat to public safety or national security" from entering U.S. borders.

The department says China, Russia and Iran are still the biggest foreign state threats to U.S. infrastructure, and warns state actors and financial criminals may continue to call for physical attacks, especially in response to international conflicts. China is also expected to continue industrial espionage and intellectual property theft "to undercut U.S. and partner competitiveness."

DHS encourages the public to report suspicious incidents or violent threats to local law enforcement and to the FBI.