FBI alert: Middle Eastern men intimidating military families in Colorado, Wyoming (all states - not just military

The FBI [2] has issued an alert to all law enforcement agencies in Colorado and Wyoming, warning them to be on the lookout for suspicious Middle Eastern men who have been approaching U.S. military families.

According to the alert, the men have been approaching military families at their homes and have tried to use intimidation to get their personal information, CBS reported [3].

In one case in May, two Middle Eastern men approached the wife of a service member in front of her home in Colorado and told her that she was the wife of a “U.S. interrogator,” the alert said.

When the woman denied their claims, the men laughed at her. They left the area in a dark-colored, four-door sedan with two other Middle Eastern males in the vehicle, the alert said, CBS [4] reported.

The woman told officials that she had seen the car in the neighborhood on previous occasions.

The alert comes on the heels of two shootings in as many days targeting soldiers training at Camp Shelby [5] in southern Mississippi.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Cory Gardner, Colorado Republican, said he was “alarmed” by the reports detailed in the FBI [2] alert.

“This news comes less than two weeks after FBI [2] Director James Comey, speaking in Denver, warned of the heightened threat from the Islamic State that Colorado specifically faces,” Mr. Gardner said.

He added that his office is in contact with authorities and will continue to monitor the situation.

Similar incidents were reported in Wyoming throughout June, according to the alert.

“On numerous occasions, family members of military personnel were confronted by Middle Eastern males in front of their homes. The males have attempted to obtain personal information about the military members and family members through intimidations,” the alert says. “Those family members reported feeling scared.”

The men haven’t been identified, and the FBI [2] isn’t sure if the incidents involve the same men, the alert said.

Colorado’s Department of Homeland Security told CBS [4] it is aware of the incidents and encouraged military families to report any suspicious behavior to the FBI [2].

Colorado is home to a number of military facilities, such as Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Academy. Wyoming is home to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base.

Meanwhile, Camp Shelby [5] is on high alert after a second shooting on Wednesday.
[6]

Soldiers reported hearing shots early in the morning near the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, the same area where shots had been fired a day earlier.

The suspect in both shootings was a white male driving a red pickup truck of an unknown make and model.

No injuries were reported in either incident and all personnel are accounted for.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday afternoon that a white male, called a person of interest in relation to both shootings at Camp Shelby [5], was taken into custody and being held for questioning.

Following the second shooting, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant issued a statement encouraging military personnel across the state to “take appropriate steps to defend themselves as necessary,” USA Today reported.

“This is one of the reasons I recently signed an executive order directing certain National Guard personnel to be armed,” he added.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/5/fbi-alert-middle-eastern-... [7]