Police Sources: Vehicle Explosion at U.S.-Canada Border in New York Was an ‘Attempted Terrorist Attack’

Original article here.


Law enforcement officials reportedly believe a vehicle explosion at a border crossing in Niagara Falls, New York, Wednesday, was a botched terror attack.

The vehicle crashed into the checkpoint structure at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, killing the two occupants.

“The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit the checkpoint, caught fire and exploded,” NBC News reported.

A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer reportedly suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization.

A law enforcement official told NBC that an initial search did not find a secondary explosive or device.

However, according to Fox News NYC correspondent Alexis McAdams, “high level” police sources said the vehicle was “full of explosives.”

The FBI, which is reportedly investigating whether the crash was intentional, said in a statement that the “situation is very fluid.”

Fox News reported that the vehicle was heading to Canada from the United States.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement that she’s traveling to Buffalo to meet with local law enforcement officials.

“I have been briefed on the situation that occurred at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls,” Hochul said. “At my direction, the New York State Police is actively working with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to monitor all points of entry to New York. I am traveling to Buffalo to meet with law enforcement and emergency responders and will update New Yorkers when more information becomes available.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that NYC is “on heightened alert due to the upcoming holiday.”

“The NYPD and our team have been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Buffalo after an explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, and we’ve already sent NYPD officers upstate to support efforts on the ground. The NYPD and our partners have already enhanced security, and the city is on heightened alert due to the upcoming holiday, so the public will see increased security at locations across New York City, including entry and egress points into and out of the city,” Adams said.

The White House is also closely monitoring the situation, according to NBC. The Canada Border Services Agency said it was “liaising with our U.S. counterparts on this matter.”

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said it would be increasing security systemwide. Travelers at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport should expect additional screenings and vehicles coming into the airport will undergo security checks, it said.

“The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Airports are fully operational. We advise travelers to give themselves time for these extra precautions in addition to holiday travel,” the agency said in a post on X.

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