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Newly declassified intelligence documents indicate that a significant portion of domestic terrorism investigations and arrests reported in 2021 were related to the January 6 Capitol riot, according to a report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
The “Special Analysis” report—compiled by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in February 2022—found that approximately 61% of FBI domestic terrorism investigations at that time were connected to the events of January 6, 2021. Additionally, 78% of domestic terrorism-related arrests in 2021 were linked to that incident.
These findings were disclosed in a document declassified earlier this year by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Key Statistics from the Report:
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2,950 domestic terrorism investigations were active in early 2022.
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About 1,800 of these cases stemmed from the Capitol riot.
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The number of active investigations had more than doubled from around 1,400 in 2020 to nearly 3,000 in 2021.
The report stated that the scale and complexity of January 6-related cases required significant allocation of law enforcement resources from the Department of Justice and the FBI. It also emphasized the need to maintain a security posture capable of addressing other potential domestic threats.
While the Biden administration and senior officials referred to January 6 as an example of domestic extremism, the newly released data provides context to the increase in domestic terrorism statistics over the past few years.
The analysis was part of a broader intelligence review titled “Fatal Domestic Violent Extremist Attacks and FBI Investigations.” Though no deaths during the Capitol riot were directly caused by rioters, the event led to hundreds of criminal charges ranging from trespassing to assault on federal officers.
Context and Public Communication
The 2022 analysis noted that the phrase “in part” was used in public summaries to describe the role of January 6 in the increase of domestic terrorism cases. However, the newly disclosed data shows that a majority of cases in that category during 2021 were tied to the single event.
Legal experts and analysts suggest the data may inform ongoing debates about domestic security policy, transparency, and the federal government’s role in classifying and prosecuting politically motivated crimes.
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