FBI 'concerned' terrorists are using 'mafia-like tactics' to plan coordinated attacks on US soil

Terrorists are adopting "mafia-like tactics" to orchestrate "coordinated attacks" on the United States, a top FBI official has ominously warned.

In a recent speech, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that foreign adversaries and terrorist groups such as ISIS-K are becoming increasingly dangerous. The Bureau is actively working to thwart a potential coordinated attack by these groups, following the devastating Moscow Crocus City Hall bombing in Russia that claimed at least 144 lives and left hundreds injured.

"Foreign terrorists, including ISIS, al-Qaida, and their adherents, have renewed calls for attacks against Jewish communities here in the United States and across the West in statements and propaganda," Wray stated in a speech on Tuesday.

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"The foreign terrorist threat and the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, like the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia Concert Hall a couple of weeks ago, is now increasingly concerning. October 7 and the conflict that's followed will feed a pipeline of radicalization and mobilization for years to come."

The chilling warning comes just weeks after experts speculated ISIS may attempt an assault on US soil. Former top general Frank McKenzie has acknowledged that the "threat is growing" from the Islamic terror group, especially after ISIS-K claimed responsibility for a lethal attack in Russia.

Last month, gunmen opened fire at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, one of Russia's largest shopping and entertainment complexes. A massive blaze erupted after the shooting, engulfing the complex. Islamic State later claimed responsibility, stating that their fighters had "attacked" a "big gathering for Christians in the Russian Moscow suburb" injuring "hundreds" and causing "major destruction".

Russia's foreign ministry designated the incident as a "terrorist attack."

The former general warned that the terror group, which also claimed responsibility for a mass bombing in Iran in January, should be taken seriously when they threaten to attack the US. "We should believe them when they say that. They're going to try to do it," McKenzie told ABC News' This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz.

"I think the threat is growing. It began to grow as soon as we left Afghanistan, it took pressure off ISIS-K. So I think we should expect further attempts of this nature against the United States as well as our partners and other nations abroad." He concluded: "I think this is inevitable."

The retired general stated that the US military maintains sufficient forces in Iraq and Syria to counter extremists but expressed his belief that a small troop presence should have been maintained in Afghanistan rather than withdrawing completely in August 2021. The curtain has closed on America's longest war, but President Biden's exit strategy has drawn fire for not aligning with his earlier vow to maintain an "over-the-horizon capability" that could "act quickly and decisively" in Afghanistan from afar.

Contradicting those assurances, McKenzie expressed skepticism about such capabilities. "In Afghanistan, we have almost no ability to see into that country and almost no ability to strike into that country," he detailed, pointing out the advantageous conditions this creates for the Islamic State and other militants.

He emphasized the importance of sustained pressure: "If you can keep pressure on them ... in their homeland and their base, it makes it hard for them to conduct these types of attacks. Unfortunately, we no longer place that pressure on them, so they're free to gain strength, they're free to plan, they're free to coordinate."