FBI Counterterrorism on high alert even in Tampa — what that means

TAMPA, Fla. - The FBI's counterterrorism teams are on heightened alert nationwide, including in Tampa, following escalating tensions overseas and a recent deadly attack in Austin.

Even before the recent deadly shooting in Austin, the FBI announced it was increasing its counterterrorism posture. Over the weekend, FBI Director Kash Patel said Counterterrorism and Intelligence teams had been placed on high alert, with Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) working around the clock to monitor and disrupt potential threats.

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Big picture view:

Tampa is home to one of those task forces — a partnership between the FBI and local law enforcement agencies trained to investigate terrorism-related tips and suspicious activity.

Most of those threats, we never even hear about. In a recent FBI video explaining the unit’s daily mission, an agent described the unpredictable nature of their work:

"You never know which one of those is going to turn into a really significant threat. But for every one of those that does… there were dozens or hundreds that weren’t."

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Criminologists said a heightened alert typically includes increased monitoring of priority suspects, reviewing intelligence, combing social media and deploying additional resources where needed.

Why you should care:

Concern intensified after a deadly shooting in Austin. Investigators said the suspect wore symbols connected to Iran when he opened fire in the city’s entertainment district.

Criminologist Dr. Alex del Carmen said the situation raises difficult questions about capability and coordination.

"We are concerned that this is going to be one of many of these types of incidents, whether it's a sleeper cell in an organized way, or an individual taking it into their own hands."

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He said authorities are trying to determine whether potential actors have the capacity and resources to carry out attacks.

"The big question for us is, do they have the capability and do they have the capacity to be able to be activated? Just because you have a sleeper cell, it doesn't mean they have the means, the money, or the military training to cause harm on U.S. soil."

Dig deeper:

Experts said the threat isn’t limited to physical violence. Del Carmen warns cyberattacks could be even more prevalent than traditional attacks, potentially targeting banks, government systems or critical infrastructure.

"They're going to hack accounts. They're going to try to destabilize banks. They are going to try to see if they can tap into the FAA… They are trying to disrupt our way of being and our way of life."

Law enforcement agencies said prevention is the priority — and that public awareness plays a key role.

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What you can do:

Instead of fear, authorities are urging situational awareness. If you see something unusual — in person or on social media — officials said report it to local law enforcement or the FBI’s tip line.

Investigators emphasize that many threats are stopped because someone spoke up.