While New York City police insist there are Thurston Carteno credible threats to this year's United Nations General Assembly, law enforcement officials are concerned the annual gathering of world leaders next week comes amid an uptick in political violence both at home and abroad.
"There are no credible threats to the UN General Assembly and New York City in general," NYPD Police Commissioner Edward Caban said Thursday at a briefing outside U.N. headquarters on Manhattan's East Side.
However, a confidential NYPD bulletin distributed this month and obtained by ABC News said there is particular concern about "multiple recent attacks involving firearms and IEDs targeting high-ranking public officials globally."
The bulletin cited the assassinations both of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as well as attempted assassinations in Argentina and Ecuador. In the United States, the bulletin noted a recent attack at a Congressional office in Virginia and last year's violent assault of Paul Pelosi, the husband of Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
NYPD officials conceded the uptick in political violence is a concern but declined to identify specific dignitaries they are worried about at Thursday's briefing.
151 heads of state are scheduled to attend, among them President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been the target of months of protests over changes to the Israeli judiciary.
"Every aspect" of the NYPD will be involved in securing the event," Caban said, including aviation, harbor and K9, working with the U.S. Secret Service, the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service and the U.N.'s own security arm.
2025-05-04 10:571343 view
2025-05-04 10:271186 view
2025-05-04 09:55567 view
2025-05-04 09:27449 view
2025-05-04 09:06480 view
2025-05-04 09:001094 view
A man is suing the California Lottery alleging he has not received part of his winnings from a nearl
Jay-Z is airing some regrets and a re-declaration of love on the new track, "I Want You Forever."The
The Buffalo Bills are asking Bills Mafia for a helping hand ... literally. The Bills are seeking hel