BANGOR, Maine — A deadly coordinated suicide bombing at an airport in Brussels and a subsequent bombing on a nearby subway that killed at least 30 people early Tuesday morning led Maine airport officials to remain watchful for any developments that might affect their security.
“We are monitoring the situation that occurred in Brussels very closely,” Bangor International Airport director Tony Caruso said in a Tuesday email. “Our sympathies go out to all of those affected by this recent tragedy.”
There have been no specific threats to Bangor, and operations have not been affected, Caruso said.
“We take this very seriously and have remained at a heightened security threat level,” the director of the Bangor airport said, adding later that BIA has been at a heightened level for “quite a while now.”
Paul Bradbury, Airport Director at the Portland International Jetport, said while no changes or updates happened Tuesday at the Portland airport, he was monitoring messages from the Department of Homeland Security.
The head of Homeland Security issued a statement Tuesday:
“At present, we have no specific, credible intelligence of any plot to conduct similar attacks here in the United States,” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said. “That said, we remain very focused on the threat posed by lone terrorist actors who may lack direct connection to a foreign terrorist organization; we are concerned that such radicalized individuals or small groups could carry out an attack in the Homeland with little warning. We also remain very engaged in the effort to identify and disrupt foreign terrorist fighters who may seek to travel to or from the United States.”
Johnson asked the public to keep their eyes open for suspicious behaviors.
“As I have said many times, ‘If You See Something, Say Something’ is more than a slogan,” he said. “Public awareness and vigilance are vital to our homeland security efforts, and have in fact prevented terrorist or criminal acts in the past. In today’s environment, we urge the public to continue to travel, visit public events and places, and continue with their daily lives, but at all times be aware and vigilant.”
The Islamic State has taken responsibility for the lethal assaults in the Belgian capital that triggered security alerts across Europe and drew global expressions of support, four days after Brussels police had captured the prime surviving suspect in Islamic State’s attacks on Paris last November.
“The Department of Homeland Security, along with our partners in federal law enforcement and the intelligence community, are doing a number of things to monitor events in Brussels, work with the authorities there, and continue to secure our Homeland,” Johnson said.
Several security steps are underway, including additional checks at the border, and “as a precautionary measure, [Transportation Security Administration] is deploying additional security to major city airports in the United States, and at various rail and transit stations around the country,” Johnston said. “TSA is also working closely with state and local law enforcement, airport and transit authorities, and the aviation industry in order to augment that security.”
“That certainly includes Maine,” Michael S. McCarthy, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, said Tuesday, not providing specifics about security measures planned or in place.
The Maine Air and Army National Guard also is watching the situation in Europe, Maj. Norm Stickney said Tuesday afternoon.
“There have been no additional security measures taken, however the Maine National Guard remains ever vigilant as we closely monitor the terrible situation in Brussels,” Stickney said.
Officials in Maine are prepared to act, if needed, the Bangor airport manager said.
“Airport officials will work directly with Dept. of Homeland Security and local law enforcement should any adjustments be necessary,” Caruso said.
Reuters reporters Philip Blenkinsop and Francesco Guarascio contributed to this story.