Capitol Insurrection Updates

Before Jan. 6, 18-year-old Bruno Cua was best known in his small town of Milton, Ga., as a great builder of treehouses. These were big, elaborate creations with ladders and trapdoors and framed-out windows. They were so impressive, neighbors paid Cua to build them for their kids.

The world outside Milton, Ga., met Cua in a rather more dramatic way. He was allegedly seen in multiple videos standing in the Senate Chamber of the U.S. Capitol with a handful of other rioters. The videos have since gone viral: There's a man in combat gear, now identified as Air Force veteran Larry Brock, Jr., chiding rioters, including Cua, about why they shouldn't sit in Vice President Mike Pence's chair. Cua seemed confused. "They can steal an election, but we can't sit in their chairs?" he asked.

In a defense motion filed on Friday, Bruno Cua's lawyers said their client "is an impressionable 18-year-old kid who was in the middle of finishing his online coursework to graduate from high school when he was arrested."

They paint a portrait of a young man swept up by events. "In many ways, he is less of an 'adult' than many teenagers," the motion said. "He has never lived away from his parents. He has lived his entire life in the area immediately surrounding Atlanta."

Prosecutors, for their part, see Cua through a very different lens. In a criminal complaint, they point to Cua's social media posts in the run-up and aftermath to Jan. 6 to suggest that he was someone who was genuinely inspired by former President Donald Trump and intent on violence.

Cua's case is a stark example of just how powerful misinformation can be. Both prosecution and defense agree that he was radicalized by what he read online, and the decision to embrace the falsehoods he discovered in chatrooms and social media changed the course of his life. And he wasn't alone. More than 250 people have been charged so far with breaching the Capitol and most of them, to varying degrees, were motivated to storm the building by the falsehoods they had been reading online and in social media for months.

"President Trump is calling us to FIGHT!" Cua allegedly wrote on Parler days before the siege. "It's time to take our freedom back the old fashioned way."

Cua's lawyers say the messages prosecutors see as threatening were the "idle chatter of an extremely passionate, but very naive, teenager who was parroting what he heard and saw on social media." They made clear that these ideas weren't things that Cua came up with on his own, instead they were fed to him online. He was radicalized, they said, by social media.

According to the defense motion, Cua had traveled to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 with his parents to attend a Trump rally. His parents were long-time Trump supporters and Cua had become one too. They had walked to the Capitol together, as a family, when a melee erupted on the Capitol steps. Bruno Cua asked his parents if he could go and take a closer look. They agreed and Cua quickly disappeared into the crowd. His parents only found out later, his lawyers said, that he had entered the Capitol and walked into the Senate chamber.

Surveillance video inside the Capitol allegedly showed him wearing a dark sweatshirt, a jean jacket, a red "Make America Great Again" hat and gray gloves wielding a baton and trying to open various office doors.

In a criminal complaint, federal prosecutors cite a Jan. 6 Instagram post in which Cua allegedly wrote, "Yes, we physically fought our way in." Another post read: "Yes, for everyone asking I stormed the [Capitol] with hundreds of thousands of patriots. I'll do a whole video explaining what happened, this is history. What happened was unbelievable."

The FBI allegedly received two tips identifying Cua as the young man who stood in the Senate chamber on Jan. 6. His clothing helped authorities identify his movements and actions throughout the Capitol that day, they said.

Another tipster, according to court documents, told authorities that Cua had been talking about going to Washington on his Parler account for days and "actively encouraged the events on the sixth for 11 days leading up to the domestic terrorist attack," the complaint said.

Cua, who is believed to be the youngest person so far to be charged with storming the Capitol, allegedly assaulted a federal officer. His lawyers say that as part of his conditions for release he would be willing to stay off social media and be monitored in his parent's house.

Since the events in January, Cua has completed three online courses: College Algebra, Intro to Government and Intro to Marketing, his lawyers said. He is three classes away from a high school diploma, they added.

The cost of repairing damages from the attack on the U.S. Capitol and related security expenses have already topped $30 million and will keep rising, Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton told lawmakers on Wednesday.

The events of Jan. 6, he said, were "difficult for the American people and extremely hard for all of us on campus to witness."

Blanton said that congressional appropriations committees have already approved a transfer request of $30 million to pay for expenses and extend a temporary perimeter fencing contract through March 31.

But more money will be needed, he added: "History teaches us that project costs for replacements and repairs beyond in-kind improvements across campus will be considerable and beyond the scope of the current budgetary environment."

The price tag will go even higher, Blanton told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee, if the fence and other security measures are needed beyond March.

In his prepared testimony, Blanton described how his employees tried to minimize the threat to the Capitol and lawmakers on Jan. 6, when thousands of former President Donald Trump's supporters breached security perimeters at the Capitol grounds. Many of them then engaged in a pitched battle with police and security personnel.

"[Architect of the Capitol] employees sheltered congressional staff in their shops to protect them from the roving mob," Blanton said, adding, "Other members of our team raced to the roof to reverse the airflows within the building to help clear the air of chemical irritants, like bear repellents and pepper spray, while more team members rushed bottles of water and eyewash stations to Capitol Police officers in need of assistance."

When the mob thronged the Capitol, the Architect of the Capitol's painters and artisans were laboring to complete the massive task of readying the campus to host a presidential inauguration.

"Over the course of a couple of hours, the hard work of our team was destroyed," Blanton said.

"The [inauguration] platform was wrecked. There was broken glass and other debris. Sound systems and photography equipment was damaged beyond repair or stolen. Two historic Olmsted lanterns were ripped from the ground, and the wet blue paint was tracked all over the historic stone balustrades and Capitol building hallways."

In the Capitol building complex, historical statues, murals and furniture were damaged, mainly from pepper spray accretions and residue from chemical irritants and fire extinguishers, requiring expert cleaning and conservation. Work crews covered gaping holes with plywood and cleared "a small mountain of debris left behind on the west and east fronts," Blanton said.

Blanton also said many lawmakers have asked his office about preserving mementos from the unprecedented violence wrought by U.S. citizens on their own Capitol. While most damaged items had to be removed because of safety concerns, he said his staff preserved the panels of the historical Columbus Doors on the east front "for a potential presentation or display."

The brief insurrection brought catastrophe to what had already been a very busy tenure for Blanton, who was sworn in to his job in January 2020. Since then, the Capitol has hosted three lying-in-state or in-honor ceremonies, including for U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after being injured in the riot.

The high-profile events have come as Blanton and his staff have worked to mitigate coronavirus risks through enhanced cleaning practices and providing protective equipment.

On Wednesday, Blanton said many people on his staff have not yet been vaccinated, despite continuing to work at the Capitol campus — work that has included the intense effort to repair damage from the riot and hold an inauguration.

"In fact, we've had a small distribution of COVID vaccines for my staff," Blanton said, replying to a question about the staff's health. He added that the group is following the safety protocols that were laid out when the coronavirus pandemic began last year.

Blanton also addressed the security failures that contributed to the U.S. Capitol being occupied by an angry mob that sought to block the certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory over Trump.

"The events of January 6 were stark reminders that institutional biases, priorities and actions taken out of sync with actionable data resulted in poor decisions," he said. "If we do not learn from these mistakes, the campus will continue to remain vulnerable to unknown and unexpected threats."

Blanton also asked the committee for help in securing additional funds for a campuswide security assessment to prevent similar events in the future and to protect the Capitol and the people who work there.

The Justice Department charged six more people Friday it says are members of a right-wing militia group that plotted in advance of Jan. 6 to attack the U.S. Capitol.

The indictment offers the most sweeping evidence so far that members of the far-right extremist group known as the Oath Keepers had spent months allegedly planning to prevent Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's victory in a bid to keep former President Donald Trump in power.

The federal charges say 52-year-old Kelly Meggs, the self-described leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, and his wife Connie, joined four other alleged militia members to breach the Capitol.

According to the indictment, the group ascended a flight of stairs outside the Capitol in military-style formation and then went on to breach the building. Federal prosecutors say Meggs parroted language from a tweet from Trump weeks before the siege. Trump had encouraged his supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6, saying it would be "wild."

"He wants us to make it WILD that's what he's saying," Meggs allegedly wrote in a Facebook post. "He called us all to the Capitol and wants us to make it wild!! Sir Yes Sir!!! Gentleman we are heading to DC."

Last month, the Justice Department charged three members of the Oath Keepers with conspiring to undermine President Biden's win. Officials said that Thomas Edward Caldwell, Jessica Marie Watkins, and Donovan Ray Crowl had allegedly set up training for urban warfare and riot control in preparation for the Jan. 6 siege shortly after then-President-elect Joe Biden's election victory and had allegedly briefly discussed bringing weapons into Washington, D.C., by boat.

The latest indictment adds six more people to the alleged conspiracy, including a retired Ohio couple, Sandra and Bennie Parker, and another suspected Florida Oath Keeper, Graydon Young, who allegedly arranged to get members of the group trained in firearms and combat.

The U.S. Capitol Police has suspended six officers with pay for their actions on Jan. 6, when a pro-Trump mob attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of President Biden's Electoral College victory, according to a department statement.

An additional 29 officers remain under investigation as part of the department's ongoing probe into the events that unfolded that day.

"The investigation into the January 6 attack remains under investigation. Our Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating the actions of 35 police officers from that day. We currently have suspended six of those officers with pay," the department said in a statement.

Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman further directed that any member whose behavior is not in keeping with the department's Rules of Conduct "will face appropriate discipline."

Last month, Pittman announced that the department is conducting an investigation after images and videos shared on social media raised questions about the actions of some USCP officers.

The department "has been actively reviewing video and other open source materials of some USCP officers and officials that appear to be in violation of Department regulations and policies," she said on Jan. 11.

Videos from the day of the attack appear to show some officers escorting rioters inside the building. In one video, USCP officers can be seen opening barricades allowing the mob to enter the Capitol complex without resistance.

At least 140 Capitol Police officers sustained injuries during the riot, according to a statement by Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the USCP Labor Committee, the union representing Capitol Police officers.

"I have officers who were not issued helmets prior to the attack who have sustained brain injuries. One officer has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal discs. One officer is going to lose his eye, and another was stabbed with a metal fence stake," he said.

Capitol Police Officer, Brian Sicknick died of injuries suffered during the riots. Two other officers who responded to the riot, one with the Capitol Police and the other with the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, later died by suicide.

Following the events, the union said that the department's leadership failed its officers by not relaying important information ahead of Jan. 6.

"The disclosure that the entire executive team ... knew what was coming but did not better prepare us for potential violence, including the possible use of firearms against us, is unconscionable," Papathanasiou said. "The entire executive team failed us, and they must be held accountable. Their inaction cost lives."

The current turmoil within the USCP was further highlighted by last week's overwhelming no-confidence vote for the force's top brass.

Updated Feb. 6 at 6:39 a.m. ET

A U.S. judge has approved a Texas woman's request to go on vacation in Mexico, despite her admission that she took part in last month's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Jenny Cudd is accused of breaking federal laws that could result in a prison sentence. But she told the court that she wanted to travel, because she had already paid for the weekend retreat.

"This is a work-related bonding retreat for employees and their spouses," Cudd's attorney wrote in the request for the defendant to be able to leave the country. The filing noted that before the Jan. 6 incident at the Capitol, Cudd had already planned to go on a weekend retreat with her employees in Riviera Maya, Mexico, from Feb. 18-21.

District Judge Trevor McFadden, who was confirmed to the bench in 2017, approved Cudd's request. His order cites her lack of a previous criminal record and says there is no evidence that she poses a flight risk or is a danger to others.

The request was granted two days after a grand jury indicted Cudd on five federal counts, including one felony. The charges include obstructing an official proceeding of Congress; being in a restricted building; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted area; disorderly conduct in the U.S. Capitol; and parading or demonstrating inside the Capitol.

When Cudd filed her travel request earlier in the week, she stood accused of two misdemeanor crimes: entering a restricted building or grounds, and violent entry or disorderly conduct.

Cudd became a high-profile figure immediately after the riot, as she posted lengthy videos about how she moved through the building where lawmakers had gathered to certify President Biden's election win over former President Donald Trump. She is accused of two misdemeanors: entering a restricted building or grounds, and violent entry or disorderly conduct.

"We did break down [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi's office door and somebody stole her gavel, and took a picture sitting in the chair flipping off the camera, and that was on Fox News," Cudd said.

Cudd, a business owner who formerly ran for mayor in Midland, Texas, said days after the riot, "Yes, I would absolutely do it again."

In the travel request, Cudd's attorney noted that both the federal prosecutor and the pretrial services officer assigned to her case did not object to her seeking to visit Mexico.

Cudd's case was initially assigned to Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui, before it moved to the district judge. Other judges have also been involved in her case: Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey approved her release on bond, for instance, and Cudd appeared before Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather for a video teleconference hearing.

The acting U.S. Capitol Police chief on Friday promised sweeping changes to her department in the wake of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol complex. The riot, conducted by pro-Trump extremists, left five people dead, including a police officer.

In a video statement, Police Chief Yogananda Pittman described the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol as an act of "extraordinary violence and destruction" and said the department was reviewing its policies to ensure that such acts could never happen again.

"Our executive leadership is conducting our own thorough internal review, including an extensive physical security assessment of the Capitol complex. We will be making significant changes to our operations, policies and procedures based on the findings, as well as the findings from other concurrent reviews being conducted by the department's inspector general and General Russel L. Honoré at the behest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi," Pittman said.

"I look forward to all of these reviews and the changes they will prompt."

Capitol Police department leadership faced blistering criticism in the immediate aftermath of the attack for allowing rioters such easy access to the complex.

In the days after the event, top security officials — including then-Police Chief Steven Sund, House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger — resigned their posts following requests from leaders of both parties. Pittman was tapped to lead the department the day after Sund's resignation.

"The Jan. 6 attack forever changed this department. But working with Congress, we can and we will make it for the better," Pittman said on Friday.

Already, Capitol law enforcement have implemented tighter security at the Capitol, including fencing off the complex, which Pittman has called to make permanent, and now requiring members of the House to go through metal detectors before entering the chamber.

Updated at 4:22 p.m. ET

Former President Donald Trump will not testify in the Senate impeachment trial, due to begin next week, Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, tells NPR's Domenico Montanaro.

"The president will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding," Miller said.

In a Thursday letter, Trump attorneys Bruce Castor and David Schoen called the request a "public relations stunt."

They are responding to a request from the lead House impeachment manager, who invited Trump to testify under oath in the Senate trial on the article of impeachment that says Trump incited the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

"Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone: you cannot prove your allegations against the 45th President of the United States, who is now a private citizen," they wrote.

Earlier Thursday, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote to Trump, inviting the former president to testify under oath in the trial.

"Two days ago, you filed an Answer in which you denied many factual allegations set forth in the article of impeachment. You have thus attempted to put critical facts at issue notwithstanding the clear and overwhelming evidence of your constitutional offense," Raskin wrote in the letter.

"In light of your disputing these factual allegations, I write to invite you to provide testimony under oath, either before or during the Senate impeachment trial, concerning your conduct on January 6, 2021. We would propose that you provide your testimony (of course including cross-examination) as early as Monday, February 8, 2021, and not later than Thursday, February 11, 2021. We would be pleased to arrange such testimony at a mutually convenient time and place."

On Tuesday, House managers filed a brief laying out their argument — that Trump whipped the crowd "into a frenzy" then aimed the protesters "like a loaded cannon" at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump's legal team then filed a response to the managers' brief, largely ignoring the factual assertions they laid out and arguing Trump did not incite the rioters.

Five people died as a result of the riot at the Capitol by pro-Trump extremists who had been egged on by Republicans to contest the legal outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Two additional officers who responded to the melee have died by suicide in the weeks since.

Trump, specifically, is accused of having incited the mob to storm the Capitol, particularly in a speech earlier in the day in which he told the crowd to walk to the Capitol in protest of the election results.

"You'll never take back our country with weakness," he told the crowd.

The trial is set to begin Tuesday.

This is Trump's second impeachment. He declined to participate in the first impeachment proceedings, which centered on whether he pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate Trump's political rivals.

Updated 12:45 p.m. ET

Brian Sicknick, the slain U.S. Capitol Police officer who was given the rare distinction of lying in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, received a final tribute from lawmakers Wednesday. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined Sicknick's family members and colleagues from the Capitol Police in a period of visitation on Tuesday night.

Sicknick, 42, died from injuries he sustained fending off members of the mob that breached the Capitol complex on Jan. 6.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered remarks at a ceremony Wednesday morning, praising him as a "patriot" and someone who possessed "profound inner strength."

"It is my official and sad honor to welcome Officer Brian Sicknick and many who loved, respected and were protected by him to the United States Capitol Rotunda for a recognition of his life," Pelosi said.

The California Democrat said that Congress was united in grief, gratitude and appreciation of Sicknick's service and that his sacrifice would not be forgotten.

"Each day, when members enter the Capitol, this temple of democracy, we will remember his sacrifice and ... others that day who fought so hard to protect the Capitol and the Congress."

Pelosi highlighted Sicknick's service to the nation, not just his dozen years with the Capitol Police, but in "other arenas" including joining the New Jersey Air National Guard in 1997 where he was deployed twice overseas.

The Singing Sergeants, the official United States Air Force Chorus, performed a soaring rendition of "America the Beautiful" at the ceremony.

"He was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time on a day when peace was shattered," Schumer said of Sicknick.

"That Brian and his family were made to pay such a high price for his devoted service in the Capitol was a senseless tragedy. One that we are still grappling with," he said.

Schumer said that he did not know Sicknick, but after meeting with the fallen officer's relatives he got a sense that he was a good and decent man. Schumer said he learned that Sicknick would not have liked the attention he would receive on this day and that he was more comfortable taking a young officer under his wing to help them get acclimated to their new unit.

" 'Blessed are the peacekeepers,' like Brian," said Schumer, quoting Matthew 5:9. "Let us be peacekeepers now in his memory."

Others in attendance included members of the congressional leadership; Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley; Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser; and members of the District's Metropolitan Police Department.

Following the tribute by lawmakers, a departure ceremony took place on the plaza outside the Capitol. Members of the Capitol Police stood in formation as Sicknick's cremated remains were escorted down the Capitol steps before being placed in a waiting vehicle and driven to Arlington National Cemetery for burial.

Sicknick is just the fifth person and the third Capitol Police officer to receive the distinction of lying in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, a designation for those who were not government or military officials.

Famed evangelist Rev. Billy Graham was the most recent individual to receive the honor, in 2018. Civil rights icon Rosa Parks lay in honor in 2005. Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson, who were shot and killed by a Capitol intruder, were given the honor in 1998.

U.S. Capitol Police released a joint statement last month from the Sicknick family and his longtime partner Sandra Garza, thanking the millions of people who offered support and sympathies. They added that the tribute at the Capitol is an "historic honor on our fallen American hero."

Sicknick was most recently assigned to the Capitol Police First Responder's Unit. He is just the fifth member of the force to die in the line of duty, according to Capitol Police.

He was responding to the riots led by a pro-Trump mob attempting to prevent lawmakers from certifying President Biden's Electoral College victory. Capitol Police said Sicknick was injured "while physically engaging protesters," adding that he later "returned to his division and collapsed."

Some witnesses said Sicknick had been struck with a fire extinguisher.

He died the following day from his injuries.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has called for a "9/11-type Commission" to address security risks at the U.S. Capitol in response to the deadly insurrection at the complex last month.

"This letter is about you. It is about your safety as you serve in Congress, your safety in your district and your safety when traveling to and from Washington. Your safety is the charge that I gave Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, who is leading an immediate and collaborative security review to protect the safety of Members, the Capitol Complex and our Democracy," Pelosi wrote in a letter to Democratic members of the Congress on Tuesday.

"Given the serious and ongoing security threats facing Members and the Congress, it is clear that there is a need for an emergency supplemental funding bill to meet institutional security needs," she continues. "It is also clear that we will need to establish a 9/11-type Commission to examine and report upon the facts, causes and security relating to the terrorist mob attack on January 6."

Security at the Capitol has become a renewed point of interest since the Jan. 6 attack, which left five people, including a police officer, dead.

Last week, the acting U.S. Capitol Police chief recommended the Capitol building be retrofitted with permanent fencing to prevent future attacks on the complex, though some have balked at the idea of fencing off a major public area.

After the insurrection, Capitol security forces implemented some stricter security measures around the area, including now requiring members of Congress to walk through on-site metal detectors.

Democratic members of Congress have supported tightened security, but several Republican members have resisted the measures.

"Just outside these doors is something students walk through every day to prevent gun violence in their schools; something travelers pass through every time they board a plane; and something the public goes through every time they enter a federal building: Magnetometers," Rep. Jim McGovern said in remarks on the House floor on Tuesday.

"They're a modern day inconvenience that we're all used to. And frankly, they're a small price to pay to keep Americans safe. Metal detectors were installed outside this chamber following the recent deadly insurrection in the Capitol. Although these machines are new, the policy they are enforcing is not. That has been on the books for more than 50 years."

McGovern criticized Republicans for having an "elitist" attitude when it came to respecting security rules.

"Some are acting as though by being elected to Congress, they have been anointed to some sort of special club - one that gets to pick and choose what rules to follow," he said.

"This elitist mentality must end. Apparently, it will take a rules change to ensure all Members follow the rules, just like everyone else."

Updated at 5:05 p.m. ET

The acting U.S. Capitol Police chief is recommending the complex be fitted with permanent fencing to help better secure Congress, as lawmakers and law enforcement officials continue to grapple with fallout from the Jan. 6 insurrection by violent pro-Trump extremists.

Yogananda Pittman, who took the helm of the force following the riot, said in a statement Thursday that "vast improvements" were needed for the physical security of the Capitol area to prevent a repeat of the deadly attack earlier this month.

"[E]ven before September 11, 2001, security experts argued that more needed to be done to protect the U.S. Capitol. In fact, a 2006 security assessment specifically recommended the installation of a permanent perimeter fence around the Capitol," Pittman said in the statement.

"In light of recent events," she added, "I can unequivocally say that vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol."

According to an aide for the Committee on House Administration, the Capitol Police Board would need to approve such fencing, and the House Appropriations Committee would need to fund it.

Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, D.C., wrote on Twitter Thursday that while there are "some potentially volatile events upcoming that will require extra security," the city "will not accept extra troops or permanent fencing as a long-term fixture in DC."

Fencing remained around parts of the Capitol complex on Thursday — eight days after President Biden's inauguration, and more than three weeks after the attack.

The Jan. 6 riot ultimately left five people dead and highlighted a number of failures by security forces assigned to the Capitol.

Pittman, who in testimony to Congress apologized for her agency's "failings" in the incident, said a review of potential safety improvements was ongoing.

"I look forward to working with Congress on identifying the security improvements necessary to ensure the safety and security of the Congress and the U.S. Capitol."

Claudia Grisales contributed reporting.

Individuals tied to what the Justice Department calls a paramilitary group were indicted Wednesday on federal charges related to the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6. They face up to 20 years in prison.

Jessica Marie Watkins, 38, and Donovan Ray Crowl, 50, both from Champaign County, Ohio, and Thomas Caldwell, 65, of Clarke County, Va., were arrested about two weeks after the insurrection in Washington, D.C., a Justice Department news release said. They face a slew of charges: conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, destruction of government property and unlawful entry on restricted building or grounds.

All three have ties to the Oath Keepers, which is described by the Justice Department as "a paramilitary organization focused on recruitment of current and former military, law enforcement, and first responder personnel." The organization encourages its members and prospective recruits to uphold their sworn oath to defend the Constitution, according to the Oath Keepers website.

Watkins, Crowl and Caldwell are accused of communicating their plans long before the assault in Washington. The Justice Department said the three coordinated their attack on the Capitol. Additionally, they documented their participation in the attack on social media, investigators said. Watkins posted a video of herself inside the Capitol on Parler. "Yeah. We stormed the Capitol today. Teargassed, the whole, 9," she said. "Pushed our way into the Rotunda. Made it into the Senate even."

Caldwell posted messages like, "We are surging forward. Doors breached," on Facebook. The department said Watkins and Crowl confirmed their Oath Keepers membership during interviews with the media.

The union representing U.S. Capitol Police officers says the force's leadership failed to relay the known threat of violence adequately ahead of the Jan. 6 deadly riot, calling the acting chief's recent admission of prior knowledge of the threat to Congress "a disclosure that has angered and shocked the rank-and-file officers."

The statement Wednesday from the Capitol Police Labor Committee comes a day after acting Chief Yogananda Pittman testified to Congress, saying in prepared remarks:

By January 4th, the Department knew that the January 6th event would not be like any of the previous protests held in 2020. We knew that militia groups and white supremacists organizations would be attending. We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. We knew that there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target.

Pittman, who apologized in her testimony for her department's "failings" during the insurrection, told Congress that the former police chief, Steven Sund, had asked the Capitol Police Board, a three-member oversight body, on Jan. 4 to declare a state of emergency for Jan. 6 and to request National Guard assistance.

Pittman said the board denied both requests.

Capitol Police leaders have faced stinging criticisms for not having better prepared for the violent assault by supporters of former President Donald Trump that left five people dead, including one police officer. Additionally, the acting head of Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department revealed on Wednesday that a second officer who responded to the attack has died by suicide since the insurrection.

In the Wednesday statement, union Chair Gus Papathanasiou called the revelation that leadership had prior knowledge of the threat of violence "unconscionable."

"We have one officer who lost his life as a direct result of the insurrection. Another officer has tragically taken his own life," Papathanasiou said. "Between USCP and our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Department, we have almost 140 officers injured. I have officers who were not issued helmets prior to the attack who have sustained brain injuries. One officer has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal discs. One officer is going to lose his eye, and another was stabbed with a metal fence stake."

In the days after the riot, top security officials at the Capitol — including Sund; the House sergeant-at-arms, Paul Irving; and the Senate sergeant-at-arms, Michael Stenger — resigned their posts following requests from leaders of both parties.

"The disclosure that the entire executive team ... knew what was coming but did not better prepare us for potential violence, including the possible use of firearms against us, is unconscionable," Papathanasiou said. "The entire executive team failed us, and they must be held accountable. Their inaction cost lives."

The statement goes on to say that the department's high-ranking officials are unfit to take the helm as chief.

"We have leaders in this department who have the support of the front-line officers. They can implement the changes we need to make, but those leaders are not at the Chief or Assistant Chief level, nor possibly the Deputy Chief level," Papathanasiou said, adding later: "Our officers need leadership they can trust."

Sund, the former chief, had previously defended his handling of the riot in an interview with NPR, saying that the insurrection had been a sophisticated attempt to siege the complex.

"This was not a demonstration. This was not a failure to plan for a demonstration. This was a planned, coordinated attack on the United States Capitol," he said.

The Department of Justice has charged more than 150 people and identified hundreds more as suspects in the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

"We are committed to seeing this through no matter how many people it takes, how many days it takes us or the resources we ... need to get it done," said Steven D'Antuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office.

The investigation update, just shy of three weeks since the riot, comes as the U.S. Congress moves forward with an article of impeachment against Trump, whom Democrats and some Republicans accuse of having incited the deadly Jan. 6 event.

The acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., Michael Sherwin, told reporters that the investigators have opened over 400 subject case files so far, although in some instances, authorities are still working to pin down the identity of the suspect.

Sherwin said investigators are working off of tips from the public, in some instances provided by family members or friends of the suspects. As investigators gather more evidence, including from grand jury subpoenas and search warrants, he said prosecutors are looking to build more complex cases with more significant charges.

"Everyone is all-in on these cases," Sherwin said.

Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, in her first congressional testimony following the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, acknowledged her department's "failings" during the insurrection and said its members "fully expect to answer to you and the American people."

"I am here to offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of the Department," Pittman said.

In prepared remarks to the House Appropriations Committee, Pittman described the events as a "terrorist attack" and said the department "should have been more prepared." She said police knew two days before that "there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target."

Pittman said that on Jan. 4, former Chief Steven Sund had asked the Capitol Police Board, a three-member oversight body, to declare a state of emergency in advance of President Donald Trump's rally on the Ellipse and to request National Guard troops to protect the Capitol. Pittman said the board denied both requests.

She said on the day of the insurrection, Sund again "lobbied the Board for authorization to bring in the National Guard, but he was not granted authorization for over an hour."

The decision-making, which led to the lengthy delay in deploying National Guard troops to the besieged Capitol, is a central focus of investigations into how the building was left inadequately protected. Sund resigned shortly after the insurrection, as did two of the Capitol Police Board members, the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms.

Pittman did not offer an explanation for the board's decisions. Also unclear is the sequence of decisions made at the Pentagon during the afternoon of the assault. Pittman did not address those. The D.C. National Guard is nominally under the command of the president but operates on the orders of the secretary of the Army and secretary of defense.

Pittman said the Capitol Police were successful in their core responsibility, protecting members of Congress. But she acknowledged a number of operational failures and noted complaints from officers that communications were poor during the assault.

She also alluded to questions raised by witnesses that some Capitol Police officers appeared to allow rioters into the building. Pittman said that she gave the order for a building-wide lockdown but that her order to secure the building "may not have been consistently followed."

Updated at 3:50 p.m. ET

Federal investigators say they have arrested several alleged members of extremist and white supremacist groups who participated in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol building, including multiple participants in an alleged conspiracy.

People allegedly affiliated with organizations such as The Three Percenters, The Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, Texas Freedom Force, and other self-described Nazis and white supremacists were among the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol building, according to federal investigators.

Details of their arrests highlight how various extremist groups, with members throughout the country, coalesced to support Trump and his (disproven) claims that the November election was stolen. Law enforcement officials were able to track suspects down by using information gleaned from tipsters, social media posts shared by the accused, and news media coverage.

The Oath Keepers

Several people associated with the Oath Keepers are also facing charges related to the Capitol riot.

The FBI describes the Oath Keepers as a "large but loose organized collection of militia who believe that the federal government has been coopted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights."

Federal prosecutors are accusing Thomas Edward Caldwell, an apparent leader of the group, of helping to plan and coordinate the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Caldwell, a 65-year-old resident of Clarke County, Va., was arrested on Tuesday on four charges including conspiracy to commit offense against the United States, according to the Justice Department.

Citing Facebook messages, an FBI affidavit supporting the criminal complaint alleges that Caldwell was "involved in planning and coordinating" the breach of the Capitol building.

On Jan. 1, for example, federal investigators said Caldwell sent a message helping arrange hotel accommodations for Jan. 5-7. That same day, another alleged member of the group sent Caldwell a message in which he called him "Commander" and said "Guess I'll be seeing you soon. Will probably call you tomorrow...mainly because...I like to know wtf plan is."

On the evening of Jan. 6, Caldwell allegedly sent a flurry of Facebook messages about the day's riot, including a video that appears to have been taken inside the Capitol building. "I am such an instigator!" he allegedly wrote at one point.

"We need to do this at the local level," he wrote in another message, according to the investigators. "Lets [sic] storm the capitol in Ohio. Tell me when!"

According to the FBI, the Oath Keepers focuses on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first responders. The organization's name alludes to the oath sworn by members of the military and police to defend the Constitution "from all enemies, foreign and domestic."

It also describes video footage showing "8 to 10 individuals in paramilitary equipment aggressively approaching an entrance to the Capitol building." Prosecutors describe those individuals as moving "in an organized and practiced fashion," and based on their movements and clothing, believe them to be members of the Oath Keepers.

The FBI's affidavit identifies two other group members by name as having participated in the riot, Jessica Watkins and Donovan Crowl.

Watkins and Crowl, both of Champaign County, Ohio, were arrested Jan. 18.

Investigators say they are members of a group called the Ohio State Regular Militia, a local militia organization which pays dues to the Oath Keepers.

According to investigators, Watkins is a self-described commanding officer of the Ohio State Regular Militia. She shared videos online showing her and Crowl, at the Capitol, writing, "Yeah. We stormed the Capitol today. Teargassed, the whole, 9. Pushed our way into the Rotunda. Made it into the Senate even. The news is lying (even Fox) about the Historical Events we created today."

Another man allegedly linked to the Oath Keepers, but not explicitly named as part of the conspiracy, has also been arrested.

Jon Ryan Schaffer, of Columbus, Ind., a heavy metal musician and founder of the band Iced Earth, turned himself in to FBI agents in Indianapolis on Jan. 17.

An FBI affidavit says Schaffer has "long held far-right extremist views." He allegedly sprayed Capitol Police officers with bear spray as rioters pushed their way into the building. He is captured in videos and photos wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt under a tactical vest with a baseball cap that reads "Oath Keepers Lifetime Member."

Investigators say that when Schaffer took part in the Million MAGA March in Washington, D.C., in November, he told a reporter, "We're not going to merge into some globalist, communist system, it will not happen. There will be a lot of bloodshed if it comes down to that, trust me."

The Three Percenters

Guy Wesley Reffitt, of Wylie, Texas, was arrested Jan. 18 in his home state. He is facing charges of trespassing on restricted areas of the Capitol grounds and obstruction of justice.

Reffitt's wife told police that he is a member of the Texas Freedom Force, an extremist militia group, according to court documents.

The Texas Freedom Force, however, says on Twitter that the FBI has it wrong and that the group "is not a extremist militia (we are a nonprofit) & are far from extremist, the FBI didn't do their homework."

Reffitt's wife shared with authorities that he also belongs to the Three Percenters. The FBI says the group is born of the myth that only three percent of American colonists took up arms against the British during the American Revolution. Members of the group believe that a small force of well-armed and prepared members with a just cause can overthrow a tyrannical government.

Court documents say Reffitt threatened his son and daughter following his return home from the Jan. 6 siege at the Capitol. Reffitt's son said he saw his father bring home an AR-15 rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol when he returned. Those firearms, among others, were retrieved by police when they searched his home.

Reffitt told his adult son that if he "crossed the line" and reported him to the police, Reffitt would have no option but to "do what he had to do," according to the affidavit. Reffitt's children told their mother what their father said to them. She confronted Reffitt and he said, "he was trying to protect the family, and if someone was a traitor then that's what's going to happen."

Robert Gieswein, from Woodland Park, Colo., is also believed to be a member of the Three Percenters, according to the FBI. He is facing charges in connection with an assault on a Capitol Police officer with pepper spray, a barricade surrounding the Capitol grounds, and a baseball bat. According to court documents, Gieswein posted a photo of himself on social media flashing the Three Percenters' sign and wearing clothing with the organization's logo.

The FBI says Gieswein also runs a private paramilitary group called the Woodland Wild Dogs, the patch of which he was seen wearing on the front of his tactical military vest in footage from the Capitol. In photos and videos, Gieswein is also seen wearing a helmet, goggles, and a black camouflage backpack.

Gieswein told reporters that "corrupt" politicians, of which he includes President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, have sold the country out to the "Rothschilds and Rockefellers." The idea is a common conspiracy theory among far-right extremists who believe that a shadow force, including the famous European banking family and the American industrial and political dynasty, controls global currency.

Nazis and Proud Boys

Bryan Betancur, a self-professed white supremacist who has told law enforcement officers that he is a member of several white supremacist organizations, was caught on video during the riots. He was arrested Jan. 17.

Betancur, who was on probation when he went to the Capitol, has voiced "homicidal ideations, made comments about conducting a school shooting, and has researched mass shootings," according to court documents.

He is also engaged online in racist, violent extremist groups and has voiced support for James Fields, the neo-Nazi convicted of killing Heather Heyer during the 2017 Charlottesville, Va., "Unite the Right" rally, the FBI said. Betancur, who was arrested in Maryland on Jan. 17, is seen in videos of the Capitol attack flashing hand signals associated with white supremacy and wearing a Proud Boys t-shirt. The Proud Boys is a white nationalist organization with multiple U.S. chapters.

Betancur, of Silver Spring, Md., also goes by the online aliases Bryan Clooney and Maximo Clooney, according to court documents.

Dominic Pezzola, a former Marine and Proud Boys member known as "Spaz" or "Spazzo" was arrested Jan. 15 in New York. Pezzola, who is from Rochester, N.Y., is seen in photos and videos of the Capitol riot wearing a black short-sleeved t-shirt with yellow, consistent with the "Proud Boys" logo, the FBI said.

A witness said Pezzola and others involved in the riots acknowledged that they would have "killed Vice President Mike Pence if given the chance."

Pence was at the Capitol in hiding during the attack.

Another individual charged is Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, who as a defense contractor at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey has a security clearance and access to a variety of munitions, according to court documents.

A police affidavit says Hale-Cusanelli, of Colts Neck, N.J., is "an avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer" who posts videos on YouTube under the title the "Based Hermes Show," showcasing extreme political viewpoints.

A tipster told the FBI that Hale-Cusanelli had shared cell phone videos with the informant showing him at the Capitol building harassing police officers. Hale-Cusanelli also admitted to entering the Capitol and encouraging other members of the mob to "advance" – giving directions by voice and hand signals.

He was arrested Jan. 17 in New Jersey.

Updated Jan. 19 at 12:42 a.m. ET

Authorities have arrested a woman who the FBI says may have stolen a laptop computer or hard drive from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the Capitol riot earlier this month. The bureau says it is investigating whether she planned to funnel the device to Russia's foreign intelligence agency.

Riley June Williams, a Pennsylvania woman, was arrested on Monday in her home state on charges related to the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, including entering a restricted building, disrupting the orderly conduct of government and engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct.

However, a complaint/arrest warrant from Sunday says the FBI is investigating a claim that Williams stole a laptop or hard drive from the speaker's office. According to one witness, described as a former romantic partner of Williams, the accused "intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence service."

The unidentified witness said "for unknown reasons" the plan fell through and that Williams "still has the computer device or destroyed it."

"This matter remains under investigation," the FBI said.

In the days following the attack — in which rioters ransacked the speaker's office and ripped a name plate from above her door — Drew Hammill, Pelosi's chief of staff, confirmed in a tweet that a laptop "only used for presentations" had been taken from a conference room in the speaker's office.

The speaker's office told NPR Monday that it declined to comment on the court filing.

Sunday's complaint provides a link to a documentary filmed and produced by the London-based ITV News that includes footage shot inside the Capitol as the rioters streamed in. At about 20:40 into the video, a woman in glasses, wearing a green shirt and brown trench coat and carrying a black-and-white bag over her shoulder, identified as Williams, can be seen yelling "upstairs, upstairs, upstairs," pushing and urging people in the general direction of Pelosi's office.

The documentary singles out the woman, saying she was "disciplined, focused, with a sense of urgency, directing people up a staircase."

The same woman can be seen in other video taken outside the Capitol building on Jan. 6, according to the affidavit.

The FBI says Williams' mother filed a report with police in Harrisburg, Pa., about a suspicious person on Jan. 11 but that when officers interviewed her, Williams herself was not present. The suspicious person "was assumed" to be the same witness who had alleged Williams intended to sell the stolen laptop or hard drive, the bureau says.

"According to the Harrisburg officers, on January 16, 2021, they again spoke with WILLIAMS' mother who told them that a British media crew had come to her home the night before, asking to speak with WILLIAMS, who was not present. The news crew presented WILLIAMS' mother with one or more images taken at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Her mother acknowledged that it was WILLIAMS in the image," the complaint says.

In a separate ITV News segment posted Jan. 16, the documentary crew interviews Wendy Williams, who identified herself as the mother of the woman in the video and confirmed that the video showed her daughter. In the segment, the mother says that her daughter is not home.

More than 125 people have been arrested so far in connection with the attack on the Capitol, on charges from curfew violations to federal felonies, according to The Associated Press.

Police were on high alert in state capitals around the U.S. Sunday, after warnings that pro-Trump extremists might attempt to storm legislatures similar to the assault on the U.S. Capitol last week. But at many statehouses and capitols, security and the media outnumbered protesters.

The streets were quiet in Washington, D.C., where police, the military and security agencies are intent on preventing any far-right groups from trying to disrupt President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday. At least three people have been arrested in separate incidents at checkpoints, as the DCist site reports. Thousands of National Guard members are fortifying security at the Capitol and along the National Mall.

In Denver, the Colorado Capitol's lower windows were covered in anticipation of possible unrest — but hardly anyone showed up on Sunday. "I'm really surprised. I figured there'd be more than this," a supporter of President Trump told Colorado Public Radio.

In Lansing, where protesters swarmed Michigan's Capitol building last May and a plot against the governor was uncovered in recent months, Sunday's protest was deemed "eclectic, but small and dull" by Michigan Radio. Events remained quiet, despite some demonstrators bringing their guns to the protest.

In Georgia, a military Humvee was parked next to a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., on the grounds of the statehouse in Atlanta. Some downtown streets were blocked off by dump trucks, Georgia Public Broadcasting reports. The outlet describes the mood in the city as a "tense calm."

There was "relative quiet at the Oregon State Capitol," according to Oregon Public Broadcasting, despite the arrival of a small group of armed demonstrators. The group included members of the extremist "boogaloos" movement, who are known for advocating for a new civil war.

"A couple dozen armed demonstrators gathered at the Texas Capitol on Sunday," member station KUT reports, adding that the group said they had come to spread a "message of individual liberty." But not many people were around to hear it, as the grounds were closed.

In Florida, the Capitol in Tallahassee was mainly populated by a range of law enforcement agencies and journalists, according to member station WFSU — which reports a man as he rode by on a bicycle called out, "It's a beautiful day! Nothing happening here!"

There are a number of possible explanations for the smaller than expected protests – including that some right-wing activists are reluctant to congregate at a time when police are looking for any sign of trouble and the FBI is vigorously seeking people to face charges related to the assault in Washington.

Federal authorities have made dozens of arrests around the country in connection with the violent insurrection in Washington, which left five people dead. More people were taken into custody over the weekend.

Some groups seem to want to wait things out, says Oren Segal of the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism.

"I think people are spooked by the fact there have been many arrests," Segal said. "I think in some cases, they think that the events that are planned are honey pots that are created to get them in trouble."

The result, he adds, is that "we've seen a lot of pushback about actually showing up" at new protests.

Since the assault, social media outlets and tech companies have been making it more difficult for conspiracy theorists to repeat false claims that the Nov. 3 election was rigged, and that Trump was not truly defeated by President-elect Joe Biden.

A major blow to organizers and conspiracy theorists came last weekend, when Parler, seen as a conservative alternative to Twitter, went dark after Amazon stopped hosting its web site. Apple and Google also stripped Parler from their app offerings.

In addition, Facebook is targeting content with messages such as "stop the steal," and Twitter suspended more than 70,000 accounts related to QAnon, the conspiracy theory group that some law enforcement agencies now deem a cult.

NPR's Sarah McCammon contributed to this report.

Twitter locked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene out of her account on the social media platform on Sunday, citing violations of a company policy that it recently used to remove thousands of QAnon-related accounts. The suspension is in effect for 12 hours.

Greene has repeatedly endorsed the QAnon conspiracy theory, which has sought to portray President Trump as being undermined by a deep-state cabal.

When reached on Sunday, a Twitter spokesperson told NPR that the Georgia Republican's account "has been temporarily locked out for multiple violations of our civic integrity policy."

The company's policy was updated after the recent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — a deadly event during which Greene and others were seen not wearing face masks in a secure room where a crowd of people were sheltering.

Greene's account is still viewable to the public. The newly elected representative's most recent messages on the platform repeat false claims that elections that resulted in Trump's defeat and key Republican losses in the Senate were flawed. Key election officials in Georgia, she said, had been "begged by Republicans to fix our elections."

Twitter affixed a warning notice to Greene's message about the recent national election stating, "This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can't be replied to, Retweeted or liked to a risk of violence." Those limits on engagement were introduced as part of the social media company's new approach to messages that are deemed to violate its civic integrity policy.

On Tuesday, Twitter announced that it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts that were used to share content about QAnon.

Loews Hotels says it will no longer allow a fundraiser for Sen. Josh Hawley scheduled for February to be held at one of its hotels. The move is the latest fallout from the Missouri Republican's widely criticized decision to object to Electoral College results during Congress' certification of President-elect Joe Biden's win.

"We are horrified and opposed to the events at the Capitol and all who supported and incited the actions," the company said Saturday in a statement on Twitter. "In light of those events and for the safety of our guests and team members, we have informed the host of the Feb. fundraiser that it will no longer be held at Loews Hotels."

The fundraiser was organized by a political action committee, Fighting for Missouri, and was scheduled to take place Feb. 12 to 15 in Orlando, Fla., at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. A flyer for the event promised a "fun-filled-family-friendly" time, with tickets ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on group size.

Hawley, an ally of President Trump, has continued to receive heavy backlash for his decision to object to Electoral College results during Congress' certification of the electoral votes, after a mob of pro-Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol in what became a deadly insurrection.

Simon & Schuster announced on Jan. 7 that it had canceled the publication of Hawley's book, The Tyranny of Big Tech, which was slated for a June release. The publishing company said it could not support Hawley "after his role in what became a dangerous threat to our democracy and freedom."

The editorial boards from two of the largest newspapers in his home state, The Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, have called for Hawley to resign. The Star went so far as to say Hawley, "has blood on his hands" and is the second-most-culpable person for the attacks.

Hawley was photographed greeting protesters outside the Capitol with a raised fist in an apparent show of solidarity before the riots began. He has defended his decision to object to Electoral College results.

Fellow Republicans and even past mentors have spoken out against Hawley and have expressed their regret in prior support for him.

The Lincoln Project, another PAC run by top Republican strategists, has called Hawley "public enemy No. 1." Former GOP Sen. John Danforth, a mentor of Hawley's, has said that recruiting Hawley for a U.S. Senate run and supporting him was the "biggest mistake I've ever made."

Authorities are locking down all federal prisons as the country braces for potential violence leading into Wednesday's swearing-in of President-elect Joe Biden.

The lockdown was announced early Saturday morning. A statement from the Bureau of Prisons does not specify the length of the lockdown but says the agency was securing all of its facilities as a precautionary measure brought on by "current events occurring around the country."

"In securing the facilities, the hope is that this prudent measure is for a short period and that operations will be restored to their prior status as soon as practical," the agency said. "We will continue to monitor events carefully and will adjust operations accordingly as the situation continues to evolve."

The Associated Press reports that the lockdown went into effect at midnight Saturday, after inmates had been secured in their cells for the night. The Bureau of Prisons statement goes on to say that inmates would still be provided with access to email and telephones but that communication with families would be limited.

The agency also says that no specific information led to the lockdown nor was it in response to any ''significant" event occurring within a federal prison.

Shane Fausey, president of the Council Of Prison Locals, which represents some 30,000 prison employees, praised the decision.

"The Bureau of Prisons and its professional Federal Law Enforcement employees train for all types of conditions and ways to not only manage emergencies, but more importantly to prevent serious incidents from occurring. Protecting our communities, the inmates entrusted in our care, and all of our employees that stand on the last line of defense is a responsibility that we do not take lightly," Fausey said in a statement.

Law enforcement agencies have been taking measures in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and over fears of violence leading into Biden's swearing-in. Several states worked to secure their Capitol buildings and the FBI has issued a warning for all 50 states.

The Bureau of Prisons is also sending members of its Special Operations Response Team to Washington, D.C., to assist security efforts after the mob spurred on by President Trump breached the Capitol earlier this month, the AP reports. About 100 officers had been sent to the Justice Department and were deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service earlier this month.

Prior to Saturday's announcement, federal prisons had been under modified operations to contain the spread of COVID-19. More than 38,000 inmates and 3,500 staff in federal prisons have had COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and 190 inmates and three staff members have died of the disease.