Homeland Security launches internal probe of domestic violent extremism

Washington — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has launched an internal investigation to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the department, according to a memo to employees obtained by CBS News.  

In the message to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees on Monday, the secretary wrote that "recent events, including the January 6th attacks on the U.S. Capitol, have highlighted that domestic violent extremism poses the most lethal and persistent terrorism-related threat to our country today." Mayorkas called rooting out domestic violent extremism an "urgent priority of the Biden-Harris Administration and of this Department."  The secretary has instructed a cross-agency, internal working group to complete a "comprehensive review of how to best prevent, detect, and respond to threats related to domestic violent extremism within DHS," led by chief security officer Richard McComb, according to DHS.