LOCAL UPDATE MI Terror Plot

from WZZM Grand Rapids TV 13
Men may have planned to destroy Mackinac bridge

Federal authorities helped with the investigation into a possible terror threat to the Mackinac Bridge. The FBI office in Detroit worked with local law enforcement authorities before the police arrested three men in Caro on Friday. Officers found about 1,000 pre-paid cell phones in their van. Police in Caro arrested the three Palestinian-American men after they allegedly bought 80 of the phones at a Wal-Mart store in Caro.

The men allegedly traveled to several states to buy pre-paid cell phones, despite policies at many stores limiting purchases to two or three phones at a time. Police in Wisconsin say these three men also bought phones in their state. A clerk who helped them says she suspected something fishy.

from WNED Sagina/Mid-MI TV 5
Men have no ties to terrorist groups

The FBI says there is no threat to the Mackinac Bridge and that there is no information that directly links the men to terrorism. Special Agent in Charge Daniel D. Roberts says that the FBI has been working with local authorities from Caro and the State Police. He stated that local investigation continues even though the FBI has deamed there is no threat to the Mackinac Bridge and no direct connection to terrorism. It was revealed over the weekend that the goal of an alleged terror plot, uncovered in Mid-Michigan, was apparently to hit the Mackinac Bridge.

The bridge security had already been increased for several months due to elevated terror alert levels. Cameras on the bridge are monitored so that any suspicious packages or activity will be responded to by authorities. ne theory is that the men weren't targeting solely the bridge itself but the people on it. The Annual Labor Day Bridge Walk has drawn over 60,000 people in the past few years. In 2000 there was an estimated 65,000 people who participated in the Annual Bridge Walk.