USDA Closes Offices In Five States After Anonymous Threats

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has closed six offices in five U.S. states after receiving anonymous threats, a USDA representative said on Tuesday.

“Yesterday, USDA received several anonymous messages that are concerning for the safety of USDA personnel and its facilities. As a precaution, USDA has closed offices,” USDA spokesman Matthew Herrick said in an emailed statement.

Herrick said offices were closed in Fort Collins, Colorado; Hamden, Connecticut; Beltsville, Maryland; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Kearneysville and Leetown, West Virginia.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said USDA was working with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the safety of their offices and personnel, but he declined to provide any details about the threats.

“In consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, USDA has taken some prudent steps to ensure the protection of their facilities and their personnel,” he told a news conference. 

(Reporting by Tim Ahmann in Washington and P.J. Huffstutter in Chicago; Writing by Michael Hirtzer; Editing by Matthew Lewis)