Agriculture closes offices in 5 states after threats

Some U.S. Department of Agriculture offices in West Virginia were closed on Tuesday, among offices in several other states, after receiving anonymous threats. The affected offices will remain closed until further notice.

“When it comes to the safety and security and United States personnel, military or civilian, we take that quite seriously”, said Earnest here during the daily briefing.

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.

Other offices in Fort Collins, Colo.; Hamden, Conn.; Beltsville, Md.; and Raleigh, N.C., have also been closed. He did not characterize the threats or say how they were received, but asked employees to be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity.

These closures now affect the following USDA agencies and offices at the locations: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), Forest Service (FS), National Agricultural Library (NAL), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Office of the Inspector General, and USDA Departmental Management. USDA employees will either work from home or take authorized leave until their offices are cleared to open again.

The closures may affect some tourists. In Colorado, the U.S. Forest Service’s Canyon Lakes Ranger District tweeted that its information center is closed.

WNCN CBS North Carolina contributed to this article.