Local and federal authorities are working closely with prosecutors, schools, and families to confront the growing number of online threats impacting schools, particularly at the start of the academic year. Officials from the FBI El Paso, U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Texas, El Paso County Attorney’s Office, and the El Paso District Attorney’s Office had a unified message for the community on Tuesday; all threats will be taken seriously and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.Online threats, often perceived by students as pranks, according to authorities, are triggering full-scale investigations by law enforcement and disrupting schools and families alike. The FBI El Paso office has studied the rise in these incidents, many of which FBI Special Agent Valerie Venegas said mostly occur early in the school year. The agency assists local police departments with investigative resources, behavioral threat assessments, and technical support to identify individuals behind the threats.
“We don’t wait to see if it’s real or a hoax,” said Gregory McDonald the U.S. Attorney’s Office, El Paso City Chief for the Western District of El Paso . “We treat every threat as though it’s real and we prosecute them accordingly.”
McDonald also reminded the public that juveniles, in certain cases, can be prosecuted as adults under federal law. They also have tools to track threats back to the device or person responsible and are prepared to pursue those who aid or encourage others in making them.The El Paso County Attorney’s Office, which has jurisdiction to prosecute juveniles, stressed the importance of early intervention and working with schools to respond immediately to any potential danger. Under Texas law, individuals aged 17 and above are considered adults and are prosecuted accordingly…