The FBI said Wednesday that a suspicious package found outside a gate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa contained “possible energetic materials.”
An analysis of the material has not been completed, the FBI Tampa said in a statement posted on social media Wednesday afternoon. The FBI said the investigation is continuing and provided no further details.
Energetic materials store a large amount of chemical energy, and can include explosive materials, fuel or propellants.
The FBI did not respond to an email from AP seeking clarification on what type of material was in the package found Monday outside the MacDill Air Force Base Visitor Center near the Dale Mabry gate.
According to authorities, first responders diverted traffic to the Bayshore gate out of caution. By 5 p.m. Monday, the area was declared safe and normal gate operations resumed.
On Wednesday, MacDill lifted a shelter-in-place order after about two hours because of an unspecified threat, base authorities said.
The base is the headquarters for U.S. Central Command, which directs military operations in the Middle East — including America's current involvement in the war with Iran.
"We take all threats seriously and are taking appropriate measures to prioritize the safety and security of our installation," the base wrote on Facebook. "As a matter of policy, we will not release specifics on what security measures have been implemented."
This comes as the base increased its security condition Tuesday to FPCON Charlie, which is the second-highest level U.S. military threat condition.
According to the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, this applies when an incident happens or intelligence gets information indicating terrorist action targeting personnel or facilities is likely. It involves tightened security, including 100% ID checks, restricted access to essential personnel only and potential gate closures or additional presence.
The base said on Facebook that this allows it to "implement deliberate security measures proactively."
MacDill remains in FPCON Charlie operations on Thursday.
"All personnel should remain vigilant, follow the direction of security forces and report any suspicious activity immediately," MacDill authorities wrote. "Everyone plays a role in base defense — if you see something, say something. Report suspicious activity to the base defense operations center at 813-828-3322."
MacDill is not the only base to experience these incidents. For example, NBC10 Philadelphia reports how the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey also issued an FPCON Charlie on Tuesday due to reported suspicious packages.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
