A suspicious package found outside a gate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida contained ‘possible energetic materials,’ the FBI has announced.
Energetic materials are substances that store large amounts of chemical energy and release it rapidly when triggered by heat, shock or friction, often resulting in explosions, propulsion or combustion.
Authorities were alerted to the package on Monday after it was discovered near a secured entry point at the base, prompting an immediate response from bomb disposal teams and federal investigators.
The area was quickly barricaded as officials worked to assess the threat.
The FBI said Wednesday that the device did not detonate and no injuries were reported, but the presence of materials with explosive potential triggered a full-scale investigation.
Officials have not yet confirmed whether the package was intended as a functional explosive device or if it posed an immediate danger.
MacDill Air Force Base is home to US Central Command and US Special Operations Command, making it one of the most strategically significant military installations in the country.
The base also plays a key role in overseeing combat operations, including those linked to tensions involving Iran.
A suspicious package found outside a gate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida contained ‘possible energetic materials,’ the FBI has announced
Federal and military officials have not indicated whether the incident is believed to be connected to foreign actors, but investigators are examining all possibilities.
Daily Mail has contacted MacDill Air Force Base for comment.
Energetic materials contain both oxidizing and reducing agents, allowing them to burn or detonate without atmospheric oxygen.
They are critical in defense, aerospace, mining and safety industries.
‘Field screening was conducted on the contents of the package and identified possible energetic materials. Final lab analysis is not yet complete,’ the FBI’s Tampa office said in an X post.
Military officials then raised the base’s threat level to FPCON Charlie, the second-highest Force Protection level out of five levels, on Tuesday.
This indicates a serious threat has occurred, and tightened security measures are in place around the base.
‘This posture allows us to implement deliberate security measures proactively,’ the base said on social media earlier this week.
Authorities were alerted to the package on Monday after it was discovered near a secured entry point at the base, prompting an immediate response from bomb disposal teams and federal investigators
‘All personnel should remain vigilant, follow the direction of security forces, and report any suspicious activity immediately.’
Then, on Wednesday, the base went into lockdown for three hours after a second threat surfaced.
A shelter-in-place order was implemented, with the base posting on Facebook: ‘We take all threats seriously and are taking appropriate measures to prioritize the safety and security of our installation.
‘As a matter of policy, we will not release specifics on what security measures have been implemented.’ The order was lifted a few hours later.
At MacDill, the nerve center for military operations in the Middle East, even minor threats can cause major disruptions for the thousands who pass through its gates each day.
‘We were in the car for almost four hours waiting because they wouldn’t let us go anywhere,’ one service member told 10 Tampa Bay.
Suzy Malloy, married to a retired Navy captain and executive director of Blue Star Families at MacDill, organizes events and programs to help military families on base.
The area was quickly barricaded as officials worked to assess the threat
‘Our families here at MacDill Air Force Base have been under some stress for more than just this week,’ she said. ‘This week just brought it a little bit closer to home.’
Malloy added that there’s been ‘stress from the beginning of the conflict with Iran and plus some days leading up to it as our service members locally, some of them have deployed.’
Major conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel escalated dramatically on February 28, with coordinated strikes against Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, termed ‘major combat operations’.
