No bomb, four held in Baltimore case

BALTIMORE, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Four Middle Eastern men were held Tuesday on immigration charges after officials briefly shut down parts of I-95 in Baltimore because of a terror threat.

The Baltimore Sun said the terror threat tip came from a source in an undisclosed foreign country, but officials were cautious about accepting his story late Tuesday, though they stressed the investigation was ongoing.

Federal and local authorities, using "an abundance of caution" in the face of the potential threat, briefly closed the Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels.

The Sun said the intelligence received by officials involved a story that six men would take bomb-laden delivery truck from a Middle Eastern market into a tunnel, where it would be detonated.

Authorities checked trucks and vans as traffic backed up in the area.

The decision to close the roadways was made by local officials.

Disclosing no details, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement saying, "While the information was somewhat specific, to date, the intelligence community has not found evidence that corroborates the information.

"However, this is an ongoing investigation. Therefore, we support whatever protective measures taken out of an abundance of caution that state and local law enforcement authorities deem appropriate to ensure the safety and security of their community until we can complete the investigation."