Today, Wednesday, the security authorities in Washington decided to tighten security measures inside the Congress building (the Capitol), and the National Guard members deployed in the American capital began carrying out armed patrols to protect the city, prior to the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States.

The Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that the Congressional police placed metal detectors at the entrances to the House of Representatives, and imposed strict security measures, including searching the representatives of Congress themselves.

The Al-Jazeera camera monitored the actions in the vicinity of the Congress building, and members of the National Guard were seen transporting their equipment in preparation to protect the building from any potential threats.

Reuters quoted pictures from the House of Representatives, where metal detectors were installed at the entrances to corridors inside the House.

Security reinforcements continued in the vicinity of the Congress building and separate neighborhoods of Washington, DC, a week before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

In a development of events, the National Guard decided on Tuesday to allow its personnel deployed to support the police in securing Washington to carry weapons and patrol the city’s streets.

The official of the Office of the National Guard in the Pentagon, General Daniel Hukanson, said Monday that "the guards have not been allowed to carry weapons yet."

Hukanson added that the guards were authorized to deploy on a law enforcement mission during which they were permitted to carry weapons with the authority to make arrests

It would be the "last option" if the situation got out of hand.

It was not clear what had changed on Tuesday evening, and there was no comment from the National Guard in the city.

Security experts confirmed the increase in talks on social media in recent days between extremists and supporters of President Donald Trump regarding the holding of armed marches and the threat of violence in the American capital and other cities.

The Pentagon is mobilizing up to 15,000 National Guard members for the inauguration ceremony on January 20, at a time when Trump and his supporters are still refusing to accept Biden's victory.

And 5 people were killed on the sixth of this month when a crowd of Trump supporters stormed the US Congress building.

In an effort to stop the endorsement procedures for Biden's victory.

The army denounces

In a related context, the US Army Chiefs of Staff condemned in a joint message Tuesday that a crowd of Trump supporters stormed the Congress building last week, stressing that what happened was a "direct attack" on the constitutional mechanisms in the country.

In a letter to the military, the Joint Chiefs of Staff - which includes the leaders of all armed forces - said that "the riots that took place in Washington DC were a direct assault on the US Congress, the Capitol and our constitutional path."

And the generals stressed in their letter that the right to freedom of expression and assembly does not give anyone the right to resort to violence, insubordination or rebellion.

The letter, signed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, made sure to alert all American military personnel that it is the duty of each of them to defend the United States, its constitution and its institutions.

In turn, the Huffington Post reported that Congressional police have warned Democratic lawmakers of 3 plans for possible massive demonstrations in the coming days, at a time when preparations are underway for Biden's inauguration next week.

One of the plans includes rebels surrounding the buildings of Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court, and then preventing Democrats from entering Congress, and possibly assassinating them, in order for the Republicans to control the government.

Investigations continue

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had warned in an internal document that Trump supporters were planning to organize armed demonstrations in the fifty states during the period extending from the end of this week to Biden’s inauguration, according to what media reported.

The office said that it had opened 160 cases in its investigation into the storming of supporters of President Donald Trump into the Congress building last week, while Washington's public prosecutor confirmed that people planted bombs and explosive devices in the vicinity of Congress after storming it.

Stephen Dantuno, assistant director in charge of the field office, told the "FBI" - in statements to the media - that the investigation office had received 100,000 video clips and pictures that could be clues of evidence, and considered that "this matter only reflects the tip of the iceberg."

The FBI affirmed that it would not tolerate "the traumatic events that took place," and that investigations "are continuing and include all parts of the country in search of those involved."

For his part, Acting US Attorney General Michael Sherwin confirmed that indictments have already been issued in 70 cases, and that he expects the number to increase to hundreds.

The first arrests led to charges of robbery and breach of contempt, and Sherwin explained that the prosecution is looking into "large criminal cases related to the charges of insubordination and conspiracy," which each carry a prison sentence of 20 years.