JUNEAU, Alaska — Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have determined this morning’s threat against the Petro Marine fuel facility in Ketchikan, Alaska, to be non-credible.
The Captain of the Port Southeast Alaska returned the Maritime Security (MARSEC) Level in the Port of Ketchikan to Level 1. The MARSEC Level was raised to Level 2 in response to the threat. The elevation in the MARSEC Level required the Coast Guard, other law enforcement agencies and the marine industry to assume a heightened security posture.
The 500-yard safety zone imposed around the facility has also been lifted. Coast Guard Station Ketchikan, Coast Guard Cutter Naushon and Coast Guard Cutter Anthony Petit were underway to enforce the safety zone.
Personnel from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Ketchikan worked closely with Petro Marine personnel to verify the proper implementation of security procedures. Coast Guard inspectors routinely work with waterfront facilities such as Petro Marine to prepare for security incidents such as this morning’s threat.
An anonymous caller phoned the Seventeenth Coast Guard District Command Center in Juneau this morning and threatened to detonate fuel tanks at the Petro Marine fuel facility in Ketchikan. The Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Alaska State Troopers and the Ketchikan Police Department are investigating the call.
