| Well, whether or not this pans out, we knew there was a threat via Latin America, either from converts or from Islamacists working there. |
The action came just before noon after a dockworker discovered a possible threat written in the cargo hold of a ship carrying bananas from Guatemala, said Will Berg, the port's marketing director.
Berg said the message read: "This nitro is for you Mr. George W. Bush and your Jewish cronies."
The message, scrawled in marker on a metal pillar within the ship, was being investigated by federal authorities, including the FBI, as well as local officials, Berg said.
About 20 people aboard the ship, a 30,000-ton refrigerated vessel that arrived from the Port of Quetzal in Guatemala, were evacuated, he said. Workers already outside the port were being kept out, though anyone inside was allowed to remain.
The 135-acre port, which consists of two terminals, is northwest of Los Angeles.
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said agents were at the scene but wouldn't comment further.