Law enforcement agencies pushed back Tuesday on an internet service company’s characterization of damage to some of its fiber optic lines in the San Fernando Valley as an act of “domestic terrorism.”
Several of Charter Communications aerial cables were severed last month in Van Nies causing service disruptions across Southern California, and the company initially characterized the incident as vandalism.
Charter issued a press release Tuesday that said the damage should be considered a terrorist act, then acknowledged that the company had come up with that description internally and it was not a determination made by a government agency.
“We (Charter) has deemed this an act of domestic terrorism,” Charter spokesman Justin Venench emailed NBC News in response to questions about the announcement.
Venech said several other states have passed laws to make intentional attacks on communications infrastructure a more serious crime, and said more laws are needed in order to “deter the crimes.”
Last month, Charter said the damage to the fiber optic lines was the result of a failed attempt by thieves to steal copper wire, and it offered a $25,000 reward for information.
“The incident involving the severing of fiber optic cables in Van Nuys on June 15, 2025 is being investigated as a case of felony vandalism,” said LAPD Public Information Director Jennifer Forkish.
“Based on the evidence collected and the circumstances observed at the scene, this incident is not being treated as an act of domestic terrorism,” she said.
The FBI said it was aware of the Van Nuys incident, and it was, “working with our law enforcement partners to investigate the nature of the attack, to include the motive.”
The federal statute on domestic terrorism defines it as an act that is dangerous to human life that appears to be intended to intimidate a civilian population, to influence government policy, or to affect the government’s ability to function through mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
Charter’s spokesman said the “terrorism” label was based on, “the nature of the fiber cuts, extent of damage, and make-up of impacted customers, which included emergency services, a U.S. military base, emergency dispatch and 911 communications services, local fire and police departments, financial institutions, court buildings, healthcare facilities and hospitals, educations institutions, as well as cell towers providing mobile services.”
The lines that were cut had been strung between several utility poles along Bessemer Street in Van Nuys, which runs parallel to the Metro busway just south of the LAPD’s Van Nuys Division.
New fiber optic cabling and equipment could be seen along the busway Tuesday.
The LAPD said its emergency communications centers were not affected by the June 15 outage.