[EARLIER REPORTS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

ABC NEWS REPORTS: U.S. authorities are scrambling to sort through information that the CIA developed in the past 24 hours indicating that at least three individuals entered the U.S. in August by air with the intent to launch a vehicle-borne attack against Washington, D.C. or New York around the anniversary of 9/11, according to intelligence officials.

One of the intelligence and law enforcement officials that ABC News spoke to said that one of the individuals may be a U.S. citizen and a second official said that possibly two of the individuals may have had U.S. documentation — whether green cards or passports was unclear.

As news of the information became public, authorities began weighing whether to raise the national threat level.

The suspected terrorists are believed to have embarked on their journey to the U.S. from Afghanistan or Pakistan, according to two senior officials. One official said the route may have taken them through at least one other country, possibly Iran. Another news organization reported that they embarked from “the Pakistan area.”

The information on the plot was “very specific ” said one official, adding ” It seems like the information has been worked for a while.” A second and third official confirmed the specifics of the possible plot added that a declassified bulletin is expected to be issued shortly.

Multiple sources say that federal authorities will send a bulletin to law enforcement tonight. The threat, one official told ABC News, is credible. Now authorities are making every effort to confirm it and to hunt down any plotters.

UPDATE FROM NBC NEW YORK 7:59PM EST:

The intelligence is not specific to individuals and it is still being checked. But officials are taking it seriously and running it to the ground.

A source said the information comes from two separate threat streams.

The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the latest threat in a statement, noting that intelligence gathered in the raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound after he was killed last May showed that al-Qaida is concerned with the symbolism of dates and anniversaries..

“It’s accurate that there is specific, credible but unconfirmed threat information. As we always do before important dates like the anniversary of 9/11, we will undoubtedly get more reporting in the coming days,” the DHS said. “Sometimes this reporting is credible and warrants intense focus, other times it lacks credibility and is highly unlikely to be reflective of real plots underway.”

FIRST REPORT 6:30PM EST: Three sources tell Fox News that federal authorities have come across what they believe may be a credible threat to U.S. homeland around the 9/11 anniversary.

FBI and DHS are currently working on a bulletin to send to local law enforcement. Authorities have what they believe is some info on possible suspects tied to central Al Qaeda, though not necessarily names.

They believe the threat would target NYC and/or DC.

(Source: Fox News)