WASHINGTON — It is not the wall President Donald Trump campaigned on, but a wall of security surrounds the U.S. Capitol following last week’s deadly riots that shook the nation. Armed law enforcement officers have encircled congressional office buildings. Rarely do barriers reinforce the Supreme Court just across the street from the Capitol.

What You Need To Know

  • Federal investigations are underway to undercover what went wrong Wednesday

  • Federal prosecutors said more than 70 people were charged so far in connection to the mob violence

  • Number is expected to reach the hundreds and some of those charges could rise to the level of sedition and conspiracy

  • Federal authorities are warning of additional armed protests in the days leading up to inauguration

Federal investigations are underway to undercover what went wrong Wednesday, considering authorities received intelligence pre-attack. In a briefing Tuesday, federal prosecutors said more than 70 people have been charged so far in connection to the mob violence. That number is expected to reach the hundreds and some of those charges could rise to the level of sedition and conspiracy. Agents are reviewing tens of thousands of media files and pursuing leads across the country.

“We’re going to focus on the most significant charges as a deterrent, because regardless if it was just a trespass in the Capitol or if someone planted a pipe bomb, you will be charged and you will be found,” said Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. Attorney General for the District of Columbia.

The Capitol building itself has been closed to the public since the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic but visitors were allowed to walk around these grounds on the east side of the building. On January 6, many were there to protest peacefully, but soon a mob surged the Capitol steps and breached the building. National Guardsmen and other law enforcement officers now buttress the building ahead of the potential historic second impeachment of Trump.

Over on the west side of the Capitol, as a vigil for a fallen police officer grows, federal authorities are warning of additional armed protests in the days leading up to when President-elect Joe Biden is set to take the inaugural platform and be sworn in.

“The Capitol will be much more secure for the inauguration but it's clear that there was widespread failure,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, who represents the Texas’s congressional 20th district. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named Castro as one of the several impeachment managers.

There was always going to be a slimmed down version of inauguration because of the ongoing public health crisis. But those months of preparation did not take into account this level of looming violence.

Inauguration setup continues after the deadly riots, as Secret Service officials said they have been preparing for this day for months.