THE AMERICAN VICE PRESIDENT Joe Biden has said that he and President Barack Obama have been briefed by the CIA about the possibility of three men having come to the country in the hopes of carrying out a terrorist attack.

Biden said the threat was “real” and that the intelligence he received was the “first credible piece of information we’ve gotten” since the death of Osama bin Laden four months ago, CNN reports.

The intelligence suggested that the threat was targeted against New York City or Washington DC, and indicated that terrorists may have been planning a series of car bombings – with bridges or tunnels as potential targets, ABC News reports.

Speaking on Good Morning America, Biden said: “We do have talk about using a car bomb. We’ve been told that was an intention… from a credible source. But we do not have confirmation of that.”

“We don’t have a smoking gun,” he said.

The authorities have not yet identified the suspects, however it is understood that they are looking at multiple names of certain individuals who have entered the country since mid-August. At least one of the suspects is a US citizen and the other two may be in possession of US documentation, such as passports or green cards.

Biden said: “We are using every single asset we can including local law enforcement to help thwart the possibility anything could happen,” USAToday reports.

The alleged plot is thought to be planned as revenge for the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden earlier this year, as well as to coincide with the anniversary of the 11 September attacks in 2001.