DETROIT (AP) — Two 20-year-old men who had acquired high-powered weapons and practiced at gun ranges were scouting LGBTQ+ bars in suburban Detroit in September for a possible Halloween attack, authorities said Monday in filing terrorism-related charges.
“Our American heroes prevented a terror attack,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X.
The men, described as too young to drink alcohol, had looked at LGBTQ+ bars in Ferndale for a possible attack, according to the complaint.
The FBI said the men repeatedly referred to “pumpkins” in their conversations, a reference to a Halloween attack.
It’s the second case since May involving alleged plots in the Detroit area on behalf of the Islamic State group.
DETROIT (AP) — Authorities filed terrorism-related charges on Monday, saying that two 20-year-old men who had obtained powerful weapons and trained at gun ranges were scouting LGBTQ+ bars in suburban Detroit in September for a potential Halloween attack.
A 72-page criminal complaint filed in federal court claims that Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud, and other conspirators were motivated by the extremism of the Islamic State group. A minor, known only as Person 1, was reportedly heavily involved in the conversations, according to investigators.
“A terror attack was stopped by our American heroes,” U. For S. On X, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated.
According to the complaint, the men, who were deemed too young to consume alcohol, had scouted Ferndale’s LGBTQ+ bars for potential attacks.
According to the court filing, FBI agents had been monitoring them for weeks prior to making arrests on Friday, even using a camera mounted on a pole outside a Dearborn home. Additionally, investigators searched social media posts and gained access to encrypted chats and other conversations.
The FBI claimed that while looking into another man and learning information from a group call in July that was captured by a confidential source, it developed an interest in Ali, Mahmoud, and the third individual.
Receiving and transferring weapons and ammunition for terrorist purposes was the charge brought against Ali and Mahmoud. They will be detained at least until November after making brief appearances in federal court on Monday. Ten hearings for detention.
Amir Makled and William Swor, two defense lawyers, declined to comment. Over the weekend, Makled appeared to dismiss the accusations, claiming they were the product of “hysteria” and “fear-mongering.”. The “.
The government claimed that Mahmoud had recently purchased over 1,600 rounds of ammunition suitable for AR-15-style rifles and that both had practiced at gun ranges.
According to the FBI, the men frequently mentioned “pumpkins” in their conversations, alluding to a Halloween assault. According to the court document, Person 1, the minor, frequently sought advice about when to perform a “good deed” from the father of a “local Islamic extremist ideologue.”. The “.
While agents searched residences in Dearborn and a storage unit Ali rented in nearby Inkster, FBI Director Kash Patel announced arrests on Friday, but no specifics were made public at the time.
According to the FBI, the searches found GoPro cameras, ammunition, loaded handguns, tactical vests and backpacks, and rifles similar to the AR-15.
Although the man who attacked the LGBTQ+-friendly Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in 2016 and killed 49 people had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group, it is unclear from the criminal complaint why Ferndale was targeted.
Tens of thousands of people attend Ferndale, which is located just north of Detroit, every year for its Pride parade. Gay former mayor Dave Coulter described learning about the alleged plot as “disturbing.”.
The suffering caused by the Pulse Nightclub tragedy “is still deeply felt” in Ferndale, according to Coulter, the elected Oakland County executive.
Since May, there have been two cases involving alleged plots on behalf of the Islamic State group in the Detroit area. A man who had spent months organizing an attack against a U.S. was detained, according to the FBI. To S. Warren’s Army site. Ammar Said is still being held after entering a not guilty plea.
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