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, alleging that two 20-year-old men who had obtained powerful weapons and trained at shooting ranges were scouting LGBTQ+ bars in suburban Detroit in September in preparation for a potential Halloween attack.
According to a 72-page criminal complaint that was unsealed in federal court, Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud, and other conspirators were motivated by the extremism of the Islamic State group. A minor, only known as Person 1, was reportedly heavily involved in the conversations, according to investigators.
“We had a terrorist attack that our American heroes stopped,” U. S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on X.
The complaint said the men, who were too young to consume alcohol, had searched Ferndale’s LGBTQ+ bars for potential attacks.
The court filing said that FBI agents had been monitoring them for weeks, including using a camera on a pole outside a Dearborn home, before making arrests Friday. Additionally, investigators searched social media posts and had access to encrypted chats and other conversations.
The FBI claimed that while looking into another man and gathering information from a July group call that was recorded by a confidential source, it developed an interest in Ali, Mahmoud, and the third individual.
The charges against Ali and Mahmoud included receiving and transferring weapons and ammunition for terrorist purposes. They are expected to stay in custody until at least November and made brief appearances in federal court on Monday. 10 hearing for detention. .
Amir Makled and William Swor, defense lawyers, remained silent. Makled appeared to dismiss the accusations over the weekend, claiming that they were the product of “fear-mongering” and “hysteria.”. “”.
According to the government, Mahmoud recently purchased over 1,600 rounds of ammunition suitable for AR-15-style rifles, and both of them practiced at shooting ranges.
According to the FBI, the men frequently mentioned “pumpkins” in their conversations, alluding to an attack that occurred on Halloween. The minor, Person 1, frequently sought advice from the father of a “local Islamic extremist ideologue” regarding when to carry out a “good deed,” according to the court filing. “”.
While agents searched residences in Dearborn and a storage unit that Ali rented in the nearby town of Inkster, FBI Director Kash Patel announced arrests on Friday, but no specifics were made public at the time.
The FBI reported that the searches turned up GoPro cameras, ammunition, AR-15-style rifles, tactical vests, and backpacks.
The reason Ferndale was singled out is not made clear in the criminal complaint; however, the man who killed 49 people at Orlando, Florida’s LGBTQ+-friendly Pulse Nightclub in 2016 had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State organization.
Tens of thousands of people attend Ferndale’s annual Pride parade, which takes place just north of Detroit. Hearing about the purported plot was “disturbing,” according to gay former mayor Dave Coulter.
The tragedy at the Pulse Nightclub “is still deeply felt” in Ferndale, according to Coulter, who is currently the elected Oakland County executive.
It’s the second case since May that involves suspected plots by the Islamic State group in the Detroit area. The FBI claimed to have detained a man who had been preparing an attack on a U.S. S. . The Warren Army site. Ammar Said has entered a not guilty plea and is still being held.
.
