FBI arrests man accused of trying to recreate '9/11' terror attack

(CLO) The FBI announced on Thursday the arrest of a man in Texas, accused of creating and distributing propaganda of the terrorist organization IS (or ISIS) and intending to carry out a "9/11"-style attack in the United States.

The man, Anas Said, was arrested last week outside his Houston, Texas, apartment. Said is scheduled to appear before a federal judge Thursday afternoon on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization.

The US Department of Justice building in Washington, DC. Photo: CNN

According to prosecutors’ court documents, Said told FBI agents after his arrest that he had repeatedly attempted to travel abroad to join ISIS and would be willing to return to Lebanon if released. Said also admitted to providing his home as a safe haven for ISIS members, according to the FBI’s Houston office.

Said also revealed his intention to purchase guns and carry out acts of violence in the United States, including surveying several military installations and a specific location in Houston. He even considered asking military personnel he met if they had been deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq and killed Muslims, in order to determine who he would target.

According to the affidavit, the FBI learned of Said’s support for ISIS in 2017, when Said ordered ISIS-related stickers. At the time, Said testified that he became interested in ISIS ideology in 2015 after returning to the United States from Lebanon. Although he claimed to have stopped consuming ISIS content, the FBI discovered that Said was using multiple Facebook accounts to support ISIS and violent attacks on its behalf between late 2023 and 2024.

Said is also accused of researching locations, layouts and security measures at synagogues and the Israeli Consulate in Houston, with the intention of confronting the leadership of a Jewish organization about stopping aid to Israel.

Said's family also told investigators that Said continued to consume ISIS propaganda and openly expressed his desire to fight against pro-Israelis. He also created an encrypted chat group for ISIS followers and shared large amounts of ISIS propaganda online.

In a message to an undercover FBI agent, Said wrote: “Brother, if I lived alone, you would have heard that I was planning a 9/11-style attack. But since my family is with me, I don’t want them to get in trouble.”

Cao Phong (according to CNN, BBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/fbi-bat-nguoi-dan-ong-muon-tai-hien-vu-khung-bo-11-9-post321434.html