A Texas man is in FBI custody on Thursday after authorities say he tried to assist ISIS and deliberate a terrorist assault on American soil — all from his residence in Houston.
Authorities mentioned 28-year-old Anas Mentioned was trying to find methods to commit violent acts on behalf of the Islamic State within the Houston space. He has been charged with making an attempt to supply materials assist to the terrorist group.
Mentioned was arrested final week on the residence complicated the place he lived, in accordance with FBI Particular Agent in Cost Douglas Williams.
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FBI Particular Agent in Cost Doug Williams addresses the media from the Houston subject workplace on Jan. 19. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle through Getty Photographs)
Williams mentioned that whereas in custody, Mentioned admitted to researching the right way to conduct an assault on native army recruiting facilities, providing his residence as sanctuary for ISIS operatives, bragging that he would commit a “9/11-style” assault if he had the assets and making an attempt to provide ISIS propaganda.
“We stopped a possible terrorist assault from taking place proper right here in Houston! Any day we are able to publicly say that could be a good day,” FBI Houston mentioned.
Mentioned is being held in custody however appeared in court docket for a preliminary listening to on Tuesday, his legal professional, Balemar Zuniga, instructed Fox Information Digital.
“The indictment solely alleges that he supported a terrorist group via the manufacturing of movies and propaganda,” he mentioned, noting that federal prosecutors talked about the plotting of terror acts however haven’t charged him with such. “None of that’s alleged.”
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Mentioned has been on the FBI’s radar because the bureau obtained a tip in 2017 about him buying two stickers: “one containing a picture of the Dome of the Rock2 with an ISIS flag overlaying the picture, and one other exhibiting the white silhouette of a person holding a rifle with the caption, “Successful the Islamic Nation.”
“Does it appear a bit extreme? Sure,” Zuniga mentioned.
Mentioned was interviewed by the FBI 4 instances in 2018 in relation to the sticker purchases.
“Throughout an interview carried out on or about January 29, 2018, the Defendant admitted each stickers have been meant to indicate assist for ISIS,” although he didn’t assist killing within the title of ISIS on the time, in accordance with a detention memo laying out the allegations towards Mentioned. Mentioned started supporting the ISIS ideology in 2015 when his household returned to the U.S. from Lebanon.
Mentioned was born in the USA and moved to Lebanon with with household as a baby, Zuniga mentioned. He returned to the U.S. in 2014.
Regardless of Mentioned’s alleged crimes, he does not have any unfavorable emotions in regards to the U.S., mentioned Zuniga.
“I’d not say that in any respect,” he mentioned. “I feel that he’s definitely obsessed with defending his Islamic faith. I do not assume he has any explicit animosity towards the USA itself.”
In a 2019 FBI interview, Mentioned claimed “he now not consumed radical Islamic propaganda and solely used the web for schoolwork and for watching sports activities,” in accordance with the memo.
The Division of Justice seals is seen throughout a information convention on the DOJ workplace in Washington, Might 16, 2023. (AP Picture/Jose Luis Magana)
That wasn’t true, in accordance with the DOJ.
“On or about October 18, 2023, pursuant to authorized course of, FBI obtained data from Meta Platforms, Inc. (‘Meta’) relating to 11 Fb accounts utilized by the Defendant that confirmed he continued to assist ISIS and the violent assaults carried out in its title,” in accordance with the DOJ.
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His relations “expressed their considerations” in FBI interviews, and “subsequent evaluation of the Defendant’s digital units revealed a number of encrypted messaging functions containing data of his efforts to create and disseminate propaganda that glorified ISIS’s ongoing violence, the proof underlying the fabric assist offense charged within the indictment,” the division alleged.
Mentioned allegedly refused to adjust to FBI brokers who executed a search warrant towards him final Friday, and he smashed his cellphone.
