A former member of the Michigan Army National Guard was arrested after he allegedly plotted to shoot up a U.S. military site to support the Islamic State group (ISIS).
Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, faces charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each count if convicted.
Authorities noted that Said planned a mass shooting to take place Tuesday at the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) facility at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Mich., on behalf of ISIS.
“This defendant is charged with planning a deadly attack on a U.S. military base here at home for ISIS,” Sue J. Bai, head of the DOJ’s National Security Division, said in a statement. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, we foiled the attack before lives were lost.”
Authorities discovered videos in which Said allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS.
The Justice Department said that, in April, “two undercover officers indicated they intended to carry out Said’s plan at the direction of ISIS.
“In response, Said provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack and planning numerous details of the attack, including how to enter TACOM and which building to target.”
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that any individual targeting the U.S. military or conspiring with foreign terrorist organizations will be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Let this be a warning: Anyone who targets our military or conspires with foreign terrorist organizations will be found, stopped and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Patel told Fox News Digital Thursday. “I commend the men and women of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their continued dedication to protecting the American people.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation into the case.
READ NEXT: Trump Accuses Comey Of Inciting Violence With 86 47 Instagram Post
