Federal authorities said Wednesday they arrested three additional men — two in New Jersey and one in Michigan — in an investigation into an ISIS-inspired plan that discussed attacking LGBTQ+ bars around Detroit over Halloween.
Federal agents on Wednesday arrested a third Michigan suspect and two New Jersey men in a widening investigation into an ISIS-inspired plot that discussed striking nightlife venues around Halloween near Detroit, authorities said.
In Michigan, prosecutors named 19-year-old Ayob (also spelled Ayob/Ayob) Nasser of Dearborn as the third defendant. He and co-defendants Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud are charged with conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated terrorist organization and with receiving and transferring guns and ammunition for terrorism, according to court documents summarized by the Associated Press. Investigators say Nasser and a minor traveled twice in September to an amusement park in the Midwest to scout crowds; Cedar Point in Ohio confirmed it assisted the FBI after individuals tied to the case visited the park. Court filings describe encrypted chats in which the group repeatedly used “pumpkin” and pumpkin emojis as shorthand for a Halloween attack and detail searches and seizures of AR‑15‑style rifles, loaded handguns, GoPro cameras, tactical vests and other gear from locations linked to the suspects. The filings also say Ali, Mahmoud and a minor visited bars in Ferndale, a suburb known for LGBTQ+ venues. AP reports two minors, identified in filings as Person 1 and Person 2, were involved in discussions. “We will not stop. We will follow the tentacles where they lead. We will continue to stand guard with the FBI against terrorism,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said in a statement. (AP)
The arrests follow charges announced last week against Ali and Mahmoud in the Eastern District of Michigan. Charging documents and subsequent coverage indicate the discussions were inspired by the Islamic State, with messages referencing doing “the same thing as France,” a nod to the 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130 people, and mentioning the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. (ABC7/DOJ filings as described in news reports)
In New Jersey, law enforcement officials told NBC News that two 19‑year‑olds from Montclair — Milo Sedarat and Tomas Kaan Jimenez‑Guzel — were taken into custody this week. One was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport after allegedly moving up travel plans to Turkey, with the intent to reach Syria, following last week’s Michigan raids, the officials said. According to the Wall Street Journal’s reporting, Jimenez‑Guzel is charged with conspiring to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, while Sedarat is charged with transmitting interstate threats. Authorities say the men were connected to the Michigan suspects and communicated in encrypted groups that discussed support for ISIS. (NBC News, Wall Street Journal)
Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba said in a social media video that her office charged two people “connected” to the alleged plot; detailed charging documents were not immediately available when she spoke. (AP)
Investigators say they monitored the group for weeks, obtained access to encrypted communications, and used surveillance tools at locations in Dearborn and Inkster. Defense attorneys for some of the Michigan defendants have questioned the government’s characterization of the chats and plans; one lawyer previously called early accounts “hysteria” and “fear‑mongering.” The defendants have not entered pleas, and all remain presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. (AP)
