Much of the news cycle is still focused on the aftermath of the presidential election, but other important and concerning events are going on.
Over a week later, the press is still relentlessly reporting on Trump’s win. That’s why you likely haven’t heard about a terrifying terrorist arrest that was just made in Texas.
The FBI has arrested a Houston man after he allegedly attempted to support ISIS. It seems that he had been planning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil from his Houston apartment.
From Fox News:
Authorities said 28-year-old Anas Said was searching for ways to commit violent acts on behalf of the Islamic State in the Houston area. He has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group.Said was arrested last week at the apartment complex where he lived, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams.
Williams said that while in custody, Said admitted to researching how to conduct an attack on local military recruiting centers, offering his home as sanctuary for ISIS operatives, bragging that he would commit a “9/11-style” attack if he had the resources and attempting to produce ISIS propaganda.
“We stopped a potential terrorist attack from happening right here in Houston! Any day we can publicly say that is a good day,” FBI Houston said.
Said remains in federal custody at the time of this writing. On Tuesday, he appeared in court for a preliminary hearing.
“The indictment only alleges that he supported a terrorist group through the production of videos and propaganda,” said his attorney Baldemar Zuniga. The lawyer added federal prosecutors only mentioned the plotting of terror acts, yet they have not charged him with such. “None of that is alleged.”
Said Has Been On The FBI’s Radar For Years
The FBI has been aware of Said ever since 2017. That year, the bureau received a tip about him purchasing two stickers: “one containing an image of the Dome of the Rock2 with an ISIS flag overlaying the image, and another showing the white silhouette of a man holding a rifle with the caption, ‘Winning the Islamic Nation.'”
Said was interviewed four times in 2018 about buying these stickers.
“During an interview conducted on or about January 29, 2018, the Defendant admitted both stickers were meant to show support for ISIS,” though he did not support killing in the name of ISIS at the time, states a detention memo that details the allegations against Said.
Though Said was born in the U.S., he moved to Lebanon with his family when he was a child. He moved back to the U.S. with them in 2014, and he began supporting ISIS ideologies in 2015.
Zuniga claims that despite all of the evidence to the contrary, his client has no negative feelings towards the U.S.
“I would not say that at all,” the attorney said. “I think that he is certainly passionate about protecting his Islamic religion…I don’t think he has any particular animosity toward the United States itself.”
Last Friday, Said allegedly refused to comply with FBI agents who executed a search warrant against him. He went so far as to smash his cellphone before being taken into custody.
This just goes to show that terrorists still pose a very real threat to Americans everywhere. We applaud the FBI for thwarting this alleged terrorist plot, and we hope more information about it continues to come out!
Source: Fox News
