A law enforcement source revealed that a teenager pledged to carry out independent actions in Las Vegas in support of ISIS before authorities thwarted his alleged terror plot.
“Peace be upon all brothers who see this. I am here to announce that I will be starting lone wolf operations in Las Vegas against the enemies of Allah. I ask you to make Dua for victory. I am a supporter of the Islamic State, and I will make sure the Zionists in this city know it,” the accused purportedly penned a social media post on November 28th.
The post was reported to have been published on Tuesday. Subsequently, by Friday, the 16-year-old individual was apprehended, and federal agents discovered materials for constructing an explosive device along with terrorist propaganda, as stated by Dori Koren, Deputy Chief of Homeland Security and Special Operations Division.
During the press conference on Friday, Koren mentioned that the social media post contained both the ISIS flag and Arabic text.
Following the social media post, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s counter-terrorism division promptly coordinated efforts, successfully identifying the suspect and determining his whereabouts within a few hours, as stated by Koren.
According to Koren, law enforcement, including SWAT teams, carried out multiple warrants to prevent the purported plot and apprehend the suspect.
He stated that they recovered a handmade ISIS flag, headband, and patches, along with propaganda from both ISIS and Al Qaeda. Additionally, there were instructions on carrying out a terrorist attack and self-portraits of the suspect surrounded by ISIS propaganda.
Koren emphasized that the discovery of materials for crafting improvised explosive devices, along with instructions and recipes for bomb-making, was particularly distressing.
Due to being a minor, the identity of the suspect remains undisclosed. However, charges filed against the individual include making terroristic threats, attempting to advance an act of terrorism, offering material support to a terrorist organization, and facing five counts related to the possession of explosive materials.
Each of the charges is categorized as a felony, and the proceedings for the case will be handled by the Clark County District Attorney’s Office in Nevada. He mentioned that the investigation is still in progress, and additional details about the case will be disclosed in the forthcoming weeks.
