The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it has foiled an alleged terrorist plot in Michigan and arrested several suspects accused of planning a violent attack over Halloween weekend.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the operation on Friday, saying the arrests were made early in the morning during a coordinated law enforcement action. “This morning the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend,” Patel said in a social media post. He praised federal and local agents for “standing guard 24/7 and defending the homeland.”
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The FBI has yet to disclose which part of Michigan the operation took place in or provide details about the suspects. However, local reports and statements from area police departments indicate that federal agents were active in at least two Detroit-area communities.
In a statement on Friday, the Dearborn Police Department confirmed that FBI agents carried out an operation in the city earlier in the day but stressed there was “no threat to the community at this time.” Dearborn, located near Detroit, is home to one of the largest Arab American populations in the country and serves as the headquarters of the Ford Motor Company.
The Detroit Free Press also reported FBI activity in Inkster, another Detroit suburb. Authorities have not confirmed whether the two operations were connected.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was informed about the FBI’s actions by Director Patel. “As details continue to develop, I am grateful for the swift action of the FBI and Michigan State Police protecting Michiganders,” she said in a statement posted online.
The arrests mark the latest in a series of counterterrorism operations in Michigan since Patel took office as FBI director in February.
In May, the FBI arrested Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, a 19-year-old former Michigan National Guard member accused of planning a mass shooting at a U.S. Army base in Warren, Michigan. Federal prosecutors said Said allegedly told undercover agents he wanted to carry out the attack on behalf of the Islamic State group (ISIS).
When agents offered to assist him, Said reportedly provided them with ammunition, drone surveillance, and operational details. He was later charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information about a destructive device, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Kash Patel, a former national security official, was appointed FBI director in February during President Donald Trump’s second term. The administration has since expanded its focus on domestic and international security threats, including labeling certain gang networks and extremist groups as terrorist organizations.
