Ex-Guard Member Accused of Plotting ISIS-Linked Attack on Army Base - NEW BOX OFFICE TO DAY

May 14 (UPI) -- A ex-member of Michigan’s Army National Guard faces charges for allegedly plotting an Islamic State-motivated mass assault at a U.S. Army site close to Detroit on Tuesday; however, authorities prevented the incident, as stated in documents made public on Wednesday.

The Justice Department reported that Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, who is 19 years old, was taken into custody on Tuesday. He faces accusations including trying to offer assistance to a foreign terror group—the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria—and sharing data about explosive devices around the Detroit Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command, also referred to as TACOM, located in Warren. This site is recognized as the Detroit Arsenal.

TACOM's headquarters oversees the U.S. Army’s ground and support systems infrastructure as well as the associated industrial capacities within the military branch. This location was the initial facility designed for large-scale tank production in the United States back in 1941.

Starting from June 2024, he interacted with two individuals who claimed to be fellow ISIS supporters; however, these persons were actually undercover law enforcement agents, as stated by a source. federal criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday.

In April, Said informed the covert FBI agents that he had created and organized strategies for carrying out a mass shooting at the military installation.

The covert agents stated that Said and other individuals planned to execute Said's scheme under the guidance of ISIS.

The specifics of Said’s assault strategy included: utilizing armor-piercing rounds and extra magazines for the operation, deploying a drone to perform surveillance over TACOM, having covert staff members who received training with weapons as well as in making Molotov cocktails for the strike, knowing ways to infiltrate TACOM and identifying the particular structure they planned to hit.

He informed the covert operatives, 'This place is a military installation.' He wanted them to understand fully, saying, 'Once inside, there’s no leaving. It’s strictly a one-way entry.'

Images taken from videos where Said supposedly swore allegiance to the head of ISIS and was standing before an ISIS flag were part of the lawsuit filing.

In May, he had meetings with the undercover agents as well.

The assault was planned for sometime around 10 a.m. on Tuesday. According to the FBI, he was apprehended as he approached TACOM and initiated his drone operation to facilitate the attack.

After appearing in court on Wednesday in the Eastern District of Michigan, Said will stay detained without bail. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office are seeking to keep Said in pretrial detention due to concerns about the threat he poses to public safety and the possibility that he might escape.

In September 202 2, the individual from Melvindale joined the Michigan Army National Guard. The document states that they underwent basic training at Fort Moore in Georgia. Upon finishing their training, they were assigned to the Michigan Army National Guard Taylor Armory and subsequently released in December 2024, as per the complaint.

The cause of his dismissal was not detailed in the complaint.

"The accused is alleged to have plotted a lethal assault against a U.S. military facility within our country on behalf of ISIS," stated Sue J. Bai, who leads the Justice Department's National Security Division. said in a statement Due to the relentless work of law enforcement, we prevented an assault before anyone was hurt. We won’t hold back from using every resource at the Department’s disposal to locate and charge those intending to target our service members and safeguard all Americans.

He could be facing up to 30 years in prison for each charge.

ISIS is an extremely violent terrorist group that aims to harm Americans," stated U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., who represents the Eastern District of Michigan. "Assisting ISIS or any other terror outfit in planning or executing acts of violence isn’t just deplorable; it poses a significant danger to our country and our lifestyle. We won't stand for these criminal activities or threats within our jurisdiction, and we'll employ all legal resources at our disposal against individuals involved in terrorism.

The FBI’s combined team for counterterrorism is looking into the matter.

Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command, stated: "The apprehension of this ex-soldier serves as a stark warning about the significance of our counterintelligence activities aimed at identifying and thwarting individuals who aim to jeopardize our country."

We strongly encourage all soldiers to stay alert and inform their superiors about any unusual behavior, since the protection of our Army and country relies on our joint commitment to thwarting internal risks.