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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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FBI Director Kash Patel has said federal agents thwarted "holiday terror plots" in four states in December last year.
In a post on X Monday, Patel said the FBI arrested four members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front on December 12. He said they were allegedly planning a New Year’s Eve bombing campaign targeting businesses across southern California.
Patel said on December 21, the FBI and local authorities in Pennsylvania arrested an individual who he said had been "researching ISIS propaganda to utilize in an explosives attack campaign."
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On December 29, Patel said "an ISIS sympathizer" was arrested in Texas for allegedly attempting to provide bomb-making materials to a foreign terrorist organization.
And he said that on New Year’s Eve, the FBI worked with state and federal law enforcement in New York to arrest an individual in North Carolina who allegedly wanted to be an "ISIS soldier" and carry out a mass casualty attack that night.
Why It Matters
Patel posted the details of the plots that were thwarted as the U.S. faces elevated terrorism threats amid the ongoing war with Iran. Iran has vowed revenge for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the U.S. and Israel last month.
The heightened terrorism threat also comes at a time when the country’s counterterrorism system is strained by the exit of many experienced nationals security professionals at the FBI and Department of Justice. The firings and resignations and diversion of resources and personnel over the last year to meet other Trump administration priorities, have raised concerns about the capability to head off a potential surge in threats.
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What To Know
Patel also said the FBI had 640 "successful disruptions" of planned terror attacks and made 707 counterterrorism arrests.
His announcement comes after the U.S. has seen three acts of violence across the country in recent days that lay bare the heightened threat.
Two men, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, have been charged after bringing homemade bombs to a far-right protest outside New York City’s mayoral mansion on March 7, authorities said. They were inspired by Islamic State, according to a criminal complaint.
On March 12, Ayman Ghazali, a naturalized citizen from Lebanon, rammed his vehicle into a synagogue outside Detroit and shot himself dead after exchanging fire with a security guard, authorities said.
The man lost four family members in an Israeli airstrike in his native Lebanon, The Associated Press reported. Israel’s military said one of the relatives who was killed was his brother, who they identified as a Hezbollah commander.
The FBI, which is leading the investigation into the incident, described the attack as an act of violence targeting the Jewish community. The agency said it didn’t have enough evidence yet to call it an act of terror.
Also on March 12, a former Army National Guard member who was previously imprisoned on a terrorism conviction opened fire in a classroom at Virginia’s Old Dominion University before he was subdued and killed by ROTC students. Authorities said the gunman, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was heard yelling "Allahu akbar" before opening fire. Patel said the FBI was investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
Officials have said there is no indication that the men arrested in connection with the explosives in New York, or the man responsible for the shooting at Old Dominion University shooting were motivated explicitly by the Iran war.
The FBI warned law enforcement in California in a recent bulletin of Iran’s aspiration to conduct a drone attack on California. After the warning was publicized, officials emphasized the intelligence was unverified and that no specific plot was known to exist.
What People Are Saying
FBI Director Kash Patel said on X on February 28: "FBI personnel are fully engaged on the situation overseas. Last night I instructed our Counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert and mobilize all assisting security assets needed. Our JTTFs throughout the country are working 24/7, as always, to address and disrupt any potential threats to the homeland. While the military handles force protection overseas, the @FBI remains at the forefront of deterring attacks here at home—and will continue to have our team work around the clock to protect Americans."
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said on CNN on Thursday: "I have very deep concerns about retaliatory attacks. I'm concerned about cyber warfare. I'm concerned about sleeper cells within the United States."
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement on March 9: "Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi have been charged with committing a heinous act of terrorism and proclaiming their allegiance to ISIS. They should be held fully accountable for their actions. We will continue to keep New Yorkers safe. We will not tolerate terrorism or violence in our city."
What Happens Next
The Department of Homeland Security has not issued any advisories under the National Terrorism Advisory System since the war with Iran began.
The department issued an alert in June 2025, saying brief hostilities between the U.S. and Israel and Iran had caused a "heightened threat environment" in the U.S. That advisory expired in September.
Reuters reported earlier in March that the White House halted a bulletin from DHS, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center warning state and local agencies of a heightened threat to the U.S. because of the Iran war.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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