The FBI said Friday it had disrupted a plot to attack a North Carolina grocery store on New Year’s Eve, arresting a man who officials said was inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS) group and had pledged loyalty to the terrorist.
The 18-year-old was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terror organization, reported ABC News.
He was arrested by federal agents on Wednesday. He remained held following an appearance before US District Judge Susan Rodriguez on Friday morning, pending a hearing on Jan. 7.
According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, the suspect came under investigation last month after information surfaced that an account later connected to him had made social media posts supportive of ISIS.
The affidavit also states that the suspect had been on the FBI’s radar in January 2022, when he was a minor, after officials learned he had been in contact with an IS member in Europe and had received instructions to dress in all black and commit attacks with a hammer.
US cities were on heightened alert during New Year’s Eve celebrations this week, due to potential security concerns.
New Orleans was targeted during New Year’s Eve celebrations last year. The attack occurred when a terrorist driving a commercial vehicle rammed into partygoers. The attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, pledged allegiance to ISIS.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)