Federal authorities arrested three men in separate locations across the United States on charges of plotting to support the Islamic State terror group. The FBI took into custody a 25-year-old man in Lakeside, California, a suspect in Leawood, Kansas, and a third individual, according to multiple reports. The arrests represent a coordinated operation targeting alleged domestic supporters of ISIS.
According to court documents cited by The Jerusalem Post, one of the suspects allegedly expressed extreme anti-American sentiments, stating he wished he could kill 300 million Americans. The men are accused of planning to provide material support to ISIS, including funding for weapons that would be used in terrorist attacks against Americans. The specific nature of their alleged plotting and whether the suspects knew each other was not disclosed in available reports.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, which has maintained focus on identifying individuals in the United States who may seek to provide support to foreign terrorist organizations. ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, has faced military defeat in its former territorial holdings in Iraq and Syria but continues to inspire attacks and recruit supporters globally. The terror group has been responsible for mass casualties in the Middle East and has inspired or directed attacks in Western countries.
The arrests come at a time when national security officials have warned about the persistent threat of homegrown extremism. While ISIS lost its physical caliphate years ago, law enforcement agencies continue to monitor online spaces where the group's propaganda circulates and where potential supporters may be radicalized. The FBI has disrupted numerous plots in recent years involving individuals allegedly seeking to carry out attacks in the name of ISIS or travel overseas to join the organization.
All three suspects are expected to face federal charges related to providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, a crime that carries substantial prison time. The cases will likely be prosecuted in federal courts in the districts where the arrests took place. The FBI has not released additional details about the timeline of the alleged plotting or whether the men posed an imminent threat at the time of their arrests.