The FBI has arrested a Muslim asylum seeker from Jordan who was planning an attack on Jews living in Houston, Texas.He came to the country on a non-immigrant visa but has since applied for asylum.
The FBI arrested him for unlawful possession of firearms, but that was just to get him off the street while they continue their investigation.
Here’s more via the New York Post:
A “radical” Jordanian national living in Texas was allegedly plotting an attack on Houston’s Jewish community before he was arrested on gun charges.
Sohaib Abuayyash, 20, had been studying how to build bombs and posted about his support for killing Jews, federal officials claim.
“He has viewed specific and detailed content posted by radical organizations on the internet, including lessons on how to construct bombs or explosive devices,” FBI Director Chris Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee, though he declined to identify Abuayyash by name.
“And that defendant has made statements to others that support the killing of individuals of particular religious faiths.”
Abuayyash even allegedly made a direct reference in one social media post about an event in Houston for the Jewish community, according to court documents obtained by CNN.
It did not include details about the target and time of the alleged attack.
The judge has ruled that this terrorist should remain in custody:
Abuayyash is behind bars on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by someone with a non-immigrant visa, and US Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan has ruled he should remain detained pending trial.
She wrote in court documents that Abuayyash spoke of committing martyrdom in support of a religious cause and made statements “that he wants to go to Gaza to fight,” according to documents also obtained by CBS News.
“He has viewed specific and detailed content posted by radical organizations on the Internet, including lessons on how to construct bombs or explosive devices,” she wrote.
An affidavit filed Oct. 19 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas also says Abuayyash “has been in direct contact with others who share a radical mindset, has been conducting physical training and has trained with weapons to possibly commit an attack.”
The affidavit notes that federal investigators have been monitoring Abuayyash’s activities since August, when agents conducting “open-source research” saw a video of him firing multiple firearms — including an AR-style weapon.
Abuayash is an asylum seeker…
Abuayyash entered the US on a non-immigrant visa, which expired in 2019, but has since applied for asylum and obtained work authorization in the United States until 2025, according to court documents.
But under federal law, those with a non-immigrant visa cannot legally obtain firearms in the United States.
Upon learning of Abuayyash’s alleged plan to attack the Houston Jewish community, the FBI made the decision to move forward with the most immediate charge available — the unlawful possession of firearms, an unidentified law enforcement source told CNN.
That allowed the FBI to get Abuayyash into custody so prosecutors could ask a federal judge to hold him without bail as they continue their investigation.
While I’m glad the FBI got this terrorist off the streets, the biggest question on everyone’s mind is how many more are in the US just like him. I hope we don’t find out the hard way…