"The minor was inspired by [ISIS] and sought to conduct a detailed homeland attack which included multiple attackers, firearms, and multiple explosives, targeting a foreign dignitary at a high-profile event," said a joint intelligence bulletin by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued last month.
Now, ABC News has learned that the "dignitary" was in fact Pope Francis, and the attack was scheduled to take place during his upcoming tours of the United States next week.
Additionally, the teen was likely the person referred to by House Homeland Security Committee chairman Mike McCaul when he said Sunday that U.S. authorities "have disrupted one particular case" involving threats against the Pope.
"The minor obtained explosives instructions and further disseminated these instructions through social media," the joint intelligence bulletin said.
The teen was charged with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and attempting to provide material support to terrorist activity. Sources close to the case say the plans were "aspirational" and that there was no imminent threat.
The case, according to the FBI-DHS bulletin, highlights how successful ISIS has been at using social media to radicalize American teens. It's the latest of "several recent instances" which "demonstrate some youth are vulnerable to messaging from [ISIS] and its supporters."
Several cases of teens and young adults supporting ISIS have made headlines over the summer, including two Mississippi residents trying to join ISIS, a Florida man charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, and the son of a Boston police captain charged in an ISIS bomb plot.
Their "innovative use of social media and messaging has played a key role in motivating young U.S.-based males and females to travel to join the self-declared Islamic State or allegedly attempt to conduct attacks in the Homeland on behalf of" ISIS, the bulletin said.
Law enforcement officials said Monday that there is no specific credible threat to the Pope during his U.S. visit at this time, but that hasn't stopped the tour from presenting major security concerns for D.C., New York City and Philadelphia.
Two million people are expected to attend the outdoor mass in Philadelphia, Newsmax reported.
In New York City, the Pope will visit the 9/11 memorial, a Harlem school, the United Nations, Central Park and Madison Square Garden.
"We've never seen anything like this before," NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Police Commisioner William Bratton called it "the largest security challenge that the department and the city has ever faced."
Local, state and federal agencies including the FBI and Coast Guard held drills Monday in preparation for the visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment