Michigan lawyer says the Halloween terror plot that FBI Director Kash Patel described never existed
A Michigan defense attorney is challenging FBI allegations that his 20-year-old client and four other young suspects were planning an assassination. Terror attack on Halloween weekend.
The FBI and authorities in Michigan have released few details about the case, but FBI Director Kash Patel said more information would be released when announcing the arrests Friday. Spokespeople for the state and national FBI and the U.S. Attorney in Detroit did not immediately respond to messages Saturday.
The investigation involved discussion in an online chat room involving at least some of the detained suspects, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation who could not release details publicly. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The group allegedly discussed carrying out an attack around Halloween, citing “pumpkin day,” according to one source. Another person briefed on the investigation confirmed there was a “pumpkin” reference.
But Amir Makled, an attorney representing a man from suburban Dearborn who was taken into custody Saturday, said: he told the Detroit News He said he did not believe his client or the four others questioned by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force should be charged. Makled said that the ages of the group of US citizens, consisting entirely of men, vary between 16-20.
“This is not a terrorist cell,” Makled told The News. “To my knowledge, there has never been a planned mass casualty incident or terrorist plot. They may be on some websites or online chat groups where they shouldn’t be, but there is nothing illegal.”
Makled did not immediately respond to AP messages seeking comment Saturday.
Authorities said in a statement Friday that they do not believe there is any threat to the public following the arrests. “The FBI foiled a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple individuals who allegedly planned a violent attack over Halloween weekend in Michigan,” Patel said in a post on X on Friday.
Patel stated that the FBI’s vigilance and the help of local authorities thwarted the plot.
Makled said he believes these comments may be premature.
“It is not illegal to be curious about global events,” he said. “It’s not illegal to be in these chat rooms. If there’s a threat, if they’re radicalized or if an (FBI) agent is trying to provoke them or persuade them to do something inappropriate or illegal, then you cross a threshold. None of that happened in this case.”
Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the FBI has foiled many alleged attacks through operations in which agents pose as terrorist supporters and provide advice and equipment.
Investigators say they believe the Halloween plot was inspired by ISIS extremism. It was not immediately clear whether the group had the tools to carry out an attack, but the reference to Halloween prompted the FBI to make the arrests on Friday, one of the people familiar with the investigation told the AP.
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Associated Press writers Mike Balsamo and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
