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Florida Suspect Arrested For Allegedly Planning to Bomb NYSE

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A suspect from Florida was arrested this week for reportedly planning to bomb the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, was caught on Wednesday. He is suspected of planning to carry out the terrorist attack in New York City sometime during the week of November 18.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Yener’s arrest Wednesday night. It said he was charged “with attempt[ing] to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce,” Fox News noted.

The suspect unknowingly worked with undercover FBI agents prior to his arrest. To carry out the attack, the suspect tasked the agents with “procuring the explosive element for the device, conducting surveillance of the business, and obtaining photos of the building to identify the precise location for detonating the explosive device.”

“Yener planned on wearing a disguise when planting the explosive device outside the business and recorded a message to be delivered to the press about his reasons for the attack,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office explained Wednesday. “Yener anticipated the impact of the explosion would be ‘like a small nuke went off’ and that ‘[a]nything outside’ the building ‘will be wiped out’ and ‘anything inside there would be killed’.”

The FBI has been watching the suspect since February 2024. Agents got the tip when they saw Yener “storing bombmaking schematics in an unlocked storage unit in Coral Springs, Florida,” according to Wednesday court papers.

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In March, the FBI searched his apartment and found circuit boards for electronics, plans for making bombs, and several watches with timers. When police interviewed Yener, he said that he thought about joining ISIS in 2015 after a self-proclaimed member offered to help him join. He chose not to join, though.

“Yener said he decided not to join ISIS in 2015 because Yener believed ISIS would not ultimately succeed in achieving their objectives,” the documents state.

After that, the suspect met an FBI agent who he thought was working for a paramilitary group. Yener told the spy that he was going to bomb the NYSE the week of November 18, 2024. He said he wanted to “reboot” or “reset” the U.S. government.

Later, Yener talked to undercover agents and a secret source more than once. Reports say the suspect showed a disturbing understanding of terrorist actions and talked about his desire to attack civilian areas.

“Yener discussed how bombing a power plant would greatly inconvenience local government and the community,” the court documents say. “Yener discussed that if one was interested in creating causalities, they might target a Walmart instead of a power plant.

“Yener told the CS [confidential source] if one wanted to minimize civilian causalities, they could target the Walmart at night when the store is less crowded.”

The FBI also discovered Yener’s YouTube channel, which was filled with videos “detailing how to construct explosives and fireworks from household items.” The channel also “shared multiple videos about how to make triggers associated with traps and explosives.”

Yener said the NYSE was an ideal spot and claimed “tons of people” would support the attack.

“There is one place that would be hella easy … the stock exchange, that would be a great hit,” Yener said. “Tons of people would support it. They would see it and think, dude, this guy makes sense, they are [profanity] robbing us. So that’s perfect.”

Yener taped a “demand statement” on November 12 and planned to send it to NBC News the day of or the day after the bombing. The FBI also got a copy of this statement.

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“When UCE-1 [undercover FBI employee] gave Yener a microphone into which Yener would record his statement, Yener commented: ‘I feel like Bin Laden,'” the documents say.

The strange message that Yener taped after is described in the court documents. The suspect said the planned strikes were “a new revolution.”

“What you’ve just witnessed at the Stock Exchange and California was just the beginning of a new era,” Yener is quoted as saying.

“Be warned, if you raise your fist, we will cut them off. If you kick at us, we will break your legs. If you speak ill of us, we will chop out your tongue. If you aren’t willing to stand, then you will fall a victim.”

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