Washington DC [US], November 1 : FBI Director Kash Patel on Friday said he averted a potential terrorist attack and made several arrests in Michigan.
Patel alleged that the people were plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend.
In a post on X, he said, "This morning the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend. More details to come. Thanks to the men and women of FBI and law enforcement everywhere standing guard 24/7 and crushing our mission to defend the homeland."
https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1984222011158102097
He further said, "The FBI stopped a potential terrorist attack in Michigan before it could unfold. Thanks to swift action and coordination with our partners, a violent plot tied to international terrorism was disrupted. This is what defending the homeland looks like vigilance saves lives."
https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1984307894087561563
Patel did not specify which part of Michigan the FBI operation took place in. But in a separate social media post on Friday, the police department for the city of Dearborn noted that FBI agents had been active in its community.
It is unclear whether their presence pertained to the same operation or a different one, as per Al Jazeera.
"The Dearborn Police Department has been made aware that the FBI conducted operations in the city of Dearborn earlier this morning," the department wrote. "We want to assure our residents that there is no threat to the community at this time."
Located in southeast Michigan, near Detroit, Dearborn is known as the headquarters for the Ford Motor Company, and it is the first city in the US to have an Arab American majority.
The Detroit Free Press, a Michigan newspaper, reported there were also FBI operations in Inkster, another suburb of Detroit, Al Jazeera added.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has since acknowledged the reports in a statement posted online, as per Al Jazeera.
During Trump's second term as president, his administration has sought to expand the use of "terrorist" designations to include Latin American gangs and the loosely knit antifascism movement, antifa.
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