Florida suspect arrested for allegedly planning to bomb NYSE: 'I feel like Bin Laden'
A Florida suspect was arrested for allegedly planning to bomb the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) this week, according to disturbing court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Suspect Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, was arrested Wednesday and allegedly intended to carry out the terrorist attack in New York City some time during the week of Nov. 18.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Yener's arrest Wednesday night and said he was charged "with attempt[ing] to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce."
The suspect unknowingly worked with undercover FBI agents before he was arrested. 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."
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"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 began monitoring the suspect in February 2024. According to court documents filed Wednesday, agents were tipped off when they discovered Yener was "storing bombmaking schematics in an unlocked storage unit in Coral Springs, Florida," the filings state.
The FBI searched his unit in March and found electronic circuit boards, bombmaking sketches and several watches with timers. When agents interviewed Yener, he told them that he considered joining ISIS in 2015 after a self-identified member offered to recruit him. But he opted not to join.
"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.
The suspect later met with an undercover FBI agent he believed was part of a militia group. Speaking to the agent, Yener revealed plans to bomb the NYSE the week of Nov. 18, 2024. He said his goal was to "reboot" or "reset" the U.S. government.
Yener later had multiple exchanges with undercover agents and a confidential source. The suspect reportedly demonstrated a disturbing knowledge of terrorist activities and discussed his desire to target 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 eventually revealed that the NYSE was the 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."
The FBI also obtained a "demand statement" that Yener recorded Nov. 12, which he intended to send to NBC News the day of, or the day after, the future bombing.
"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 court filings detail the eerie message Yener recorded after. The suspect called the would-be terrorist attacks "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."
Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for additional comment.