Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, of Coral Springs, Florida, was arrested today on charges of attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building engaged in interstate commerce. The arrest followed a lengthy investigation by the FBI, which was initiated in February after receiving a tip about Yener storing bombmaking schematics in an unsecured storage unit.
Upon searching the unit, FBI agents found bombmaking sketches, timers, electronic circuit boards, and other materials that could be used to construct explosives. Investigators also uncovered multiple internet searches from Yener’s Google account, dating back to 2017, that were related to bombmaking techniques.
In June, Yener allegedly confided in an FBI confidential source about his desire to join an anti-government militia and create an explosive device. Yener later met with an undercover FBI employee, believing them to be part of a militia, and discussed his plan to target a U.S. business in New York City during the week before Thanksgiving. He said the bombing would help achieve a “reboot” or “reset” of the U.S. government.
Yener worked with undercover FBI agents to develop a remote trigger for the bomb, conduct surveillance of the target business, and gather photos to determine the best location for detonation. He also planned to plant the explosive device while disguised, and even recorded a statement to deliver to the press explaining his motivations for the attack. Yener believed the explosion would have catastrophic consequences, saying it would be “like a small nuke went off.”
Yener made his initial appearance this afternoon and agreed to pretrial detention. The FBI’s investigation was supported by the Coral Springs Police Department and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Thakur and Abbie D. Waxman, along with Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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