Seven Terror Suspects Arrested in Miami (Wizbang)

Seven people were arrested in Miami for plotting to attack the Sears Tower in Chicago.

After an operation that started about four months ago, the FBI has arrested several suspects of domestic terrorism in a Miami low-income housing project.

The arrests took place Thursday afternoon at the Scott Housing Projects in the area of NW 68th street and 15th Avenue. Miami Police officers were seen in the area securing a perimeter for the FBI to carry out their arrests.

Sources tell CBS4 News it is unclear whether weapons or bomb-making materials were found, but those detained are suspected of being involved in planning terrorist activity.

Neighbors say suspicious activity had been observed at the home recently.

This is a developing story and agents have flooded the area.

According to Fox News Channel, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will have a press conference tomorrow morning at 10:30am.

From ABC News:

ABC News has learned that federal agents, including the FBI, are launching a series of raids tonight targeting a suspected terror cell based in Miami.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, the group allegedly planned to bomb the FBI building in Miami and the Sears Tower in Chicago.

The group has been under surveillance for some time and was infiltrated by a government informant who allegedly led them to believe he was an Islamic radical. The suspects are described as African Americans and at least one man of Caribbean descent.

Sources say the arrests reflect the government's concern about so-called "homegrown terrorists." It's a threat FBI Director Robert Mueller discussed during a recent speech in New York.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the FBI are expected to hold a press conference about the arrests Friday morning.

Hat tip: Hot Air

Update: According to the AP, these homegrown terrorists have "given their lives to Allah":

Residents living near the warehouse said the men taken into custody described themselves as Mulims and had tried to recruit young people to join their group, which seemed militaristic.

The residents said FBI agents spent several hours in the neighborhood showing photos of the suspects and seeking information. They said the men had lived in the area about a year.

The men slept in the warehouse, said Tashawn Rose, 29. "They would come out late at night and exercise. It seemed like a military boot camp that they were working on there. They would come out and stand guard."

She talked to one of the men about a month ago: "They seemed brainwashed. They said they had given their lives to Allah."

Rose said the men tried to recruit her younger brother and nephew for a karate class.

"It was weird," she said.

Update II: Ed Morrissey was watching FBI Director Robert Mueller on Larry King when the news broke.

Update III: More from Reuters:

The FBI arrested seven people in the past two days suspected of planning attacks on FBI offices and a federal building in Miami and the Sears Tower in Chicago, a law enforcement source said on Thursday.

The source, elaborating on a statement on the operation from Florida authorities, said the suspects had thought they were dealing with the international al Qaeda group but had been infiltrated by a U.S. government informant.

"In the past couple of days, the U.S. government has taken into custody seven people who were conspiring to conduct jihad (holy war) in the United States," the law enforcement source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"They thought they were dealing with al Qaeda," the source said, adding the suspects had been trying to buy weapons and other things needed to carry out attacks.

The source said the government had an informant with whom the suspected conspirators had discussed their plans. "There was no immediate threat because we were in on the discussions." the source said.

Update IV: Dan Riehl has the satelite photos of the warehouse that was raided.

Update V: Allahpundit has the Kossack and DU reaction, which is quickly spiraling into a lot of wacked-out moonbattiness.

Update VI: The Sears Tower has released a statement.

Update VII: CNN reports that these suspects are al Qaeda wannabes In fact, one of the suspects took an al Qaeda oath:

Law enforcement sources told CNN that some of the suspects are members of a radical African-American Muslim group and that at least one had taken "an al Qaeda oath." They had carried out surveillance on the Sears Tower and FBI building in Miami, the sources said.

Update: VIII: Michelle Malkin notes the trend in the black jihadi movement.

Update IX: The Miami Herald reports that 15-20 men were involved.

Comments (39)

The Sears Tower for crying ... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by 914 | June 22, 2006 8:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

914:

The Sears Tower for crying out loud!
thats scary,there must be 20,000 people that work there. thank god they got caught.

Posted on June 22, 2006 20:33

I'm sure it'll take the med... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by Master Shake | June 22, 2006 8:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Master Shake:

I'm sure it'll take the media weeks to find a common thread. These fine, misunderstood individuals are doubtlessly from a broad strata of society.

Posted on June 22, 2006 20:41

Well, as a Chicagoan I for ... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by mantis | June 22, 2006 8:50 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

mantis:

Well, as a Chicagoan I for one am glad we're fighting them here, as well as there. Kudos to the Feds.

Posted on June 22, 2006 20:50

I don't know if any of you ... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by jp | June 22, 2006 9:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

jp:

I don't know if any of you listened to Judge Napalitono this morning but he just got back from Gitmo and has done a 180 on his view....he said everyone there has visited over 30 cities in the US, as in visiting cells there!!!

Posted on June 22, 2006 21:03

Im not surprised, this is s... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by 914 | June 22, 2006 9:11 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Im not surprised, this is such a big wide open free country that these type of people are undoubtedly all over the place. scary indeed if some of these people get their hands on a nuclear device.

Posted on June 22, 2006 21:11

i wonder why they chose the... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by koon lee | June 22, 2006 9:39 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

koon lee:

i wonder why they chose the sears tower (aside from it being a tall landmark)? is it particularly unguarded? i would think not. is it susceptible to a car bomb? i wonder what the details of their plan were?

Posted on June 22, 2006 21:39

Keep up the good work, Feds... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by Sam Stolzoff | June 22, 2006 9:47 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Sam Stolzoff:

Keep up the good work, Feds!

Posted on June 22, 2006 21:47

according to msnbc's summar... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by koon lee | June 22, 2006 9:48 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

according to msnbc's summary (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13491653/), one might infer these are black amrican muslims, like nation of islam types ... i guess the stereotype of white back country militias/white supremacists is no longer as typical ... assuming my inference is correct.

Posted on June 22, 2006 21:48

After 911 I hope it would n... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by 914 | June 22, 2006 9:50 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

After 911 I hope it would not be susceptible to a car bomb?
Anyway one of the suspects took the al quaeda oath whatever that is? it cant be good.

Posted on June 22, 2006 21:50

I live in Miami. I'm both ... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by mojito | June 22, 2006 9:59 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

mojito:

I live in Miami. I'm both freaked out and relieved they were caught. I am not, however, surprised. This city is so lawless and teeming with violence the scary thing is that there are probably others.

They were arrested in the 'hood', which will probably make the Cuban community here even more hateful of African Americans.

Posted on June 22, 2006 21:59

i wonder why they chose ... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by mantis | June 22, 2006 10:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

The tower is well guarded, and there is no parking underneath, so I doubt a car bomb would do it. But remember the plan to take down the Brooklyn Bridge with blowtorches? It may be another case of that kind of half-baked threat, we'll have to wait for details of course. It is surprising that they would go after another high profile building, as if we're not on the lookout for that.

Posted on June 22, 2006 22:02

I would like to hear what t... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by jjcoop | June 22, 2006 10:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

jjcoop:

I would like to hear what these fools had in mind for the Sears. The way it's built it would stay standing if someone flew an airplane into it. I think there are 116 columns that make up its "bundled tube" structure, and unlike the wtc, all of the steel is coated with fireproofing, after all it was the fires that brought down the towers in NY.
You can't get too near the thing on the ground either. Maybe they were just interested in it for it's status as an icon/ big city/ killing lots of people in one place at one time.

Posted on June 22, 2006 22:06

Maybe its a lead up to a fu... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by 914 | June 22, 2006 10:28 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Maybe its a lead up to a future attack? you know like the 93 trade center bombing. they saw how futile a thousand pounds of explosives were so the decided to try something bigger.

I wonder if any of these suspects were attending flight school in southern Florida? will be interesting to find out.

Posted on June 22, 2006 22:28

The peacefull Black Muslim!... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by serfer62 | June 22, 2006 10:32 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

serfer62:

The peacefull Black Muslim!!!

Posted on June 22, 2006 22:32

I wonder if they had not be... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by blogrfactor | June 22, 2006 10:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

blogrfactor:

I wonder if they had not been caught whether they would have succeeded. I am glad that they were caught but I hope the security at the Sears Tower is reviewed and perhaps revamped.

Posted on June 22, 2006 22:35

Funny, how we didn't have t... (Below threshold)

16. Posted by mfalk | June 22, 2006 10:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

mfalk:

Funny, how we didn't have to worry about such things before Bush became president and since he became president we now have to worry about terrorists in our own backyard.

Posted on June 22, 2006 22:37

How long until John F. Kerr... (Below threshold)

17. Posted by JB | June 22, 2006 10:45 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

JB:

How long until John F. Kerry says this terror plot was the innevitable result of Bush angering Muslims by invading Iraq?

Posted on June 22, 2006 22:45

Hello, mfalk, hello?<... (Below threshold)

18. Posted by snowballs | June 22, 2006 10:51 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

snowballs:

Hello, mfalk, hello?

since he became president we now have to worry about terrorists in our own backyard.

Are you serious?

Posted on June 22, 2006 22:51

JB You just said i... (Below threshold)

19. Posted by 914 | June 22, 2006 11:01 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

You just said it! haha

Mfalk

You did'nt just say that!

Posted on June 22, 2006 23:01

mfalk: "Funny, how we di... (Below threshold)

20. Posted by Justrand | June 22, 2006 11:36 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Justrand:

mfalk: "Funny, how we didn't have to worry about such things before Bush became president and since he became president we now have to worry about terrorists in our own backyard."

Excellent point!

Under Clinton WE DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT THEM!! Of course they came within a few feet of destroying the Twin Towers in 1993...but WE DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT THEM!!

They assembled the ENTIRE PLOT that eventually DID bring down the Twin Towers while Clinton was President but...WE DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT THEM!

Damn...not worrying was NICE!

Posted on June 22, 2006 23:36

mfalk, you must have a real... (Below threshold)

21. Posted by SilverBubble | June 22, 2006 11:42 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

SilverBubble:

mfalk, you must have a really short memory. Does the 1993 WTC bombing mean nothing to you?

Posted on June 22, 2006 23:42

Justrand,The plot wa... (Below threshold)

22. Posted by Larry | June 23, 2006 12:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Larry:

Justrand,
The plot was not assembled when Clinton was Pres - they took their flight lessons during Bush 2's administration - the FBI and CIA failed to respond to their own agent's concern! Condi Rice had information, which she conveyed to Bush that Bin Laden's group was planning an assault by air. This is all in the public record.
Clinton bombed the Al Queda training camp, and was chastised by the Republican Congress for it.
Forget about Clinton - Bush 2, the unelected president, is an incompetent nincompoop, and you know it, too.
Larry

Posted on June 23, 2006 00:02

I live in Miami also. Thes... (Below threshold)

23. Posted by Proud kaffir | June 23, 2006 12:07 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Proud kaffir:

I live in Miami also. These terrorists had to be pretty tough, if they survived Liberty City. Baghdad has nothing on Liberty City. That's about as run-down a crime-infested dump as you will ever find.

Posted on June 23, 2006 00:07

Larry,It <a href="... (Below threshold)

24. Posted by snowballs | June 23, 2006 12:21 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Larry,

It was, and still is an American problem as opposed to a Republican problem.

Do you really think that these assholes waited until a Republican was President? Please!

I'm sorry everyone - I can't help it. Feeding the liberal trolls that is, it's just sickening to remain silent about this bullshit anymore.

Posted on June 23, 2006 00:21

Ahhh Larry ish! thats My Da... (Below threshold)

25. Posted by 914 | June 23, 2006 12:34 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Ahhh Larry ish! thats My Dads name, but were all beyond that now!
Where did Clitloris,s bombing of a known Al quaeda training camp take place?
Pick one: Somalia?

Mogadishu?

Burmese? known for pussy cat tails.

Niger? Joe Wilsons fabled hang out.

None of the above?

And what did it accomplish?
pick one because of time constraints.

The end of the world as We know it.

More nookie in the "Oval orifice"?

Hillary CARE.

911

The AlgoreTippergore liplock

A blue stained dress?

You dont have to answer cause this was purely for entertainment value! thanx for the brief interlude from reality.

Posted on June 23, 2006 00:34

I'm sorry - that last comme... (Below threshold)

26. Posted by snowballs | June 23, 2006 12:34 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

I'm sorry - that last comment ^ was unfair. Larry couldn't possibly reflect any rational American liberals' thoughts about this topic, right?

As far as I know, Larry could be a Canadian liberal, perhaps, but he's still wrong.

It's up to the personalities who read this blog from the left to discount that idea first, I suppose.

Ah c'mon. We all know this ... (Below threshold)

27. Posted by epador | June 23, 2006 12:46 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

epador:

Ah c'mon. We all know this was a Rove entrapment scheme to bolster Bush's poll per centages. I mean really, home grown terrorists blowing up a Federal Building or the Sears Tower. What malarkey!

/sarcaster off

Posted on June 23, 2006 00:46

Larry: "The plot was not... (Below threshold)

28. Posted by Justrand | June 23, 2006 1:07 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Larry: "The plot was not assembled when Clinton was Pres - they took their flight lessons during Bush 2's administration"

Look, Sport, Atta and his moronic buddies were in the U.S. from 1999 ON. (Atta even earlier by all accounts). Most of the logistical planning, and a good bit of the flight training occured WELL BEFORE Bush was inaugurated.

BUT, as was said up above, it is an AMERICAN problem...not a question of which party is in power. So when mfalk says "we didn't have to worry about such things before Bush became president" it is simply a stoooopid statement.

Two American soldiers were butchered the other day. The assholes who did that would LOVE to butcher our schoolchildren (ala Breslan) if they could. In fact they would love to wallow in the blood of EVERY American.

We kill THEM, or they kill US. That's it.

Posted on June 23, 2006 01:07

This is all bullshit. Wanna... (Below threshold)

29. Posted by Me | June 23, 2006 2:01 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Me:

This is all bullshit. Wannabes that for sure are being sponsored thru invisible wires by the right wing.

Posted on June 23, 2006 02:01

You, above me, you forgot t... (Below threshold)

30. Posted by bnorm | June 23, 2006 5:21 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

bnorm:

You, above me, you forgot to mention you're being sarcastic...right???

Posted on June 23, 2006 05:21

When is Jessee Jackson sche... (Below threshold)

31. Posted by bobdog | June 23, 2006 9:20 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

bobdog:

When is Jessee Jackson scheduled to arrive in Miami?

Posted on June 23, 2006 09:20

914 in her screed seems to ... (Below threshold)

32. Posted by larry | June 23, 2006 9:49 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

larry:

914 in her screed seems to be obsessed with sexual activity in the Clinton adminstration that didn't involve her.
Good luck, next time 914.
Larry

Posted on June 23, 2006 09:49

Mfalk -- that must have bee... (Below threshold)

33. Posted by databat | June 23, 2006 9:49 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

databat:

Mfalk -- that must have been sarcasam, but somehow I missed it.

This country was attacked how many times by terrorists: Lets see...1993 WTC, the attack on the USS Cole, the embassies in Africa...I could go on...I beleive the number was 9...9 attacks on the US and its interests in the 8 years of Clinton's presidency.

As for home grown terrorists, lets see, Oklahoma City ring a bell.

Get a clue!

For a far more reasonable p... (Below threshold)

34. Posted by Josh "Maury" Narins | June 23, 2006 10:00 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Josh "Maury" Narins:

For a far more reasonable perspective, gah, the story has changed since I read it already from CBS.

"Law enforcement officials say their plans were 'pretty much all talk' and that agents 'were on top of them.' No weapons or explosive devices were found in the warehouse and federal officials say the men posed 'no immediate threat.'"

Hmm. No immediate threat, then why did they bust them today? Just asking.

In fact, they didn't know anyone in Al-Qaeda. The only al-Qaeda they knew was the US infiltrator who administered the oath.

Great.

Posted on June 23, 2006 10:00

Seven Terror Suspects Arrested in Miami

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