A Texas man was charged in federal court after he attempted to provide material support to ISIS through an undercover agent, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Midlothian, Texas resident John Michael Garza, Jr., 21, was charged with attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, FBI Director Kash Patel said that Garza “took concrete steps toward violent jihad, fundraising for terrorists [and] building explosive components.”
“The FBI identified the threat early, tracked it aggressively, and shut it down before anyone was harmed,” Patel said. “Keeping Americans safe is our mission, and we’re executing it every day.”
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According to the DOJ, Garza brought bomb-making materials to a Dec. 22 meeting with an undercover agent posing as an “ISIS brother.”
“During the meeting, Garza described how to mix the components and offered to send an instructional video explaining how to build the bomb,” the DOJ said. “Law enforcement agents arrested Garza shortly after he left the meeting.”
The DOJ also said that Garza paid the undercover agent small amounts of cryptocurrency “believing that he was supporting ISIS causes, including buying firearms and other materials.”
Garza was flagged by authorities after a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer noticed that he followed pro-ISIS accounts, including posting a comment on a pro-ISIS post.
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“When the NYPD undercover engaged with Garza on social media, Garza described himself as a 21-year-old Mexican-American living in Texas,” the DOJ said.
“In their continuing conversations throughout November and December, Garza shared that he ascribed to the ISIS ideology and sent the undercover multiple official ISIS media releases.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the case a “testament to the incredible work of our federal agents, who work tirelessly to save American lives.”
“ISIS’s poisonous ideology must be ripped out root and stem — anyone who tries to commit violence on ISIS’s behalf will be found, arrested, and prosecuted,” she said. “You cannot hide from us.”
