A “radical” Jordanian national living in Texas was allegedly plotting an attack on Houston’s Jewish community before he was arrested on gun charges.
Sohaib Abuayyash, 20, had been studying how to build bombs and posted about his support for killing Jews, federal officials claim.
“He has viewed specific and detailed content posted by radical organizations on the internet, including lessons on how to construct bombs or explosive devices,” FBI Director Chris Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee, though he declined to identify Abuayyash by name.
“And that defendant has made statements to others that support the killing of individuals of particular religious faiths.”
Abuayyash even allegedly made a direct reference in one social media post about an event in Houston for the Jewish community, according to court documents obtained by CNN.
It did not include details about the target and time of the alleged attack.
Sohaib Abuayyash, 20, had been studying how to build bombs and posted about his support for killing Jews, federal officials claim.United States District Court Southern District of Texas
Abuayyash is behind bars on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by someone with a non-immigrant visa, and US Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan has ruled he should remain detained pending trial.
She wrote in court documents that Abuayyash spoke of committing martyrdom in support of a religious cause and made statements “that he wants to go to Gaza to fight,” according to documents also obtained by CBS News.
“He has viewed specific and detailed content posted by radical organizations on the Internet, including lessons on how to construct bombs or explosive devices,” she wrote.
An affidavit filed Oct. 19 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas also says Abuayyash “has been in direct contact with others who share a radical mindset, has been conducting physical training and has trained with weapons to possibly commit an attack.”
Abuayyash is behind bars on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by someone with a non-immigrant visa.
Federal investigators have been monitoring Abuayyash’s activities since August, when agents conducting “open-source research” saw a video of him firing multiple firearms — including an AR-style weapon.
The affidavit notes that federal investigators have been monitoring Abuayyash’s activities since August, when agents conducting “open-source research” saw a video of him firing multiple firearms — including an AR-style weapon.
He also reportedly visited several different firing ranges across Houston.
Abuayyash entered the US on a non-immigrant visa, which expired in 2019, but has since applied for asylum and obtained work authorization in the United States until 2025, according to court documents.
But under federal law, those with a non-immigrant visa cannot legally obtain firearms in the United States.
Upon learning of Abuayyash’s alleged plan to attack the Houston Jewish community, the FBI made the decision to move forward with the most immediate charge available — the unlawful possession of firearms, an unidentified law enforcement source told CNN.
FBI Director Chris Wray cited the incident to the Senate Homeland Security Committee as he warned that Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel will inspire other attacks around the world.ZUMAPRESS.com
That allowed the FBI to get Abuayyash into custody so prosecutors could ask a federal judge to hold him without bail as they continue their investigation.
Wray cited the incident to the Senate Homeland Security Committee as he warned that Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel will inspire other attacks around the world.
“We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration, the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate years ago,” he said, adding that the war in Gaza “has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole other level.
“Here in the United States, our most immediate concern is that violent extremists — individuals or small groups — will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives.
Abuayyash also allegedly expressed his desire to go fight in Gaza.Xinhua/Shutterstock
“That includes not just homegrown violent extremists inspired by a foreign terrorist organization, but also domestic violent extremists targeting Jewish or Muslim communities,” he said, though he noted that over the past few weeks, foreign terrorist groups have called for attacks on America.
“Al Qaeda issued its most specific call to attack the US in the last five years. Hezbollah has threatened to attack US interests in the Middle East,” and ISIS is “seeking to capitalize on this moment, galvanize supporters,” Wray said.
He said the FBI has “no information to indicate that Hamas has the intent or capability to conduct operations inside the US,” but “we cannot and do not discount it.”
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