FBI Thwarts ISIS-Linked Terror Plot in Texas Just Before New Year's Eve: 21-Year-Old Charged with Providing Bomb Materials to Undercover Agent | The Gateway Pundit | by Cassandra MacDonald

www.thegatewaypundit.com

Masked individual in military attire holding a phone, with a person in an orange jumpsuit visible nearby, set against a backdrop of bars.

The FBI has arrested a 21-year-old Texas man accused of attempting to support ISIS by providing bomb-making materials and funding to individuals he believed were affiliated with the terrorist organization.

The arrest comes just days before New Year’s Eve, when Americans gather in large crowds to celebrate.

John Michael Garza Jr., of Midlothian, Texas, was charged last week with attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

According to the federal complaint, Garza met with an undercover FBI agent on December 22 and handed over various explosive components. He allegedly explained how to mix the ingredients, suggested surrounding them with nails for maximum damage, and offered to send an instructional video on bomb assembly.

The DOJ said in a press release that the investigation began in mid-October when an undercover New York City Police Department (NYPD) employee spotted Garza’s social media activity.

Garza, who described himself as a 21-year-old Mexican-American living in Texas, followed pro-ISIS accounts and engaged in conversations expressing support for the group’s ideology.

Over the following months, he sent official ISIS media releases, propaganda videos including depictions of suicide bombings, and small amounts of cryptocurrency to what he thought were ISIS supporters.

Garza was arrested shortly after the December 22 meeting and made his initial court appearance on December 23.

A probable cause and detention hearing is scheduled for December 30.

If convicted, Garza faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi praised the operation, stating, “This case is 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. You cannot hide from us.”

FBI Director Kash Patel added, “Today’s announcement underscores the FBI’s commitment to combatting terrorism and demonstrates our continuous work to disrupt and thwart terrorist plots against the American public. Let this serve as a warning to those who plan to conduct attacks against the United States on behalf of terrorist organizations – you will be brought to justice.”