A Texas man allegedly tried to give bomb-making materials to an agent posing as an ISIS member after his terrorist-sympathizing social media account was discovered during an undercover NYPD investigation, authorities announced Monday.
John Michael Garza Jr., 21, allegedly brought bomb-making materials to a meeting with an undercover agent posing as an ISIS “brother” last Monday, according to the US Department of Justice.
During the meeting, Garza allegedly described how to mix the bomb-making components and even offered to send an instruction video on how to build the explosive, authorities said.
Officials were first alerted to Garza in mid-October when an undercover NYPD employee noticed a social media account that had followed several pro-ISIS accounts and penned a post in support of the terrorist group, according to federal authorities.
When the NYPD undercover employee contacted him on the account determined to be Garza’s, he described himself as a 21-year-old Mexican American living in Texas.
In continued conversations between the undercover officer and Garza, the Texan repeatedly shared that he “ascribed to the ISIS ideology” and sent multiple official ISIS media releases, the DOJ added.
Some of the media releases included images of explosions, masked men, and a bomb-making instructional video led by a gloved ISIS member, according to images provided by the feds.
Garza then allegedly paid the undercover employee small sums of cryptocurrency in November and December — believing he was supporting ISIS by buying firearms and other materials, officials said.
He began telling the undercover agent about his plans to buy materials to make explosives. He intended to buy the ingredients and believed he would then meet with another ISIS-supporting individual — the undercover agent whom he met with on Dec. 22 before his arrest.
Garza has since been charged in a federal complaint with attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, officials said.
“This case is a testament to the incredible work of our federal agents, who work tirelessly to save American lives,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
“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.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the NYPD, with additional assistance from the FBI’s New York Field Office, Dallas Police Department, Midlothian Police Department, and Euless Police Department.
“Today’s charges illustrate that the threats of terrorism and extremist violence against our nation are still very real,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement.
“The NYPD remains committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling these networks at their source – before they can reach their murderous ends. And any person who puts American lives at risk will face justice and be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Tisch added.
“I want to thank our undercover investigators in the NYPD, as well as our law enforcement partners in the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for their exceptional work on this case.”
Garza appeared in court on Dec. 23 and is slated to return for a probable cause and detention hearing on Tuesday.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
“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,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.
“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.”
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