FBI finds explosives in storage unit after two men charged with setting off bombs in New York City
Federal investigators discovered explosive materials inside a Pennsylvania storage unit after two men were charged with bringing homemade bombs to a protest outside the New York City mayor’s residence, authorities said Tuesday.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested Saturday near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan. According to investigators and a criminal complaint, the two told authorities they had been inspired by the Islamic State group. Both men are from suburbs outside Philadelphia.
Officials have not disclosed many details about their motives, how extensively the plan was organized, or how the two suspects knew one another. Some of the explosive devices recovered at the scene are undergoing testing.
Investigators later searched multiple locations connected to the case. Police in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania, said federal agents carried out controlled detonations overnight at a storage facility in Langhorne after explosive materials were found there. The facility is near where Balat’s family lives. Kayumi is from Newtown, about four miles north of Langhorne. Authorities said nearby residents may have heard several loud explosions during the operation, but emphasized that the public was never in danger.
Prosecutors said the two men drove to New York City on Saturday and joined a crowd of counterprotesters gathered near a small anti-Muslim rally organized by far-right activist Jake Lang. During the protest, Balat was photographed throwing a device with a lit fuse that was later found to contain the explosive chemical TATP along with nuts and bolts. The device failed to detonate and extinguished itself without causing injuries.
According to the criminal complaint, Balat then dropped another object near police officers and attempted to flee before being tackled and arrested.
Balat and Kayumi appeared in court on Monday and were ordered held without bail. They face charges including attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. They were not required to enter pleas at the hearing.
Balat’s attorney described his client as a confused teenager dealing with personal issues and said he did not believe the two suspects had known each other long.
New York’s police commissioner said investigators have found no indication that the incident was connected to the ongoing conflict in Iran. According to the complaint, after his arrest Balat was asked by officers whether he intended to carry out an attack similar to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people. Investigators said he replied that he was aiming for something “even bigger.”
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