Experts Warn Of Homegrown Terrorists
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—A plan to blow up the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol is thwarted. The suspect is an American.
Mike Schuh has a look at how the FBI is targeting homegrown terrorists.
The latest plot involves the bust of a Boston man, but even as that is happening , a military outpost in our own backyard has been a target.
The plot was to detonate explosives using remote-controlled drones.
The suspect Rezwan Ferdaus-- a college grad with a physics degree-- allegedly stored the drones in a warehouse. The 26- year-old received what he thought was plastic explosives to arm the drones.
A federal affidavit states Ferdaus wanted to blow up the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon, which he called "the head and heart of the snake."
"It's scary that apparently normal people want to do these things," said a U.S. citizen.
"Shocked. Absolutely shocked that this would happen," said another.
Ferdaus says in the affidavit: "Allah has given us the privilege. He punishes them by our hand. We're the ones."
Earlier, by going undercover, Feds also busted 22-year-old Antonio Martinez for trying to bomb a Catonsville recruiting center.
"This is a nationwide problem we face now. We cannot just simply look outside the country and worry about foreign terrorists coming in," said Professor Michael Greenberger, University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security.
It was an American who's accused of planning to blow up a Christmas tree lighting in Oregon. At Fort Hood, a U.S. Army major was the only suspect in those mass shootings.
Homegrown is the growing threat-- now a priority for the FBI.
This latest suspect was not believed to be a danger of hurting anyone because he was under constant government surveillance.
Ferdaus will be back in front of a judge on Monday for a detention hearing.
