A teenager promised "lone wolf operations in Las Vegas" in support of ISIS before his alleged terror plot was foiled, according to law enforcement.
"Peace be upon all brothers who see this. I am here to announce that I will be starting lone wolf operations in Las Vegas against the enemies of Allah," the suspect allegedly wrote in a Nov. 28 social media post.
"I ask you to make Dua for victory. I am a supporter of the Islamic State, and I will make sure the Zionists in this city know it."
That was allegedly posted on Tuesday. By Friday, the 16-year-old suspect was arrested, and federal agents found components to build an explosive device and terrorist propaganda, Dori Koren, deputy chief Homeland Security and Special Operations Division, said.
The social media post also included the ISIS flag and words in Arabic, Koren said during Friday's press conference.
The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department counter-terrorism division quickly mobilized and identified the suspect and his location "within hours" of the post, Koren said.
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Law enforcement – including SWAT teams – executed several warrants to foil the alleged plot, and take the suspect into custody, Koren said.
"It's important to note that we believe this is an isolated threat that we were able to quickly mitigate," Koren said. "There's no indication at this time that there are additional threats to our community."
They recovered a handmade ISIS flag, headband and patches; ISIS and Al Qaeda propaganda; guidance for conducting a terrorist attack; and, self-portraits of the suspect surrounded by ISIS propaganda, he said.
Even more troubling was the recovery of components to build improvised explosive devices, bomb-making recipes and instructions, Koren said.
The suspect was not identified because he is a minor, but he was charged with terroristic threats, attempt to further an act of terrorism, providing material support to a terrorist organization and five counts of possession of explosive components.
All the charges are felonies, and the case will be prosecuted by the Clark County District Attorney's Office in Nevada.
The investigation remains ongoing, and more information about the case will be released in the coming weeks, he said.
Anyone with any information connected to this case, or general suspicious activity, is asked to call the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center at 702-828-7777.
