The Exploding Pumpkin on Halloween: U.S. authorities thwart ISIS terror plot
In what officials described as “the fastest and most precise” security operation, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had foiled a terrorist plot linked to the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to the Department, the plot targeted Halloween celebrations and was uncovered after dismantling a coordinated network operating across Michigan, New Jersey, and Washington State.
U.S. Attorney General Alina Habba told Fox News that the department “moved swiftly and decisively to disrupt the plan,” emphasizing that “the threat of terrorism is real when Americans are at risk,” and adding, “We respond with speed, focus, and full coordination.”
A network spanning three states
The FBI revealed that it had dismantled a group of young ISIS sympathizers who were planning a large-scale attack on Halloween night.
Federal prosecutors announced the arrests of Thomas Jimenez Guzil (19) from Montclair, New Jersey, and Saeed Meera (19) from Kent, Washington. Both suspects are directly connected to other individuals in Michigan, where the investigation first began.
According to the Justice Department, the defendants used encrypted messaging applications to coordinate with another cell in Michigan, noting that they had “pledged allegiance to ISIS and begun field training under a plan they called ‘Pumpkin.’”
Operation “Pumpkin”: A Halloween-night conspiracy
Court documents show that a 93-page criminal complaint filed on November 5 named three Michigan residents — Ayoub Asmil Nasser, Mohamed Ali Mahmoud, and Majid Mahmoud — charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.
Investigations revealed that the group had stockpiled AR-15 rifles, hunting guns, pistols, and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, planning to attack bars and a Jewish community center in Ferndale, near Detroit.
During October 31 raids, FBI agents seized tactical vests, GoPro cameras, and ammunition magazines from the suspects’ homes and U-Haul trucks.
Arrests and charges
In Newark, New Jersey, Jimenez Guzil and Meera were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Jimenez also faces an additional charge of attempting to join ISIS after being stopped by FBI agents at Newark International Airport while trying to travel to Turkey and then to Syria.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gordon Jr. stated, “We will not stop. We will follow the network’s trail wherever it leads.”
FBI Special Agent Jennifer Renian added that the team “will continue to investigate, arrest, and disrupt any attempt to harm the homeland.”
Encrypted communications
Court filings revealed encrypted WhatsApp chats in which the suspects shared ISIS propaganda videos and discussed details of the “Pumpkin” plan, including the execution timeline set for Halloween night.
Authorities believe the Michigan and New Jersey cells were part of a broader network, comprising operatives within the U.S. and others seeking to join ISIS abroad.
Current legal status
The four Michigan suspects remain in custody in Detroit, while Jimenez Guzil and Meera have appeared before federal courts in Newark and Seattle.
The Department of Justice reiterated that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Attorney General Alina Habba praised the collaboration among the Michigan, New Jersey, and Washington offices, describing the operation as “a model of federal cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism.”
