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Federal agents say Said identified vulnerable access points around the base and highlighted buildings where an assault could inflict the highest number of casualties.
The criminal complaint also reportedly contains disturbing video evidence allegedly showing Said pledging allegiance to ISIS leaders while standing beside the terror group’s black flag.
The FBI says the suspect first began discussing “violent jihad” with undercover agents in June 2024. Authorities claim he expressed interest in carrying out attacks either overseas or on American soil before eventually focusing on the military installation in Michigan.
By late 2024, investigators say the plot intensified.
On the day of the planned operation, Said allegedly traveled near TACOM and launched a drone to assist with the attack plan before federal agents moved in and arrested him.
“This defendant is charged with planning a deadly attack on a U.S. military base here at home for ISIS,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, we foiled the attack before lives were lost.”
Federal prosecutors made clear they view the case as a direct threat to national security.
“Helping ISIS or any other terrorist organization prepare or carry out acts of violence is not only a reprehensible crime — it is a threat to our entire nation and way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Said now faces charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS as well as distributing information connected to destructive devices. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison if he is convicted.
The suspect previously joined the Michigan Army National Guard in September 2022. Officials say he completed basic training before eventually being discharged in December 2024 after failing to satisfy initial entry standards.
The case is already fueling renewed outrage over national security concerns tied to illegal immigration and border enforcement under the Biden administration.
Critics argue the federal government spent years dismantling border security measures while millions entered the country with limited vetting. Conservatives have repeatedly warned that weak enforcement could allow extremists and terror-linked individuals to exploit the system and enter the United States unnoticed.
This latest arrest is expected to intensify those concerns as Americans grapple with the reality that an alleged ISIS supporter with military training was allegedly preparing to attack a U.S. Army facility on domestic soil.
The incident also highlights the growing threat posed by lone actors radicalized online and inspired by foreign terror organizations. Security experts have repeatedly warned that ISIS continues encouraging followers to carry out decentralized attacks inside Western nations whenever possible.
In this case, authorities believe disaster was narrowly avoided.
Had federal agents not infiltrated the operation early and closely monitored the suspect’s actions, prosecutors say the attack could have resulted in catastrophic loss of life at one of America’s key military facilities.
For many Americans, the chilling allegations serve as another reminder that the threat of Islamic terrorism has not disappeared — it has simply evolved and moved closer to home.
