US: “Lone Wolf” Terrorist Nabbed In Multiple Bomb Plot In Florida
By Jim Kouri
A 25-year-old Sami Osmakac today was charged for his role in an alleged plot to plant bombs at Florida nightclubs, a law enforcement office, and several local businesses in the Tampa, Florida area, according to a report obtained by the 14,000-member National Association of Chiefs of Police.
Osmakac is reportedly a naturalized U.S. citizen was born in the former Yugoslavia. The “lone wolf” terrorist suspect was arrested on January 7 for the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, the officials at the U.S. Department of Justice said today in a statement.
If convicted, he faces life in prison and a $250,000 fine, the Justice Department said.
A paid Federal Bureau of Investigation informant got a job at Osmakac’s business and recorded conversations with him discussing attacks on the U.S., according to court papers. The informant isn’t identified in an affidavit filed in support of the arrest warrant. He’s simply known as CI (confidential informant) by law enforcement.
Osmakac asked the CI for assistance in buying firearms and explosives, according to the official affidavit. He was arrested after getting an explosive belt, a pistol, hand grenades and an AK-47 assault rifle from an undercover FBI agent, but those weapons had been either neutralized or rendered inoperable, according to the DOJ.
Osmakac also made a home video announcing the reasons for his planned attacks, according to an FBI source contacted by the Law Enforcement Examiner.
The video has Osmakac saying he thought Muslim blood was more valuable than that of non-Muslims and that he plans to “pay back” the injustices suffered by Muslims, according to the affidavit.
The FBI staged a similar sting operation using a secret informant to arrest four men who were convicted in 2010 of plotting to bomb New York synagogues and shoot heat-seeking missiles at military planes. That operation was run by the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force.
It’s not known if the would-be Tampa terrorist has had contact with any organized radical Islamic groups or their affiliates.
“While I have consistently stated the overwhelming majority of Muslim-Americans are outstanding people, the reality is that radicalization within the Muslim-American community by al-Qaeda and its affiliates is a real threat to the security of our homeland. The Obama Administration recognizes this,” said Rep. Peter King (R_NY), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
