(The Center Square) – A 28-year-old man in Houston, Anas Said, has been indicted and arrested on charges he attempted to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a federally designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani and FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams Jr. announced the details of the case in a news conference on Thursday.
Said was born in Houston, Hamdani said, but lived in Lebanon until he was roughly 14 years old, where his family is from. He returned to the U.S. roughly 10 years ago.
After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel, he was allegedly motivated to plan a terrorist attack on local military recruiting centers in Houston, provide a “sanctuary” to ISIS operatives from his Houston apartment, bragged that he would commit a 9/11-style terrorist attack if given the resources, said he wanted to harm the Israeli community in Houston, and plotted to harm former President George W. Bush, according to a multi-agency investigation.
“Today is a great day because we’ve taken a suspected terrorist off the streets of Houston, Texas, and that’s something we at the FBI don’t get to publicly say very often,” Williams said. “Said was accused of attempting to provide material support to ISIS … and by his own admission was planning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil from his apartment here in southwest Houston.”
Said has been on the FBI-Houston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) radar since 2017 under the Trump administration, Williams said. JTTF’s early investigation found that he frequently viewed ISIS literature and other online propaganda and “held a deep affinity for high-ranking ISIS personnel and even ordered custom propaganda to outwardly show his support for ISIS.”
FBI agents interviewed him multiple times since he first came to their attention, but after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, his “behavior began to mobilize towards violence … and jumped to the top of our list of national security threats,” Williams said.
After law enforcement officials executed searches of Said’s residence, vehicle and electronic devices, they uncovered additional links between him and ISIS, including a plot to harm former President Bush, according to court documents.
Investigators uncovered multiple social media accounts that showed his continued support for ISIS and that he was “searching for ways to commit violent acts in the United States … right here in Houston,” Williams said. “He admitted to discussing how best to conduct an attack on local military recruiting centers. He admitted to wanting to use explosives to commit a mass killing here in Houston. He offered his home as a state sanctuary to ISIS operatives. He bragged that he would commit a 9/11 style attack if he only had the resources. He expressed the desire to join the U.S. military just so he could commit an act once he was inside their ranks.”
“JTTF partners stopped Said’s plans from becoming a reality,” he said.
Hamdani described the violent acts perpetrated by ISIS, explaining that it recruits followers through social media, which is what Said was allegedly doing.
Said allegedly communicated with ISIS’s official media outlet, created ISIS propaganda videos and flyers and edited at least five videos and two images that he then sent to an alleged ISIS social media and web designer, Hamdani said. The materials were allegedly disseminated to other ISIS supporters, including videos and images promoting ISIS violence. Still images from the videos were presented at the press conference.
Said also allegedly “discussed his desire to travel overseas to commit violent jihad in his messages and … commit violent acts in Houston.” Documents show he allegedly was researching how to make a bomb and build an explosive belt, Hamdani said.
Said is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, ISIS, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and up to a 250,000 fine.
“Individuals or groups cannot use social media to provide material support to ISIS or other terrorist organizations,” Hamdani said. Those who do are considered national security threats, he said. Hamdani also warned “wannabe terrorists who believe they can hide behind the encrypted apps or anonymous social media profiles … we will find you and we will hold you to account.”
Said was arrested on Nov. 8 and his detention hearing was held Thursday afternoon.
FBI Houston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation, receiving assistance from the Houston and Sugar Land police departments and Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Hamdani’s office and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section trial attorneys.