Recent major arrests, indictments, and guilty pleas have been announced in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida amidst increasing Islamic terror incidents and national security threats during the Biden administration. In Vienna, Virginia, a 34-year-old former CIA analyst named Asif William Rahman pleaded guilty to retaining and transmitting “Top Secret National Defense Information.” He was indicted following allegations of removing classified documents, photographing them, transmitting them, and destroying devices. Rahman, who had a Top-Secret security clearance, shared classified documents on social media detailing a U.S. foreign ally’s planned actions against a foreign adversary. He also admitted to altering journal entries and destroying electronic devices to conceal his activities.
In North Carolina, a 29-year-old Durham resident named Alexander Justin White was arrested for planning to join ISIS and engage in acts of terrorism. Using the name “Sulaiman Al-Amriki,” White made social media posts supporting ISIS and was involved in financial transactions with refugee camps linked to ISIS funding. His goal was to become a martyr for the Islamic holy war. If convicted, White faces up to 20 years in prison.
These cases highlight the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism and protect national security.
In Orlando, Florida, 44-year-old Jordanian man Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen recently admitted to four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destroying an energy facility as part of a case involving Territorial Surveillance. If convicted, he could be sentenced to decades in prison.
Court documents reveal that last June, a masked individual began targeting and assaulting businesses in the Orlando area due to their perceived support for Israel. The individual left “warning letters” for the federal government containing political demands and threats to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel,” according to the complaint.
Subsequently, a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, was destroyed. The assailant smashed solar panels, cut wires, damaged critical electronic equipment, and left additional threatening letters. Another warning letter, this time threatening to “destroy or explode everything,” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
Following a collaborative effort by various law enforcement agencies, Hnaihen was identified and arrested in July. He entered a guilty plea in December.
This development coincides with recent warnings from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security regarding the potential for terrorist attacks, as reported by The Center Square.
