FBI authorities and prosecutors agreed to emphasize that the operation, thanks to the investigation, prevented the materialization of an attack that could have caused mass casualties. The episode brings to light recurring debates about online radicalization, surveillance of domestic extremism, and the prevention capabilities of intelligence and security services; at the same time, it poses a challenge to communities that must reconcile alarm with the protection of civil rights and collaboration with federal investigations. The detainees appeared in federal court in Newark and remain in custody pending formal hearings. The rabbi of a local congregation pointed out the paradox that radicalization can incubate "in one's own backyard," while representatives of the prosecutor's office highlighted the importance of underestimating the recruitment capacity of digital platforms among vulnerable young people. The judicial documentation also includes graphic descriptions of poses with bladed weapons and flags alluding to ISIS, along with references to the intention to travel abroad to receive training in conflict zones. The case—deployed in parallel in Michigan, New Jersey, and other states—reveals the radicalization of young people who, despite their affluent backgrounds, embraced a violent ideology and plotted attacks with firearms and mass tactics. According to federal authorities, he told his own mother that his Jewish friends "deserve to die." Acting as a spokesperson for the case, the federal prosecutor stated that the charges include conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and transmitting interstate threats, with penalties that can reach decades in prison. Newark, November 7, 2025 – Total News Agency-TNA – A teenager from an upper-class family in Montclair, New Jersey, was arrested this week accused of participating in an ISIS-inspired jihadist network that, according to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, planned attacks in the United States and spread violent antisemitic threats. Sedarat was arrested at his home in Montclair during a joint operation by the NYPD and the FBI's Newark office; another young man from the same locality, Tomas Kaan Jimenez-Guzel, was detained while trying to board a flight at Newark-Liberty International Airport, according to court records. The criminal complaint declassified by the prosecutors for the Eastern District of Michigan and the District of New Jersey details exchanges on social networks and messaging services in which the defendants shared material and pro-ISIS slogans, planned weapon acquisitions, and discussed the logistics of an attack—including target selection and practice at shooting ranges. "I'm looking forward to the day when I can execute about 10 Jews," he said, using what investigators say is an Arabic term for Jews. Federal authorities identified 19-year-old Milo Sedarat as one of the members of the group linked to the plot uncovered in the Detroit area, where an investigation is underway into a plan against targets in the LGBT community and other coordinated actions for Halloween night. The prosecutor's offices anticipate that new charges or arrests may be added as forensic examinations advance and other members of the network are identified. According to official sources, the investigation relied on undercover work and the interception of communications with individuals located in the United States and abroad, which led to a broader investigation that has already resulted in arrests in Michigan and the state of Washington. The case caused a stir in Montclair, an upper-middle-class suburb known for its cultural diversity, where community leaders, rabbis, and local authorities expressed their surprise and alarm. Federal investigators believe the network operated through encrypted chat groups and transnational links that facilitated the exchange of tactics and logistical coordination. The file also contains extreme expressions and explicit antisemitic threats attributed to Sedarat, who, according to the investigation, expressed his desire to execute people identified by their religious affiliation.
New Jersey Teen Arrested for Involvement in Jihadist Network
A teenager from an affluent New Jersey family is accused of participating in an ISIS-inspired network that planned attacks in the US and spread antisemitic threats. The investigation revealed the radicalization of young people and their ties to international terrorism.