Tag: bombings

Man Pleads Guilty to Firebombing Nonprofit with Napalm Device – ALSO Tried to Hand Hezbollah a Hit List of 35,000 Israelis Saying “Start the Hunt”

A man allegedly linked to “white supremacist movements” has now pleaded guilty to a disturbing series of crimes, including firebombing a nonprofit using a napalm-style device and attempting to assist the foreign terrorist organization Hezbollah.

28-year-old Regan Darby Prater of Tullahoma, Tennessee, stood before a federal judge in Knoxville and copped to one count of arson and one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

According to the Department of Justice, Prater admitted he drove from his home to the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee.

According to the press release:

“Regan Darby Prater, 28, currently of Tullahoma, Tennessee, entered a guilty plea to one count of arson and one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Prater pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Sentencing has been set before U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan for Sept. 9, in Knoxville.

Prater faces up to 20 years in federal prison, along with related fines, restitution, and a term of supervised release to be served after he is released from custody. As part of his agreement, Prater waived indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and agreed to plead guilty to the aforementioned charges.

Court documents establish that Prater used a so-called “sparkler bomb,” i.e., a napalm-based incendiary device ignited by a common sparkler, to destroy facilities maintained by the Highlander Center, a school for grassroots leaders and social movements in New Market, Tennessee. As part of his guilty plea, Prater admitted that he drove from his home in Tullahoma to the Highlander Center, ignited the sparkler bomb, and destroyed a building, ultimately causing over $1.2 million in damage.

Before he detonated the bomb, Prater spray-painted the symbol of the Iron Guard, a 1930s-era paramilitary arm of the Romanian Nazi Party, in the Highlander Center parking lot. This same symbol was engraved on the rifle used in the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, just two weeks prior to the arson. Prater acknowledged that he committed the arson at the Highland Center due to his white-supremacist ideology and as a response to the Highlander Center’s faith-based educational priorities and its association with the Civil Rights Movement.

Separately, Prater also admitted that, in 2019, he attempted to provide material support to Hizballah, also known as “Hezbollah,” which the United States has recognized as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997. Specifically, Prater obtained a document purporting to contain personally identifiable information of over 35,000 individuals purportedly affiliated with the government of Israel. He then provided that document to an individual he believed to be associated with Hizballah, stating, among other things: “Start the hunt.””

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Court Document: Former US Capitol Police Officer-Turned CIA Employee FAILED Polygraph Test Regarding J6 Pipe Bombs

In December of 2025, the FBI identified the alleged pipe bomber and conducted a search on his home, and arrested Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, after a “fresh review” of old evidence.  The FBI claimed they found evidence during the search that suggested Cole Jr. was the person responsible for placing the inert devices at the RNC and DNC Headquarters on the evening of January 5, 2021.

Following his arrest, Cole, who is said to be autistic, sought bail in January 2026, but was denied by U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Sharbaugh after Cole admitted to planting the bombs after hours of intense interrogation; however, he has pleaded not guilty to the two charges related to planting the explosive devices.

In November of 2025, a former U.S. Capitol Police officer, who now works for the Central Intelligence Agency, was identified as the alleged pipe-bomber by The Blaze’s Steve Baker.  However, according to CBS News, the former USCP officer had an alibi: a video of her at home playing with her puppies that night.

In a new filing from Cole’s attorneys today, a new detail has emerged that wasn’t previously reported.

In a Motion filed this morning, it was learned that, “according to discovery produced by the government in this case,” “the FBI began investigating, questioning, and covertly surveilling” Kerkhoff “during the time it began investigating Mr. Cole.”

On November 6, 2025, Kerkhoff was interviewed by the FBI and took a polygraph examination.

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DOJ Seeks to Hold Brian Cole’s Lawyers in Contempt for Publicly Posting Pipe Bomb Allegations Against Former Capitol Police Officer

The Justice Department is seeking to hold Brian Cole’s lawyers in contempt for violating a protective order and publicly posting allegations against former Capitol Police officer Shauni Kerkhoff.

Brian Cole, 30, of Woodridge, Virginia, was taken into custody in December and charged with use of an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.

Cole initially admitted to investigators that he planted pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 5, the night before the Capitol riot.

However, Cole pleaded not guilty to the charges this year.

Cole’s attorneys argued that their client is covered by President Trump’s blanket January 6 pardons.

On Wednesday, Brian Cole’s lawyers filed a motion for early return of subpoenas and publicly disclosed information about the DOJ’s review of Shauni Kerkhoff’s alleged role in January 6.

As TGP’s Brian Lupo reported earlier, in a motion filed Wednesday morning, Brian Cole’s lawyers alleged, “according to discovery produced by the government in this case,” “the FBI began investigating, questioning, and covertly surveilling” Kerkhoff “during the time it began investigating Mr. Cole.”

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Siblings Indicted in Alleged IED Plot at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, One Suspect Believed to Have Fled to China

Alen Zheng and his sister, Ann Mary Zheng, have been indicted in connection with a possible improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. MacDill is home to CENTCOM and U.S. Special Operations Command.

On March 16, 2026, a suspicious package was discovered outside the Visitor Control Center at the Dale Mabry Gate of MacDill, which appeared to have “possible energetic materials.”

Following the discovery, the gate and nearby roads were shut down for about 6–7 hours while first responders and the FBI investigated. The device was described as potentially “very deadly” if it had detonated, though it did not explode.

The base raised its threat level to FPCON Charlie (the second-highest force protection condition, indicating a serious incident has occurred) and implemented heightened security.

On March 26, 2026,  federal prosecutors unsealed indictments against the pair. Alen, who has allegedly already fled to China, is accused of planting the device.

He faces charges including:

  • Attempted damage to government property by fire or explosion
  • Unlawful making of a destructive device
  • Possession of an unregistered destructive device
  • He is currently believed to be in China and remains at large.

His sister is facing charges of accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence.

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Mystery of the destruction of ‘America’s Stonehenge’ may finally be solved as conspiracy theories rage

A new investigation into the destruction of a monument dubbed ‘America’s Stonehenge’ has shed light on conspiracy theories about what may have fueled its 2022 bombing.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s six-part podcast, Who Blew Up the Guidestones?, examines why the Georgia Guidestones became a target of fringe speculation over global elites, satanic rituals, and UFOs. 

With so many theories swirling over the supposed nefarious nature of the monument – historians said it was only a matter of time before rampant paranoia would lead to its destruction.  

The 19-foot granite structure near Elberton was destroyed on July 6, 2022, when an explosive device detonated at around 4.30am.

Authorities said ‘unknown individuals’ carried out the attack. Surveillance footage showed a vehicle fleeing the scene, and the remaining slabs were later demolished for safety reasons.

No arrests have been made and the case remains unsolved.

The Guidestones were commissioned in 1979 by an elusive man who wanted to remain anonymous, but went by the pseudonym R.C. Christian. He approached the Elberton Granite Finishing Company with detailed plans for a massive monument.

He told company president Joe H. Fendley Sr. that he represented a group of individuals who shared a philosophy about humanity’s future.

Christian brought the granite company a silver-painted wooden model and precise construction plans, though the total cost was never publicly disclosed. Estimates have placed it in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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Massie suggests ‘wrong person’ arrested in Jan. 6 DC pipe bomb case

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he does not believe federal authorities arrested the true culprit behind two pipe bombs planted outside the Democratic and Republican national committee offices on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

“I believe FBI arrested the wrong person in the J6 pipe bomb case,” Massie wrote on X, linking to an analysis by the conservative outlet The Blaze that he said found “stark physical differences” between Brian Cole Jr., who was arrested, and the suspect shown in videos released by federal and local law enforcement.

Cole was arrested in December after what government officials called an “aha moment” that led to a breakthrough in the nearly five-year investigation. The pipe bombs had become a lingering mystery of the days surrounding the riot.

Prosecutors have said that Cole gave a “detailed confession” after he was arrested, allegedly telling investigators he became “bewildered” by claims the 2020 election was stolen from President Trump and thought someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the allegations of election fraud. He was the first suspect publicly identified by law enforcement. 

However, Cole has pleaded not guilty to two federal charges, and his attorneys have also suggested the government apprehended the wrong man. They have pointed to his diagnoses for autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder as reason for any suspicious behavior.

The Hill requested comment from the FBI and Justice Department.

The analysis by The Blaze claimed to show that Cole’s physical dimensions, gait, posture and mannerisms are at odds with the hoodie-clad suspect seen in videos released by law enforcement, though the outlet acknowledges that “poor video quality” complicated its efforts to review the footage.

Cole faces counts of transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials. The first count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while the second count carries a five-year minimum sentence and up to 20 years.  

A judge ordered him to remain detained ahead of trial, after finding that there are “no conditions of release” the court could impose that would “reasonably assure the safety of the community.” His lawyers are seeking further review.

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Over 5 Explosive Devices Discovered in Fort Washington Park in Maryland

On Sunday, five explosive devices were discovered in Fort Washington Park in Maryland.

The Prince George’s County Fire Department Bomb Squad was called to the scene to neutralize the devices after receiving a call of two suspicious packages in the woods.

Less than 24 hours later, additional explosive devices were discovered at the park, and the PGFD Bomb Squad is working to secure the devices.

In a press release, the Prince George’s County Fire Department stated, “5 devices were rendered safe before operations were suspended after sunset. This morning, additional explosive devices were located.”

“The Bomb Squad is on scene working to render the devices safe,” added the PG County Fire Department.

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Israel confirms Michigan synagogue attacker’s brother was Hezbollah terrorist commander

The brother of a terrorist who rammed a vehicle into a Michigan Jewish preschool was a Hezbollah commander, Israel Defense Forces have said.

Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, 41, was shot dead after driving the vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Mich., on Thursday.

His brother, Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali, was responsible for managing weapons operations within a specialized branch of Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, the IDF said in a statement Sunday morning.

This unit of the Lebanese terror group is responsible for launching hundreds of rockets toward Israeli civilians throughout the recent war with Iran, the IDF said.

Ghazali’s two brothers, a niece, and a nephew were killed in an Israeli airstrike on March 5 in the town of Mashgharah, Lebanon, just days before the attack, a local official told AP Friday.

The family had sat down for their fast-breaking meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when they were struck.

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Amsterdam: Explosion at Jewish school condemned by mayor as ‘deliberate attack against the Jewish community’

A bomb has gone off in a Jewish school in the capital city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, in “a deliberate attack against the Jewish community,” according to the city’s mayor.

Mayor Femke Halsema said in a Saturday press release that an overnight explosion in a residential area on the south side of the city, which caused some damage to the school.

“This is a cowardly act of aggression toward the Jewish community,” Halsema said. “I understand the fear and anger of Jewish Amsterdammers. They are increasingly confronted with antisemitism, and that is unacceptable.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Halsema reported that police obtained Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance footage of an individual planting the explosive near Cheider, a Jewish school.

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Parents of alleged ISIS-loving NYC bomb thrower own $2.5M Pennsylvania home, are naturalized citizens from Afghanistan

The parents of one of the alleged ISIS-loving wannabe terrorists who tried to detonate an IED near Gracie Mansion own a gorgeous, $2.25 million home – a sign they seized the American Dream after arriving from Afghanistan decades ago, The Post has learned.

Alleged teen bomber Ibrahim Kayumi’s family home is a 5,800-square-foot manse with six bedrooms and five bathrooms in scenic Newtown, Pennsylvania, records show.

Kayumi, 19, and his friend Emir Balat, 18, traveled from the blissful enclave of McMansions in Bucks County to the Big Apple, where they allegedly hurled homemade bombs at a racist agitator’s anti-Muslim protest outside the mayoral residence on the Upper East Side Saturday, according to police and prosecutors.

The stunning attempted bombing – which NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said was being investigated as an act of “ISIS-inspired terrorism” – shocked Kayumi’s neighbors.

“This is not the kind of place you think of when you think Islamic terror,” one neighbor, Kathy, said Monday. “This is Americana, here. It’s middle class, but in the best way.

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