Federal authorities have detained a 20-year-old Jordanian national in Texas, Sohaib Abuayyash, on charges related to the unlawful possession of firearms, amidst allegations that he was plotting a potential attack on the Jewish community in Houston.

During a Senate Homeland Security Committee session, FBI Director Chris Wray noted that Abuayyash had been engaging with online content from radical groups, learning bomb-making techniques. Wray’s testimony, while not naming Abuayyash directly, outlined his scary activity and threats towards Jews.

Court documents reveal Abuayyash’s explicit reference to a Jewish community event in Houston on social media. The documents did not disclose specifics about the purported attack’s timing or location.

Abuayyash faces incarceration on allegations that, while on a non-immigrant visa, he unlawfully possessed firearms. U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan has decreed that Abuayyash should remain in custody without bail until his trial, citing his discussions about martyrdom and intentions to participate in the Gaza war.

Investigations spurred by Abuayyash’s online activities intensified after a video surfaced showing him firing weapons, including an AR-style rifle. Despite his expired non-immigrant visa, Abuayyash has legally worked in the U.S. under asylum application status.

The FBI acted swiftly to charge Abuayyash with firearm possession to mitigate any immediate threat, pending further investigation into the alleged attack plot.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)