HOUSTON — FBI Houston on Thursday announced the arrest of a man they say tried to provide support to ISIS and admitted to planning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Authorities said 28-year-old Anas Said was doing this all from his apartment in far west Houston.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said Said was born in Houston but spent a large part of his childhood in Lebanon where his family is from.
The FBI said Said admitted to researching how to carry out an attack on local military recruiting centers, offering his home as a sanctuary for ISIS operatives, and bragging that he would commit a “9/11-style” attack if he had the resources to do so. He also attempted to produce ISIS propaganda.
Said is charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. FBI agents arrested him on November 8, 2024. Hamdani said when the agents confronted Said, he violently threw his cell phone against the ground to shatter it.
Hamdani said a search of Said’s devices revealed pro-ISIS images and messages, including communications with the official media outlet for ISIS. He’s accused of creating at least five videos and two images that he sent to an ISIS social media and web designer for distribution.
“We’ve taken a suspected terrorist off the streets of Houston,” FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams said.
Williams said Said has been on the FBI Houston Joint Terrorist Task Force’s radar since 2017.
“Our early investigation determined Said frequently viewed ISIS literature and other online propaganda,” Williams said.
Williams said the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel spurred Said toward violence, pushing him to the top of their priority list of national security threats.
“He admitted to wanting to use explosives to commit a mass killing here in Houston,” Williams said. “He expressed the desire to join the U.S. Military just so he could commit an act once he was inside their ranks.”
Hamdani said Said has a bond hearing scheduled sometime Thursday evening.
Watch the update authorities gave on Thursday: