They were allegedly scouting LGBT bars in the Detroit area to carry out a violent attack over the holiday weekend.
Two men with links to the ISIS terrorist group who had purchased high-powered weapons and practiced at gun ranges were planning a violent attack over the Halloween weekend in suburban Detroit, federal authorities alleged on Nov. 3 in a criminal complaint filing terrorism charges against the pair.
The two 20-year-old men—Momed Ali and Majed Mahmoud—and their co-conspirators, including a minor identified as Person 1, were allegedly inspired by ISIS terrorism to carry out the alleged plot, according to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court on Monday.
Ali and Mahmoud were allegedly scouting potential LGBT bars in Ferndale as a possible venue for the attack, according to the complaint.
The two were arrested by federal authorities on Oct. 31 after FBI agents had monitored them for weeks. The court filing noted that agents even positioned a camera on a pole outside a residence in Dearborn to surveil Ali and Mahmoud.
Both were charged with receiving and transferring firearms and ammunition for terrorism. Ali and Mahmoud briefly appeared in federal court on Monday and will stay in custody until at least their scheduled Nov. 10 detention hearing.
“According to the complaint, subjects had multiple AR-15 rifles, tactical gear, and a detailed plan to carry out an attack on American soil,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on social media. “Our American heroes prevented a terror attack.”
Our newly unsealed complaint reveals a major ISIS-linked terror plot with multiple subjects arrested in the Eastern District of Michigan targeting the United States.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) November 3, 2025
According to the complaint, subjects had multiple AR-15 rifles, tactical gear, and a detailed plan to carry out…
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
By Jacob Burg
