Good
evening everyone. Today, we have disrupted an alleged
extremist plot, conceived in a California prison,
and have indicted members of the potential terrorist
cell. Our success is the result of the dedicated
efforts of more than a dozen law enforcement agencies
and prosecutors, working in partnership over the
last several months.
Possible significant terrorist attacks have been
prevented as a direct result of the immediate and
effective action taken by officers in the Torrance
Police Department and the LAPD. These officers gained
information during a local robbery investigation,
recognized that it could have broader intelligence
value, and shared that information with the FBI’s
Joint Terrorism Task Force in Los Angeles. Our JTTF
then used that intelligence to drive their investigation
of this potential terrorist cell and uncover their
potential violent plot against U.S. military facilities,
Israeli government facilities, and Jewish synagogues
in the Los Angeles area.
Local, state, and federal authorities worked together
and shared information together. Ultimately, that
shared intelligence and our joint efforts helped
us piece together the alleged plot now outlined
in these indictments.
I would like to thank members of the Torrance Police
Department, the LAPD, and the members of the JTTF
who worked closely with the California Department
of Corrections, the Drug Enforcement Administration,
the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations,
and other agencies in this investigation.
Now, I would be happy to take your questions.
