US soldier arrested in ISIS plot to blow up 9/11 memorial in NYC

Cole James Bridges, also known by the alias Cole Gonzales, has been arrested on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and attempted murder of a military member.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A soldier in the US military was arrested in Georgia on Tuesday after making online posts plotting to blow up New York City's 9/11 memorial, among other landmarks, along with plans to attack troops in the Middle East, Associated Press reports.

Cole James Bridges, also known by the alias Cole Gonzales, has been arrested on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and attempted murder of a military member.

"As we allege today, Bridges, a private in the US Army, betrayed our country and his unit when he plotted with someone he believed was an ISIS sympathizer to help ISIS attack and kill U.S. soldiers in the Middle East," said NYC FBI head William F. Sweeney Jr.

"Fortunately, the person with whom he communicated was an FBI employee, and we were able to prevent his evil desires from coming to fruition," he continued. "Our troops risk their lives for our country, but they should never face such peril at the hands of one of their own."

Bridges was caught when an FBI agent was present in the chatroom where he was planning the attacks. Bridges had provided the agent with detailed plans on how he intended to carry out the attacks. The agent was posing as an ISIS supporter who had contacts with ISIS fighters in the Middle East.

Bridges originally joined the army in September 2019 and was stationed at Fort Stewart in southeastern Georgia. He reportedly became radicalized after he had already enlisted, consuming extremist and jihadist content online.

After divulging in Islamist content, Bridges expressed an interest in aiding ISIS, the terrorist organization which took over much of Iraq and Syria in the mid-2010s. Bridges allegedly provided ISIS fighters with guidance on how to attack US targets, military handbooks, and tactics used by the US military in combat.

Earlier this month, Bridges sent a video of himself wearing body armor in front of the ISIS flag, symbolizing his support for the terrorist group. A week later, he sent a second video where he spouted pro-ISIS propaganda using a voice manipulator.

Bridges is expected to make a court appearance on Thursday.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in to comment

Comments

Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy