Tweet
On Thursday morning, the Justice Department said that the FBI arrested a U.S. National Guardsman and his civilian cousin for attempting to travel to Egypt and join the ranks of ISIS, Reuters reports.
Specialist Hasan Edmonds, a 22-year-old National Guardsman, was apprehended by the FBI at Chicago Midway International Airport. Edmonds was attempting to make his way to Egypt, where he was planning to fight alongside ISIS.
edmonds-cousins
Hasan and Jonas Edmonds.
Jonas Edmonds, Hasan’s cousin, a 29-year-old civilian, was arrested at his home in Aurora, Illinois.
The cousins also planned attacks on U.S. soil. Both of the men allegedly told an undercover FBI agent of their plot to attack Americans.
According to CBS News:
The cousins allegedly told an FBI undercover employee their plan for an armed attack on the U.S. military facility in northern Illinois where Hasan Edmonds had been training.
Jonas Edmonds allegedly told the FBI undercover employee that they would use uniforms and information from Hasan Edmonds to access the facility and target officers.
Spc. Hasan Edmonds and Jonas Edmonds are both U.S. citizens, a fact which is raising concerns about the threat of homegrown radical Islamic terrorism.
The following is a widely circulated photo of Hasan Edmonds.
hasanedmonds3
A photo of Hasan Edmonds.
The tattoo on his chest is an Islamic crescent and star and says “10-8-92.” It appears to be his birthdate, since he is 22-years-old.
Another photo from what appears to be his Facebook page shows other tattoos:
Screenshot - 3_26_2015 , 6_19_34 PM
The tattoo is a cross with a crown on top and wings to each side. There are also hands on each side of the cross. It is unclear if Edmonds had been an ardent Christian or if these tattoos were gang-related. It is also unknown at what point he converted to Islam.
The Facebook account appears to be authentic because of when the photos were uploaded, and the description.
Screenshot - 3_26_2015 , 6_28_54 PM
Update: Photos of Edmonds’ family were also found. Travis Edmonds posted:
10580265_561970180574750_4549833040668382636_n
This was posted with the caption, “United we stand El shabazz” – a plausible reference to Malcolm X. A symbol was posted in support of the post:
Screenshot - 3_26_2015 , 6_52_24 PM
By all appearances, Hasan Edmonds and his cousin Jonas Edmonds fell victim to ISIS propaganda and became willing participants in homegrown terrorism. Fortunately, the FBI and law enforcement thwarted their plot to attack Americans.
Editor’s note: This article was updated after publication.
Comment