Two Queens women were arrested for planning to detonate a bomb in the New York City area, according to a statement by FBI.
The FBI arrested the women on Thursday, saying the public was never in any danger and added the two were arrested without incident. Noelle Velentzas, 28, and Asia Siddiqui, 31, were arrested as part of a long-term FBI undercover operation.
The women were planning to detonate the bomb on behalf of ISIS, the terrorist group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The FBI said the two “repeatedly expressed their support” for terrorist activities, including Siddiqui having written poetry for an al-Qaeda magazine. Velentzas described former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as a personal hero and had a photo of him holding an AK-47 as the background image on her cellphone, according to the complaint filed in support of their arrest warrants.
The complaint said the two discussed several targets in New York City, including the 34th Street–Herald Square subway station in Manhattan and a police funeral.
The women appeared at a federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon, and a judge ruled that they will be held without bail, according to The Associated Press.
If convicted, both women could face life in prison.
“These defendants allegedly engaged in sustained efforts to obtain bomb-making instructions and materials, including using instructions provided by al-Qaeda’s online magazine,” explained NYPD Commissioner William Bratton.
Last week, authorities arrested a National Guardsman and his cousin who were plotting a terrorist attack on an Illinois armory. They were arrested in Chicago and are said to be inspired by ISIS.
Friends Read Free